83-button (sic!) Lachenal On Ebay

[JimLucas]

Lachenal either took on, or exclusively licensed, the 1884 Maccann patent. It appears that Wheatstone didn't make any duets until around 1900 or later, either because of that patent, or perhaps because of Edward Chidley's (died 1899) conservative approach to concertina making, or maybe both. Wheatstone never used the word 'Maccann' - its always 'Wheatstone Duet', and differs slightly in layout.

 

Lachenal started using their Edeo shape a few years later, so all larger early Maccanns (and Band instruments) use this stretched hex shape.

A bit of a digression, but when I was browsing the Horniman collection I noticed a couple of 6-sided instruments that were labelled Edeophones. My understanding is that this is mislabelling on the museum's part, but I hope someone who knows more than me can either confirm of refute that.

[PeterT]

I've just looked at Peter Honri's "Working the Halls". There are two photographs of Percy Honri playing 81 key MacCann Duets. The second (later) photograph clearly shows a metal-ended instrument, however, the earlier photograph, which pictures Percy as a young man, has a wooden-ended instrument. I can't be certain, but the shape of the metal name insert does look to me like Lachenal rather than Wheatstone.

Lachenal either took on, or exclusively licensed, the 1884 Maccann patent. It appears that Wheatstone didn't make any duets until around 1900 or later, either because of that patent, or perhaps because of Edward Chidley's (died 1899) conservative approach to concertina making, or maybe both.

 

Hi Wes,

 

Interesting link; thanks.

 

Perci Honri was born in 1874, Peter Honri quotes as follows "In April 1891, the great MacCann presented Percy Honri with an engraved silver medal for his marvellous playing on the duet concertina". In "working the Halls" p34, I would date the photograph to 1891 (Percy appears to be wearing this, plus other, medals), whilst p39 is a later photograph c1894. Allowing for the different lighting conditions, it appears to be the same concertina.

 

To sum up, your data seems to confirm this as a Lachenal instrument; obviously an earlier model than the one currently on ebay.

 

Regards,

Peter.

[JimLucas]

Perci Honri was born in 1874, Peter Honri quotes as follows "In April 1891, the great MacCann presented Percy Honri with an engraved silver medal for his marvellous playing on the duet concertina". In "working the Halls" p34, I would date the photograph to 1891 (Percy appears to be wearing this, plus other, medals), whilst p39 is a later photograph c1894. Allowing for the different lighting conditions, it appears to be the same concertina.

I'm inclined to disagree... though I have been wrong before. To me the one on p. 34 appears smaller, and though I have trouble making out the individual buttons in either photo, I think it may have one less tier of buttons. A 72, rather than 80? Also, the one on p. 34 clearly has decorative bellows papers. If the one on p.39 had them, should they be visible? I'm not sure.

 

As for differences in age, the one on eBay and the one(s?) in "Working the Halls" each seem to have the ends raised around the buttons, the mark of the New Model, so why should they not be contemporaries?

[wes williams]

...when I was browsing the Horniman collection I noticed a couple of 6-sided instruments that were labelled Edeophones. My understanding is that this is mislabelling on the museum's part, but I hope someone who knows more than me can either confirm of refute that.

I can't confirm or refute this explanation, but this is what was registered as the Edeophone Design

[JimLucas]

...this is what was registered as the Edeophone Design

Interesting, but no accompanying text... not even the word "Edeophone". So how do we know that what was registered was the 12-sidedness, not the number and size of the chambers?

[m3838]

1889.

25 years of XIX century left.

Little did they know.