What's a flautophone?

Subject: What's a flautophone?
From: Joybell
Date: 19 Aug 12 - 11:48 PM

I DON'T mean the plastic flute.

I'm seeking the 19th century instrument that seems to have been a type of xylophone. I found a few references to one but they don't help much. One reference said the flautophone was played while wearing gloves. A glass xylophone was listed along with the flautophone at this site but the suggestion was that they were two different instruments.
I note that the name means -- sounding like a flute -- rather than looks like a flute.
Can anyone help please.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: What's a flautophone?
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:50 AM

19th century inventors were very prolific, particularly with instrument names. Almost any word (Greek sounding or not) godfathered several instruments by the suffix -phone or -ophone.

A minute of googling produced something that amounts to a breath-driven little organ. Your description, however, seems to fit some variant of glass harmonica; some people experimented with gloves to produce a more constant and reliable sound on it.

The same Google list contains references to newly "invented" flutes with saxophone mouthpieces etc.

Subject: RE: What's a flautophone?
From: Joybell
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 05:45 PM

Thanks, Grishka. I am studying a 19th century performer who was very inventive. Over the years I've come across many strange instruments he was fond of using. He once said he could get music out of anything except a scolding wife and a silk handkerchief.

I'm interested in the flautophone because I want to understand everything about this man. I understand the use of classical and hybrid names for all aspects of performance then including for the names of musical instruments. My man was very good at that. Thank you for glove-connection. I was wondering about the gloves.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: What's a flautophone?
From: Joybell
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 05:49 PM

Ahh Yes. Glass harmonica I believe it probably was. Thanks again Grishka.
Joy

Subject: RE: What's a flautophone?
From: michaelr
Date: 20 Aug 12 - 06:25 PM

Shouldn't that be glass armorica?