412.132 Sets of free reeds

Miniature mouth-organ. Metal casing fixed over wooden body. Cane reeds. On the front casing is stamped: BUDDY/WHEATSTONE/MADE IN ENGLAND.

Although it bears the Wheatstone stamp, this instrument was actually manufactured under the auspices of instrument makers Boosey and Hawkes, who acquired the name in 1948 and produced Wheatstone branded instruments at their Edgware factory until 1975. Wheatstone is a name synonymous with the construction of concertinas, which had their origins in Charles Wheatstone's 1829 patented symphonium - another type of free reed mouth organ, in which buttons were linked to levers controlling pallets admitting air to the reed for each of the notes.

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
M333-1996
Date
1950 - 1970
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 36 x 12 x 13 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
cane; metal; wood; reed
CATEGORY
Musical Instruments
LOCATION
Music Gallery > Side C - The Ideal Sound > Case C2 - Making Sounds
SHAREABLE LINK

Continue exploring musical instruments

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk