An antique Lachenal 20 button (21 buttons if you include the air button) concertina sold for repair, spare parts, or restoration.
At present, air is flowing straight through it, so clearly something is amiss. One button is missing (however, I can hear something rattling around inside, so perhaps it is inside). There is enough resistance to confirm that this is an ‘anglo' concertina.
The Lachenal paper manufacturer’s and serial number slips are not visible but are possibly inside. However, the Lachenal trade mark is clearly visible (see photo, and the fretwork matches other 20-button Lachenal concertinas).
The leather straps have degraded and need replacing.
The bellows appear airtight with no obvious holes apart from one previous repair (see sellotape covering a split - see photo). I think the original bellows can actually be saved, and will be servicable, if the old repair is effected properly by repairing it from the inside.
I haven’t removed the screws from the ends to investigate inside; I’ve just left it as it arrived and don’t want to mess with it, or damage it.
I won’t be able to tell you which key it is in, but assume it is C/G.
No storage box (it will be packed carefully for shipping).
[EDIT. Somebody asked me to remove the ends to show that the reeds were present, and I have done this, see photos below.
All of the reeds appear to be present, although one looks like it is out of position (final phot at 7 o’clock). Some of the pads have come adrift which explains the loss of pressure when squeezing the instrument (see view from side where two small panels came adrift - see below.
While taking the screws out two of the side-panel pieces came loose. I pushed these back into position and the also a chamfer piece which can be found inside the end. These two pieces witll need to be glued back in place before the screws are retightend properly. It did give me an opportunity to take. photo inside the box where the pads are located - see penultimate photo.
There appears to be a serial number internally - 58462]
