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July 1939. "Migrant boy removing guitar before family leaves for California. At old homestead near Muskogee, Oklahoma." View full size. Medium format safety negative by Russell Lee for the Farm Security Administration.
Not only are there no strings on this guitar, there's no saddle and no bridge to attach strings to. On the other hand, they'd probably cost less to put on than it would cost to buy a whole new guitar.
It's corrugated cardboard on the walls... ans it makes sense, I'm sure the trapped air inside the corrugations would give them a little insulation.
I've seen it, along with shredded newspaper, inside the walls of a few 100 year old houses at fire calls when we open the walls.
Maybe he can get some strings for that guitar in California.
I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball
-- Merle Haggard, "Okie from Muskogee"
Maybe they weren't having such a ball in 1939, but they were making music and this young man intends to continue that pleasure.
Must be for playing "air guitar" with no strings on it... Am I right in guessing that is recycled cardboard as wall covering?
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