Object Timeline

  • We acquired this object.

2024

2025

2026

  • You found it!

Photograph, Peter Nelson shaping a cymbal on a lathe

This is a Photograph. It was photographed by Christopher Payne and subject: The Avedis Zildjian Company.

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from Christopher Payne as part of Made in America: The Industrial Photography of Christopher Payne.

It is dated 2024. Its medium is digital pigment print. It is a part of the Exhibitions department.


On the lathe, small amounts of metal are shaved off the surface of the cymbal. The process allows for precise control of the instrument’s pitch, sustain, and unique timbre.

Its dimensions are

H x W: 134.6 × 139.7 cm (53 × 55 in.) H x W (framed dimensions): 139.7 × 144.8 cm (55 × 57 in.)

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://www-3.collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/2318812195/ |title=Photograph, Peter Nelson shaping a cymbal on a lathe |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=7 January 2026 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>