On eBay : wooden flute by Blee of London

[peter20p]

Hello,

Flute on eBay :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

Starting bid is 2100 £. I see 4 keys. Quite expensive, no? But it looks like a nice well made flute. The pictures don't give a precise view, but it's a redish wood. Cocus?

I looked on the web and in the handbook of Hammy Hamilton, but found no mention of "Blee of London". I'm sure specialists on this forum know more about it.

Peter

[radcliff]

it doesn't look an antique...

[peter20p]

That's also what I tought when I saw it.

[dcopley]

Blee gets a very brief mention in the New Langwill Index. Basically says "Late 19th century, wood wind instruments. A flute (8 keys) reported." So the instrument on ebay could be a rarity.

[Aanvil]

Rare perhaps but worth that much coin?

Perhaps it has cash rolled up inside it.

[tucson_whistler]

Blee gets a very brief mention in the New Langwill Index. Basically says "Late 19th century, wood wind instruments. A flute (8 keys) reported." So the instrument on ebay could be a rarity.

dear Mr. Copley, can i ask, how did you look that up? is that online somewhere (that index)?

cheers,
eric

[Feadoggie]

Eric, the Langwill Index is a compilation of information on instrument makers. It's a book. You have to turn the pages, you know.

The New Langwill Index: A dictionary of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers & Inventors. 1993. 555pp. Entries for nearly 6500 makers & inventors active until c.1950. Awarded the C.B.Oldham Prize by IAML (UK) as the best British work of Music Librarianship, Reference or Bibliography for 1993. This is an example that has been bound in real leather with gold stamping, one of a very limited edition, in slip case.

Feadoggie

[tucson_whistler]

turn pages, how do you do that?



where do i get one of these fancy index books?

cheers,
eric

[tucson_whistler]

ok, Amazon's got one for $155... anybody know where i could get one maybe a little cheaper?

cheers,
eric

[LorenzoFlute]

What do you need such a book for?

[Feadoggie]

anybody know where i could get one maybe a little cheaper?

They do come up now and then at the usual rare or used book sellers. Be patient and you'll find a copy. $155 is probably a fair price already. Depending on what your interests are you could always look for the original book An Index of Musical Wind-Instrument Makers by Lyndesay Langwill himself which went through several editions. The New Langwill Index is a comprehensive revision of that work. Langwill and Waterhouse were associates and noted basoonists, if I recall correctly. Langwill willed his research and documentation to Waterhouse who carried on with the work. Waterhouse passed on fairly recently. If you are an instrument finder, restorer or serious collector, you will want the Waterhouse book.

[jemtheflute]

Re: Langwill - cf http://www.oldmusicalinstruments.com/search.php - from the publisher.
I don't own a copy, nor at the price it is do I (much) hanker after one, especially when we have several members here who hold copies and help us out! Not that I wouldn't like to have one..... but really this is a heavy specialist/reference library item. Users should of course realise that it is a snapshot of knowledge when last revised - it has lacunae, errors, inconsistencies with knowledge gained since, like any such academic reference work; but it is a valuable tool and the necessary starting point for further research.

As for the Blee flute, I thought it looked period, not modern, and yes, it is cocus. The starting price does seem a bit ambitious, but if the vendor is a good player and has found the instrument met his needs well, then who knows?

[peter20p]

I contacted the vendor (pure curiosity. It's to expensive). He (she?) is not a player and knows nothing about the flute. Says it could be made in the 1920's. Does not know if it's in D, if it sounds quiet or loud, ...

Peter

[Flutesoftheforest]

With reference to my 5th edition of Langwill (1977) it quotes:-

"BLEE; Fl., 8 keys,silver mounts and tuning slide. In Canon Galpin's check-list, pre 1890"

So Blee must have made at least 2 flutes !!!!!!

The ownership of "The New Langwill" and my 5th edition is an endless source of usefull information. Your just jealous.

[tucson_whistler]

i guess i'll ask for it for christmas