Fret Lables Fakes?

[Syncopepper]

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?

[Dirge]

Usually they have the maker written one end and the serial number on the other. In cases where a big dealer bought lots they might have insisted on having their name in as 'maker' instead of the true manufacturer (Campbells eg)

 

The fancier metal ended instruments often have metal labels rivetted on instead, but lots still have the paper, but still the same 'number one end maker the other' layout.

 

The paper labels often went on the gauze, or leather or wood baffles inside the fretwork and this is how they are lost; the baffles or whatever are taken out and the label is chucked with them. That's often why people want repros. The serial number is usually stamped inside the things somewhere and we can usually spot the maker by style of manufacture. So the info is still there.

 

The labels were pretty static, allowing fr address changes, deaths in the family etc., and I suspect most of the labels you see are still original.

[Terry McGee]

I have a wooden-ended, bone-keyed Lachenal I bought from Crabb's in London in 1974. It bears a H. Crabb & Son label in the right-hand-end window. The inside top of the hexagonal case carries a torn Lachenal label. I don't know if it was Crabb's policy at the time to rebadge all refurbished instruments, or just ones that had lost their original label. I did get myself into some difficulties with Paul Davis for buying an instrument from Crabb, rather than from him! He forgave me after about 6 weeks of cold shoulder.

 

In the same year, I went to Boosey & Hawkes in Regent St to see what they could tell me about the good old days of wooden flute making. Absolutely zero, as it transpired. But while there I enquired about concertinas, and was introduced to an old fellow who had worked on them in the past. He was delighted to meet someone interested in the instrument, and, finding I was from Australia and not likely to be in a good position in regard to spares, gathered up a handful of springs and pallets and thrust them into my hand, saying that "he wasn't likely to be needing them". It was a depressing visit, all-in-all. But the spares have been handy!

[David Barnert]

In the same year [1974], I went to Boosey & Hawkes in Regent St... But while there I enquired about concertinas, and was introduced to an old fellow who had worked on them in the past. He was delighted to meet someone interested in the instrument, and, finding I was from Australia and not likely to be in a good position in regard to spares, gathered up a handful of springs and pallets and thrust them into my hand, saying that "he wasn't likely to be needing them". It was a depressing visit, all-in-all. But the spares have been handy!

Would that have been Sid Watkins, who died in 1974 as the last concertina-related employee of B&H, but not before having taken on Steve Dickinson as an apprentice?

[Stephen Chambers]

 

In the same year [1974], I went to Boosey & Hawkes in Regent St... But while there I enquired about concertinas, and was introduced to an old fellow who had worked on them in the past.

Would that have been Sid Watkins, who died in 1974 as the last concertina-related employee of B&H, but not before having taken on Steve Dickinson as an apprentice?

 

 

The final entries in Sid Watkins's Last Daybook were made for the week ending 20th December 1974 so, from what I understand off Steve, Sid must have died then - but he'd have been still working on new concertinas in the Boosey & Hawkes factory at Edgware, not in their Regent Street shop, in 1974. (Though my recollection, from the early '70s, is of going to a shop at the bottom of Centre Point for new Wheatstone concertinas - and they showed me a brand-new 20-key Anglo there then.)

 

Sid is the man seen grinding reed-tongues at the opening of the 1961 Concertina Factory newsreel, on the British Pathé website.

[Geoffrey Crabb]

(Though my recollection, from the early '70s, is of going to a shop at the bottom of Centre Point for new Wheatstone concertinas - and they showed me a brand-new 20-key Anglo there then.)

 

Stephen, St Giles Music Centre. Acted as a retail outlet for Wheatstone Concertinas following the move from Duncan Terrace to Edgware.

 

Regarding Crabb labels in instruments supplied of other make. These were fitted if the amount repair work carried out before resale was extensive i.e. a rebuild with many new parts or the original labels were not present. There was no intent to deceive the original purchaser as the reason would have been explained at the point of sale. Whether that information was passed on to subsequent owners of the instrument is another matter.

Of course the Crabb label would indicate that repairs had been done in the Crabb workshop thus avoiding the necessity to open the instrument to look for the usual internal stamp.

 

Geoffrey

Seasons Greetings to all.

[Stephen Chambers]

 

Though my recollection, from the early '70s, is of going to a shop at the bottom of Centre Point for new Wheatstone concertinas - and they showed me a brand-new 20-key Anglo there then.

 

Stephen, St Giles Music Centre. Acted as a retail outlet for Wheatstone Concertinas following the move from Duncan Terrace to Edgware. ...

 

Geoffrey

Seasons Greetings to all.

 

Yes! That was it Geoff, and Scarth's on Charing Cross Road sold Crabb concertinas - but I also made the pilgrimmage up to Liverpool Road to your family's workshop and got a quote (£120.00 I think, in 1972) for a new octagonal 48-key.

 

And a very Happy Christmas to you too, and to everybody else on C.net...

[Terry McGee]

 

In the same year [1974], I went to Boosey & Hawkes in Regent St... But while there I enquired about concertinas, and was introduced to an old fellow who had worked on them in the past. He was delighted to meet someone interested in the instrument, and, finding I was from Australia and not likely to be in a good position in regard to spares, gathered up a handful of springs and pallets and thrust them into my hand, saying that "he wasn't likely to be needing them". It was a depressing visit, all-in-all. But the spares have been handy!

Would that have been Sid Watkins, who died in 1974 as the last concertina-related employee of B&H, but not before having taken on Steve Dickinson as an apprentice?

 

Ah, you force me to refer to my diary, and in doing so, to find that my memory was a little defective. Entry for Monday, 21 October, 1974....

 

"To Euston [railway station] for a shower [we were living in a camper van parked alongside Clissold Park at the time], then to Boosey & Hawkes [in Regent St]. Asked there to see Wheatstone and flute repairer. [i'd been given a 19th century Eb flute by flute collector and author Phillip Bate as a momento of our visit, but it needed one flat spring replaced.] Flute repairer useless, suggests Rudall Carte. Finally found a Mr Child, who replaced fife [sic - it wasn't really a fife!] spring for 10p! [i still have the Eb flute, but Phillip is long dead]

 

Out to B&H factory at Edgeware, where we saw Mr Lake, one of the people involved in making the Wheatstone Conca[tina]s. Suggested ways of fixing Muf's [English-Concertina-playing girlfriend at the time], gave us a handful of springs, pads and flaps - fabulous!"

[Rest of day spent finding my bicycle, which I'd chained to the railing at Clissold Park had been stolen. Police called but powerless. Grrr. Spent evening with concertina and flute dealer, Paul Davis, looking at flutes.]

So, I'd forgotten about the trip out to Edgeware. Mr Lake was the helpful concertina chap.

 

Terry

[Terry McGee]

 

(Though my recollection, from the early '70s, is of going to a shop at the bottom of Centre Point for new Wheatstone concertinas - and they showed me a brand-new 20-key Anglo there then.)

 

Stephen, St Giles Music Centre. Acted as a retail outlet for Wheatstone Concertinas following the move from Duncan Terrace to Edgware.

 

Regarding Crabb labels in instruments supplied of other make. These were fitted if the amount repair work carried out before resale was extensive i.e. a rebuild with many new parts or the original labels were not present. There was no intent to deceive the original purchaser as the reason would have been explained at the point of sale. Whether that information was passed on to subsequent owners of the instrument is another matter.

Of course the Crabb label would indicate that repairs had been done in the Crabb workshop thus avoiding the necessity to open the instrument to look for the usual internal stamp.

 

Geoffrey

Seasons Greetings to all.

 

 

Thanks for that clarification, Geoffrey. The rebuild theory makes sense - the instrument is still in very good condition 39 years later. I see from my diary I bought it on Monday, 9 December 1974, from Neville, for 50GBP. Not knowing the value of such things, I'd rung Paul Davis for an opinion, but got an earful for my trouble. It was a few days before he would speak civilly to me again!

[David Barnert]

 

 

In the same year [1974], I went to Boosey & Hawkes in Regent St... But while there I enquired about concertinas, and was introduced to an old fellow who had worked on them in the past.

Would that have been Sid Watkins, who died in 1974 as the last concertina-related employee of B&H, but not before having taken on Steve Dickinson as an apprentice?

The final entries in Sid Watkins's Last Daybook were made for the week ending 20th December 1974 so, from what I understand off Steve, Sid must have died then - but he'd have been still working on new concertinas in the Boosey & Hawkes factory at Edgware, not in their Regent Street shop, in 1974...

Thanks. I didn't know they had more than one shop, and the geographical references mean nothing to me.