Dowright

I have seen the following labels of dealers (not including Lachenal itself): Labels of 11 separate dealers on 28 duet Lachenals Labels of 69 separate dealers on 221 English Lachenals Labels of 73 dealers on 333 Anglo Lachenals Of course, some dealers are in both or all three dealer lists. But I have never seen an Imhof & Mukle label before.

The best I can do is "circa 1880."

Greg, Thanks for posting the key diagram. And "bravo" to Chris Algar for recognizing it as a Maccann model. The record in the Wheatstone ledger only shows that it was made in 1929 and that it is "N.P. hex Duet 12 key" [i.e. Nickol Plated Hexagonal Duet 12 key]. But from the key diagram, we see that it is consistent with core notes in a full-size 46-key Maccann duet, as shown in the attachment .

Greg, I am attaching key layout and note diagrams for two Wheatstone minature duet concertinas that I have. I hope it may prompt you to provide the same information for your No 32154. In particular, I would like to know how you come to claassify it as a Maccann duet.

2133 is a standard 4-digit serial number for a Lachenal duet concertina. All Lachenal duets, Maccann and Crane, had 1-to-4 digit serial numbers. Lachenal did not have 4-digit batch numbers. No 2133 was made circa 1901.

No. 24717 was made circa 1874, How do we know? For those with Lachenal labeling, the earliest ones with "Lachenal & Co." (rather than "Louis Lachenal") were numbered around 24000. No. 10572 was made circa 1868. J Wallis started selling Lachenal Anglos from the outset (around 1862). I cannot say for sure, but I do not think that J. Wallis dealt in English Lachenals until about the time the company changed ownership (1873) when the Engsih ones were numbered around 19000.

This is nice support for what I already had. I had dated No 17642 to 1872, but based on different information. I am impressed with Mike Pierceall's estimate based on such a simple formula. But I would caution that the formula is unlikely to hold up for other Lachenal manufacturing periods, given the ups and downs of the level of Lachenal production..

I concur with Ross Schlabach and would draw special attention to his remark that "you should make sure the case has plenty of clearance for your instrument..." Jeffiries leather cases have shrunk a little over time and usually cause the concertina to fit extremely tightly. We know better than to expand concertina bellows without depressing a key, but that is exactly what can happen from trying to pull a Jeffries concertina from one of the old Jeffries leather cases. I can provide you with one of the old Jeffires cases. Just send me a personal message and we will work out sending it to your Ireland address at a very reasonable price. (First, I'll send you a photo of the case.) My Jeffries concertinas are in modern hard-shell cases made by Greg Jowaisas. If you get the case from me, I would advise using it as a handbag (which my wife once did) rather than as a concertina case, and keeping your Jeffries concertina in a horizontal hard-shell case,

I think that this concertina was advertised in Ebay as being in G/D. Please confirm that it is in C/G.

I have a receipt for No 48850, dated 5 Feb 1913, but am sure the it is for a second-hand Lachenal English. So the closest receipt that I have is 11 April 1904 for No 42146. Therefore, I date your No 47706 at circa 1908.

Serial number?

Edi, I would like a little more information about your English No. 42538: 48 keys? Wood or Metal ends? Bone or Metal buttons? Number of bellow folds? Specail model such as Inimitable or Excelsior?

I estimate the year of manufacture of No 42538 as 1904. I have a receipt for No. 42146--a 64 key Edeophone sold in Liverpool to Charles East on April 11, 1904. Crane duets not only had a number series separate for English and Anglo Lachenals, but also separate from the Maccann duet series (until about 1910 when the two duet series merged into a single series). Cranes appeared before 1900 (John Buttersworth patent of September 1896). I estimate the year of manufacture for Crane No. 624 as 1907--but I am stil working on that dating, and it may have been made a little earlier.

Thanks. You mention a 1916 newspaper article. However, I estimate the year of manufacture around 1910--thought to be the year the Triumph was introduced.

Cannot be No. 8968. The highest numbered Lachenal duet--Crane or Maccann--that I have seen (i.e., of more than 525 duets) is a Crane, No. 4960. Your "No. 8968" probably is No. 3968.

It would be helpful to have the serial number, which is 1 to 4 digits (most likely 4 digits) stamped on the reed pan inside each end.

Robin, I estimate that it was made in about 1870. I am guessing that, in additon to metal fretwork, it has bone buttons, steel reeds, and 6-fold bellows--the same as 32-key No. 17733. Yours has (1) a Louis Lachenal label, (2) a third-party retailer's label, or (3) no label.

Mike, I would date your No 52593 Lachenal English concertina to circa 1911. Sure, it is tough to estimate the year of manufacture of Lachenals, but we do the best we can. I can tell you that my estimates are more accurate than what you find on the internet. And of course Lachenal (et al) operated during WW1.

Conzertino, Advertisements for "M. Barr's Musical instruments" (80 Queen Victoria Street, London EC) can be found in several 1878 issues of English Mechanic and the World of Science, The Fishing Gazette, and The Athletic World. Several of the advertisements are for a single musical instrument--the ocarina. February 1878 (page vi) and March 1878 (page 638) ads in the English Mechanic and the World of Science are for Barr's "Guinea series" of tutors for Banjo, Flute, Cornet, Violin and Guitar . I think that Barr did not publish a tutor for concertina (any system). Right below Barr's ad in the March 8 issue is an advertisement of Charles Roylance's English concertina tutor. If Barr had a Guinea tutor for concertina he certainly would have included it in his ad. From all indications, this No. 19965 was made by Lachenal & Co.--certainly not by M. Barr, who did not advertise his company as an instrument maker. You mention Lachenal features, but have not indicated if it is an English or Anglo concertina. If Lachenal English, No 19965 would indicate it was made in circa 1875. If Lachenal Anglo, No 19965 would have been made in about 1872. I am guessing it is a 48-key Engish; my fall-back guess is 20-key Anglo. Please let us know. It certainly is not a Wheatstone; the Wheatstone ledgers show Nos. 19961-19966 were "baritones plain." If it has pivot action, rather than riveted lever action, we can be fairly confident that it was made by Lachenal & Co. Please let us know.

John, I would not be concerned if I could not tell if it is a 3 or an 8. For the last two digits of a serial number it is of no concern for estimating the year of manufacture if the digit is wrong. But it makes a total difference, of course, if someone is unsure about any of the first 2 digits of a 5-digit serial number, or any of the first three digits of a 6-digit Anglo number. Let's just say "127X2" where X is either 3 or 8.

I should have indicated that, if you send me a serial number and description for your Lachenal concertina, I will gladly provide an approximate of the year of manufacture. It will be a while before I complete my article on Lachenal concertinas and the estimated manufacture dates.

I estimate the year of manufacture for Anglo No. 74526 as 1883. The nearest receipt that I have for a Lachenal Anglo is for No 46951, dated 1 January 1878. Lachenal's annual production of Anglos in the 1878-1890 period was around 5,200 per year.

The database has not been distributed. I am making extensive use of the data in the article on Lachenal production, which I am currently drafting.

No 99915-- manufactured in about 1888

John, Incidentally, does it have brass or steel reeds?