J. Gale concertina importers

[rcr27]

I have just acquired my first duet concertina, a Lachenal Maccann 63 key edeophone and it has got this stamp inside: “J. Gale importer or concertinas & accordions”, wondering if anyone knows anything about it? I can’t find any information about them. The serial number is 3100, would that be early 1900s? I got told this concertina came over from Italy after the war. Interestingly the reeds are tuned to concert pitch (with slight deviations), although the valves are old.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

[malcolm clapp]

I tried to do some research into Mr Gale many years ago,(pre-internet???), but found little information.. Maybe worth doing a bit more research now that newspaper archive and such are on line....

 

From what I remember, Gale called his brand "The Nightingale", which was etched into the end frames of a couple of English models I knew of, both quality Wheatstones. Gale was a locksmith by trade according to a later "rubber stamp" I've seen.

 

From the late 19th century onwards, King Street developed into a thriving retail precinct. After its initial prosperity, it became run down for much of the 20th century, when Newtown was a low-income blue-collar suburb, often denigrated as a slum; at the crucial time when Victorian era buildings were being demolished elsewhere, Newtown was too unfashionable to make development profitable. By this sheer luck, King Street, as a whole, is the best-preserved Victorian era high street in Sydney. and is again a fashionable address. (Wikipedia quote)

 

I have different addresses for Gale, being both  no. 501 and no. 509 King Street at different dates, but I believe there may have been some re-numbering (or maybe he just moved a lot!)

 

That's about all I can remember from my early efforts, ,but I'll see if I can dig out my old notes on Gale and post again if they reveal anything of interest.

Edited February 12, 2020 by malcolm clapp
Adding information.

[rcr27]

Interesting, thanks for the information. Indeed, very little about him online. I wonder if he was a repairer too. 

[malcolm clapp]

4 minutes ago, rcr27 said:

Interesting, thanks for the information. Indeed, very little about him online. I wonder if he was a repairer too. 

Would not surprise me; you would think that a locksmith would have the metal working and fine work skills for fixing concertinas.

[malcolm clapp]

A newspaper photo of a Jim Gale of Kings Cross, Sydney, in 1949.

Might be our man.....

21 Dec 1949 - Experts on the "squeeze" - Trove

[rcr27]

47 minutes ago, malcolm clapp said:

Would not surprise me; you would think that a locksmith would have the metal working and fine work skills for fixing concertinas.

True, perhaps that’s how my concertina is tuned to A=440Hz and not old pitch. 

[rcr27]

11 minutes ago, malcolm clapp said:

A newspaper photo of a Jim Gale of Kings Cross, Sydney, in 1949.

Might be our man.....

21 Dec 1949 - Experts on the "squeeze" - Trove

Jim Gale, must be him! It would make sense since this concertina arrived in England after the war, I guess 1945 onwards. Thanks for the link.

Edited February 12, 2020 by rcr27

[malcolm clapp]

 And a few advertisements towards the bottom of the page, showing 509 King Street

 

Search results for 'concertina + "jim gale"' - Digitised newspapers and more - Trove