Harry Edson, player of MacCann Duet

[robert stewart]

I have a 61 button Edeophone MacCann Duet, once owned by Harry Edson. Does anyone know anything about him?

Here are some pics, showing the unusual cylindrical leather case, with an address label inside from Pall Mall London (which I think may have been a dealer or the case maker?).  61 keys, raised metal ends, 9-fold bellows.

[robert stewart]

I should add  that in addition to the area of Pall Mall, there is a more detailed street address (ie within Pall Mall). Pall Mall was a somewhat elite area in the 19th early 20th century. Maybe a good magnifier or scanner could reconstruct the street address.

 

Robert

[robert stewart]

Further to the address: it says "Pall Mall Mail Depository, Carlton St, Regent St, London, England." but I can't figure out the uppermost lines. So it is a mail box address (?)

 

Robert

[Theo]

Possibly a left luggage office?

[robert stewart]

Here I am answering part of my own question. The upper lines of the faded label inside the fine old concertina case read as follows "permanent xxxx" where the xxxx is unclear. Then below that H Edson, and the Pall Mall, Regent St etc. So I would guess that it may have read as: Permanent address, H Edson,

Pall Mall Mail Depository, Carlton St, Regent St, London, England.

 

So although I bought the instrument in the US, Harry Edson was a Londoner, with a rather classy permanent mailing address. Makes me wonder if he was a professional performer, but I can find no trace of him.   Robert

[alex_holden]

9 hours ago, robert stewart said:

Here I am answering part of my own question. The upper lines of the faded label inside the fine old concertina case read as follows "permanent xxxx" where the xxxx is unclear. Then below that H Edson, and the Pall Mall, Regent St etc. So I would guess that it may have read as: Permanent address, H Edson,

Pall Mall Mail Depository, Carlton St, Regent St, London, England.

 

 

I don't see the word 'Mail'.

 

[alex_holden]

Some more information from Google about Pall Mall Deposit:

http://tinyurl.com/j57w6zc3

http://dakotaboo-in-search-of-space.blogspot.com/2013/04/urban-wandering-pall-mall-deposit-london.html

It sounds like it was a storage facility. Not sure why their label would be inside the case. Maybe Pall Mall Deposit sold it on after the owner never came back to retrieve it?

[gcoover]

There is an ad in the April 27, 1908 Evening Express about acts at the Cardiff Empire on Queen Street, including "Harry Edson and His Dogs", "Doc" and "Tige" - "an act as Marvelous as it is Clever".

 

Especially if the dogs played the concertina!?!

 

Gary

[gcoover]

As late as 1921 he toured the vaudeville circuit with several other acts, including Dora Robeni, "a concertina artist". 

 

A British newspaper says he was from "across the pond", but it looks like he played mostly in England but also around the US. Assuming it's the same Harry Edson.

 

Gary

[robert stewart]

7 hours ago, alex_holden said:

 

 

I don't see the word 'Mail'.  Indeed...my bad...I conflated Mall and Mail...when in fact there is only Mall on the label.

 

 

[robert stewart]

I should add that Greg Jowaisas did a wonderful restoration on the instrument last year, including tuning to concert pitch and 5th comma mean-tone temperament.