As the world hurtled through archaeological discoveries, global artistic exchange, aviation milestones, Hollywood spectacles, and romanticized cultural fantasies, ukulele makers translated these influences into some of the most imaginative and visually striking instruments ever produced.

From his garage workshop in eastern Ontario, Canada, Vincent crafts ukes that look like something you’d find under the sea...

The Minneapolis, Minnesota–based folk rock duo is groove-heavy, with delicious vocal harmonies backed mostly by acoustic guitar, fiddle, upright bass, drums, and ukulele.

Like many inventions of its era, the auto-chord uke reflects a moment when inventors were captivated by the idea of democratizing music through mechanical shortcuts.