B fife – WALLIS, Joseph

Crafted in the mid-nineteenth century, this exquisite boxwood fife by Joseph WALLIS (1825-1883) is a testament to the craftsmanship of the era. Joseph Wallis started his instrument-making business and shop in 1848. It expanded and prospered over eighty years and three generations until it came to an abrupt end in 1928.We…

Romantic flute – LINTNER, Georg Leonhard

This remarkable and rare flute was created by George Leonhard LINTNER (1794-1859), who received training and licensing as a maker of both brass and woodwind instruments – quite unusual for the time. He worked alongside his father, Johann Georg LINTNER, who came from Tyrnau in Slovakia, in their hometown of…

Oboe – Rudall Carte & Co Ltd

This oboe was made by Rudall, Carte & Co Ltd.  The company was set up in 1872 as successors to Rudall Rose, Carte & Co. Later in 1943-1944, it was acquired by Boosey & Hawkes. Rudall Carte & Co didn’t make many oboes at the turn of the century as the…

Early Romantic boxwood flute – STREITWOLF, Gottlieb

This early Romantic flute was made by the meister woodwind instrument maker, teacher, composer and inventor Johann Heinrich Gottlieb STREITWOLF (1779-1837). He was admired by many… including Johann August Günther HEINROTH (1780–1846), music director in Göttingen who wrote an article about him which was published in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung on…

C clarinet – STENGEL

This clarinet in C was made at the STENGEL workshop in Bayreuth, Germany. We think it was made around 1850-1860 by Johann Simon STENGEL (1803-1885). It features 12 brass keys mounted on nicely selected boxwood. The rings are also made of brass. All parts feature the maker’s stamp. This instrument is…

Flute – Dobner & Consort

We’re back to the wonderful city of Strasbourg with its famous woodwind instrument makers of long ago. It’s a very intertwined history indeed! This early nineteenth-century boxwood flute has ivory rings and four German/nickel silver keys. It is stamped on all four joints with an angel bearing a trumpet and DOBNER…

Marching/band flute by Henry Potter & Co

This cocuswood marching or band flute was made by the company Henry Potter & Co. Henry Potter & Co was started back in 1810 by Regimental Drum Major Samuel POTTER (1772-1836). He named the company after his son Henry Potter (1810-1876) and it still exists today.The company moved premises around London…

C clarinet – SAUERHERING, Hermann

This wonderful grenadilla clarinet with fifteen brass keys was made by Hermann SAUERHERING (1840-1909) sometime around 1890. Magdeburg Old Market end 19th century Hermann Sauerhering was born in a town called Rogätz – about 30 km north of Magdeburg, Germany. He was a woodwind instrument maker and instrument dealer. In 1875, he…