Dating A Lachenal From The Serial Number

[JudeMuso]

I am trying to date a family heirloom concertina,  LACHENAL, serial number 42759, an Anglo student model I believe.  I have no knowledge of why it had resided in our cupboard since I was born (1935) in Adelaide, South Australia.  I have some information from the Wheatstone Ledgers with our family name mentioned in a purchase in 1853.  If this serial number goes back that far, it will be a great story.  The rosewood fretwork, ivory buttons, intact faded soft velvet lining, and a restored bellows make it a lovely little instrument.  I would also like to know its worth.  Thanking you if I can trace its history.  

[Bill Crossland]

From Dowrights information in this thread, this Lachenal (not Wheatstone!) dates from around 1870 - 1875. Sometimes the first digit of the number is hidden behind the fretwork, so it could be 142759, which would be 1890's. You would need to have a better look at the number, which will also be stamped inside, to confirm.

 

[d.elliott]

It looks a bit new for 42,000 series,  would suggest you have a look inside to check if there are other clear stampings. One under the action box, one in-between the chamber walls and one on the inside of the bellows frame. All this at both ends of the instrument.

[d.elliott]

I also believe that the Lachenal trademark stamping was introduced in around 1879...

 

 

[Stephen Chambers]

7 hours ago, d.elliott said:

I also believe that the Lachenal trademark stamping was introduced in around 1879...

 

 

Lachenal & Co. applied for their trademark, No. 15,222, on 31st August 1878, and it was published in the Trade Marks Journal on 8th January 1879.

 

http://www.concertina.com/chambers/lachenal-production/ 

[chris rowe]

JudeMuso, I have sent you a private message

[Ebosis]

Hi, 

 

Just got a lachanel anglo 165690. Steel reeds with metal ends. Any dating help would be great. 

[wes williams]

20 hours ago, Ebosis said:

Hi, 

 

Just got a lachanel anglo 165690. Steel reeds with metal ends. Any dating help would be great. 

Circa 1898. Its not in our database. so some more details would help (number of buttons,etc)

[Ebosis]

[Ebosis]

I hope the pictures help. It needs some tlc to get it running properly again. I got it at a price that I couldn't say no to but I can't get on with it. I play EC and anglo style goes straight over my head. I can see me part exchanging it for a tenor EC. 

[alex_holden]

9 hours ago, Ebosis said:

I hope the pictures help. It needs some tlc to get it running properly again. I got it at a price that I couldn't say no to but I can't get on with it. I play EC and anglo style goes straight over my head. I can see me part exchanging it for a tenor EC. 

 

Interesting pictures; the pierced sides are quite unusual and I don't think I've seen that on a Lachenal before.

[Takayuki YAGI]

30 minutes ago, alex_holden said:

 

Interesting pictures; the pierced sides are quite unusual and I don't think I've seen that on a Lachenal before.

I too think the Lachenals with pierced sides are rare, but not non-existent. I saw Barleycorn once sold the Lachenals with pierced sides at least 3 times.

Edited August 22, 2021 by Takayuki YAGI
typo

[Takayuki YAGI]

11 minutes ago, Takayuki YAGI said:

I too think the Lachenals with pierced sides are rare, but not non-existent. I saw Barleycorn once sold the Lachenals with pierced sides at least 3 times.

Here, for example. https://concertina.co.uk/stock-selection/anglo-concertinas/gorgeous-lachenal-32-key-anglo-in-bb-f/

Edited August 22, 2021 by Takayuki YAGI
typo

[Theo]

I have a very similar Lachenal pierced sides, but wooden rather than metal ends.  It’s a very good quality instrument with very good reeds.

[Ebosis]

Thanks for the feedback and thank you Takayuki for the link. I had never seen one like this and was starting to think if it was a real lachenal. A shame I can't get an exact date for it. 

[Mike Franch]

Once you get it restored, you might want to get a modern case or, at the very least, rest this case on its side. Storing a concertina vertically, though the traditional way (or maybe I should say old-fashioned way) is not good for valves--the leather strips accompanying each reed.

[Myrtle's cook]

Could I ask for a date for an English Concertina, ebony ends with silver nickel(?) floral insets, 48 glass buttons, 5 fold bellows and steel reeds with internal numbering 12582, please? From preceding number attributions it looks to be mid 1860s(?), any further refinement to this would be of interest.

 

Looking to the 1861 Lachenal catalogue it appears to be a 'model 7' http://www.concertina.com/pricelists/lachenal/Lachenal-Intl-Exhibition-1862.pdf

a marque that would later be described as 'Excelsior'. I'm not sure if the reeds on mine are 'standard' or 'tempered', there's some suggestion of the bluing one might expect with tempering, but nothing definitive to my untutored eye.

 

Many thanks, in advance.

[Stephen Chambers]

2 hours ago, Myrtle's cook said:

Could I ask for a date for an English Concertina, ebony ends with silver nickel(?) floral insets, 48 glass buttons, 5 fold bellows and steel reeds with internal numbering 12582, please? From preceding number attributions it looks to be mid 1860s(?), any further refinement to this would be of interest.

 

Looking to the 1861 Lachenal catalogue it appears to be a 'model 7' http://www.concertina.com/pricelists/lachenal/Lachenal-Intl-Exhibition-1862.pdf

a marque that would later be described as 'Excelsior'. I'm not sure if the reeds on mine are 'standard' or 'tempered', there's some suggestion of the bluing one might expect with tempering, but nothing definitive to my untutored eye.

 

Many thanks, in advance.

 

#12582 would have been made about 1866-67.

 

"Ordinary Metal Vibrators" would have been brass, "Silver Vibrators" would have been "German silver" = nickel silver, whilst all steel reeds are tempered...