Concertinas at the Beck Isle Museum

[Tootler]

I was at the Beck Isle museum in Pickering (UK) today and I saw there two concertinas on display. I took a photo which I enclose.

 

The larger concertina on the right is a Wheatstone, but the smaller one's name plate was missing so I do not know the make. According to the card near the display, they were owned by a Mr & Mrs Lillie who were members of the Salvation Army.

 

I assume from the button layouts they are both duets. I am interested to know more, if possible.

 

 

Geoff

[Dirge]

They're Maccans; you can see the treble ends of both and counting keys and guessing, they might be an 81 (as big as they get) and a 46 (pretty much as small as they get!); I'd need to look at Bob Gaskins keyboard layout diagrams to be precise, but there's always fewer keys on the bass side. Big wood ended Aeola duets seem rare, probably because they are fragile, as witness this specimen.

 

The box is different; they are usually square.