G'day Little Robyn,

"Thanks for the info - I had heard that the piano accordion was patented in 1856 but obviously not.

Robyn"

I have a copy of Le Fisarmonische ("Piano-Accordions"), Fermo Galbiati & Nino Ciravegna, initerari d'imagini, Milano, 1987 ... basically a "catalogue raissoné" of a collection of "fisarmoniche" = "bellows-accordions" at the Museo miscellaneo Galbiati, in Brugherio. This collection actually holds example of a wide range of instruments: from ancestral button accordions (eg 'flautinas'), through all types of accordions, concertinas and portable reed harmoniums.

Although the museum's information (given in Italian and rather dubious English!) is often flawed - it is a useful gloss of the history of the accordion class of instrument. The fifth instrument ... after a c. 1835 Wheatstone prototype of his 'English system' concertina, an (alleged) 1840 Lachenal 'English system' concertina, an (allegedly) 1850 (and, presumably French) Harmoniette - very like the current Indian table "accordions" with a piano keyboard and no bass chords, a very complicated (and well-bassed!) c. 1850 Austrian button accordion ... is a (presumably French) Harmoniflute, which has a piano keyboard and may have some sort of bass system, but it is not described by the compiler.

It is my understanding that the French first applied an arrangement of piano keyboard giving a full chromatic range of several octaves, with reeds sounding the same note on both press and draw, in the mid 1850s ... but they did not devise a satisfactory system of bass chord and/or notes. The Italians solved the problem with the Stradella Bass System ... and the first such instrument in this catalogue is dated 1880 - and made in the town of Stradella.

If this "Harmoniflute" had any sort of bass system, it could be acurately described as an accordion (unlike the Harmoniette, with no bass chords) - but it was far short of a workable piano accordion.

Regards,

Bob