Stephen Chambers Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) Recent discussion of 1950s/'60s Wheatstone concertinas has made me realise how very much the British Pathe newsreel "Concertina Factory/Concert in a Factory" (issued on 3rd April 1961) is a swansong for the old Wheatstone firm, since the Model 7ANP instruments shown being built in it must have been from the very last batch to be made completely at their own workshop. Until that time, Wheatstone's was still being run as a semi-autonomous company within the Boosey & Hawkes Group, with its own management, staff and premises (an old house at Duncan Terrace, Islington that they shared with the celebrated flute makers Rudall Carte & Co.), but shortly afterwards the firm was absorbed into the Boosey & Hawkes musical instrument factory at Edgware in North London - completely losing their own identity and management. Senior staff were offered relatively menial posts at B&H and Harry Minting, who was Wheatstone's Sales Manager at the time, told me they offered him a job as a ledger clerk, which he declined and opened his own music shop instead... Page 117 of the Anglo Production Ledger SD04 shows the last batch made at Duncan Terrace (of Model 7ANP, numbered 58514-25) to be dated 5th April 1961, whilst the first batch (of Model 6ANP, numbered 58527-44) marked "Edgware" in the Ledger were originally dated 19th May 1961, but that was crossed out and 2nd August substituted. From then on, the firm declined until there was only one of the old Wheatstone employees left (Sid Watkins, seen grinding a strip of reed steel in the opening shot) who was sometimes helped out by the bassoon makers, "if they had nothing better to do..." Edited February 12, 2011 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Laban Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Concertina Factory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptarmigan Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Concertina Factory Thanks for the link Peter. Cheers Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 (edited) Concertina Factory Thanks for the link Peter. Cheers Dick Yes, thanks for the link Peter. I was going to post it myself once I'd found the new one - seeing that the old link I had no longer worked... (They must have made changes to the wonderful British Pathé 1896 to 1976 website (http://www.britishpathe.com/) in the meantime.) Those newsreels were very much a part of the experience for cinema-goers in Britain - I remember them from my childhood. Edited February 18, 2011 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Laban Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 (edited) Yes, some of the stuff on there is really amazing. I was astounded to find a clip, silent unfortunately, of James Ennis, Seamus' father, playing for dancers in 1928: Dancers Rehearse And many other wonderful things beside. But, for me, that one took the cake. Edited February 12, 2011 by Peter Laban Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 I just watched the video again for the first time in years. I continue to be amazed at the sound bite (beginning at 1:50): It is a sad fact that the concertina has declined in popularity since the inception of the accordion. Only in America, it seems, is it still really regarded as a serious instrument. Can it really be true that at the time the video was produced the concertina was taken more seriously in the USA than in England? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Worrall Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I just watched the video again for the first time in years. I continue to be amazed at the sound bite (beginning at 1:50): It is a sad fact that the concertina has declined in popularity since the inception of the accordion. Only in America, it seems, is it still really regarded as a serious instrument. Can it really be true that at the time the video was produced the concertina was taken more seriously in the USA than in England? Thanks for the post, Stephen, and the link, Peter. It has been awhile for me too since I saw it. Can it really be true that at the time the video was produced the concertina was taken more seriously in the USA than in England? David, Perhaps they were referring to one of the Matusewichs, who was teaching classical EC in New York at the time, if memory serves. I doubt they were referring to the Chemnitzer concertina (as 'taken more seriously'!), although it was and is certainly very popular in the Midwest. Wheatstones would not have regarded that as of particular interest, since they didn't make them. The Anglo was all but dead at the time in the US. Cheers, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardie Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Recent discussion of 1950s/'60s Wheatstone concertinas has made me realise how very much the British Pathe newsreel "Concertina Factory/Concert in a Factory" (issued on 3rd April 1961) is a swansong for the old Wheatstone firm... Is there somewhere an outline of the ownership of 'the old Wheatstone firm' from the start and onwards? And maybe even more interesting - who the true managers and designers were? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) Recent discussion of 1950s/'60s Wheatstone concertinas has made me realise how very much the British Pathe newsreel "Concertina Factory/Concert in a Factory" (issued on 3rd April 1961) is a swansong for the old Wheatstone firm... Is there somewhere an outline of the ownership of 'the old Wheatstone firm' from the start and onwards? And maybe even more interesting - who the true managers and designers were? Neil Wayne's article on Wheatstone concertinas. Some but not all of your questions may be answered here: http://www.d-and-d.com/contributions/tina-history.html Happy reading! Greg Edited February 14, 2011 by Greg Jowaisas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Jowaisas Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 This may help as well. Concertina time line: http://www.lvcott.fsnet.co.uk/EVENTS.HTM Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardie Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Neil Wayne's article on Wheatstone concertinas. Some but not all of your questions may be answered here: http://www.d-and-d.com/contributions/tina-history.html This may help as well. Concertina time line: http://www.lvcott.fsnet.co.uk/EVENTS.HTM Thanks Greg! Very helpful. And thanks to Wes Williams ( I guess) for the "Timeline" ! There are some blanks - to me anyway - regarding firstly the role of Charles Wheatstone himself.Apart from being responsible for the patents, contrary to reputation he seems not to have been much involved in production of concertinas.1847-1862 it seems as if William Wheatstone was in charge ( as owner firstly? or manager?) or was in reality Louis Lachenal manager until 1859(?) when he started by himself? What happened when William W died 1862 - was CW alone the owner of the firm until he died 1875? What was the position of Edward Chidley? Did he inherit the firm? (from William W.? from Charles W.?) or did he buy it after the death of Charles W? Was Edward Chidley Snr. the manager until his death 1899? Is there a family tree of the Chidleys to be found somewhere too? Any biographical notes known after some Chidley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi there is some info on the Chidley's plus a family tree plus some other bits and bobs on my Joseph Scates site-clicky for the addesss at the bottom of this page chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Perhaps they were referring to one of the Matusewichs, who was teaching classical EC in New York at the time, if memory serves. ... I doubt they were referring to the Chemnitzer concertina ... since they didn't make them. Actually, they did make a handful of Chemnitzers, though they are listed in the Ledgers as "Bandonions" - take a look at the thread Wheatstone Bandonion Found. But I'm sure it must be the likes of Boris Matusewitch, and his pupils, that they are meaning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardie Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Hi there is some info on the Chidley's plus a family tree plus some other bits and bobs on my Joseph Scates site-clicky for the addesss at the bottom of this page chris Thanks Chris, I checked your site but I don't manage to identify anything on the 'concertina-Chidleys' we were talking about. The line including Edward Senior - Junior etc. Just the tree over the Rock Chidley family ( sadly very difficult to read and print to a readable format). Have I missed some entry at the site? or have I missed some information hidden in the foliage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Hi the size of the tree has become more of an issue since google (owners of google sites) decided that my adobe pdf's should be displayed as google documents- I could quickly come to dislike google as much as I dislike Microsoft. If you want an adobe pdf PM me and I will send you a copy of the whole tree direct. I am currently investigating an alternate to google sites for the web site but this may take a little while chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 (edited) I just watched the video again for the first time in years. I continue to be amazed at the sound bite (beginning at 1:50): It is a sad fact that the concertina has declined in popularity since the inception of the accordion. Only in America, it seems, is it still really regarded as a serious instrument. Can it really be true that at the time the video was produced the concertina was taken more seriously in the USA than in England? David, Interest in the concertina was declining before the Second World War, and following it the remaining concertina enthusiasts in Britain felt few and isolated, forming the ICA in 1952 as a means of keeping in touch. It was also a time when the fiscal policies of a war-bankrupted state discouraged or prohibited the importation of "luxury goods" like musical instruments (for example American guitars couldn't be commercially brought into the country again until the late 1960s), whilst British-made instruments, like a Wheatstone concertina, would have been subject to a 100% Sales Tax at home. No wonder the bulk of Wheatstone's postwar production seems to have been for export, mainly in the form of Anglos to South Africa and Englishes to the United States... Edited February 18, 2011 by Stephen Chambers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardie Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 ...From then on, the firm declined until there was only one of the old Wheatstone employees left (Sid Watkins, seen grinding a strip of reed steel in the opening shot) Can you possibly identify the man showing the Symphonium and other instruments too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted February 19, 2011 Author Share Posted February 19, 2011 ...From then on, the firm declined until there was only one of the old Wheatstone employees left (Sid Watkins, seen grinding a strip of reed steel in the opening shot) Can you possibly identify the man showing the Symphonium and other instruments too? Yes, as I think we may have discussed previously, that's my old friend Harry Minting. Not long after the film was made, and still (just about) being Sales Manager at Wheatstone's, he sold himself both the Symphonion and the First Concertina that he played in the clip. Fortunately he also rescued the surviving early Wheatstone Ledgers from the Boosey and Hawkes bonfire... That concertina (which was originally Captain Gardnor's, and is now my most-prized posession) has Harry's old post code scratched into the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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