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C.Wheatstone concertina


Dan2394

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Hi,

I inherited a C.Wheatstone concertina from my grandad, I’ve kept hold of it for about 20 years but I have no knowledge about it.

Any info anyone could give me on its age, origin, value etc would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

6962FF43-C6AE-4F60-8F37-5A02CF5A6765.jpeg

Edited by Dan2394
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Hi Dan

It's an "English" (keyboard layout) and from your photos it appears to be in original condition. The Serial number indicates it was made in 1850/51. Value depends on many variables. Where are you based? There will undoubtedly be a knowledgeable member somewhere near you who will be able to tell you more if they see it "in the flesh".

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8 hours ago, Milesy said:

Hi Dan

It's an "English" (keyboard layout) and from your photos it appears to be in original condition. The Serial number indicates it was made in 1850/51. Value depends on many variables. Where are you based? There will undoubtedly be a knowledgeable member somewhere near you who will be able to tell you more if they see it "in the flesh".

Hi Milesy,

Thanks for all the info. I had no idea it was that old, I thought maybe 1900/1920.

I’m from Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands.

Thanks

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20 hours ago, Milesy said:

Hi Dan

It's an "English" (keyboard layout) and from your photos it appears to be in original condition. The Serial number indicates it was made in 1850/51. Value depends on many variables. Where are you based? There will undoubtedly be a knowledgeable member somewhere near you who will be able to tell you more if they see it "in the flesh".

Milesy do you know of anyone in my area or anyone on the forum that would be able to give me a rough idea in the value?

Thanks 

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You might try A C Norman & Co. Paddock, Shrewsbury SY5 9EL, United Kingdom. If he can't help he will have better local knowledge than I  (I've been in Australia for 30 years so my UK contacts are  rather thin on the ground!)..

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No one mentioned that this is a beginners instrument. It had  the note names on the keys and the C notes are in red. The value is therefore much lower than the higher quality instruments.

It does appear to be in vary nice condition. One question related to value is if it is in tune.

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15 hours ago, Milesy said:

You might try A C Norman & Co. Paddock, Shrewsbury SY5 9EL, United Kingdom. If he can't help he will have better local knowledge than I  (I've been in Australia for 30 years so my UK contacts are  rather thin on the ground!)..

Thanks I’ll look them up.

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2 hours ago, fred v said:

No one mentioned that this is a beginners instrument. It had  the note names on the keys and the C notes are in red. The value is therefore much lower than the higher quality instruments.

It does appear to be in vary nice condition. One question related to value is if it is in tune.

Thanks Fred.

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On 8/8/2022 at 10:36 PM, David Barnert said:

Here’s a page from the Wheatstone ledgers of October, 1851:

 

http://www.horniman.info/WNCMARC/C1047/IMAGES/C3P0310D.JPG

 

Your instrument, #3487, is listed on the 10th line. I can’t tell you anything more about how to interpret what’s there.

 

Hamilton & Co    £6 pounds 4 shillings paid.

I'm not saying it's them, but there was an Organ & Piano dealer of that name at Stokes Croft, Bristol. Est 1843.

Edited by sadbrewer
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The case, however, is much later than the concertina. Wheatstone didn't introduce the Aeola until the late 19th century. The address is also a later address for the firm. But the value (and the interest) is in the concertina, not the case.

 

I also seem to recall some discussion in this forum that the colored and lettered bone buttons did not necessarily indicate a "tutor" level of instrument. More a period sort of thing. I might recollect wrong.

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1 hour ago, Mike Franch said:

The case, however, is much later than the concertina. Wheatstone didn't introduce the Aeola until the late 19th century. The address is also a later address for the firm. But the value (and the interest) is in the concertina, not the case.

 

I also seem to recall some discussion in this forum that the colored and lettered bone buttons did not necessarily indicate a "tutor" level of instrument. More a period sort of thing. I might recollect wrong.

 

The machine-cut fretwork, of a simple design, on this one tells me that it is a basic model, built for Wheatstone's by Louis Lachenal when he was making for them in Chiswick.

 

It is basically the same instrument as model No. 9 on Lachenal's own first price list as an independent maker, published in 1859, right down to the mahogany case. http://www.concertina.com/pricelists/lachenal/Lachenal-MDRA-1859.pdf

 

Wheatstone's, when older models came in for repair/tuning at West Street, commonly replaced their old labels, on instruments and on the inner lids of cases, with up-to-date ones. Sometimes customers asked for the original brass reeds to be replaced with steel ones, and it would add to the value of the instrument if this has been done.

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On 8/10/2022 at 1:57 PM, fred v said:

No one mentioned that this is a beginners instrument. It had  the note names on the keys and the C notes are in red. The value is therefore much lower than the higher quality instruments.

It does appear to be in vary nice condition. One question related to value is if it is in tune.

This is not a beginner's instrument, the note names and coloured keys indicating a beginner instrument is a fallacy, especially in an instrument of 1851 vintage. The concertina's grade status can be judged (visually) more by it's end material, in some cases by the number of bellows folds, woodworking decorative details in the fretting and around the perimeter of the action box end (finger) plate, felting around the keys etc. On some higher grade instruments coloured bone keys seem to have been an option on ordering. Even on some very high grade instruments silvered keys had their 'C' keys gold plated. 

 

Lachenal & co produced some very basic instruments, mahogany ended low grade brass reeds, plain ends, bone keys etc. These were the 'Peoples' Concertinas' (see the catalogues of the day). They were not intended as student models  but as affordable concertinas for the hoy-paloy, the working man. The 'peoples' model was later superceded by the 'popular' model.

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