English-system concertina, open pallet model. Serial number XXXII. Oval silver plaque label, engraved 'By His Majesty's Letters Patent…'. 5 13/16" diameter, flat rosewood veneered ends, 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 5/8" deep ends containing the reed pan and its cradle, and with 1'2" of bellows frame exposed. 24 ivory keys, 12 each side, with black-cored accidentals stamped with sharp/flat symbols, and white natural notes stamped with note names. The green leather thumb-straps have a pair of brass wire retaining loops, the 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. 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. Beneath each end is a solid wood cylindrical block, glued to the end, 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 as well as a 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. 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 and Hawkes company.
