Info on my old red Titano Stroller appreciated!

[ArtMustel]

Hello! This is my old Titano accordion. It has an etching on back that read "Stroller 4475 Made in Italy". It needs a bit of TLC but so far plays very well. All pictures of Stroller models I find in the web are of Black accordions with the well known Titano grille, so I would appreciate if someone could tell me some of its history, etc. Treble is LMH with 7 different registers, and bass section has 3 registers. It is not a full size accordion, its keyboard is just a bit shy of 18 inches (45.5 cm). Thanks for any info you can provide!

 

[craigd]

Here's what I can tell you: It's red! Super spiffy!

 

[Ventura]

sharp little box !

i would imagine this is from the original period when the Trafficante
family owned the brand, and were building it's reputation

it also seems to be prior to Victoria's selection as builder

the look of the accordion suggests several other makers from that period
with the Diamond style thick ribs and the Royal style shifts and the curved
early Pigini style sweeping arch... looking inside may give more clues to origin
but there is no-one alive to ask for official info, unless Jim D still has some
carried over ancient paperwork or promo lit... one supposes Deffner maintained
the existing line until they eventually re-engineered and contracted with Victoria

ancient history now

i bet it's a fun box to play !

single set of Bassoon reeds in a low tone chamber ? LMH or LMM ?

 

[ArtMustel]

Yes, craigd, it's red!
Ventura, thanks for info...its very interesting the fact that the Trafficante family once owned the brand. And no, it is not tone chambered. And reeds configuration is LMH. Oh , and the reed blocks are split like in other Titanos (6 small blocks).
I tried to photograph the etched section on the back, but it is a bit difficult to make it visible, here it is anyway. It reads "Stroller 4475, Made in Italy".
Ops, I said that already...

 

[craigd]

I have the more familiar looking black Stroller. Odd to me is that mine says Stroller on the front Parade on the back. Yours looks like 1950s to me, I've seen a very similar hand-scratched model name on the back of an old Cosmopolitan. Is your keyboard a little over 18 inches? They seemed to be going for an easier to handle box with the Stroller.

 

[ArtMustel]

Keyboard is exactly 17 3/4 inches.
I just read somewhere that the 2 first digits on Titano accordions reveal the year of manufacture, but I don't think this applies here since it would be then 1944. I don't know for sure but I didn't think accordions have this look back then. Who knows? I tend to believe it is early 50's as you said craigd.

 

[JIM D.]

There's more than one question here - I'll start with the simple answer first.

(1) The markings on older Italian made accordions were applied 99% of the time by the US distributors that ordered
them. In the 1930's a law was passed that containers or products entering the US be marked with the country of origin.
Accordions were normally shipped in containers and the accordions they contained were not marked with origin.
In order to be sold distributors had to apply their country of origin by a tag or (in most cases) were scratched in their
finish.
As for serial #'s, distributors in most all cases applied their own. These #'s were applied before accordions were shipped
to dealers. These #s were (and still are) a distributors code that contained year of make, year marketed and info that
only the distributor could decipher. I've many times inquired for info on old distributor files and in all cases the answer
has been "Their existence is unknown or no longer available".
(2) The Stroller you have is a late 40's early 50's . The earlier Strollers had the same body & grill but with waterfall keys.
As far as the keyboard size - Italian accordions were made in metric sizes and the US were marketed with a size rounded
off in inches. Student models 14" 15" 16" - Ladies 18" and Mans 19" . Your Stroller is a 18" 3/5 reed with a beefy
construction with quality components. They were made in 18" and 19" keyboards and in Red, Blue, Green, White & Black.
The Black, White & Red the most popular.
These early Strollers and even with the later Victoria made models were extremely popular in the US as in the time dry
tuned 3 reed quality made accordions were with their L & M sets of reeds for popular US music of the time and the
L M H reeds used for polkas & ethnic music. They were lightweight & had a volume of sound for strolling. Amplified
they were used in many small groups

 

[JIM D.]

There's more than one question here - I'll start with the simple answer first.

(1) The markings on older Italian made accordions were applied 99% of the time by the US distributors that ordered
them. In the 1930's a law was passed that containers or products entering the US be marked with the country of origin.
Accordions were normally shipped in containers and the accordions they contained were not marked with origin.
In order to be sold distributors had to apply their country of origin by a tag or (in most cases) were scratched in their
finish.
As for serial #'s, distributors in most all cases applied their own. These #'s were applied before accordions were shipped
to dealers. These #s were (and still are) a distributors code that contained year of make, year marketed and info that
only the distributor could decipher. I've many times inquired for info on old distributor files and in all cases the answer
has been "Their existence is unknown or no longer available".
(2) The Stroller you have is a late 40's early 50's . The earlier Strollers had the same body & grill but with waterfall keys.
As far as the keyboard size - Italian accordions were made in metric sizes and the US were marketed with a size rounded
off in inches. Student models 14" 15" 16" - Ladies 18" and Mans 19" . Your Stroller is a 18" 3/5 reed with a beefy
construction with quality components. They were made in 18" and 19" keyboards and in Red, Blue, Green, White & Black.
The Black, White & Red the most popular.
These early Strollers and even with the later Victoria made models were extremely popular in the US as in the time dry
tuned 3 reed quality made accordions were with their L & M sets of reeds for popular US music of the time and the
L M H reeds used for polkas & ethnic music. They were lightweight & had a volume of sound for strolling. Amplified
they were used in many small groups

And a note ; I received a Stroller at 12 years old and performed with it for 7 years.

 

[ArtMustel]

And a note ; I received a Stroller at 12 years old and performed with it for 7 years.

Great info Jim! I really like this accordion and I wanted to know more about it.
So...you performed with yours until 2019, right?

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!

 

[JIM D.]

I was 12 years old in 1958.