Instrument Section C-176 to C-220, Maker - George Case
There are currently around 35 Geo Case instruments in the Collection, of all known addresses, and many are from the various Boosey workshops at various addresses.
The Wes Williams archive
states:
"'Professor'
George Tinckler Case seems to have been much more of a musician and tutor,
although Neil Wayne says that he originally worked for Wheatstone. He produced
many tutors and arrangements. He first appears in listings in 1850 at 32 New Bond St as a
Seraphine Maker, but from 1851 this is changed to Concertina Manufacturer. George Jones says he took
over from Scates,
and around 1856 sold out to Boosey. The earliest 'Case/Boosey' labelled
instrument in the Horniman is No.1571, and the nearest 'Case' to that is No 960. However Case was buying from
Wheatstones in 1851 and 1852,(as was Boosey) so it is possible that some Case
labelled instruments may carry Wheatstone serial numbers.
Boosey took over Case around 1856, and their instruments are classified in the
Horniman as "George Case of Boosey and ..." where the name following
'and' has variations. Here are
some Horniman instruments and their labels.
1571, 3048 - Boosey and Sons
2788 -
Boosey and Sons, Holles Street,
London.
3169, 3248 - Boosey and Chin(g)
3496 - Boosey and Co, Regent Street, London.
There are no Case/Boosey instruments numbered over 4000 in the Horniman. Since Boosey & Sons became Boosey & Co about 1864, it may be possible to assign numbers in the 3100 region to around this date. Boosey and Co moved to Regent St about 1874, so the latter instrument may be of that date."
Here is a selection of information on some of the Case instruments in the Collection, many bearing labels mentioned above.
C.176 George Case No 32 :- 48-Key, rosewood-ended George Case concertina, (with 'late Joseph Scates' label wording) ivory keys, square ended reeds, green leather bellows with hexagon tracery papers and silk bottom-bout. Square-ended brass reeds, original rosewood case.
C.177 George Case No 35:- 62-Key, amboya-ended George Case concertina, No 35. (with an only known appearance of the "51 Great Coram Street" label wording). The 1848 London Post Office directory lists "George Case, professor of Music, at 51 Gt Coram St, Brnswck.[sic] Sq". 62 Flat-topped ivory keys.
C.180 George Case No 93 :- 32-Key, mahogany-ended
George Case English concertina, with an "A
Sedgwick" oval dealer's label glued over the original 'late Joseph
Scates' label. Alfred B. Sedgewick
[sic] published a tutor for the English in 1854. The Wheatstone records show a
Sedgwick concertina, No.169, being sold in 1852. Sedgwick was a member of the
Blagrove-Case-Regondi-Sedgwick concertina quartet, founded in 1844. He
emigrated to
C.185 George Case No 547,(and 549, 545) :- 48-Key, rosewood-ended George Case concertina. The 'late Joseph Scates' end-label has been overlaid with the dealer's label of "Keith, Prowse & Co". Original rosewood case with "Keith, Prowse & Co" blue label in lid
C.190 George Case No 3173 :- A later period 48-Key two-ply ebony-veneer-ended, nickel-inlaid concertina by George Case, with Boosey & Ching label. Made in the period when Case's instruments were marketed by Boosey & Sons (and later by Boosey & Ching, and finally by Boosey & Co). Most from this period have an additional number stamped into the veneer of the LH action frame's lower bout. This is one of the much later designs, with fancy metals end-inlays, gilt-embossed bellows, finger rests and thumb-straps, and with double-sided reed-pans with hexagonal inner pan baffles applied to them.
C.193 George Case No 1514 (and 1518) :- 48-Key pearl-inlaid, ebony-veneer-ended George Case "English" concertina, with the new owners' "Boosey & Sons" version of the George Case scalloped label. Serial No 1514 (end-frames and action), with No 1518 on pans and the bellows frame. An additional number "1059" is stamped on the outside of lower bout on the LH action frame, possibly a Boosey Stock Control Number? Many Geo Case and Geo Case/Boosey's Instruments now have a range of "close but different" numbers on their various parts. 48 solid-silver capped nickel keys, bushed, round-ended reeds. Double-sided reed pan with complex sub-pan baffle (with Batch Number "6") resting freely under the inner pan faces atop the six hexagonal corner pieces, and with teardrop-shaped apertures over all the reed chambers.
C.203 George Case No 2321 :- 48-Key nickel-inlaid, amboyna-ended George Case concertina, silver-capped keys, double-reed pan with complex sub-pan baffle , green leather bellows. Boosey & Sons label.
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Created December 2010 by Neil Wayne
Modified September 2011 by Wes Williams
This page created Wednesday 14 September 2011.
