Lachenal

[Bill Taffe]

OK another "what is it" question on a concertina on ebay. There is a concertina advertised as a "LACHENAL ANGLO CONCERTINA WITH SERIAL No. 12276 made in the year 1904" On the end there is an oval with an interior plaque that says

R.J. Ward & Son

Music Warehouse

10 St Anne St

A few doors from Ishington

Liverpool

 

ebay url for concertina

 

I'm a newbie in concertina history but why would a Lachenal carry a RJ Ward tag.?

 

If I understand them correctly, the charts for dating Lachenal Anglos (on other parts of concertina.net) would suggest that a serial number of 12276 is someplace in the mid 1860s not 1904.

 

It appears to me that the concertina shown isn't the Lachenal claimed ... but since I'm very green at all this, I could be missing something. So advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Bill Taffe

 

P.S. I'm looking for an older Lachenal "fixer upper" to restore so if it is a Lachenal that needs some work it might be what I want.

[wes williams]

"There is a concertina advertised as a "LACHENAL ANGLO CONCERTINA WITH SERIAL No. 12276 made in the year 1904"

 

I don't know why its got 1904 attributed to it. Although the charts are only a guess, I would have expected it to have been made 1860/70s 'ish.

 

"I'm a newbie in concertina history but why would a Lachenal carry a RJ Ward tag.?"

 

Lachenal initially tried to market their concertinas through the music dealer network. They were not selling enough, so started selling them direct to the public. The dealers did continue to sell Lachenals, and often put their own labels in place of the Lachenal ones. Ward of Liverpool was operating in 1888, but I have no idea when they started or finished.

 

It looks like a Lachenal!

 

best wishes ..wes