Search the Community

Often I notice in pictures of vintage concertinas that oval openings are often designed into the fretwork. Sometimes these openings are empty and sometimes they are covered with a suspended paper label. I have always assumed that the empty ones were originaly covered with label when those instruments were new. I am curious about the history of these label openings in vintage concertinas and have a few questions about them: Were paper labels used in both wooden and metal ended concertinas? Where these labels primarily to display information about the manufacturer or were they also used for other purposes like information about resellers or distributers? I have a 1880's era Lachenal New Model with a paper label in such an area (as shown). While it looks old I have seen comments in this forum regarding fabricating replacement labels leading to a few more questions: Were the original labels standardized and/or did they evolve over the years (possibly providing collaboarative dating of instruments)? Is there a consensus about how many original labels still exist and how may to be seen are reproductions?