BANDONEON

According to Oscar Zucchi (El Tango, el Bandoneon y sus Interpretes, Ediciones Corregidor 1998):

Ernst Louis Arnold (1838-1910), founded his company ELA in Carlsfeld, in 1864.

His sons were:

- Ernst Hermann, who worked in his father's company;

- Paul and Alfred (1877-1933), who started the "Alfred Arnold" company in 1911. Bandoneons made by Alfred Arnold were, by technical and marketing reasons, highly appreciated in Rio de la Plata. The company was affected by World Wars I and II.

Both sons of Paul and Alfred: Arno and Horst lead it until it declined and was finally expropriated in 1949.

Bandoneons made by "Alfred Arnold" company came to Rio de la Plata under different brands:

Alfred Arnold, AA, Premier, and others, unmarked, that were named by big local distributors, as "America" (Casa America, Buenos Aires) and "Campo" (Palacio de la Musica, Montevideo).

There were also other makers and brands: 3B, made by Meinel & Herold (Klingenthal); 3D, made by Georg Nelges (Hannover); Germania, Tango and Cardinal, made by Hohner (Trossingen)

Ernst Louis Arnold, first in a bandoneon dynasty.

Our special thanks to Petra Reissig, for this valuable information about her forefather.

Ernst Louis Arnold was born on 09.03.1838 in Carlsfeld, a little village in the mountains Erzgebirge.

He worked in the factory of Carl Zimmermann as a foreman. In 1864 Carl Zimmermann saled his factory to Ernst Louis Arnold, Petra’s forefather.

In this year, Ernst Louis Arnold started his production of bandoneons. The name of the factory was E.L.A. (Ernst Louis Arnold)