Dating a Lachenal, Internal note stating specific year and month....believable or not!

[richard]

Hi 

I suppose this topic could get tiresome, but I am intrigued by it.

 

My newly acquired Lachenal Baritone Anglo is numbered by stamps on both reed pans as 92189.

 

I discovered when working on it further that there is a hand written ink note stating:

 

 "No. 92189 Manufactured by Lachenal & Co June 1884" see photos

 

The ink seems to bleed so it isn't modern ball point pen ink. That doesn't mean in anyway that this is a factual statement. 

I think the designation of "Lachenal & Co." could imply a much older date (contemporary with the manufacturing) for the note. 

Is there any clue in the style of writing?

Why would someone falsely put such a specific reference stating the month along with the year?

 

 

Or....who cares??

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Stephen Chambers]

4 hours ago, richard said:

My newly acquired Lachenal Baritone Anglo is numbered by stamps on both reed pans as 92189.

... there is a hand written ink note stating:

 

 "No. 92189 Manufactured by Lachenal & Co June 1884" see photos

 

It's a couple of years before Dowright's estimated date for 92189, but there's nothing absolute about that and I'd take it seriously. In fact it may be the only example we know of that we have a clear date of manufacture for, because otherwise we only have dates of sale for a relatively small number of instruments - which could have been in stock for a while between manufacture and being sold.

Edited August 24, 2021 by Stephen Chambers

[richard]

Just as I thought...The Rosetta Stone!

 

Richard

[wes williams]

Thanks Richard!

I'll go along with everything Stephen has said. Dowright's estimate would be late 1885, but it seems that his estimates are coloured in this date region by another Baritone Anglo (92220) with a plaque inscribed with a name and '1887'. But I now have a copy of Dowright's latest database, and your instrument is already on it, but without mention of the inscription. I'll update your instrument, and try to tweak the estimates to fit a bit better.

Edited August 25, 2021 by wes williams
estimate changed from late 1886 to late 1885 - I'd misread!