Do you ever look at the instruments played by your favorite band? Most drum sets include cymbals. Often Zildjian cymbals! The first Zildjian cymbals were created in 1618 by Avedis Zildjian, an Armenian alchemist. He made an alloy into a sheet of metal that could make musical sounds without shattering. The family business grew and the secret cymbal-making process was passed down through generations. In 1929, Avedis Zildjian III established a Zildjian cymbal foundry in Quincy, Massachusetts and moved to a state-of-the-art facility in Norwell in 1973. Listen to Collections Curator Gary Lind-Sinanian discuss the history, and don’t forget to share the video if you know someone that may be unaware of the storied past of these ubiquitous percussion instruments!