The Melodeon

Today's topic: the melodeon.

If there had been a prolonged quarantine or mandatory social distancing plan put in place in the Victorian period, they would have had to handle some things differently, but some things would essentially be the same. They could listen to or play music to pass the time, it might just be different music than we are used to.

Melodeons were popular instruments before the Civil War, with their peak surging in the 1850s. They were popular items in part because they were light and easily portable, providing flexibility to their owners. They were also relatively affordable alternatives to pianos, which were also popular but larger and more expensive at the time. Their popularity waned by the end of the 19th century as pianos became easier to obtain.

In this episode of Victorian Social Distancing, we'll see what happens when our main character realizes that he might be stuck inside for a longer period of time than he originally thought. He decides to dust off the old melodeon and see if it still plays. This melodeon is on display in the parlor room at the Chester Inn Museum.

This project is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Historical Commission.