Historic Treasure of the Week - August 15, 1982
By Dorothy W. Jerse
Curator, Vigo County Historical Society
Historic Treasure of the Week - August 15, 1982
By Dorothy W. Jerse
Curator, Vigo County Historical Society
One of the treasures displayed in the Victorian parlor of the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley is this melodeon.
The instrument is a reed organ of the type commonly found in churches and homes during the late 1880s. Family music was popular parlor entertainment before it was replaced by radio, stereos and television.
Contained in a walnut case, this melodeon has five octaves and 61 reeds. The pedal on the right side of the lyre pumps the bellows and results in air passing through the reeds when the keys are depressed. The pedal on the left side is used for increasing the volume. The treble reeds give a bright full tone while those in the base give a rich sonorous tone.
This instrument was constructed by R.M. Mansur, Mt. Vernon, Maine, about 1850, and was the gift of Con and Dorothy Harrold, to the Society in 1980.
Visitors may view it at the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 South Sixth Street, during open hours, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.