Concertinas

Free and Squeezy: The New Web Catalogue at the Horniman Museum, Papers of the International Concertina Association, Volume 5, 2008, pp. 96-7

As Assistant Curator of Musical Instruments at the Horniman Museum, Alice had responsibility for the Neil Wayne collection of free reed instruments. Improving the accuracy of the collection’s documentation and access to this information was of prime concern.

The new catalogue not only pulled together all the images and information available, but also helped to highlight instruments of particular note. For example, the collection includes one of the earliest known concertinas made by Wheatstone (M19-1996), as well as a number of prototypes such as the 1844 duette system concertina (M246a-1996) and the ‘gliding reed’ (M336-1996).

Not limited to concertinas, the Neil Wayne Collection incorporates Wheatstone’s own collection of experimental instruments, including an Aeolian harp (M576-1996) which, attached to a concealed piano, once amazed audiences by appearing to play itself. There is also a catalogue entry for a wind powered monochord device (M591-1996) bought in 1837 by one of Wheatstone’s earliest customers, the famous concertinist Giulio Regondi.