The Concertina Museum Collection Ref:C-159.



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Item Type: Concertina

Summary Labels and Serial Numbers End Frets Fingering System Straps and Holding Devices Fret Baffle Action Board Reeds and Reed Pans Bellows Case and Other

Summary

Full Description: A Joseph Scates 48-Key Baritone English system, Serial Number 537, with hand-cut solid rosewood frets with veneered side-frames. The frets have the central scribing mark amid the keys. 48 narrow, Flat-topped ivory keys, with accidental keys stained black, the 'C' keys stained red, and the Natural white ivory keys stamped on their flat tops with note-names. A later model, with Scates's post-1851 "26 College Green, Dublin" address label overlaying his Renshaw Street, Liverpool label, on unusual full-width chamois baffles that are glued to the inner frame-edge of the reed-frames, and thus show as a white strip between the action-sides and fret-frames. Flat-topped ivory keys. The instrument may have been supplied to Scates's Liverpool or Dublin shops by workers at his New Bond Street manufactory, though the reed-pans are both signed "Joseph Scates" in his own hand. Square-ended brass reeds, 5-fold green leather bellows with early "six-point gold star" papers and with the early silk reinforced bottom bout. The bellows-frames each have a large hexagonal glazed green parchment baffle inserted, held in position by a series of six L-shaped chamois strips: these baffles have "L" and "R" scratched to their top corners, and their inner faces have an additional but smaller hexagonal green card sheet applied. The centre of the baffles is scribed in a 28mm circle, which has a pair of slits across it, the central panel held apart by a thin wooden dowel. These baffles would much reduce the air-flow to the reeds, and thus control its volume.

Concertina Summary: A Joseph Scates 48-Key Baritone English system, Serial Number 537, hand-cut solid rosewood frets with veneered side-frames. A later model, with one of Scates's post-1851 Dublin address labels overlaying his Liverpool label, on unusual chamois baffles that are glued to the inner frame-edge of the reed-frames. Flat-topped ivory keys. The instrument may have been supplied to Scates's Liverpool or Dublin shops by workers at his New Bond Street manufactory, though the reed-pans are both signed "Joseph Scates" on his own hand. Square-ended brass reeds, 5-fold green leather bellows with early "six-point gold star" papers and with the early silk reinforced bottom bout.

Owner or Collection: Concertina Museum, Belper

Maker: Joseph Scates

Maker Links: Joseph Scates information at Chris Flint's web-site: http://www.scatesconcertinas.com/ (Chris Flint mentions that Scates's early instruments were also supplied to J Alvey Turner). Futher info at the Wes Williams Archive: www.concertinas.org.uk/others.htm#Scates

Region of Manufacture: London

Main Maker's Label Wording: "Joseph Scates Manufacturer, 26 College Green, Dublin" overlaying an earlier label: "Joseph Scates, 85 Renshaw Street, Liverpool. From New Bond Street, London"

System Type: Standard 48-Key Baritone English system

Source Catalogue No: The Concertina Museum Collection Ref:C-159.






Maker Details

Joseph Scates, a former tuner with Wheatstone, was active in London approximately 1844 to 1850, and in Dublin from 1850 to

Joseph Scates set up sometime around 1844 at 40 Frith Street, Soho, London, the house of his father Joseph, who in 1839 ran a 'Stationer and Porteusian Bible Warehouse'. He moved to 32 New Bond St. from 1847-49, but quickly sold out to George Case and by 1851 had set up at Westmoreland Street in Dublin.


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The Concertina Museum Collection

Created August 2009 by Neil Wayne
Last Modified 07 February 2012 by Neil Wayne, Chris Flint, Wes Williams

This page created Tuesday 14 February 2012.