My Grotesque Avatar

[David Barnert]

Every so often, someone from this forum asks me about the picture of the concertina-playing beast that is my avatar (here and on youtube, google and soundcloud). It is a “Grotesque” sculpture on the exterior of the “Peace Tower” of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. The actual image I use was posted decades ago on the old “rec.music.makers.squeezebox” group, by I don’t remember who. Here’s a couple of images to put it in context.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by David Barnert

[RAc]

actually, we had touched this issue before, so just for completeness' sake:

 

link to discussion

 

I always liked the avatar!

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by RAc

[David Barnert]

So we did. I had forgotten. Thanks. I was thinking about it today because I just ordered a paperweight in its form from the Parliamentary Boutique.

 

[wunks]

Remarkable.  The imp even exhibits a World Class if recognizable concertina face, and playing a Hayden to boot!

 

Seriously though,  when was this building constructed  and who was the artitect (spelling on purpose), valuable information about the appearance of the concertina in North America perhaps?

[Jim Besser]

Ha; I stole this back in the. rec.music.makers.squeezebox days and forgot about it.  But I think I need to use it again, although not here, since it's clearly your trademark.

[David Barnert]

35 minutes ago, Jim Besser said:

I stole this back in the. rec.music.makers.squeezebox days and forgot about it.

 

So did I get it from you? We hadn’t met yet back then. Where did you get it? Or did we both get it when someone else posted it? I apparently downloaded it in 1999.

[Don Taylor]

1 hour ago, wunks said:

Seriously though,  when was this building constructed  and who was the artitect (spelling on purpose), valuable information about the appearance of the concertina in North America perhaps?

See: https://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?/topic/21057-445-hz/&do=findComment&comment=196548

 

[Richard Mellish]

Insofar as the beast looks like a demon from Hell, ought it not to be playing an accordeon?

[Jim Besser]

11 hours ago, David Barnert said:

 

So did I get it from you? We hadn’t met yet back then. Where did you get it? Or did we both get it when someone else posted it? I apparently downloaded it in 1999.

 

I don't remember, but I think we talked about it when we met at the Squeeze In in 97 or 98.  The year we did a NESI gathering of rec.music.makers.squeezebox participants.

[arti]

For those who like obscure factoids, in Somerset (England) these creatures are called 'Hunky Punks.'

[March Hare]

In a recent ebay listing, a treble English with coloured bone buttons was referred to as a Tudor model.  

Perhaps that is what your wonderful creature is playing.

[Syncopepper]

ggx