World of Accordions Museum

[Tom]

I spent a wonderful couple of hours Sunday at the "World of Accordions" museum and art center in Superior, Wisconsin. It's an amazing and eclectic collection of about 1400 accordions and thousands of accordion related pictures, books, figurines, paintings, moog synthesizers, Golas, Titano converters, Morinos, etc., all in a beautiful repurposed old church building. They do accordion repairs, restorations, concerts, lessons and sales. They allow photos, but ask that you not post them, so sorry about that, you'll just have to make the trip yourself to beautiful Duluth/Superior!

 

[Dingo40]

Thanks for that, Tom.
I seem to remember seeing one or two videos of this museum made by themselves, so those of us far away could make a virtual visit.
I thought so: here's one!

And, there's much, much more on YouTube as well as on Google!

 

[Waldo]

I'm planning a trip there next year (gas $$$ willing).

 

[Waldo]

What a cool old building and great housing for examples of our revered (albeit rejected) instruments. It's always good to be on the cutting edge! The others will catch up, eventually.
Who's that old guy on the steps?

 

[JerryPH]

Who's that old guy on the steps?

He's not that old and that's Tom... lol

This place is also on my wish list to go visit one day. The owner (Helmi) according to several people I've heard from is a bit on the eccentric side, but she has done a TON of work and this being a repurposed church is the perfect site to display a few of our "holy grail" accordions... lol

It's a lot harder for me from Canada as the borders are still closed (something that may change as early as April 1st... or maybe that's an April Fool's joke... lol). For me it is about 1800km each direction, roughly 20 hours driving each way. If one pushed, maybe it could be done in 4 days (there and back), but thats a lot of driving to spend 2-3 hours in a building looking at accordions... but I've been known to do sillier things in the past!

 

[Tom]

He's not that old and that's Tom... lol

This place is also on my wish list to go visit one day. The owner (Helmi) according to several people I've heard from is a bit on the eccentric side, but she has done a TON of work and this being a repurposed church is the perfect site to display a few of our "holy grail" accordions... lol

It's a lot harder for me from Canada as the borders are still closed (something that may change as early as April 1st... or maybe that's an April Fool's joke... lol). For me it is about 1800km each direction, roughly 20 hours driving each way. If one pushed, maybe it could be done in 4 days (there and back), but thats a lot of driving to spend 2-3 hours in a building looking at accordions... but I've been known to do sillier things in the past!

Not a problem, you can stop at my house on the way for a few tunes! You're exactly right Jerry, and don't forget, there are not just "accordions" but button boxes, concertinas, 1 million sheets of music, and every antecedent going all the way back to a couple "shengs."

 

[Tom]

Who's that old guy on the steps?

Maybe a lost yooper looking for a pasty?

 

[lmschgo]

Tom
You may want to explain what a yooper and pasty are.

 

[Tom]

Tom
You may want to explain what a yooper and pasty are.

Yoopers are people who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the "UP," or "Yoop." "Pasties" are their signature food, a sort of "calzone" sandwich, derived, I believe from Cornwall. Not to be confused with a certain item of clothing, also appreciated by some yoopers.

 

[Dingo40]

Tom,
We too have pasties, derived from a Cornish cultural influence going back to a copper ore mining past in the 1800s.
At one time, we had very significant copper deposits ( also lead, silver, gold, zinc, and uranium) , worked by miners from Cornwall.
The complementary original "fast food" found here is the meat pie, liberally doused In tomato sauce*.
(There is still ore in them thar hills, just waiting for the price of copper to rise!)

*i.e., ketchup.

 

[vivdunstan]

I married into a Cornish family. My husband still has fond memories of his granny’s home made Cornish pasties. More on topic there’s a very popular modern Cornish tune “Cousin Jack” written about the emigrant miners. My husband comes from a tin mining family. I’ve been working on an arrangement of the tune for the accordion.

Here’s a good YouTube video version of the original song. Written by a non Cornishman but adopted as a quasi unofficial anthem for the county now.

 

[Tom]

I married into a Cornish family. My husband still has fond memories of his granny’s home made Cornish pasties. More on topic there’s a very popular modern Cornish tune “Cousin Jack” written about the emigrant miners. My husband comes from a tin mining family. I’ve been working on an arrangement of the tune for the accordion.

Here’s a good YouTube video version of the original song. Written by a non Cornishman but adopted as a quasi unofficial anthem for the county now.

Yup, these are the lads that came to the upper Midwest to mine the lead, copper, iron, nickel, etc. and probably brought their concertinas.

 

[Dingo40]

Viv,
Those buildings with the big chimney look familiar, as we have many similar examples littering our own landscape!

 

[Dingo40]

"Cousin Jack" is a nickname for a Cornishman here as well , and BTW, Viv, one of our
popular and long term state premiers was named Donald Dunstan.
We have an annual "Cornish Festival " in the "copper triangle " of towns that sprang up as a result of copper mining in the nineteenth century where many Cornish pasties are devoured and much free reed folk music played

 

[Dingo40]

Incidentally, Tom, I simply can't understand the seemingly illogical reasoning of the museum management in banning the posting of photographs taken inside the building .
Firstly, the internet is already replete with both still photos and videos, so that horse has already well and truly bolted.
And, secondly, surely all publicity is good publicity, especially free publicity by enthusiasts, no less!
But, as has been noted, there is a certain eccentricity to be reckoned with !

 

[Tom]

"Cousin Jack" is a nickname for a Cornishman here as well , and BTW one of our
popular and long term state premiers was named Donald Dunstan.
We have an annual "Cornish Festival " in the "copper triangle " of towns that sprang up as a result of copper mining in the nineteenth century where many Cornish pasties are devoured and much free reed folk music played

Sounds like a good place to visit, Dingo!

 

[JeffJetton]

The owner (Helmi) according to several people I've heard from is a bit on the eccentric side, but she has done a TON of work

as has been noted, there is a certain eccentricity to be reckoned with !

There's probably a certain amount eccentricity that is required for a place like this to exist in the first place.

I'm reminded of the amazing Bicycle Heaven museum in Pittsburgh, PA, or the charming Superman museum in Metropolis, IL. Endless rooms packed to the rafters with objects both familiar and bizarre. They make for entertaining and awe-inspiring visits, but also makes you wonder just what the heck is wrong with the person who sat down and decided to pull something like that off.

 

[Walker]

Oh I don't know that there is anything wrong with a little eccentricity now and then. That's what I would call having true passion about something that matters to you, regardless of what the changing times dictate. I admire anyone who can have such love for the instrument that they would attain over 1000 examples of it, and remind the world that at one time the accordion was THE instrument. The glories of the 1930 to the 1960s may be gone but not forgotten, as long as this tireless woman has a say in the matter.

It seems to me that what Mrs Harrington is doing is important - especially for teaching and also selling and repairing accordions. I do not know her but having watched a video of her for about 3 minutes, I can see the life long dedication to her musical love. It shines through...

This city of Superior is obviously close to Lake Superior, the largest lake in the world, by surface area. I believe it is also amongst the deepest lakes in the world. Just think, you could theoretically stack all of the accordions in this museum - one on top of the other at the bottom of the lake (starting with the button accordions ) and by the time you reached the Titano converters and Gola (at the top), they would remain bone dry, well above the waterline. Wow, what a thought...

 

[Ffingers]

Oh I don't know that there is anything wrong with a little eccentricity now and then. That's what I would call having true passion about something that matters to you, regardless of what the changing times dictate. I admire anyone who can have such love for the instrument that they would attain over 1000 examples of it, and remind the world that at one time the accordion was THE instrument. The glories of the 1930 to the 1960s may be gone but not forgotten, as long as this tireless woman has a say in the matter.

It seems to me that what Mrs Harrington is doing is important - especially for teaching and also selling and repairing accordions. I do not know her but having watched a video of her for about 3 minutes, I can see the life long dedication to her musical love. It shines through...

This city of Superior is obviously close to Lake Superior, the largest lake in the world, by surface area. I believe it is also amongst the deepest lakes in the world. Just think, you could theoretically stack all of the accordions in this museum - one on top of the other at the bottom of the lake (starting with the button accordions ) and by the time you reached the Titano converters and Gola (at the top), they would remain bone dry, well above the waterline. Wow, what a thought...

The majority of the significant advances in human societies and scientific endeavours have been created by people who were "not quite normal"?

Being "normal" has little to recommend it.

 

[Dingo40]

Yes, I tend to agree: it's mostly the "outsiders " who have made the most significant contribution to their fields of endeavour.
The "insiders", usually, have had their creativity knocked out of them during their training!
How else could it be?
This is why debates with professionals are often unproductive: they know what they're doing (often despite evidence to the contrary) and have certificates to prove it.