Browsing old newspapers in the British Newspaper Archive tonight and I’ve been finding a very intriguing J.G. Yung accordion performer and piano etc tuner popping up frequently in the Scottish Borders in the latter half of the 19th century (1850s onwards). A bit of genealogical digging finds he was born in Darmstadt, Germany, and died in Hawick (in the poorhouse) in 1903. I may well pull together the various references into a more scholarly article.
The newapaper references include his numerous - over many decades - adverts as a visiting piano, accordion etc tuner. But perhaps even more interesting are the reports of his accordion recitals, from the 1850s onwards, and how they were received by communities throughout the Scottish Borders, often encountering the instrument for the first time. This feels early for something like this to have been happening, but I’d have to research more the wider context and history.
The newapaper references include his numerous - over many decades - adverts as a visiting piano, accordion etc tuner. But perhaps even more interesting are the reports of his accordion recitals, from the 1850s onwards, and how they were received by communities throughout the Scottish Borders, often encountering the instrument for the first time. This feels early for something like this to have been happening, but I’d have to research more the wider context and history.