Hi all,
Some of us (especially triskel, Lars, Ray, and I) have discussed the Irish-American accordions that seem to have originated from various sources before being customized and decorated for sale by a few specialist shops, including Baldoni-Bartoli, Walters, Butti, O'Byrne DeWitt, etc.
I've previously mentioned photographs and one particular surviving example of a Hohner Pre-Corso that was customized and decorated as an Irish-American box:
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,11164.msg138388.html#msg138388Tonight I noticed a great photo including the Cooley Brothers, Martin McHugh, and Johnny Ó Sé:
https://www.facebook.com/McKiernanLibrary/photos/a.429486870761428.1073741828.414940195549429/616533195390127/?type=3&theater&ifg=1Sure looks to me like Johnny is playing a Hohner Amatona (maybe a black one), with added Irish-American decoration (Irish and American flags, lyre, shamrocks, and an owner's nameplate)! Compare this stock Amatona IV (dated to around 1957 by triskel) in the photo below.
PG