Melo-Pean Reed Organ (Melodeon): Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This reed organ was made by Melo-Pean Co. in Akron, Ohio, around 1860-1865. It is a piano style melodeon, with a rosewood case. This melodeon has a single keyboard with a compass of FF - f4, and two pedals. There is a stencil above the keyboard:

Repaired Sept. 9, 1912 by Scott Rowe J.T. Scott Tuner, Aug. 22, 1865

This instrument was donated in memory of the family of Professor Nellie O. Rowe, who was Director of the Conservatory of Music, College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, from 1915-1946.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1860-1865
• Object Name: organ (melodeon)
• Physical Description: rosewood (overall material)
• Physical Description: ivory (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 35 1/4 in x 56 1/4 in x 25 1/2 in; 89.535 cm x 142.875 cm x 64.77 cm
• Place Made: United States: Ohio, Akron
• ID Number: MI.74.01
• catalog number: 74.01
• accession number: 307855
• Credit Line: Gift of Evelyn Rowe Tomlinson in memory of the family of Professor Neille O. Rowe
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.