Flute key marks and makers

As our researches into the old flutes continue, we come across flutes that have interesting and maybe meaningful markings underneath their keys.  These marks seem to take several forms:

  • initials, eg "A.L"

  • names, eg "Wylde" 

  • numerical marks, such as Xll, \/// or ///.

It may prove valuable to researchers to record somewhere whenever these marks are found - after some time a pattern may emerge.  This is such a place.  Please feel free to let me know whenever you come across such a marking, and I'll add it to the list.

Keys marked "A·L"

According to the NLI, Alexander Liddle flourished in London from 1847 to 79.  He was listed as a "Wind Musical Instrument Maker" and employed the marks "Liddle, London" and "A·L".

So far, these makers have employed keys stamped "A·L":
 
Maker Owned/Reported by:
Metzler Terry McGee
Butler Marc Löfgren 
Moon (cylindrical 8-key) Terry McGee


The question we'd like answered is did Liddle make all the flutes with his name under the keys, or was he a general key maker and supplier to other flute makers?

Two Bob Each Way

This flute has not just "AL", but numerical marks as well (see below).  

From a Butler flute, information and image kindly supplied by Marc Löfgren 

Now since not all A·L keyed flutes have the numerical marks, does this lend support to the Liddle as key-maker theory?

 

Keys marked "RR"

Rudall & Rose were the most prestigious makers in the first half of the 19th century.  In most cases, as far as we know, the underside of their keys were not marked.  

I'm indebted to Lawrence Mallette for the image shown of the underside of three keys from his RR no 4256.  Assuming the same stamp was used for each (but not totally successfully aligned) the stamp is RR.

 
Maker Owned/Reported by:
Rudall & Rose Lawrence Mallette

 

An interesting question arises - were these:

  • stamped by Rudall & Rose, 

  • stamped by an independent key-maker as being for Rudall & Rose, or 

  • stamped by an independent flute-maker as being for Rudall & Rose

and, in any case, why were the other keys not similarly stamped?

Keys marked C

The C# touch on my Geo Rudall, Willis Fecit flute is neatly stamped with a capital C.

 
Keys marked F

C and C# foot keys from an unmarked flute resembling a Wylde. 

Note the F mark under one touch, and the four slashes on both shafts.

 
Keys marked M

This C# key touch bears a neatly marked M - the flute itself marked Butler, Dublin, but in a curiously unsophisticated manner!  Thanks to Lawrence Mallette.
 

Keys marked "I·N"

The New Langwill Index doesn't list any maker that fits into the initials I.N. - a plausible suggestion is that I.N. was a silversmith keymaker and not a flute maker.  "I" often stands for "J" - eg the mark I·HALE for John Hale - but still no one obvious with those initals.

It may occur to you that it could be N·I rather than I·N, however note that the letter N in Times Roman has no seraph at the bottom of the oblique line.  

Ciarán Somers reports the example below, on a flute stamped "George & Manby".  Again, the NLI makes no reference to George or Manby.  Ciarán reports having seen the inscription on flutes by Rudall & Rose, and seeing a Rudall & Rose also stamped George & Manby.  It is possible that they were a music dealership in Fleet Street. 
Maker Owned/Reported by:
George & Manby Ciarán Somers
Rudall & Rose Ciarán Somers
Rudall & Rose Chris Wilkes
Wylde Pamela Carr
Wylde Chris Wilkes


Keys marked "I·F"

Once again a mark under the C# foot key, once more the period up at waist level like a decimal point.  Daryl King provided us with the image shown.

Is it possible that this is a fuller version of the "F" discussed above?

Again the I could be a J.  There are no London flutemakers with initials I.F., but there are a few with J.F.

 

Maker Owned/Reported by:
Blackman Daryl King

 
Keys marked "WYLDE"

The NLI advises that Henry Wylde flourished London 1832 - 82.  He was earlier with Rudall & Rose, and is listed from 1835 as a Flute Maker.
 
Maker Owned/Reported by:
Pask Terry McGee

 

So the question here is - did Wylde make the flute or just the keys?  And notice that Wylde appears in the entry on I.N, but this time as the maker, not the marking!

Keys with Numerical Marks

Many flutes have under-key marks which may at times appear to be Roman Numerals, at other times perhaps emblems.  We may be able to deduce the meaning of these marks once we see the range of marks in use.
  
Maker Key-Mark Wood-Mark Owned/Reported by:
William Hall \/||| - Michael Stone / Terry McGee
Butler ||| - Marc Löfgren 
German Flute \\\/ \/// & \\\/ Madeleine Rowles / Terry McGee
German Flute \/||| \/||| Chris Caton
Unmarked Wylde-like //// - Private UK Collector

 
Matching marks

Some flutes with keys bearing these marks also have a mark applied to the end of the wood of one or more pieces, leading to the suggestion that they are batch marks, intended to ensure the right keys end up on the right flute at final assembly.  If this is so, we might expect to see a correlation build up as more data comes in.
 

Non-matching marks

Hmmm, slip-up or what?  The Rowles German flute above has:

  • \\\/ on all the keys

  • \/// on the wood under two of the keys, and

  • \/// on the end of the barrel section.

 

This seems to cast doubt on the Roman numeral theory as \\V is not a valid number in Latin.  But is \\\/ the same as \///, or were these keys fitted to the wrong flute?  Or is it significant that the markings are mirror images of each other?

Conclusions

A bit too early to jump to conclusions - we're going to have to assemble a lot more data.  So pop those pesky keys off your old flute and look underneath, and let us know what you find.  My thanks to those above who did!

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