DCM 0215: William Henry Potter Flute in C

Most 19th century flute head joints equipped with a metal lining and tuning slide have crack problems due to the outer material attempting to shrink around the metal tubing. That is true of this instrument although it once may have had the opposite problem of its metal tubing being too loose within its boxwood cylinders. This head joint has 4 brass nails or tacks driven into the wood, 2 in the barrel and 2 in the upper section about 3.5 cm. above the embouchure. Both pair of tacks are situated one on each side, about 180 degrees apart, and none of the 4 pierces the metal tube, although the upper tube has one corresponding hole (now out of alignment in circumference) where the tack may have been forced through or, more likely, a pilot hole drilled through by mistake. See "Preface" regarding pins in head joint. The exterior of such a metal head joint lining is usually roughened by deep scratches or by pulling up little points with a tool such as a scriber or graver. It appears that the pins were to be driven in far enough to make contact with such roughened or scribed areas of the metal tube(s) to prevent one or both from shifting out of position, especially in the upper section where the metal lining out of alignment would likely distort the embouchure undercutting.
Instrument type: Flute in C
Medium: Boxwood, ivory ferrules, [cap and cork-setting mechanism] silver keys, brass-lined head.; 66.05 cm. (without cap)
Key Holes System: 7 keys, to low C, pewter plug pads, pin in block. All but low C#, C, keys have been replaced with nickel silver keys with square flat flaps. Although from the Potter workshop, this instrument appears to be a composite of 2 or possibly 3 different instruments.
Mark Maximum: 6 / POTTER / IOHNSON'S COURT / FLEET STREET / LONDON
Mark Additional: Mark on barrel. Mark on upper: POTTER / LONDON. Mark on lower: WILLM. HENY / POTTER. Mark on foot: PATENT / WILLM HENY / POTTER
Condition: 5 replacement keys, see above; the original head joint cap and cork-setting mechanism was present when acquired by DCM. It is now missing. Head joint, both sections, cracked, resulting in nearly half of one ferrule missing. Lower body joint is cracked at socket, not including ferrule. Foot joint missing upper ferrule, and cracked at socket. There is also evidence of saw marks just beneath where the ferrule had been in position.
Provenance: William Keinath, Bayonne, New Jersey, 2 Jan. 1922.

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.