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Dating Wheatstone Aeola


Jen Wilson

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I have a six sided, pinhole Aeola, which doesn't seem to appear on the serial number lists. The number, as shown on attached photographs is 1873 (preceded by either a g or an s but not clear), the address is 20 Conduit Street, which might give some indication as to its date. 

I'd like to know a bit more of the history of this one - I bought it almost exactly forty years ago, in a pretty decrepit state, from a music shop in Dumfries, where I was told it had belonged to someone in the Salvation Army but had been damaged in a flood. The bellows were beyond repair so I had it re-bellowed by the late Michael Johnson, of Hallbankgate, near Carlisle. 

Can anyone shed any light on this, please.

Cheers, Jen

4K6A8212 (Copy).JPG

4K6A8213 (Copy).JPG

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That  preceeding    figure is  a  2  making  21873....  and  that  might  well be  a  reasonable  serial  number  for  this  model.  Unfortunately  falling  in  the  'lost  ledger'  years...  but  an  estimated  manufacture  date  of   mid to  late  1890's   .

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58 minutes ago, Geoff Wooff said:

That  preceeding    figure is  a  2  making  21873....     .

Thanks, Geoff, I wanted it to be a 2 but I'm not at all convinced. Looking at it closely, it is a very different style from the other digits and looks like a lower case g more than anything else. I'll double check inside, though I couldn't find any serial number at all the last time I opened it up and I don't want to mess with the already delicate ends more than necessary. 

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Well  Jen,  I  think  it  can  only  be  a 2  as  it  fits  the  period  of  this  model.  I    had  one of  these  Pin Hole Aeolas  during  the  1970's  its  serial  number was    in the  22000's.   

You  might  find  the  number  penciled  on the  underside of  the  fretwork  or  stampled  one of    the  frames  sandwiched  between the  action  board  and  the  top....  

 

I  have  just  examined  the  very  clear  '2'  stamped  on my  same  period  Wheatstone  and  it  is  a very  curly  font,  could  almost  be  an 8  or  a  3...  though   internally  I  found  no  sign  of  a  full serial  number... 

Edited by Geoff Wooff
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23 minutes ago, Geoff Wooff said:

 

I have just had both ends off again and found no sign of a serial number inside. (My other concertina has its number clearly marked inside as well as on the ends.) As I said earlier, the ends are quite delicate and I daren't take it apart any further. I'll go with your reading of the number and the time frame you have suggested - I had previously been told that it was probably made in the 1920s but I believe that the Aeola became eight sided well before then, so am much happier with the 1890s as an educated guess. Thanks again, Jen

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I think Geoffs dating is spot on, I have seen a number of this model over the years and these have all been from the 1890's . There might be a number under the chamois on the bellows frames where the reed frames are seated.

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