Irish Newbie Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Hi folks, Would anyone be able to give me any information on a concertina called Rushworth and Dreaper. It was made in Liverpool and other than that I'm at a loss about it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 as always, a picture or two would certainly help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Newbie Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 Hi Wolf, hope you can see this photo. Newbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Newbie Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 It has steel reeds, 6 bellows, wooden ends and keys are in the same layout as Lachenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 in fact it could very well be a - better - Lachenal - maybe Rushworth and Dreaper were retailers? will examine tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RP3 Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I am pretty sure that Rushworth & Dreaper was a retailer of concertinas. For a number of years, I owned a nice concertina bought from Paul Groff that had a brass plate engraved with the “Rushworth & Dreaper” name and the address “Islington”. The instrument was identified as a Crabb concertina, had metal ends with the fretwork usually associated with Crabb & Jeffries and bellows papers and gold stamping also associated with the same two makers. This instrument was also the spitting image of Anglo concertinas that are labeled as Ball Beavons. i wish I had some photos of the label but don't. Nevertheless, I feel comfortable saying that R & D retailed concertinas that were supplied by the “usual suspects” of famous makers. And the concertina shown in the original post was very likely made by Lachenal. Ross Schlabach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Newbie Posted August 21, 2019 Author Share Posted August 21, 2019 Ross, Thanks for your reply. It does indeed have an engraved plate with their address on it. Any info I could get said that they were instrument makers and I just assumed that it was theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Newbie Posted August 21, 2019 Author Share Posted August 21, 2019 23 hours ago, Wolf Molkentin said: in fact it could very well be a - better - Lachenal - maybe Rushworth and Dreaper were retailers? will examine tomorrow Not sure what would make it a better Lachenal??? I take it that they would not all be of the same quality? Thanks again Wolf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 7 hours ago, Irish Newbie said: Not sure what would make it a better Lachenal??? I take it that they would not all be of the same quality? Lachenal Anglos vary a lot quality-wise, particularly „in the reed department“, quoting a friend. Your instrument has the more elaborate fretwork of the better ones, as well as apparently rosewood rather then mahogany ends, and a 6-fold bellows which is possibly original (and no wood screws fastening the bellows but proper end bolts?), and that’s three (or even four) features indicating an instrument with more effort being made with any component. Of course you can’t be sure, there are good mahogany-ended instruments and bad rosewood-ended ones - but it works as a rule of thumb... I have two really nice Anglos of similar appearance (one C/G and one G/D) myself which I wouldn’t part with. Of course playing and listening to your instrument would tell more... Best wishes - ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hulme Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Rushworth and Dreaper were active in Liverpool and Chester from the early 20th Century until around 2000. The "Islington" stamp on your instrument refers to their Head Office in the city. On other sites they built church organs, and had a violin making workshop which turned out the "Ardeton" models of violins, violas and cellos. Ardeton standing for Ar (Rushworth) De (Dreaper) Isling(ton). They were retailers of all sorts of musical instruments. They imported orchestral instruments from European workshops, in various qualities, and labelled them "Apollo Model x" for up to 12 grades of strings, with "Ardetons" being totally hand made in their own workshops. And, yes, they did commission concertinas in various grades. Many years ago I had one of their retail catalogues and there were both English and Anglo models in in various qualities, so it does not surprise me to find a Crabb turning up. Liverpool was a wealthy city and only the best would do for the well off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Newbie Posted August 23, 2019 Author Share Posted August 23, 2019 On 8/22/2019 at 6:24 AM, Wolf Molkentin said: Lachenal Anglos vary a lot quality-wise, particularly „in the reed department“, quoting a friend. Your instrument has the more elaborate fretwork of the better ones, as well as apparently rosewood rather then mahogany ends, and a 6-fold bellows which is possibly original (and no wood screws fastening the bellows but proper end bolts?), and that’s three (or even four) features indicating an instrument with more effort being made with any component. Of course you can’t be sure, there are good mahogany-ended instruments and bad rosewood-ended ones - but it works as a rule of thumb... I have two really nice Anglos of similar appearance (one C/G and one G/D) myself which I wouldn’t part with. Of course playing and listening to your instrument would tell more... Best wishes - ? Thank you so much for your post and info, it is much appreciated. I think it might depend on who played it as to the quality of the sound!!? Thanks again for your help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Newbie Posted August 23, 2019 Author Share Posted August 23, 2019 (edited) On 8/22/2019 at 8:46 AM, Mike Hulme said: Rushworth and Dreaper were active in Liverpool and Chester from the early 20th Century until around 2000. The "Islington" stamp on your instrument refers to their Head Office in the city. On other sites they built church organs, and had a violin making workshop which turned out the "Ardeton" models of violins, violas and cellos. Ardeton standing for Ar (Rushworth) De (Dreaper) Isling(ton). They were retailers of all sorts of musical instruments. They imported orchestral instruments from European workshops, in various qualities, and labelled them "Apollo Model x" for up to 12 grades of strings, with "Ardetons" being totally hand made in their own workshops. And, yes, they did commission concertinas in various grades. Many years ago I had one of their retail catalogues and there were both English and Anglo models in in various qualities, so it does not surprise me to find a Crabb turning up. Liverpool was a wealthy city and only the best would do for the well off. Mike, thanks for your post. I wasn't sure if the stamp ment they fixed it or made it. I seemed only to find info on other instruments rather than the concertina but I suppose it makes sense if they are making one instrument it would be that difficult to venture into others. By the way, are they still in existence and making concertinas do you know? Many thanks for sharing your knowledge! Edited August 23, 2019 by Irish Newbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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