Boalch-Mould Online

About

Boalch-Mould Online (BMO)

is a research database named in honor of Donald H. Boalch and Charles M. Mould whose groundbreaking work Makers of the Harpsichord and Clavichord 1440-1840 was first published in a print edition of 1956 and updated by Oxford University Press in 1974 and 1995.
The present project

continues to refine, update, and expand their findings into the digital age. With biographies of known makers and an extensive catalog of surviving instruments, many with photos, BMO is a searchable database available on the Internet at no charge to researchers, owners, collectors, caretakers, and enthusiasts of historical harpsichords and clavichords.
Charles Mould

envisioned the online publication of his database, writing in the preface to the 1995 edition, “It is hoped that in due course [the database] will be available free of charge to all scholars via the internet.” Dr. Mould has given his strong endorsement to the current project.

More Information

Date Parameters and Editorial Standards

A pre-1925 date limit for BMO increases the timeframe covered by the print editions to include the beginnings of the early keyboard revival. As a primarily crowd-sourced information system, BMO editors make a reasonable effort to ensure accuracy of information and consistency of its presentation, but necessarily accepts all credible data from observers all around the world. Users are strongly urged to alert editors when they have new information, corrections, or photographs.

Costs and Funding

All staffing is volunteer. However, website hosting and professional web development are costly. BMO receives funding from the Musical Instrument Research Catalog (www.MIRCat.org), a non-profit 501(c)3 charity that solicits funding from individuals and organizations in support of the BMO initiative and other closely related digital resources for musical instrument research.

Staffing

General Editor and Website Administrator is John R. Watson, based in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. (email Editor@Boalch.org). Biographies editor is Lance Whitehead based in Edinburgh, Scotland. (email Biographies@Boalch.org). A board of contributing editors is being formed.

Oversight

BMO is an independent initiative that regularly reports its progress to MIRCat, on which BMO depends for funding, encouragement, and consulting. There is also a Boalch advisory committee to advise on editorial policy and database interface improvements.

Project Status (as of 1 August, 2022)

The new user interface for Boalch-Mould Online is undergoing final testing. It will be ready for general use sometime this month. Lance Whitehead has completed his initial updating of almost 2000 makers and their biographies, which now total over 300,000 words. Biographies include innumerable references to recent scholarship and many more makers, some material not published anywhere else. Database users will have the ability to submit new and corrected information on the instruments directly online prior to immediate editorial review and publication.

About

Boalch-Mould Online (BMO)

The present project