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[pgroff]

Thanks for posting those pics, Paul. It really is a bonny thing!

Will have more photos and info on that "Joseph Cuneo" Galleazzi accordion in a few weeks!  In the meantime, since we're discussing it, here are two more for you that are similar, but with chromatic melody keyboards. The "accordionlab" one is very, very similar in inlay to the "Joseph Cuneo" box. These both probably predate the "Joseph Cuneo" Galleazzi with its 1905 Patent badge.

http://acclab.com/accordionlab/mall/preown/galleazzi/galleazzi.htm

http://collections.theautry.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=M530855;type=101

PG

edited to add:

As I have been researching the evolution of Galleazzi's instruments this weekend, I've come to the conclusion that the date for the "Autry Collection" Galleazzi, as documented at the second link just above, is listed incorrectly at that link. I think the metal badge on that instrument (not visible since the photo shows the instrument upside-down) probably reads " PAT. AUG. 18, 1896."  I haven't found a Galleazzi patent as early as 1888. There is a Galleazzi patent dated August 18, 1896. And the numbers 8, 9, 6, etc. can be hard to distinguish sometimes on these badges.

[Winston Smith]

Beauty with functionality, but I'll bet that they're heavy and cumbersome instruments to play! Especially for one who is just beginning to come to terms with the complication which is two and a half rows of buttons on a Liliput.

[pgroff]

This beauty came in yesterday and is in amazing condition for its age (100+ yrs) the case it is in was made from wood food boxes from the American Biscuit Co.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26639011@N06/29420977120/in/dateposted-public/
The box is really airtight. The reeds are steel with individual brass plates.
My guess is around 1910 as the factory moved from Dupont to Jackson st after the SF earthquake and it is before "and sons" was added to the name.
It is playable but the leather valves are all curled.
I normally don't restore instruments like this but I think I will do so with this one.

Hi Kimric,

Reviving this thread as I'm doing a bit of Galleazzi research. I don't know all that has been written about Galleazzi.

But I have some evidence that Galleazzi moved from Dupont St (e.g 1339 Dupont) to Jackson St. (maybe first 438, then 478 Jackson) before the April 18, 1906 earthquake:

1. There are instruments with dates before 1906 that have the 478 Jackson address. Of course, the address (usually on a metal badge) could have been added or updated later.

2. But definitive I think is this newspaper ad for Galleazzi from "L'Italia," February 13, 1901 with one of the Jackson St. addresses shown (from the image, I'm not totally sure whether the street number is 478, 438, or even possibly 428 which would be a new Galleazzi address to me).

Source:

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066408/1901-02-13/ed-1/seq-7/

Screenshots of the Galleazzi ad, and the date of that newspaper page, attached below.


PG

More on Galleazzi dating:

I have done some intensive work on Galleazzi ads in the newspaper L'Italia, the City Directories, and other sources.

Not every time period is represented, but currently I have evidence to narrow down the dates as in the following preliminary chronology (subject to learning more). This chronology refers to the addresses given by Galleazzi for the business, in their advertisements. However, G. Galleazzi and/or his sons seem to have lived at one or more of these addresses (as residences, labeled "r" in the City Directories) at some times that don't exactly coincide with their use as business addresses:

1339 Dupont St.  - From before October 30, 1897 (and possibly until somewhat later). The earliest dated instrument with this address that I've seen seems to be ca 1895; the earliest ad in L'Italia that I've seen with this address is from January 28, 1897.

1349 Dupont St. - From June 3, 1899 (or earlier) to at least June 1, 1900 ( or somewhat later)

438 Jackson St. - From August 3, 1900 (or earlier) to at least December 4, 1905 (or somewhat later)

(Thus confirming that Galleazzi did move to Jackson St. long before the 1906 earthquake.)

478 Jackson St. - From January 25, 1906 (or earlier) to at least July 4, 1911. There is a Galleazzi ad with this address in L'Italia for April 18, 1906, the day of the great earthquake!

476 - 478 Jackson St. - From June 25, 1912 onward ( "Galleazzi & Son"  or "Galleazzi & Figli" or "Galleazzi E Figli" or "Galleazzi & Sons").


The exact labeling and dating of some instruments does not always match this chronology of business addresses listed in the advertisements, but many of the transitions shown above are consistent with the combinations of internal dates, patent dates, and addresses found on or in the accordions.

PG

[pgroff]

1. There are instruments with dates before 1906 that have the 478 Jackson address. Of course, the address (usually on a metal badge) could have been added or updated later.

Based on my new chronology, the above statement that I posted earlier may or may not still be true. It was based in part on the date of 1888 given for the Galleazzi in the Autry collection, which is reported to have a badge with the 478 Jackson St. address:

http://collections.theautry.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=M530855;type=101


However, as I noted in another post:

As I have been researching the evolution of Galleazzi's instruments this weekend, I've come to the conclusion that the date for the "Autry Collection" Galleazzi, as documented at the second link just above, is listed incorrectly at that link. I think the metal badge on that instrument (not visible since the photo shows the instrument upside-down) probably reads " PAT. AUG. 18, 1896."  I haven't found a Galleazzi patent as early as 1888. There is a Galleazzi patent dated August 18, 1896. And the numbers 8, 9, 6, etc. can be hard to distinguish sometimes on these badges.

Based on my most recent Galleazzi chronology, the Autry Collection Galleazzi might perhaps date from after December 4, 1905.

[pgroff]

Hi all,

Updating this thread with updated information about the box in the original post, the 2 row, 12 bass Galleazzi from ca 1912 - 1917 (maybe 1914?).

When Kimric took a closer look at it, in the process of offering it to me, he found that it's in DG.  He suggested it might have been overhauled in recent decades (because it really is remarkably well-preserved and very close to playing well), but in comparing it to other early Galleazzis I actually believe that the wax, valves (red leather), and tuning may be original.

The pitch is high, probably comparable to the Galleazzi CFE made for Joseph Cuneo that I've described elsewhere*, and to the early Miller diatonic boxes.  Before revalving and fine tuning, and considering the entire instrument (which is not in equal temperament), I've decided the pitch center is around A = 452. The layout is true diatonic on both melody and bass sides, with no accidental notes but a nice selection of lower octave notes in the 12/11 melody keyboard and a great selection of diatonic basses and chords - very useful and not so far from what I might have chosen myself for a D/G box,  even though this one is over a century old.

Here's the CFE Cuneo Galleazzi (left) with the DG box (right). If there's interest I can add internal photos as with the Cuneo CFE box which is documented here:

*
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,24764

PG