HANDBOOK OP THE COLLECTION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 35 



operating metal free reeds. Each key controls two notes, one with 

 the inflation and one with the deflation of the bellows. In playing 

 an accordion the right hand is placed over the keyboard while the 

 left hand works the bellows, on the lower side of which are usually 

 to be found two keys which admit wind to other reeds furnishing a 

 simple harmony, usually the chords of the tonic and dominant. 

 Thus the instrument can be played in only one key. An interesting 

 accordion (95040) was obtained in 1892 from Mrs. Mary Mertag, 

 who brought it from Germany in 1850. It has a rectangular body 

 with five rectangular push keys in each end. It has two reeds to each 

 key that differ in pitch and tone, and so arranged with flap valves 

 that when the key is raised the bellows expand and draw the air 

 through only one reed, while compressing the bellows allows the wind 

 to pass through the other reed. It has loop handles of leather on 

 both ends. Other accordions are exhibited, the series being a gift 

 from J. Howard Foote in 1882. One of these (55643) has trumpet- 

 shaped ornaments. 



The concertina is a portable instrument of the seraphine family, 

 patented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1829. It is hexagonal in 

 shape and has pistons or " touches " on both ends of the bellows. 

 The sound is produced by the pressure of air from the bellows on 

 free metallic reeds. A typical concertina (55645) was a gift from 

 J. Howard Foote and has 10 keys at each end. 



An early form of free-reed instrument is the " rocking melodeon," 

 or " elbow melodeon." This instrument was used in America about 

 1825, and continued until the middle of the century. The exhibited 

 instrument (204639) is stamped with the name of Prescott, who 

 began the manufacture of these instruments in 1836 and continued 

 about 10 years. There seems to have been a distinction between 

 the two forms of melodeon, as we read that " D. Bartlett, who 

 worked for Prescott, later made the elbow melodeon." The air 

 is forced through the reeds by means of bellows which are in two 

 parts, both parts hinged at one end, the parts extending the length 

 of the instrument with their hinges at opposite ends and placed 

 one above the other. The lower part of the bellows is the pump 

 and has a spring ; the upper part acts as an air reservoir. The reeds 

 and keyboard are above the bellows, and each key opens a valve 

 that admits the air to its reed. It has 24 natural keys in one row 

 and 17 sharps in the second row; between them is a tablet lettered 

 with the letters of the natural and sharp keys. The range is three 

 octaves and four full notes from 2 F to 2 A. 



The invention which contributed most to the placing of music 

 within the reach of everyone was the invention of the melodeon 

 with pedals, and its successor, the cabinet organ. The melodeon 

 was easily played, not requiring any adjustment of tone; it had 



