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Busselton Historical Society > Records

Concertina

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Subcollections

Musical Instruments

Overview

This small hand held concertina has hexagonal wooden ends connected by 8 fold carboard bellows with painted fabric ridges . The wooden frame at each end has decorative silver inlay around the edges, carved decorative holes to allow the movement of air and a wooden palm rest to which a leather hand strap is attached. The top side of each end has 10 bone headed buttons in 2 rows and on the right hand end another button closer to the palm rest that would be pressed by the thumb and used as either an octave key or for locking.

Historical information

A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons on both ends.

The concertina was developed independently in England and Germany. Sir Charles Wheatstone invented the English version in 1829, while Carl Friedrich Uhlig created a German version in 1834. Various forms of concertina are used for classical, folk, tango and polka music.

Due to its compact size the concertina has been a popular instrument for people who travel, leading it to be a common instrument among soldiers, sailors, and cowboys.

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2024.25

Item type

Musical instruments

Themes

Material

Width

15 cm

Height or length

17 cm

Depth

15 cm

Inscriptions and markings

No markings to give an indication of the maker

Keywords

Busselton Historical Society

Busselton Historical Society

Organisation Details
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Other items from Busselton Historical Society

Concertina

Concertina

Concertina left hand end showing the silver inlay work and 11 buttons

Concertina right hand end showing the silver inlay work, palm rest, hand strap and 11 buttons

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