Research on Concertinas

Directory

Resources in the Concertina Library for concertina research.

atlas-ladies Ladies in the Wheatstone Ledgers: the Gendered Concertina in Victorian England, 1835–1870
by Allan W. Atlas
This study looks at the 978 women for whom there are 1,769 transactions—about 12% of the total—recorded in nine extant Wheatstone & Co. sales ledgers that list the firm’s day-to-day sales from April 1835 to May 1870. It is in two parts: (1) an Introduction, which analyses the data presented in the Inventory from a demographic-sociological point of view and places Wheatstone’s commerce with women into the context of its business activity as a whole; and (2) the Inventory (with three appendices), which lists every transaction for each of the 978 women, identifies as many of them as possible, and offers a miscellany of comments about both the women and the transactions. Royal Musical Association Research Chronicle v. 39 (2006). 239 pages. Briefly, the roster of Wheatstone’s female customers reads like a list of Victorian England’s rich-and-famous: the Duchess of Wellington and 146 other members of the titled aristocracy (more than twice as many as their male counterparts), the fabulously wealthy philanthropist Angela Burdett Coutts, members of the landed gentry, and such mainstays of London’s musical life as the guitarist Madame R. Sidney Pratten, the organist Elizabeth Mounsey, and the contralto Helen Charlotte Dolby, as well as a large number of Professors of Concertina.
Posted 21 March 2007
» read full article
eydmann-life-and-times The Life and Times of the Concertina: the adoption and usage of a novel musical instrument with particular reference to Scotland
by Stuart Eydmann
This much-anticipated study is the first book-length account of the history and development of the concertina, in the context of the people who played it and their music. It is based on field work as well as historical research, and deals with the concertina in traditional music, art music, sacred music, band music, the music hall, and many forms of popular music—reflecting the richness, contradictions, and complexities of music and society over the more than 150 years since the invention of the concertina as the high-tech sensation of its day. Twelve chapters, bibliography of more than 400 items, over 90 figures and musical examples, 365 pages. Text of thesis for the Ph.D. degree, Open University, 1995. Supervisors: Dr Peter Cooke and Dr Richard Middleton.
Posted 15 August 2005
» read full document
eydmann-folk-music-revival The concertina as an emblem of the folk music revival in the British Isles
by Stuart Eydmann
The post-war folk and traditional music revival in the British Isles was a complex phenomenon which involved more than just the simple rediscovery and promotion of neglected music and song. The ideology of key individuals was important in determining the scope and subsequent diction of the revival including the sources of the revived repertory and how it should be re-packaged. The selection and use of appropriate musical instruments was a major issue and, for a time at least, the concertina family was endorsed by the revivalists to the extent that it could act as a symbol of the revival itself. This paper identifies and discusses the processes involved. First published in British Journal of Ethnomusicology, vol. 4 (1995), pp. 41–49.
Posted 15 August 2005
» read full document
williams-serial-number-muddle Serial Number Muddle in Early Wheatstone Ledgers
by Wes Williams
A major contribution to the muddling of serial numbers in the early ledgers is that multiple ranges of serial numbers are in use at any one date, and this is further complicated by instrument exchanges and hires. The multiple ranges begin as a feature of sales before 1850, but after that the multiple range-lines dominate the structure of sales, with many simultaneous ranges extended over longer periods. Scatter-plots of serial numbers and dates transcribed from the Wheatstone Ledgers reveal the pattern. This is a preliminary version dealing only with the first four ledgers (to early 1854); the completed article will appear soon.
Posted 15 December 2005
» read full article
pricelists-wheatstone Wheatstone Concertina Pricelists
collected by Chris Algar
A large collection of pricelists issued by C. Wheatstone & Co., mostly found in old concertina cases without further identification. From internal evidence it is possible to date the lists c. 1915 to c. 1965 (plus one very early pricelist dated 1848, from the collection of the Horniman Museum, and a list published as an advertisement in a trade directory in 1859). These lists contain information about Wheatstone model numbers and descriptions which are useful to interpret the Wheatstone Concertina Ledgers.
Posted 15 May 2003
» go to directory
pricelists-lachenal Lachenal Concertina Pricelists
collected by Chris Algar
Most of the earlier "pricelists" here were printed as trade advertisements, in dated serials. Those actually issued as separate pricelists were found in old concertina cases; from internal evidence it is possible to date these c. 1890 to c. 1925.
Posted 07 March 2005
» go to directory
atlas-41-cent-emendation A 41-Cent Emendation: A Textual Problem in Wheatstone's Publication of Giulio Regondi’s Serenade for English Concertina and Piano
by Allan W. Atlas
In Wheatstone & Co.’s 1859 publication of Regondi’s Serenade, there is one note that is at least highly suspect—surely the most interesting wrong or questionable note in the entire repertory of Victorian art music for the English concertina. This appears to be the only instance—regardless of period or instrument—in which what is likely the correct emendation of a wrong (or at least suspect) note is driven entirely by the temperament/tuning of the instrument for which it was written. The original version of this article appeared in Early Music, Vol. xxxiii, No. 4 (November 2005), pages 609–618, published by Oxford University Press.
Posted 01 February 2006
» read full article
» read original publication in pdf
atlas-collins-countfosco Collins, Count Fosco, and the Concertina
by Allan W. Atlas
The Victorian novelist Wilkie Collins had a very definite model in mind for Count Fosco in The Woman in White: the virtuoso concertinist Giulio Regondi. As published in Wilkie Collins Society Journal, N.S. 2 (1999) 56-61. The same article is available in PDF format reproducing the published article.
Posted 15 August 2003
» read full article
» read full article in pdf
atlas-george-gissings-concertina George Gissing's Concertina
by Allan W. Atlas
Considers the ways in which the late-Victorian novelist George Gissing used the concertina as a prop in a number of novels and short stories. As published in The Journal of Musicology, XVII no. 2 (Spring 1999) 304-318.
Posted 15 September 2003
» read full article in pdf
atlas-regondis-golden-exercise Signor Alsepti and “Regondi’s Golden Exercise”
by Allan Atlas
Discussion and explanation with new fingering of a celebrated excercise from James Alsepti's English tutor, published by Lachenal c. 1895, with the explanation “The following exercise, which has never before been published, was taught to Signor Alsepti by Regondi. It is very difficult for all instruments, especially the Concertina, and to thoroughly master it with the correct fingering &c. will enable the Pupil to play passages in all keys.”. As published in Concertina World 426 supplement (2003) pp. 1-8.
Posted 22 December 2003
» read full article
atlas-regondi-two-letters Giulio Regondi: Two Newly Discovered Letters
by Allan W. Atlas
Although Giulio Regondi was the foremost virtuoso of the English concertina, much about his life and career remains obscure. Two previously unnoticed letters deserve our attention. As published in The Free-Reed Journal, 4 (2002) 70-84.
Posted 01 September 2003
» read full article in pdf
csfri-site Center for the Study of Free-Reed Instruments
by Allan Atlas
The CSFRI, part of the Doctoral Program in Music at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, is a resource for the scholarly study of all free-reed instruments (sheng, harmonica, accordion, etc.) and contains much of interest to concertinists. The site has news of upcoming concerts, and a listing of books, articles, recordings, and research material available at the Center's archives. CSFRI published The Free-Reed Journal (four volumes, 1999–2003), and now co-publishes the Papers of the International Concertina Association (PICA) with the ICA (2004–  ).

Search CSFRI powered by Microsoft
Posted 15 February 2003
» go to website
carlin-fayre-four-sisters The Fayre Four Sisters: Concertina Virtuosi
by Richard Carlin
Interviews with Inga, Tina, Sylvia, and Lillian Webb, the “Fayre Four Sisters,” concertinists on the British music hall and vaudeville circuits. The sisters were daughters of Joseph Webb (JoJo of the Brothers Webb), and part of the circle including George Jones, who gave them their first concertina lessons, and of Frank Butler. As published in The Free-Reed Journal No. 3 (2001), pp 79–88.
Posted 15 January 2005
» read full article
» read full article in pdf
carlin-frank-butler-an-interview Frank Butler: An Interview
by Richard Carlin
An account of Frank Butler's background and teaching methods, with some opinions on playing the concertina, based on an interview in 1975. As published in PICA No. 1 (2004), pp 24–30.
Posted 15 January 2005
» read full article
» read full article in pdf
chambers-annotated-catalogue An Annotated Catalogue of Historic European Free-Reed Instruments from my Private Collection
by Stephen Chambers
A very important paper describing nineteen instruments which illustrate key points in the development of European free-reed instruments, with large color photographs. This paper was presented at the 20th Musikinstrumentenbau-Symposium at Stiftung Kloster Michaelstein, held 19–21 November 1999, to coincide with an exhibition of the instruments. As Published in Harmonium und Handharmonika (Michaelsteiner Konferenzberichte 62), edited by Monika Lustig, Michaelstein, 2002, pp. 181-194.
Posted 15 January 2004
» read full article
chambers-lachenal-part1 Louis Lachenal: "Engineer and Concertina Manufacturer" (Part 1)
by Stephen Chambers
Discussion of the sources of information available about Louis Lachenal, his early career and immigration to England, and his involvement with the design and manufacturing engineering of Wheatstone & Co. concertinas up to the year 1848. As published in The Free-Reed Journal, Vol. 1 (1999), pp. 7-18. There is also a scanned copy of the original publication in PDF format.
Posted 15 January 2004
» read full article
» read full article in pdf
chambers-lachenal-production Some Notes on Lachenal Concertina Production and Serial Numbers
by Stephen Chambers
New evidence for the role played by Louis Lachenal in the early manufacturing history of C. Wheatstone & Co., and some points of reference to use in seeking to date Lachenal concertinas. As published in PICA [Papers of the International Concertina Association], Vol. 1 (2004), pp. 3-23. Better-quality colour photographs from the author's originals have been substituted for those originally published.
Posted 01 January 2005
» read full article
» read full article in pdf
hopkinson-cornell-re-reuben-shaw Memoirs of a Concertina-Playing Man: Reuben Shaw
as told to Phil Hopkinson, with an introduction by David Cornell
Memoirs of a player, a teacher, a link with the great British concertina tradition, and a fine story teller, who has played the Maccann Duet concertina for over fifty years. Reprinted from Concertina & Squeezebox, issue 29 (1993), pp. 12-17. Posted to honor Reuben Shaw’s 90th birthday, and to commemorate his appearance at the English Country Music Weekend at High Bradfield, Nr Sheffield, UK, 20-22 June 2003.
Posted 15 June 2003
» read full article in pdf
concertina-man The Concertina Man
Presented by Peter Day,
Produced by Neil Koenig
BBC programme on the history and music of the concertina, focusing on its inventor Sir Charles Wheatstone as a somewhat belated recognition of his bicentenary in 2002. In addition to the presenter, Peter Day, the program features (in order of appearance) Bob Gaskins, Brian Bowers, Margaret Birley, Stephen Chambers, Frank James, Douglas Rogers, Sean Minnie, and Steve Dickinson. The program was produced by Neil Koenig. BBC World Service programme broadcast 07 September 2004.
Posted 22 November 2004
» read full article
gaskins-lachenal-sisters-edinburgh The Lachenal Sisters Visit Edinburgh, 1865–1866
by Robert Gaskins
At Christmas of 1865–1866, three young daughters of the late Louis Lachenal gave a series of concerts in Edinburgh introducing “concerted music” played on treble, tenor, and bass concertinas. We think this was also exactly the period when Lachenal & Co. had lost their contract to manufacture concertinas for Wheatstone, making it important to publicize Lachenal’s own brand. Based on clippings from The Scotsman newspaper, Edinburgh, notices of concerts and reviews, October 1865 through January 1866.
Posted 01 February 2005
» read full article
gaskins-wicki-system The Wicki System—an 1896 Precursor of the Hayden System
by Robert Gaskins
The concertina keyboard system known today as the "Hayden" system, which was independently discovered by Brian Hayden and patented by him in 1986, had also been discovered and patented 90 years earlier by a Swiss inventor named Kaspar Wicki. Wicki's 1896 Swiss patent (CH13329) is clear and unambiguous, including a keyboard diagram labeled in standard musical notation.
Posted 01 March 2004
» read full article
maccann-champion-of-america Professor Maccann: “America’s Champion Concertinist”
by Robert Gaskins
“PROFESSOR MACCANN, the celebrated concertinist, has brought back with him from America a fine medal, which became his property by a rival musician, Amducas Vestman, failing to meet the Professor in a concertina contest for the championship and $300. ...” From The Era newspaper, London, 2 May 1891.
Posted 01 June 2003
» read full article
maccann-in-america Prof. Maccann’s North American Tour (1890–1891)
by Robert Gaskins
Newspaper theatrical notices from the Brooklyn (New York) Daily Eagle describe John Hill Maccann’s appearances at Hyde and Behman’s Variety Theater, Brooklyn, in November 1890 and February 1891. Updated 22 December 2003: added a notice from the New York Times for 27 January 1891, during the same North American tour.
Posted 01 June 2003
» read full article
macann-in-plymouth-1880s Professor Maccann Performs in Plymouth
by Robert Gaskins
Extended review of a concert presented by Professor Maccann at the Plymouth Mechanics’ Institute “on an instrument which he has just patented,” from the Western Figaro newspaper, Plymouth, 27 February 1885.
Posted 01 July 2003
» read full article
gaskins-late-wheatstone-anglos Wheatstone Anglos with Serial Numbers 50,000+
by Robert Gaskins
Between 1938 and 1974 Wheatstone & Co. manufactured concertinas in two parallel series of serial numbers; Englishes and Duets were given numbers #3XXXX, and Anglos were given numbers #5XXXX. During these 37 years Wheatstone manufactured about 2,129 Englishes and Duets, with serial numbers from about #34955 through #37083, and some 9,498 Anglos, with serial numbers from #50001 through #59498. Yet, for unknown reasons, this vast population of late Wheatstone Anglos with #50000+ numbers are not seen nearly as often as one would expect. The original version of this article appeared on the net at concertina.net, and at Concertina FAQ.
Posted 23 June 2001
» read full article
hayden-fingering-systems Fingering Systems for Duet Concertina
by Brian Hayden
Overview of all the fingering systems for duet concertina which turned up in Hayden's review of prior art while preparing his own patent application. As published in Concertina Magazine (Australia) 16 (1986): 19-23; 17 (1987): 7-9; 18 (1987): 11-15; 19 (1987): 6-10.
Posted 15 November 2001
» read full article in pdf
lachenal-sig-wheatstone-concertina-ledgers Wheatstone Concertina Ledgers
Directory
Historical business records of C. Wheatstone & Co. from the Horniman Museum in London. Earlier ledgers from the Wayne Archives contain company sales records from the late 1830s to the 1860s along with production records from the 1860s to the 1890s and some early records of wages and other payments. Later ledgers from the Dickinson Archives contain production records from 1910 to 1974. All surviving ledgers have been digitized (some 2,300 pages in total) and made available free on the web for private research. The same material is also available to buy on an inexpensive CD. Includes an introduction to the project by Margaret Birley, Keeper of Musical Instruments at the Horniman Museum, and an article by Robert Gaskins describing in detail how the ledgers were digitized.
Posted 15 June 2003; Updated 15 June 2005
» go to directory
inglis-history-of-duet History of the Duet Concertina
by Phil Inglis
When it was written, this was the only survey article on the subject, plus some anecdotes. The last twenty years have produced some additional information. As published in Concertina Magazine (Australia), 12 (Autumn, 1985): 18-19, 13 (Winter, 1985): 18-20, 14 (Spring 1985): 11-13.
Posted 15 February 2003
» read full article in pdf
lawrence-regondi-in-ireland Giulio Regondi in Ireland
by Thomas Lawrence
New information about Giulio Regondi, guitarist and concertinist, who performed on Wheatstone’s patent concertina in Ireland as early as 1834, the earliest reference to the concertina in the British Isles. In PaGes [University College, Dublin, postgraduate students in the Faculty of Arts] 6 (1999), on the web at http://www.ucd.ie/pages/99/articles/lawrence.pdf.
Posted 15 August 2003
» go to website
merris-back-to-future Back to the Future: De Ville’s The Concertina and How to Play It and Other Tutors
by Randall C. Merris
Paul de Ville's tutor (1905) is one of the most widely available sources of basic instruction and tunes for the Anglo concertina. It has links to both earlier and later periods; most of its tunes and other material were taken from earlier publications, and most of its contents reappeared seventy years later in a tutor which is still available for purchase.
Posted 15 February 2003
» read full article
merris-bibliography Instruction Manuals for the English, Anglo, and Duet Concertina: An Annotated Bibliography
by Randall C. Merris
A comprehensive bibliography with more than 200 citations for concertina tutors that were published from the 1840s to the present. Separate sections deal with English, Anglo, and Duet tutors. The annotations contain considerable historical material on concertina makers, authors and teachers, performers, and publishers in the UK, US, and elsewhere. The web version incorporates citations for tutors that have appeared or were located subsequent to the original publication (about 35 more by 2005) and adds over 100 scanned photographs of tutor covers. A number of the tutors are available scanned in full on this website, and these are indicated in the entries. The original publication was in The Free-Reed Journal 4 (2002): 85-118, and a PDF version of the printed article is also available online.
Posted 01 April 2003; last updated 31 August 2005
» read full article
» read Part 1, "English Concertina"
» read part 2, "Anglo Concertina"
» read part 3, "Duet Concertina"
» read original article (without updates) in pdf"
concertina-connection-site Concertina Connection
by Wim Wakker
With the goal of reintroducing the English concertina into classical music, this site features articles on playing skills (beginner to advanced) with music scores, sound files, and photographs. The site offers new Geuns-Wakker concertinas and restored vintage instruments, extensive restoration services and replacement parts, and re-published Victorian and contemporary sheet music. There are a number of MP3 sound files of older Wheatstone and Lachenal concertinas.

Search Concertina Connection powered by Microsoft
Posted 15 November 2001
» go to website
wayne-galpin The Wheatstone English Concertina
by Neil Wayne
Survey article covering the Wheatstone English Concertina, the only published source for much of Neil Wayne's path-breaking research. As published in The Galpin Society Journal 44 (1991), 117-149. (The online version does not yet perfectly match the printed version.)
Posted 01 January 2005
» go to website
gaskins-twelve-sided-wheatstone A Wheatstone Twelve-Sided 'Edeophone' Concertina with Pre-Maccann Chromatic Duet Fingering
by Neil Wayne, Margaret Birley, and Robert Gaskins
A duet concertina (serial no. 35074) with a unique fingering arrangement, made by Wheatstone in 1938, turns out to be a realization of a design from Wm. Wheatstone's patent of 1861. The instrument is twelve-sided, a Registered Design feature of Lachenal & Co., and it turns out to be one of at least sixteen twelve-sided instruments made by Wheatstone between 1934 and 1941. The instrument is now in the collection of the Horniman Museum, London. As published in The Free-Reed Journal 3 (2001): 3-17. This HTML version of the article adds a number of additional photographs and active links to many of the sources cited in the published article. Updated 15 August 2003: Footnote 11 updated to record that Randall C. Merris has located instrument serial #33301, another of the set of three twelve-sided 40-key Anglos.
Posted 15 November 2001; last updated 15 August 2003
» read full article
» read original article (without updates or additions) in pdf
williams-hayden-chat A Chat with Brian Hayden
by Wes Williams
Brian Hayden was interviewed in 2001 about his background, his invention of the Hayden System, his views on other duet systems, and his suggestions for learning and playing the duet concertina. Contains keyboard diagrams for nine duet systems: the Early Wheatstone Duett, Early Wheatstone Double, Maccann, Jeffries, Crane (Triumph), Linton, Rust ("Piano"), Late Wheatstone Chidley, and Hayden. (There is also a PDF version of the article.) Also published at concertina.net.
Posted 15 February 2003
» read full article
» read full article in pdf
williams-concertina-history The Concertina History Resource
by Wes Williams
This site (still early in its development) contains historical information about concertinas and concertina makers. A timeline helps to organize information about the changes of name and address among the major makers as bits of data are discovered. One use for this information is to help in answering the question “when was my concertina made?” which is very difficult to answer for most makers.

Search Concertina History Resource powered by Microsoft
Posted 15 February 2003
» go to website

Wheatstone #35074 in Horniman Conservation Lab
Wheatstone 12-sided duet
No. 35074 in the
Horniman's conservation lab

Contents