Ancient-looking Concertina On Ebay

[Daniel Hersh]

It's at http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Concertina-Nee...itemZ7375117310 . Is this an extremely early German "Anglo" or something else? Compare this: http://concertina.home.mchsi.com/concertina/history.htm .

 

Daniel

Edited December 15, 2005 by Daniel Hersh

[wes williams]

It's at http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Concertina-Nee...itemZ7375117310 . Is this an extremely early German "Anglo" or something else? Compare this: http://concertina.home.mchsi.com/concertina/history.htm .

 

Daniel

 

Daniel,

 

I wouldn't say 'extremely' early, but this was the style of 'German' concertinas (not Anglos) from the beginning; four-sided and with 10 or 20 buttons. We usually pick up on pictures like The Blind Girl by Millais in threads like this as an example.

[Daniel Hersh]

Thanks, Wes. I know it's not really an Anglo, but that's what people usually call concertinas with that sort of key pattern nowadays. That's why I put "Anglo" in quotes...

 

Any sense of how old it is? I was assuming that production of 1-row concertinas ceased fairly early, but it was just an assumption. Does anyone know?

 

Daniel

 

It's at http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Concertina-Nee...itemZ7375117310 . Is this an extremely early German "Anglo" or something else? Compare this: http://concertina.home.mchsi.com/concertina/history.htm .

 

Daniel

 

Daniel,

 

I wouldn't say 'extremely' early, but this was the style of 'German' concertinas (not Anglos) from the beginning; four-sided and with 10 or 20 buttons. We usually pick up on pictures like The Blind Girl by Millais in threads like this as an example.

[wes williams]

Thanks, Wes. I know it's not really an Anglo, but that's what people usually call concertinas with that sort of key pattern nowadays. That's why I put "Anglo" in quotes...

 

Any sense of how old it is? I was assuming that production of 1-row concertinas ceased fairly early, but it was just an assumption. Does anyone know?

 

Daniel

Rather than type a lot again have a look at this thread. The first 'German' concertina was announced in 1835. Wheatstone were warning against these type of instruments in their advertising in 1848. Randy Merris lists 10 key tutors in his bibliography from about the same time. I haven't looked through this list to find out when the last 10 key tutor is dated, but it should give you some idea of when they went out of fashion. Stephen Chambers may be able to provide a more precise answer.

 

Edit: I looked and found the latest was 1886 (Willey & Co.’s Instruction Book for the German Concertina with 10 and 20 Keys) but there could be more. Reprints for 10 keys or more were being made in the 1890s, but perhaps they don't count!

Edited December 15, 2005 by wes williams

[Dan Worrall]

Looks like a real oldie, all right. If you buy it, here is an equally old tutor for it (in German) http://www.concertina.com/worrall/hoeselbarth-tutor/

and another in English, with a similar-looking instrument pictured on its cover

http://www.concertina.com/merris/minasi-german-tutor-1846/

both courtesy of Bob Gaskins' concertina library.

 

It doen't look like much of a player, although it is amazing to see the complexity of some of the music written for these early German/proto-anglo instruments. I guess we are spoiled these days!