Historical information
This instrument belonged to Captain James Fawthrop's stepson
Significance
Connection to Captain James Fawthrop
Physical description
he flutina is an early French precursor of the diatonic button accordion. The earliest version of the instrument dates from about 1831. It was constructed by "Pichenot le Jeune" and was probably one of the first accordions capable of playing a melody. It has one or two rows of treble buttons, which can play the tonic of the scale as "drawing" the bellows. Usually there is no bass keyboard. The right hand operates an air valve (silent except for the rush of air).
In the front of the keyboard is a rocker switch, which is also called "bascule d'harmonie". This switch is to be activated with the thumb in order to open up a pallet (a pad that covers a tone hole at the other end of the key buttons) for a simple tonic/dominant effect of accompaniment: tonic while drawing and dominant while pressing.
