Hello! I am a direct descendant of the concertina maker John Nickolds (my great, great, great grandfather) and his son Thomas Nickolds of Islington (who was my mother's great grandfather - and so a person her own parents might well have known in person - she certainly knew of him). I have many family papers and photographs, including one of Frederick Charles Nickolds holding a concertina. Sadly, I've not inherited a concertina.
I'd be interested to know more about the Nickolds family business, if anyone can tell me anything new. I've researched quite extensively everything I can find on the Internet about the Nickolds father and sons. I'd certainly be very interested indeed to know if there are any other photographs of any of the Nickolds. Or any interesting further sources of information.
Oddly enough, I have many connections with Clerkenwell and am currently working in a job which is about a hundred yards from the site of his original 1848 workshop (I don't know if the building still stands), and if he was a beer drinking man then I am sure we have both often enough visited the same corner pub next door.
I'll be taking a look at some of the Nickolds concertinas in the Horniman Museum.
Also, how much would a Nickolds concertina be likely to cost - any condition, and not necessarily playable or even worth restoring? I am obviously not a collector - but it would have family interest.
Thanks - Mike, London
