Strange Beast On Ebay

[felix castro]

photographs from the auction.

[felix castro]

My photographs.

 

Felix Castro

[felix castro]

The interesting thing is that before I bought the concertina from Parade Antiques, they sold another instrument, a 151 tones bandonion, with the system of construction more similar to the english concertina than the german concertina, and that probably was sold to him by the same person, and perhaps it is the bandonion that was made also by Pat Robson.

 

Rob, the owner of Parade Antiques gave me authorization for publishing the photographs he made.

It seems better constructed than my concertina, that has the buttons and levers more similar to the german concertinas.

I attach some photographs of the bandonion

[felix castro]

Sorry it is a 78 keys instrument, 156 tones banonion

[felix castro]

Other five photographs of the bandonion

[felix castro]

Another thing, about the weight, the "beast" is about 5 kgs., not 7 kgs. as informed the auction, weight that was probably given including the wood case, thinking about postal price if it would be sent to another place.

I have made a video recording before holidays, I don't know if I can upload it here or I have to upload it to youtube necessarily and put the link.

[Mary Williams]

 As Pat Robson's daughter, I was fascinated to read so many comments about him.  He was indeed a unique and remarkable man.  I have kept all his letters to and from bandoneon enthusiasts and I watch the Repair Cafe on TV often wishing he was with me to comment on the musical instrument repairs!  He was a skilled craftsman, inventor and music lover and I miss him greatly. If anyone would like to have his letters/instructions/information I would be happy to send  them, since otherwise I will have to dispose of them and thinking about that makes me sad.  Cut-off date is March 1st. Drop me an email and I'll post them to you.

[inventor]

Hello Mary,

As you know Pat was a keen member of the ICA (International Concertina Association) . His letters and papers should go to their Archive. In the meantime I would be very happy to look after them, if this can't be arranged by the end of  this month; whatever you do please don't destroy them.

I met Pat frequently at ICA meetings and Accordion Weekends, and once visited him at his home in Cookham. I drove up from Somerset  one spring Saturday  morning.  On arrival I was immediately spirited away in to his workshop, where we discussed making duet type of concertinas in the square bandoneon format, using my duet system.

That lunch time I enjoyed a most excellent roast dinner and met your mother and possibly yourself. As soon as lunch was over we immediately returned to his workshop for further discussion.

I too still miss him; we always so much to discuss when we met.

 

Brian (Inventor)       

[John Wild]

As a committed ICA member and former treasurer (retired), I second Brian's proposal that the letters should go to the ICA archives. I too would offer to be a temporary custodian until they could be transferred to the "right" place.

Perhaps it needs a current ICA committee member to step forward with a reply.

 

Regards,

John Wild

[Robin Madge]

Do the papers contain the words to his songs as well? 

I occasionaly sing his DIY song and have an old cassette tape with that and The Comuter on somewhere in the loft. They still raise a chuckle.

 

Robin 

[Jim Bayliss]

 

I'm sending a copy of the 1982 letter, mentioned earlier in this thread, I received from Pat Robson discussing bandoneons, Chemnitzers, duet concertinas, etc.  It was written on 11 5/8" paper and the scan leaves out a few lines on each side.  If the ICA would like the letter, I'd be glad to contribute it.   Scan_0001.pdfScan_0001.pdfScan_0001.pdf 

 

 

 

 

 

  Scan_0001.pdfScan_0002.pdf