Flute – UEBEL, Gerhard Rudolf

This amazing Boehm-system vintage aluminium flute was manufactured by Gerhard Rudolf UEBEL (1915-1991) in Eastern Germany (GDR) in the 1960s. He was the grandson of the founder of the UEBEL company, Friedrich Gustav UEBEL (1855-1915) in Saxony, Germany. Gerhard Rudolf Uebel experimented with new materials and mechanical construction techniques and this…

The Cahusacs of London

The Cahusacs were an English family of music publishers and instrument makers. The surname hints at possible French origins yet to be proven. The number of family members was huge. There were several wives, many children and of course, quite a few Thomases. Referring to each Thomas as senior or…

Walking stick instruments

Whether you’re a rabologist or a musician, walking stick instruments are rather fascinating. Rabology is the study and/or collection of walking sticks. The walking stick collector’s market is huge and walking sticks seem not to lose their value over time. From sticks to canes Walking sticks were originally simply sticks, as the…

Brass post horn – ZIMMERMANN, Jul. Heinr.

This brass post horn was made by the Julius Heinrich ZIMMERMANN (1851-1922) company. Zimmermann was an extremely successful entrepreneur in the manufacture of musical instruments and also publishing.  He had branches of his company in St. Petersburg, Moscow, London, Riga and Leipzig. This particular instrument is stamped ‘LEIPZIG’, where he set up his…

Silver flute – LEIBL, Ernst Robert

Here we have a jewel of silver flutes… which is also extremely rare! It was made by Ernst Robert LEIBL (1871-1957), who took over the famous Boehm & Mendler workshop in 1903. He continued to construct his instruments in exactly the same manner. It is estimated that LEIBL only made around 100…

Oboe – Gebrüder ALEXANDER

This oboe was made by the company Gebrüder Alexander, based in Mainz, Germany. The company was first established way back in 1782 as a small workshop by Franz Ambros ALEXANDER (1753-1802). When Franz Ambros died, the business was carried on by his widow Katherina, and the four sons, the brothers…

Oboe – ALTRICHTER, Julius

This beautiful late-Romantic oboe was made by Ferdinand Julius Hermann ALTRICHER (1842-1915) who was native to Frankfurt an der Oder. This city is in today’s German state of Brandenburg. He started out around 1868 as a mouth-organ or harmonica manufacturer before he turned his hand to brass and woodwind instrument…

Ocarina – DONATI, Giuseppe

This ocarina was made by the great master and inventor of the ocarina himself Giuseppe DONATI (1836-1925). Donati lived and worked in his hometown of Budrio at the outset of his career as an ocarina maker. He moved to Bologna in 1878 where he lived and worked. In 1904 he opened…