DCM 0339: William Bainbridge Combination Flute-Flageolet

Lower body marked: BAINBRIDGE / LONDON / PATENT Foot: PATENT. When received by DCM, it was "covered with thick dark brown varnish, and there were two added keys, one for high C, and one for closing the third hole from top; also there was an extension to the G# key. Removed varnish and keys; made new ivory beak, one ivory ring, and ivory cap for flute head, and plugged screw holes." If the components that Miller removed were original, and that is doubtful, this was an unusual version of the standard English flute-flageolet. Both the third and sixth fingerholes have been refaced with a rim to serve as a key pad seat, and the added upper C key tonehole has been treated the same way. All three appear to have been done by hand without a special drilling jig for that purpose.
Instrument type: Combination Flute-Flageolet
Medium: Boxwood, ivory cap and ferrules, silver keys.; 65.2 cm. (flageolet); 65.85 cm. (flute)
Key Holes System: 6 keys, square flap (with chamfered corners!), pin in block.
Mark Maximum: (United Kingdom coat of arms with lion, unicorn) / BAINBRIDGE / INVENTOR / 35 / HOLBORN (double stamped) / HILL / LONDON / PATENT
Mark Additional: Mark on flageolet head. Flute head: BAINBRIDGE / 35/ HOLBORN / HILL / LONDON. Upper body: BAINBRIDGE / 35 / HOLBORN / HILL / LONDON / PATENT
Condition: See Notes.
Provenance: William Powell, Birmingham, England, 17 May 1923.

The Dayton C. Miller collection in the Library of Congress, contains nearly 1,700 flutes and other wind instruments, statuary, iconography, books, music, trade catalogs, tutors, patents, and other materials mostly related to the flute. It includes both Western and non-Western examples of flutes from around the world, with at least 460 European and American instrument makers represented. Items in the collection date from the 16th to the 20th century.