Giant 81 key MacCann duet

[SteveS]

Here is a picture of Salvation Army Major R.A.Carter with his huge Lachenal 81 key MacCann duet.

The picture is from 1938.

Apparently only 3 were ever produced.

[David Barnert]

There’s a Hayden that big. More keys (one more, anyway, 82) but perhaps not quite as big a box. I described it in this post from 15 years ago. It was made by Steve Dickinson (Wheatstone), and if he made more than one, I’m not aware. Jim Bayliss in Texas owns it now.

[gcoover]

 

[JimR]

Major Carter must have had forearms like Popeye!

[Little John]

15 hours ago, SteveS said:

Apparently only 3 were ever produced.

 

And I believe a member of this forum has one of them, in rather battered condition and awaiting conversion to the Crane system ...

[alex_holden]

11 minutes ago, Little John said:

And I believe a member of this forum has one of them, in rather battered condition and awaiting conversion to the Crane system ...

 

I was just looking closely at it, and it's very similar but I don't think it's the same one. It has seven fold bellows (which look original) and the one in the photo appears to have eight; also the shape of the pierced area on the right hand end plate is a bit different.

[saguaro_squeezer]

And the one in the picture has flat ends, I believe, while the one in Alex's shop has raised ends.  Still, quite a large beastie to be sure.

[roblithie]

On 4/3/2021 at 12:01 PM, alex_holden said:

 

I was just looking closely at it, and it's very similar but I don't think it's the same one. It has seven fold bellows (which look original) and the one in the photo appears to have eight; also the shape of the pierced area on the right hand end plate is a bit different. I have a concertina 8 fold bellows 82 buttons just like the one in the photo