david robertson Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 Leaving aside the engraving round the edges, which I guess could have been added at any time, would anyone care to hazard a guess at the maker of this concertina? It's a 36-button Anglo, with Lachenal-style green white and gold papers, and gold-tooled bellows ends... but I don't recognise the fretwork as Lachenal. It has some distinctive little features (circled) that I'm sure I've seen somewhere before, but I'm damned if I remember where! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 I think somebody has probably made new ends for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david robertson Posted October 10, 2021 Author Share Posted October 10, 2021 1 hour ago, Stephen Chambers said: I think somebody has probably made new ends for it. True, the edges are suspiciously un-stepped, but it's far from being a home-made horror. I'd be a happy man if I could muster this kind of skill and fluency with a scrollsaw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 The circled cutouts look like PacMan Ghosts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 9 hours ago, david robertson said: True, the edges are suspiciously un-stepped, but it's far from being a home-made horror. I'd be a happy man if I could muster this kind of skill and fluency with a scrollsaw! Well fret-cutting did use to be a hobby for some people... Otherwise, could it be a very early example of a metal-ended Lachenal - what's the serial number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprunghub Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 Having said that the engraving could have been done at any time - which of course it could - it appears to be of Maidenhair & A.N. Other fern leaf and well done. Fern's being an 'obsession' of the Victorians, from the 1860's onwards, so quite possibly contemporary with the build ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 Photos of the action and reed pans could be more diagnostic of the maker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted October 10, 2021 Share Posted October 10, 2021 Are the ends engraved or etched. I suspect the latter. Engraving shows tooling marks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david robertson Posted October 11, 2021 Author Share Posted October 11, 2021 Thank you all for your suggestions. I do realise that a serial number and a view of the internals would be helpful, but the instrument currently resides with an auction house in Lewes. I'll call them and see if they'll send me some more pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wild Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 there are reputable concertina players in Lewes who could be trusted to take photos if permitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david robertson Posted October 11, 2021 Author Share Posted October 11, 2021 The plot thickens! The auctioneer describes the pivots as looking like the staples he uses for attaching wire to fence-posts! Did Lachenal ever use staples rather than slotted plates? Tomorrow he's going to bring a screwdriver to work, and we'll play hunt the serial number! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theo Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 I've only seen staples on 20 key anglos that may or may not be Lachenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanc Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 The buttons look odd. Are they bone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 55 minutes ago, seanc said: The buttons look odd. Are they bone? Yes, that would be perfectly normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 1 hour ago, david robertson said: Did Lachenal ever use staples rather than slotted plates? Yes, but only on cheap models, not on instruments of this standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanc Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 18 minutes ago, Stephen Chambers said: Yes, that would be perfectly normal. This buttons just look too uniform or plastic-ish to be bone to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 1 hour ago, seanc said: This buttons just look too uniform or plastic-ish to be bone to me. They seem to have used a better grade of bone, that wasn't rough and pitted, on ones like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanc Posted October 11, 2021 Share Posted October 11, 2021 1 hour ago, Stephen Chambers said: They seem to have used a better grade of bone, that wasn't rough and pitted, on ones like this. I guess! To go 100+ years and look like perfect pieces of plastic. ( and I mean plastic in a good way, as in perfect), no pits and uniformity in color. Must have taken a ton of work in sanding and filling and finishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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