Woman with an Accordion, daguerreotype 1840s: Is this the first picture of an accordion?

[AccordionUprising]

Anybody know when the first photo of an accordion was taken?

I have no idea if it was this one. But it's got to be some time after 1840 or so.

I wrote about the question here:

Woman with an Accordion, daguerreotype 1840s: Is this the first picture of an accordion?

Woman with an Accordion daguerreotype “1840s”, Metropolitan Museum of Art – Public Domain We know without a doubt that the first movie of an accordion was made in 1888, because it was a…

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Perhaps more interesting: What kind of accordion is that? I'd love to see better photos and descriptions of similar designs. It's got those pallet-rods split like there's not enough room to fit all the reeds. What's going on there? It doesn't look like a standard early French "flutina" design. Maybe an early German box? I'd love to hear any ideas.



The original is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

 

[Gonk]

Really interesting, what a weird instrument. I agree that the split is odd. Perhaps this was meant to be played like a flutina, but with both hands on the same side, and the split is intended to accommodate the other hand so it can play what appears to be a row of buttons. But presumably if this were the case it would need to be anchored, perhaps strapped to a leg, which would be hard with that fashionable dress on.

On further thinking: perhaps it's only meant to be played with one hand (two would be very awkward) but the fingers could reach up to the top row of buttons, without risk of hitting pallets.

If it's useful, I zoomed in on the original and tried to clean it up a bit:

 

[jozz]

I guess they were still experimenting a lot back then?

Looks like thumbstrap on top of the larger one. Left hand plays the melody? Maybe not uncommon during those days.

Could be the routing of air for the off-set valves is different to attempt another 'sound'.

 

[TomBR]

The thumbstrap might be just swivelled round, but actually suited to right hand playing. As Gonk suggested (I think) the offsetting of the pallet levers could be to keep clear of the players wrist.