Rocking Melodeon
The "rocking" melodeon or organ received this moniker because it had to be pumped up and down (the keyboard therefore rocking) in order to pump the bellows to sound the reeds.
Technical description: shallow rectangular rosewood-veneered case with cima profile sides pegged onto reed board atop single-fold wedge-shaped reservoir and opposed pressure feeder equipped with leaf springs; bottom of feeder raised by two strips to allow ingress of air when melodeon is placed on table top; C-c3 keyboard with thin ivory natural plates (plain wood fronts) and dark-stained accidentals is mounted at rear of top, front of top plain except for non-functional swell shutter knob sliding in rectangular plate toward left-hand side; brass reeds (basses weighted with solder) soldered to brass channels that have right-angled sides that would normally fit into grooves, but here secured upside-down to reed board with screws and having stamped pitch letters on exposed side; pallets--pushed down by short steel rods--are tapered brass strips, leathered at tip over windway and glued and nailed to underside of reed board; bellows sides made of cardboard covered by embossed oilcloth; attachment on left side probably for strap to missing pedal.
Technical description: shallow rectangular rosewood-veneered case with cima profile sides pegged onto reed board atop single-fold wedge-shaped reservoir and opposed pressure feeder equipped with leaf springs; bottom of feeder raised by two strips to allow ingress of air when melodeon is placed on table top; C-c3 keyboard with thin ivory natural plates (plain wood fronts) and dark-stained accidentals is mounted at rear of top, front of top plain except for non-functional swell shutter knob sliding in rectangular plate toward left-hand side; brass reeds (basses weighted with solder) soldered to brass channels that have right-angled sides that would normally fit into grooves, but here secured upside-down to reed board with screws and having stamped pitch letters on exposed side; pallets--pushed down by short steel rods--are tapered brass strips, leathered at tip over windway and glued and nailed to underside of reed board; bellows sides made of cardboard covered by embossed oilcloth; attachment on left side probably for strap to missing pedal.
Artwork Details
- Title: Rocking Melodeon
- Date: second quarter 19th century
- Geography: New England, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Wood, metal, leather
- Dimensions: L. 72.5 cm
W. 30.5 cm
Dep. 14.5 cm
3-octave span: 48.0 cm. - Classification: Aerophone-Free Reed-harmonium
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.1195
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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