Concertina

English-system concertina. Flat rosewood ends, 5.9in/151mm across parallel sides, with simple fretwork. Ends flush to action and inset into a cradle within the action frames. 46 ivory buttons, 23 each side: red Cs, white stamped natural notes, black accidentals. Square-ended reed beds of unusually narrow and pointed form, with brass tongues. Both beds and pans are stamped with note names, and three reed chambers each end are now adjusted with cross pieces. The pan has a central hole, and is inset to a cradle in the bellows frame. The action has complex solid brass levers, which accommodate the buttons in a slit, and have pivots screwed to the action board. The levers are mounted with screwed blued-steel leaf springs. The bone pallets are screwed to the ends of the brass levers, and have note names stamped next to them on the action board. 4-fold green leather bellows, with arabesque style papers. The bellows frames have three nickel clips affixed by blued steel screws, and have two star-shaped paper stickers applied. Green leather thumb straps (possibly original), and leather-clad curved finger rests (probably later replacements). The underside of the right-hand action is signed 'AJ Ellis, 4th Oct 1839'. Oval paper label glued to pine backing, ‘By His Majesty’s Letters Patent/C. Wheatstone/Inventor/20 Conduit St., Regent St./London’. Serial number: 244. Original hexagonal rosewood case, with traces of a large manuscript label in the lid. Purchased by Mr AJ Ellis in November 1838, who may have used the instrument to experiment with temperaments and tuning.