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Reed Organ (Physharmonica)

Attributed to Alexander-François Debain French
ca. 1860
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681
The physharmonica is a small version of the melodicon and harmonium. Designed in Vienna in 1821 by Anton Haeckl, the physharmonica stood in many parlors by the end of the nineteenth century. This example is attributed to the French builder Alexander Debain based on its similarities with other instruments by him (including Met example 1986.101). Debain was a builder of reed keyboard instruments including accordions, harmoniums, and physharmonicas.


Technical description: Small rectangular mahogany chest with short ivory and ebony f-f3 keyboard on (narrow) top edge, single-fold wedge bellows on back, double-fold wedge reservoir on front, keys operate pallet valves on bellows side, admitting wind through internal duct to brass pressure reeds on reservoir side of chest; top 2 octaves have 2 sets of unison reeds, 1 set controlled by ivory stop knob above keyboard; 4 other stops open swell and exhaust valve; bellows pumped by trapezoidal velvet-covered pedal on solid flat base connecting 2 slender lyre supports to which chest is attached by wing nuts on 2 screws embedded in bottom of chest; brass mounts on side panels and front; side panels conceal spring latches hold valves and reed chambers closed.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Reed Organ (Physharmonica)
  • Maker: Attributed to Alexander-François Debain (French, Paris, 1809–1877 Paris)
  • Date: ca. 1860
  • Geography: France
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Palisander, brass.
  • Dimensions: H. 26 3/8 ×W. 21 15/16 × D. 11 in. (67 × 55.7 × 28 cm)
  • Classification: Aerophone-Organ
  • Credit Line: Gift of the Hermanos Family, in memory of Maxime L. Hermanos, 1985
  • Object Number: 1985.203
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

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Reed Organ (Physharmonika), Alexander-François Debain French, Wood, metal, French
Reed Organ (Physharmonika)
Alexander-François Debain
early 19th century
Accordion, Alexandre Pere & Fils, Wood, metal, mastic, brass, tortoiseshell, gilt brass, mother-of-pearl, silver foil, French
Accordion
Alexandre Pere & Fils
1850–55
Cornet à Pistons in B-flat, Courtois frères, Brass, touch pieces of ivory, French
Cornet à Pistons in B-flat
Courtois frères
1833
Transverse Flute in D-flat, Claude Laurent French, Glass, brass, French
Transverse Flute in D-flat
Claude Laurent
1813
Oboe, Triebert French, Rosewood, brass, French
Oboe
Triebert
1870–75

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