Dating A George Case

[bazza]

I have a George Case English,Black ebony Brass inlay and brass reeds also a double reed pan with the number3268,the Label says,Concertina by Georga Case. Boosey and Ching ,Holles street,London,Colin Dipper seems to think its an early model any ideas?

[d.elliott]

I can't help you on the dating, but can you describe the 'double reed pan'?

 

Dave

[goran rahm]

According to Neil Wayne George Case took over after Joseph Scates late 1850 or early 1851 when Scates moved to Dublin.

He says thats Case himself sold to Boosey &Co shortly prior to 1859 and that instruments made by Case himself were labelled "late Joseph Scates"

So anyway the Boosey instruments need to be later than 1859. Their address was 24 or 28 Holles Str from 1832-1974.

Neil Wayne lists instruments with numbers up to 3952.The last one with Holles Str address (Later Regent Str.) being 3248 and the first one he's got with Regent Str appeared 1876 No 3946. They moved to Regent street 1874.

Since your instrument is 3268 this makes it being one of the last seven hundreds from Holles Str. ....

a rough guess would be ca 1870.....

 

Goran

 

BTW I have a double reed chamber one with internal baffles too... No 2432.

This does seem to be a true Case feature appearing in Neil Wayne's list on early instruments and likely an idea patented by Case.

Anyone knowing Case's patent(s)??

[JimLucas]

...can you describe the 'double reed pan'?

I worked on one of these once, and have heard of several others. I think it's generally accepted to be a feature of many Case instruments, though not adopted by any other makers.

 

The reed pan itself is not actually double, but only the partitioned chambers. Basically, the partitions on the "top" of the reed pan are duplicated on the "under" side, and "capped" (should that be "shod", if it's on the "bottom"?) with a single thin wooden plate (similar to wooden baffles) with holes in it, somewhat like a mirror of the lever board, but with no pads or mechanism and the holes always open. As you might suspect, the frames supporting the bellows are much deeper, in order to accomodate the extra "height" of the second set of partitions.

[Clive Thorne]

Am I right in asuming that the purpose of these double chambers was to affect the accoustics in some way ? perhaps to even out differences between push and pull tones?

 

Clive

[JimLucas]

Am I right in asuming that the purpose of these double chambers was to affect the accoustics in some way ? perhaps to even out differences between push and pull tones?

It's a common *assumption* that that was the purpose, though I'm not aware of any statements by Case or his contemporaries regarding the design. But I think it's also generally acknowledged today that there is no noticeable difference between the tones on push and pull in a good instrument. Maybe that's the reason why other makers didn't bother to adopt the design, which entailed much extra work.

[bazza]

Thank you Goran for the info,I have just discovered another number on the side of the instrument it is stamped on the side and differs from the number inside ,the number is 3020 ,its in remarkable condition ,Colin Dipper thinks it has only been played for a about five years in all that time the buttons are still sharp on the edgeswith hardly any wear the leather is deep green and the bellows papers are litho printed so I would think original,anyone have knowledge of Bellows papers?

Many thanks Bazza

[Paul Read]

The George Case that I have just sold also had a different number stamped on one end. I found it because Neil Wayne asked me if there was one. I didn't find out the significance at the time, but I'll e-mail him and ask what the significance is. Mine also had the wooden baffle. They are very nice instruments. Mine was an older one, #2223.