German settlers wanted to re-create the art and culture of their homeland in new Texas communities like New Braunfels. Two musicians could have used this two-sided music stand at the same time. The stand has an early finish, unusual scalloped-profile legs, a tripod form, and hexagonal column. It could be adjusted for both height and the angle at which the music was displayed. Thought to have been made in New Braunfels, Texas, where it was collected, the stand is symbolic of the cultural refinement the area’s European settlers strove to maintain in the new community they founded.

New Braunfels’ founders were keen to establish social institutions akin to what they had experienced in Germany. Among the settlers were musicians, botanists, and artists of many descriptions. In 1850, the residents organized the Germania Singing Society. A shooting club and early athletic club were also established, along with a newspaper, churches, and schools. The music stand is a fitting symbol of the immigrants’ striving to build a community in Texas similar to what they had left behind in Europe.