Rocking Melodeon

Unknown

1847 · Wood, leather, cloth, metal · Musical Instruments

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. The instrument was typically set on a table to play. Instead of keys, this instrument has two rows of buttons. These buttons are in an arrangement like a traditional keyboard, with a row of naturals and a second row of accidentals arranged in alternating groups of two'ss and three's.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1847

Medium

Wood, leather, cloth, metal

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, by exchange with The New York Public Library, 1976.