The Concertina Museum: 3.2.1.1-031



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Item Type: Post Card -

Summary

Full Description: A black and white photographic post card of “Jack Clevoner, Concertina Speciality act”, signed and dated by Clevoner on 15th Nov 1913, and sent by him to the Corn Exchange, Alnwick, confirming his performance there on 21st Dec 1913. Jack is playing a Maccann Duet Æola and seated against a small table, upon which are arrayed three large duets, and four miniature concertinas, one a strange rectangular model. See NC.3.2.1.1-024 [http://www.concertinamuseum.com/NC3020101-024.htm] for a postcard of Jack in mock-highland-dress.
Jack Clevoner (1873-1953) was born John Henry Hartford in Hunslet, Yorkshire, and was an ironworker and amateur concertinist, having joined the Holbeck Concertina Band at age ten. He turned professional after winning a concertina contest officiated by Professor Maccann in Sheffield in 1903. Billed as ‘The Wizard of the Concertina’, he played ‘Classical, Comedy, and Novelty Concertina Conceptions’ in regional variety halls. His gimmicks included playing two concertinas at once—one with his left hand and one with his right—and playing two tunes simultaneously on a single Maccann duet concertina. He also composed band marches, made recordings, and appeared on radio broadcasts. His son, James Henry ‘Jimmy’ Hartford (1896-1969), performed on concertina and piano accordion. (See J.A. Travers, ‘Jack Clevoner, “The Concertina Wizard”’, World Accordion Review, 5 (March 1950), 20.)

Source Catalogue No: The Concertina Museum: 3.2.1.1-031





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The Concertina Museum Collection

Created August 2009 by Neil Wayne
Last Modified 07 February 2012 by Neil Wayne, Chris Flint, Wes Williams

This page created Tuesday 14 February 2012.