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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
This C ocarina was made in the birthplace of the ocarina, which is a small town called Budrio in Italy. Its maker is known as the ocarina’s Stradivarius – Cesare VICINELLI (1841-1920). He made ocarinas from around 1878 until his death in 1920. His ocarinas were famous for wonderful intonation,...
Alfred Kurt BERNDT, a master flutemaker based in Berlin, remains a relatively obscure figure in the world of woodwind instrument making, yet his contributions deserve greater recognition. His legacy was brought to light through an article penned by his son, the late Klaus BERNDT, 16.09.1936 – 03.07.2025. In 2018, Klaus...
This Boehm & Mendler flute is simply spectacular – in amazing condition. It was made by the legendary Boehm & Mendler workshop in Munich, Germany. Formed by Theobald BOEHM (1794-1881) and Carl MENDLER (1833-1914), the company was active from 1862 to 1888. Surprisingly, most of the flutes made were exported,...
Open/closed G-sharp key
The open G-sharp key was promoted by Theobald Boehm. So, G-sharp is fingered like a G on the modern-day flute and G is fingered like the modern-day G-sharp. The open G-sharp key mechanism avoids having an additional second G-sharp tone hole, which is not optimal in acoustical terms.
The closed G-sharp key is the regular mechanism on modern day instruments as well as traditional conical wooden more-keyed flutes. G-sharp is obtained by pressing the G-sharp lever. G is produced by pressing down all four fingers of the left hand.
Theobald Boehm’s open G-sharp was not successful in the end and is no longer used in flute-making, with some exceptions.
