Extant Pratten's Perfected flutes

[jemtheflute]

Yeah, without a serial number I really haven't anywhere to hang it. I've asked londonlady34 for that, the SL and the C#-D# lengths. Terry

Good luck with that. LL's brother, the owner, was in contact with me on FB via a mutual flutey acquaintance before ever listing it, but I couldn't get any sense out of him!

[Terry McGee]

Ah, success. I've added that flute to the list, and londonlady has also added the data to the Ebay sale description. Interesting that this fully-keyed Prattens and the one in the RSM (4865 and 4675) are close in number but have very different keying approaches. They are also both pretty early flutes (circa 1857 - the year Boosey & Co took over manufacture), so they were working hard on the development!

The numbers of Prattens made may not be great, but the variety is becoming staggering!

http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Prattens-Extant.htm

Terry

[jemtheflute]

Ah, well done. It may be that dealing with LL is easier than with the owner! I had told the latter he'd keep getting asked for the info........

BTW, I thought it was cylindrical because from the photos I had previously one couldn't really see, so I asked for ID measurements at top of body and bottom of foot and he told me they were 20mm and 19mm respectively - which would make adequate sense for a Bohm tube.... notwithstanding the barrel-type head, which would be unusual paired with a "parabolic" head....... But I guess he may have misunderstood and given me ODs. I also reckoned that the metalwork is GS - given the flute has had a pro overhaul, the mechanism just wouldn't be likely to look so yellow if it were nice clean sterling silver! cf this picture (if you can open the FB link). You know, looking at that, I'd almost start to wonder if the foot belonged!

[RudallRose]

the earliest of the Boosey-Pratten announcements, Terry, show they had many models already other than the 8key, including the 9key that he had developed with the two-thumb touch to activate Bb and C.
And all were "Perfected."

Sadly, they did not distiguish in the serial number sequencing, as Rudall did. Without looking at the books, there's no real way to know how many 8key were made as opposed to 17key.

[Terry McGee]

Ah, well done. It may be that dealing with LL is easier than with the owner! I had told the latter he'd keep getting asked for the info........

BTW, I thought it was cylindrical because from the photos I had previously one couldn't really see, so I asked for ID measurements at top of body and bottom of foot and he told me they were 20mm and 19mm respectively - which would make adequate sense for a Bohm tube.... notwithstanding the barrel-type head, which would be unusual paired with a "parabolic" head....... But I guess he may have misunderstood and given me ODs. I also reckoned that the metalwork is GS - given the flute has had a pro overhaul, the mechanism just wouldn't be likely to look so yellow if it were nice clean sterling silver! cf this picture (if you can open the FB link). You know, looking at that, I'd almost start to wonder if the foot belonged!

Yeah, those diameters don't sound helpful!

I wondered, while I was writing to LL, should we all put our heads together and come up with a list of information and images we'd like to see when people are selling old (or, for that matter, modern) flutes? Then we leave the list around in all sorts of useful places so that even if they don't stumble over it, we can easily refer them to it. E.G:

- makers mark (example, including serial number)
- any accompanying documentation (eg lid certificates, receipts)
- condition (example)
- body materials (guide to identifying woods, synthetics)
- key metals (guide to identifying metals)
- bore shape (guide to identifying conical and cylindrical bodies)
- lengths (image showing OAL, SL, C#-D#, any others)
- images (list of useful images, perhaps with examples) (link to my page on photographing flutes)
etc.

I'd be quite happy to put together a page on it which we could duplicate or link to as needed.

Terry

[Terry McGee]

the earliest of the Boosey-Pratten announcements, Terry, show they had many models already other than the 8key, including the 9key that he had developed with the two-thumb touch to activate Bb and C.
And all were "Perfected."

I have a pretty early one that goes up to 11 keys. It also mentions the 9 key as having the thumb C. The rest of the models on this list are 8 keys. That suggests they hadn't quite got to the 14-key even though those serial numbers suggest they got that far in the first year.

The list goes on to include Eb and F flutes (but no mention of Bb), and piccolos in D, Eb and F (still no Bb!). Then it adds "Fifes in Bb and C". These "fifes" have 4 keys on either pillars or knobs in either cocus or boxwood, so I think we can assume they really mean flutes (unless someone has seen keyed fifes!) The very busy Mr Pratten even tested and tuned the fifes!

Sadly, they did not distiguish in the serial number sequencing, as Rudall did. Without looking at the books, there's no real way to know how many 8key were made as opposed to 17key.

I haven't got back to the original books, but I have analysed Kelly's summary which seems to tell a surprising story, for example that there was only one 14 key conical made. This seems unlikely, as we seem to have found more than one already, but of course we could be being fooled. Perhaps one or both of these are "Siccama models" (they both have extended L3 and R3 touches), of which the records suggest there were 4 made. But could we be so lucky to have found half the output? More work needed (as usual!). But at lease we've made the start.

Terry

[Tonehole]

Are the A & E fingered notes on these Siccama styled Pratten Perfected flutes, much more vibrant than the conical Rudall & Rose designs due to the better placement of the tone holes?

I wonder why the Siccama flute doesn't feature strongly with modern flute makers *big hint Terry, for that low Bb alto flute with Siccama fingered keyed flute project to get a push *