Dear MMDers, a collector friend of mine here in Bavaria bought a rare
instrument last week at an antique fair. He asked me for some advice,
I can not help him; hopefully one of you can.
He bought a "Volksklavier", a mechanical music instrument similar to
a Chordephon, made about 1900. It is a table model, black polished.
The measurements are 23" wide, 11" deep and 5" high. It plays folding
cardboards which are 10 inches wide and up to 2 meters long.
This instrument has no motor; it works with a crank which has to be
turned all the time. It plays 34 strings. All in all it seems in
good condition.
In the book I found on page 356: "...the Volksklavier used a heavy
paper strip and was popular in Germany around the turn of the 20th
century." Sorry, there was no illustration.
If somebody knows more about it than I do, it would be great if he
shares his knowledge with us.
Thanks you for your help
Marcus Pregler of Germany
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