The Concertina Museum Collection Ref:C-113.


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Item Type: Concertina

Summary Labels and Serial Numbers End Frets Fingering System Straps and Holding Devices Fret Baffle Action Board Reeds and Reed Pans Bellows

Summary

Full Description: C Wheatstone No 35890. A later 1950s appearance Wheatstone's "Ĉola" in its standard Octagonal form. This model is a high quality Tortoise-shell ended, Extended-Treble 56-Key English system Ĉola, No 35890, made in Jan 1953. There are no sub-fret baffles, but the entire inner action area is painted in red-gloss varnish! The reed-frames are of aluminium, the bellows of high-gloss red leather. This instrument was acquired from Oakland, California.

Concertina Summary: C Wheatstone No 35890. A later 1950s appearance Wheatstone's "Ĉola" in its standard Octagonal form. This model is a high quality Tortoise-shell ended, Extended-Treble 56-Key English system Ĉola, No 35890, made in Jan 1953.

Owner or Collection: Concertina Museum, Belper.

Maker: C Wheatstone & Co.

Maker Links: Concertina, Charles Wheatstone No 35890

Wheatstone Ledgers Link: The "SD03" Ledger in the Dickinson Series, lists instruments from Serial Number 34450 (Feb 1937) to 37803 (August 1974). This instrument was made on 31st Jan 1953. For details of the Ledgers, visit www.horniman.info/. This instrument is listed here in the Ledgers.

Region of Manufacture: London

Main Maker's Label Wording: A later 1950s-style scalloped black-on-metal "C Wheatstone & Co, London" label is pinned to the tortoise-shell-clad wooded frets, and reads"Manufacturers C Wheatstone & Co, London". The LH end has a similar label, with the Serial Number stamped into a central un-painted rectangular area, with the labelling "C Wheatstone" and "Made in England" above and below the number area.

Principal Serial Number: 35890. The LH end has a later 1950s-style scalloped black-on-metal "C Wheatstone & Co" label, with the Serial Number stamped into a central un-painted rectangular area, with the labelling "C Wheatstone" and "Made in England" above and below the number area. Other parts only have the "Batch Number" of the instrument, in this case "959" or "960".

System Type: 56-Key Extended-Treble English system.

Source Catalogue No: The Concertina Museum Collection Ref:C-113.

Maker Details

Wheatstone & Co. were founded in 1824, and survived until 1974. In 1975 the company was refounded by Steve Dickinson.

C. Wheatstone & Co was established in London, England by Charles Wheatstone (uncle to Sir Charles and William Dolman Wheatstone) at the beginning of the 19th Century. They moved to 20 Conduit Street, London, England in 1824. After the death of William in 1862, the firm was taken over by Edward Chidley, a distant relation. Edward Chidley died in 1899, and the firm was then controlled by his sons Edward and Percy. In 1905 the firm moved to 15 West Street.

After the death of the younger Edward Chidley in 1943, part of the firm was sold to Besson & Co., who were taken over by Boosey & Hawkes in 1948. In 1958 they moved to Duncan Terrace, Islington, North London. In 1961 the Duncan Terrace property was sold, and the remains of Wheatstone & Co. were moved to the Boosey & Hawkes factory in Edgware, Middlesex. The company ceased trading on the death of its last employee in 1974.

The remains of the company were purchased by Steve Dickinson in 1975.

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The Concertina Museum Collection

Created August 2009 by Neil Wayne
Last Modified 07 February 2012 by Neil Wayne, Chris Flint, Wes Williams

This page created Tuesday 14 February 2012.