“HARMONIFLUTE” around 1855
Busson? France.
The first accordion with piano keys was built in 1828 and was revived in 1852 by Bouton de Vougirard. Applications for a series of patents followed suit and numerous teaching methods for the instrument were published after this date. The paternity of the “Harmoniflute” could therefore almost certainly be attributed to Busson, who also later created another instrument called the Bussophone. The sample displayed at the museum was donated by Giuseppe Panini. The Harmonflute could be seen as a transformation of the church organ into an instrument that could very easily be carried or transported. A similar instrument is depicted in an oil painting of the painter Giovanni Boldini, exhibited at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.