Age of Wheatstone Aeola

[chris salty-dog vonderborch]

I have just had the good fortune of receiving a box full of the partly dismembered bits of a metal-ended Wheatstone Aeola English. I will make new bellows and re-do the ebony veneering etc. The reeds and pans are in exquisite shape, so it should turn out to be a nice instrument.

 

My question: I can't locate the web-site that lists dates of manufacture of Wheatstones against serial numbers.

Can anyone help? The serial number is: 24012.

[Theo]

http://www.horniman.info/

 

Your serial number falls in the gap in the surviving records between 1891 and 1910

[Chris Drinkwater]

http://www.horniman.info/

 

Your serial number falls in the gap in the surviving records between 1891 and 1910

 

 

The missing ledger covers the period January 1892 to May 1910, from serial number 21354 to serial number 24999. Therefore, a total of 3646 concertinas were made, assuming each serial number was allocated to a concertina. Over this 18 year period, this equals approximately 200 concertinas a year being made. So, if your concertina's serial number is 24012, that is 1000 serial numbers less than 25000. 5 years x 200 = 1000, placing the date of your Aeola around 5 years prior to 1910, i.e. 1905. This is just an approximation but can't be far out. That suggests that you have quite an early Aeola.

 

Chris

Edited April 22, 2010 by Chris Drinkwater

[David Barnert]

The missing ledger covers the period January 1892 to May 1910, from serial number 21354 to serial number 24999. Therefore, a total of 3646 concertinas were made, assuming each serial number was allocated to a concertina. Over this 18 year period, this equals approximately 200 concertinas a year being made. So, if your concertina's serial number is 24012, that is 1000 serial numbers less than 25000. 5 years x 200 = 1000, placing the date of your Aeola around 5 years prior to 1910, i.e. 1905. This is just an approximation but can't be far out. That suggests that you have quite an early Aeola.

I don't have the patience to check this out myself, but maybe someone else already has: Is a plot of serial numbers vs. years in the existing ledgers, in fact, linear (or nearly so)?

[david fabre]

 

The missing ledger covers the period January 1892 to May 1910, from serial number 21354 to serial number 24999. Therefore, a total of 3646 concertinas were made, assuming each serial number was allocated to a concertina. Over this 18 year period, this equals approximately 200 concertinas a year being made. So, if your concertina's serial number is 24012, that is 1000 serial numbers less than 25000. 5 years x 200 = 1000, placing the date of your Aeola around 5 years prior to 1910, i.e. 1905. This is just an approximation but can't be far out. That suggests that you have quite an early Aeola.

 

Chris

 

My "Linota" is also in this gap (#24450)

According to your simple rule it must have been made in 1907

(and I'm not sure if the trademark "Linota" was already in use at this time)

It's really a pity that those ledgers are missing. Any idea about what happened to them ?

David

Edited April 22, 2010 by david fabre

[Dirge]

 

The missing ledger covers the period January 1892 to May 1910, from serial number 21354 to serial number 24999. Therefore, a total of 3646 concertinas were made, assuming each serial number was allocated to a concertina. Over this 18 year period, this equals approximately 200 concertinas a year being made. So, if your concertina's serial number is 24012, that is 1000 serial numbers less than 25000. 5 years x 200 = 1000, placing the date of your Aeola around 5 years prior to 1910, i.e. 1905. This is just an approximation but can't be far out. That suggests that you have quite an early Aeola.

 

Chris

 

My "Linota" is also in this gap (#24450)

According to your simple rule it must have been made in 1907

(and I'm not sure if the trademark "Linota" was already in use at this time)

It's really a pity that those ledgers are missing. Any idea about what happened to them ?

David

I bet someone borrowed them to look something up and never gave them back. People do that with books, (he said through gritted teeth)

[Ptarmigan]

"It's really a pity that those ledgers are missing. Any idea about what happened to them?"

 

Has anyone bothered to check behind the Fridge?

[Chris Drinkwater]

 

The missing ledger covers the period January 1892 to May 1910, from serial number 21354 to serial number 24999. Therefore, a total of 3646 concertinas were made, assuming each serial number was allocated to a concertina. Over this 18 year period, this equals approximately 200 concertinas a year being made. So, if your concertina's serial number is 24012, that is 1000 serial numbers less than 25000. 5 years x 200 = 1000, placing the date of your Aeola around 5 years prior to 1910, i.e. 1905. This is just an approximation but can't be far out. That suggests that you have quite an early Aeola.

 

Chris

 

My "Linota" is also in this gap (#24450)

According to your simple rule it must have been made in 1907

(and I'm not sure if the trademark "Linota" was already in use at this time)

It's really a pity that those ledgers are missing. Any idea about what happened to them ?

David

 

Well, David, whatever year the first Linotas' were made, your Linota, serial number 24450, must have been made sometime before May 1910, because that's when Wheatstone serial numbers from 25000 start. And for it to have been made just three years before, in 1907, doesn't sound unreasonable to me.

 

Chris

[Chris Drinkwater]

"It's really a pity that those ledgers are missing. Any idea about what happened to them?"

 

Has anyone bothered to check behind the Fridge?

 

But surely, they didn't have fridges in them days, Dick? It's a cool suggestion, anyroad. I've just had look behind my fridge and all I can see is dirt and dust!

 

Chris