Concertina

English-system concertina. Flat amboyna wood veneered ends, 5.81in/148mm across parallel sides; simple frets with pine backing. The ends are flush-fit to bellows and pans, inset to a cradle within the action. 32 ivory buttons: 16 each side; white naturals stamped with note names, red Cs, black stained accidentals. Square-end brass reeds. Action with complex brass levers, pivots screwed to the action board, buttons held in slits at the end of each lever. Bone pallets, screwed to brass levers. Four-fold green leather bellows with faintly embossed papers with a gold curliqued/arabesque pattern. Straps absent, but metal mounts for straps present, in addition to the simple straight brass finger rests. Strap screws absent. Oval paper label: BY HIS MAJESTY'S LETTERS PATENT/C. WHEATSTONE,/Inventor,/20, Conduit St, Regent St./LONDON; Later price code inked twice on bellows: SL/-; Serial number 224. This is the first concertina to have a printed paper label. It was probably bought by Alexander J. Ellis (1814-1890), inventor of the cents system for measuring musical pitch and author of the paper 'On the Musical Scales of Various Nations'.