Two bidding on antique accordion had donation plan

And let the bidding begin. An on-line bidding for a “pricy” antique Monarch accordion brought two accordion enthusiasts and strangers to each other to Eunice.
Little did they know, John Orr of Katy, Texas and Tyler Sanders of Wichita, Kan., both bid on-line on the same accordion, not knowing later they would meet in Eunice at an antique Accordion Show.
According to Louis Pavur, board member of Cajun Music Hall of Fame, with a laugh, “These two men were bidding on the accordion, the same one, trying to out bid each other, each intending to donate it to the museum. Then both arrived at the show, and met each other. The accordion was donated to the CMFA museum.”
Recently the Cajun Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Eunice, sponsored a 10-button antique accordion show at the Jean Lafitte Culture Center.
On hand were four collectors showing parts of their collections: Jerry Bellot of Port Arthur, Texas with a number of his collection of rare and unique pre-WW II, German accordions as well as a few early Cajun handmade ones.
This was to show the transition from the imported ones before the war, then to the early Cajun-made replicas of the German-made ones due to the policy of the East German government during the Cold War of not doing business with western nations. Cajuns began to make them starting in 1950.
Also showing some of their collections were: Orr, Sanders and Larry G. Miller of Iota. All three had a variety of unique antiques from pre-WW II to early Cajun handmade ones.
Orr had donated a period, well-worn Monarch accordion which was placed in the hands of the mannequin of Joe Falcon on display in the Hall of Fame. A unique find on special display in the Culture Court was the “crown jewel”, a brand new 1920s German-made Monarch accordion, still in the original sales box, donated by Sanders.
There were a total of 83 accordions on display. But most notable were original accordions once owned by Joe Falcon and Aldus Roger.
Both accordions have been used in their famous recordings and are on display inside the Cajun Music Hall of Fame Museum, located on S. CC Duson. Free Admission, open Tuesday through Saturday for the public.