Guitarpa

I've got questions about my tag picture. I've found it on the harpguitar.net site. Here it is in a big version.

It's called a "guitarpa" and was played by Louis Soria 1851-1935. From the site
http://harpguitars.net/players/encyclopedia_of_hg_players.htm:

"Luis Soria was a friend of Tarraga (the two playing several concerts together in the province of Alicante around 1880). From around 1891-1896, Soria resided in Cuba, where he designed and built a unique “guitarpa.” Two were made, an 8-string and 11-string. Its range was stated as four octaves. Curiously, the photo appears to have 12 black bridge pins, not 11. With at least 3 floating strings visible on the theorboed headstock extension, there are probably 8 on the extra-wide fingerboard. Therefore, the second guitarpa may have had the same body size and shape with 8 strings on the neck and no floating basses. Recognized as a virtuoso in Cuba, Soria returned to Spain in 1896 (moving from Madrid to Alicante), where he continued his success, giving at least two successful guitarpa concerts in late 1896. The reviewer described the two instruments used as (roughly translated) “a combination of guitar and harp, appearing like a guitar in the upper section and extending towards the bottom in the form of bell, until it rested on the floor. In this way, the guitar can have larger soundbox and its soundboard more than double the size of a standard guitar, therefore doubling the volume, improving quality of sound, and with greater sustain.” Domingo Prat’s Dictionary of Guitarists (B.Aires, 1934) mentions three additional concerts given by Soria in Barcelona 1905 using the guitarpa. The instrument, though impressive and well-received by audiences, went no further than Soria’s own concerts.

Guitarist Emilio Pujol wrote about it that “In spite of having obtained its happily intended results, no one seconded the innovation - without a doubt because, upon multiplying the difficulties in execution, it simply stopped being a guitar without properly becoming a harp.”

Soria composed “remarkable works in the flamenco style,” and as an active guitar professor, he founded the first Spanish Guitarrística Society of Madrid."

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