1910 Amboyna TT at auction

[4to5to6]

The Saleroom, Lot 338

 

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/burstow-and-hewett/catalogue-id-srburs10468/lot-b3ef5a74-e0fd-48fd-9c9e-b14900b82bc8?utm_source=auction-alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=auction-alert&utm_content=lot-view-link&queryId=d1b7df1b61eae4d40d6fbe74e9b2418e

 

C. WHEATSTONE & CO - a Victorian concertina manufactured by The Wheatstone & Co of London, serial no. 25191, pierced walnut casing, in original hardshell box, label inside reads C Wheatstone & Co

It needs work.  A diamond in the rough

 

 

Edited April 7, 2024 by 4to5to6

[John Wild]

Can I ask what is the meaning of "octo" in the ledger description?

[Stephen Chambers]

19 minutes ago, John Wild said:

Can I ask what is the meaning of "octo" in the ledger description?

 

Octagonal

[John Wild]

Thank you. I suppose I should have guessed that.

[wes williams]

We usually refer to these as 'Aeolas', but this was used in earlier ledgers for a six sided version based on Model No.6 (48 key) or Model No.8 (56 key) first appearing in September 1889 . The later Aeolas were octagonal, so thats why they are described as 'Octo' in later ledgers.

[Richard Mellish]

The 1910 date is well after Queen Victoria's demise.

It's impossible to know from the auction listing how much work this one will need to restore it to top condition. It will be interesting to see how high the bidding goes.

[conzertino]

One can not tell from the pics, if it has five or six-fold bellows!? To me that would make a lot of difference... At that period many top instruments would still only have the five folds!

[SteveS]

It looks to me to be 5 fold bellows. 

With my repairer's hat on - the bellows may have seen better days, so replacement may be needed.

Also the left side has smashed fretwork - repair of amboyna ends is very difficult repair to get the woods to seamlessly match before finishing.

There also appears to be radial cracking around the raised ends of the right hand end - this could be structural, especially if the underlying substrate is ebony and that has started to decay (I've seen ebony before held together with Scotch tape).

And who knows what the internals are like.

Edited April 8, 2024 by SteveS

[Myrtle's cook]

Hammer price £1300 + 30% buyer's premium.

 

Either a bargain, or a nightmare, depending what's going on inside and below the surface (as SteveS observes).

[richard]

Would the buttons and pinky holder be gold plated, as it looks in the photo?

 

[4to5to6]

Wow!  Someone did take a risk. Let’s hope it turns out to be a fine instrument.  
 

I can’t find the list now, but I went through all the ledgers before purchasing my 31xxx golden era amboyna model 19 TT and there were less than 40 made as I recall.  The instrument cost me an arm and a leg but I do believe along with others that it could be one of the finest vintage concertinas in existence.  It was well taken care of for its entire life based on its very clean condition and then meticulously restored and tweaked by a few of the best of the best including Steve Dickinson.
 

I also have an exceptional 1856 Regondi / Blagrove era treble previously owned by the Bulteel family (Lord Revelstoke) and an Aeola treble built in 1942 during WWII (factory A440 with a factory 8-fold bellows) that is an exceptionally fine instrument with amazing reeds but they too are in absolutely pristine clean condition almost as new.  They started out as top tier instruments and were always taken care over.

.

Edited April 13, 2024 by 4to5to6

[4to5to6]

1 hour ago, richard said:

Would the buttons and pinky holder be gold plated, as it looks in the photo?

 

Yes.  The ledger photo in the first post says “gilt fittings”.  They are gold plated brass.

[harpomatic]

That "someone" probably loved your attempt to raise the price without the intention to bid or buy...