Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 261
Scan 261
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
12 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. Printed page 235. See the scan on archive.org.
1violin in the United States." 6 To the layman it appears remarkably like a modern instrument, but it is generally smaller in size of body, neck and fingerboard. To obtain this instrument "Elias Howe was taxied through the watery lanes of Venice in a gondola to the house of Pietro Benedetti. The old craftsman lay dying, but he summoned up a smile for his visitor and instructed his wife to bring forth his treasure, carefully wrapped. When the folds of cloth had been removed there lay one of the rare Gasparo da Salo violins," 6 now almost four hundred years old.
3"Probably the most unusual piece in this collection was exhibited at Mechanics Hall thirty odd years ago—a 16 string Moorish instrument, made from one piece of wood with a drumhead stretched over the sound box." 6
5F. PORCELLA 7
7Felice Porcella was born at Genoa, Italy. He saved up his money as a boy and bought his first accordion, for three lire (60 cents). He taught himself on this instrument which had just 8 buttons for one scale. After his family moved to Montoggio he became sexton and bell ringer of the church there for some years. In 1879 he came to Boston and the next year established at [address hidden] his own business of making, tuning and repairing accordions. As there were practically no players of accordions in Boston at that time he played himself and gave lessons for two years free of charge to help create an interest in that kind of music. Later he also imported accordions. His later business locations were [address hidden] from 1899 to about 1905, [address hidden] to about 1915, [address hidden] for several years, [address hidden] from about 1920-25, and [address hidden] 1930-32. Beginning with 1933 the Porcella Accordion Shoppe has been located at [address hidden]
9Felice Porcella's sons, Louis F. J. and Peter, have assisted him in the business. Peter Porcella died soon after the World War and the founder of the business October 27, 1935. Louis F. J. Porcella and his son, Frederick, now carry on the business which consists mostly of tuning and repairing accordions. Instruments have been sent to this firm for repair from as far away as California. Billy Williams, the "memory marvel girl," Frank Aviani,
117 All this information supplied by Louis F. J. Porcella.
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