Free reed instruments have been known in Asia for thousands of years, but the Western free reed instruments such as the harmonica, accordion, and reed organ were only invented and developed during the last two centuries. In 1780, Kratzenstein published a paper in St. Petersburg describing a speaking machine, which produced vowel sounds using free reeds with resonators of various shapes. This event marks a convenient, if arbitrary, starting point for the history of the free reed musical instruments of European origin. These instruments developed rapidly, and by 1850, the accordion, concertina, harmonica, reed organ, and harmonium all had been invented and developed into more or less final form. This paper presents some episodes in the development of these instruments. Also addressed is the question of the influence of the Asian free reed mouth organs on the origin and development of the European free reeds.