Concertina

English-system concertina. Flat rosewood veneered ends, 5.81in/148mm across parallel sides, with circular rosewood-covered action compartment and exposed pearl pallets mounted on their surfaces. The end frame has cross-grained rosewood veneer, and the palm area has an added raised hand bar stamped X beneath, secured by an end bolt and two integral brass pegs, to keep the palm from fouling the pallets. The ends are of the 'action within frames' construction, with 0.625in/16mm deep ends containing the reed pan and its cradle, and with 0.5in/13mm of bellows frame exposed. 24 ivory buttons, 12 each side (in a virtually identical arrangement to the 24-key Wheatstone symphonium Horniman Museum number M16-1996), with black-cored accidentals stamped with sharp/flat symbols, and white natural notes stamped with note names. The original green leather thumb-straps have a pair of brass wire retaining loops. The original nickel strap screws are mounted on ebony blocks screwed to the ends: one screw is labelled faintly in ink; 'C..RC….03…'. The small leather-clad finger rests are straight. Four-fold green leather bellows with embossed early style gold star papers, with a shelf-style red pan cradle. Highly unusual reeds with brass tongues mounted in rectangular reed beds, and secured to the reed pan by four L-shaped brass staples. The pan-dividers are screwed to the pan board, and are heavily clad in slate-coloured chamois leather. Both reeds and pans are stamped with note names. The action is contained beneath a circular disc of rosewood, upon which are mounted the thumb straps and finger rests, and through which the keys pass. Beneath this disc is a solid wood cylindrical block, glued to the end of the instrument, intricately carved out to contain the levers, pivots and springs of the action. The levers are carved from ebony, and have a brass pin through to act as a pivot. The 'key' end of the lever is clad in brass, and has a hole to accommodate a brass pin in the shaft of the ivory button. This brass cladding also accommodates an integral leaf-spring which acts on the underside of the action cover when the button is pressed. Every lever, and each adjacent section of this action block, is stamped with a roman numeral from I to XII to identify the correct lever with its space. The pallets are circular pearl discs, decorated and chamfered and secured to the end of the ebony levers by small blued steel screws. Oval silver plaque label, engraved: 'By His Majesty’s Letters Patent/C. Wheatstone/Inventor/20 Conduit St., Regent St./London'. The serial number XXXII is stamped throughout on bellows, frames, pans, circular action cover, and end-frames. This instrument was preserved at the Wheatstone workshops until the 1950s when the firm was absorbed into the Boosey & Hawkes company.