Alfred Band

This antique instrument belongs to Ricardo Roucau, a professional magician and tango fan living in Miami.

He wrote:

A stamp inside reads:

Alfred Band
Fabrik v. Bandonions
Verlag v. Musikalien f.Bandonion
LAGER
aller Musik-Instrumente
Cataloge und Preiscorante gratis
CREFELD

Unfortunately,there is no date inside and I believe it was made before 1890.

The company of Alfred Band in Krefeld, a son of Heinrich Band, was first mentioned in 1886 and during the first decade of the new century the commerce with bandoneons was abandoned due to strong competition. Alfred Band died in 1923. It is known of a company's representative in New York.
I know on an other instrument in Argentina of A. Band of June 1902.

The height of the shown instrument is 21 cm, depth 24 cm and (with closed bellow) 53 cm wide. The bass consists of 25 keys, the treble has 29 keys (bisonoric) corresponding to the 130 voice layout.

Inside the bass cover and on one treble reed plate there is an inscription saying 108 octav which means that the 108 voice instrument has all its 108 voices with double reed, octave tuning.

The instrument was bought by the actual owner in an antiques shop in North Miami in 1986 being originally from Wisconsin, a State with a certain bandoneon tradition inside the USA.

If somebody knows more details, please send a mail to the owner with carbon copy to me.

general view (top - rear)

front view

treble keyboard

bass keyboard

bass keyboard open

bass cover inside

treble reed plates

bellow inside