Dan2394 Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 (edited) 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 Edited August 8, 2022 by Dan2394 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2394 Posted August 8, 2022 Author Share Posted August 8, 2022 (edited) Edited August 8, 2022 by Dan2394 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2394 Posted August 8, 2022 Author Share Posted August 8, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milesy Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 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". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2394 Posted August 9, 2022 Author Share Posted August 9, 2022 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2394 Posted August 9, 2022 Author Share Posted August 9, 2022 8 hours ago, 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. Hi David, That’s brilliant, thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2394 Posted August 9, 2022 Author Share Posted August 9, 2022 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milesy Posted August 9, 2022 Share Posted August 9, 2022 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!).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred v Posted August 10, 2022 Share Posted August 10, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2394 Posted August 10, 2022 Author Share Posted August 10, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan2394 Posted August 10, 2022 Author Share Posted August 10, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrewer Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 (edited) 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 August 13, 2022 by sadbrewer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Franch Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juris Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 Hi, I never noticed the misprint of the high note in the Lachenal catalogue description of the No. 9 concertina. Juris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_Hardy Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 This one is very close in sequence and in appearance to my brass-reeded Wheatstone 8461. See https://pghardy.net/concertina/wheatstone_8461/wheatstone.html. For many years it was my favourite 'tina for playing in the house - not as strident as a steel-reeded one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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