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[Anne Croucher]

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:François_Barraud_-_Le_Malcontent.jpg

I just came across this oddity.
Artistic error? Mirror image? Just careless?

[Theo]

Or left handed player?

[Anne Croucher]

I am - nominally - left handed - scissors, irons, saws - not melodeons though - nor guitars for that matter - Hmm - would it be a special build or a squeaky end at the top ….

[Theo]

I know one left handed player who just turns round the standard box and plays like that.  I know another player who is right handed that does the same - I have no idea why.

[Henry Piper]

I know one left handed player who just turns round the standard box and plays like that.  I know another player who is right handed that does the same - I have no idea why.

I too play "left Handed", or more accurately Upside down !! by shifting the air Key on my boxes, and simply inverting the instrument. There are no alterations to the layout of the notes Etc.
 This came about because before taking up the melodeon I played a bit of guitar and bass guitar, and it seemed logical to make the notes by using the fingers of the LEFT hand whilst using the right for the more rhythmic/percussive functions, (Ie the basses and bellows) as one would on a guitar.
I don't think I'm that rare in being an upside down player,.. I know of at least four others in Kent and The west country. .

[Thrupenny Bit]

I write left handed, hold a cricket bat right handed, played guitar right handed, start painting left, then transfer th brush to the right.... essentially use whatever hand is closest.
I play melodeon 'normally' right handed.
I've never met a left hander or upside down player but know they exist. I've also seen videos on YouTube where the camera or system has reversed the image to make a right hander look left handed!
All's fair in love and melodeons 
Q

[Henry Piper]

I've never met a left hander or upside down player but know they exist. I've also seen videos on YouTube where the camera or system has reversed the image to make a right hander look left handed!
All's fair in love and melodeons 
Q
[/quote].


I shall be Old Father Christmas for Sidmouth Mummers on the Opening (Thursday) Night of Sidders Folk Festival, as well as playing Upside Down Melodeon with The merry throng accompanying George The Sidmouth Giant on his Walk around Town on The Saturday !!   come and meet your first real Life Upside down melodeonist,...…  I don't bite, honest !!!.

[Pete Dunk]

It's not a mirror image, there is writing in the bottom right hand corner of the picture that is the right way around. I'm another left-hander that plays guitar and box right-handed.

[2rightfeet]

The writing at the bottom is irrelevant to the query. It is merely the painter’s name and the title of the picture. While I can confirm it is possible to play some melodeons left-handed even without alteration (I tried my Hohner Club very briefly) I’m going for the mirror image theory. Several self-portraits by this artist all show him as left-handed. Not unusual for an artist – but his clothes always button up the ‘wrong way’. In this picture, the subjects appear to be the artist and his wife; her top buttons up the ‘wrong way’ as well, so my guess is that when he painted from a mirror reflection he didn't correct it.

[Larry Powers]

The writing at the bottom is irrelevant to the query. It is merely the painter’s name and the title of the picture.

Not irrelevant to me.  Often stock photos are flipped over (creating a mirror image) because they fit the page better.  That is the first thing I thought of when I read this post.  If this happens then the writing would be backwards.  Since this did not happen then it appears the artist painted it this way. 

Maybe a left handed model as others have suggested.