NMM 614. Flute by Rudall & Rose, London, ca. 1824-1837. Serial no. 683. Stamped on body: RUDALL & ROSE / No 15 PIAZZA / COVENT GARDEN / LONDON; on tuning slide barrel and foot joint: RUDALL & ROSE / LONDON. Conical. Five sections. Cocus, silver ferrules. Wooden screw-cap. Metal lining in head joint and tuning slide. Eight silver keys in integral wooden mounts. Closed keys: long c', B-flat, G-sharp, long F, short F, D-sharp. Articulated, pewter-plug keys: c-sharp', c'. Lowest note c'. Total length, 658.7 mm. Sounding length, 583.8 mm. Ex coll.: N. L. Anderson, Haslemere, Surrey, England. Arne B. Larson Collection, 1979.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 221, 231, 232-233.

Numbers

NMM 4442. Flute by Rudall & Rose, London, ca. 1824-1837. Serial no. 1072. Stamped on body: RUDALL & ROSE / No 15 PIAZZA / COVENT GARDEN / LONDON; on tuning slide barrel and foot joint: RUDALL & ROSE / LONDON. Conical. Five sections. Boxwood, ivory ferrules. Ivory screw-cap. Metal lining in head joint and graduated tuning slide. Six silver keys, original four in integral wooden mounts; two additions in silver mounts. Closed keys: B-flat, G-sharp, short F, D-sharp; additions: long c', long F. Lowest note d'. Total length, 599.3 mm. Sounding length, 524.4 mm. Ex coll.: Alec Hodsdon, Lavenham, England. Arne B. Larson Estate, 1988.

Unfortunately for bargain hunters, the word is out on the old Rudall-Carte wood flutes at modern pitch with many flutists, dealers and collectors all looking everywhere for them. Consequently prices have risen for these flutes, and risen dramatically. These flutes are beautifully engineered and the quality of the mechanism and body is second to none. This particular flute has come directly from Japan, is in pristine condition throughout and looks as though it has come straight from a showroom. I do not know the exact age but the serial number is #0097 and it has the traditional cut head.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 231, 233-235.

NMM 1347. Flute by Rudall & Rose, London, ca. 1824-1837. Serial no. 2868. Stamped on body: RUDALL & ROSE / No 15 PIAZZA / COVENT GARDEN / LONDON; on tuning slide barrel, lower body, and foot joint: RUDALL & ROSE / LONDON. Five sections. Cocus, silver ferrules. Wooden screw-cap, ivory screw, graduated silver screw-pin. Metal lining in head joint and tuning slide. Nine silver keys, eight in integral wooden mounts; alternate B-flat lever in added wooden mount (repair or later addition). Closed keys: long c', double B-flat, G-sharp, short F, long F, D-sharp. Articulated, pewter-plug keys: c-sharp', c'. Lowest note c'. Total length, 666.1 mm. Sounding length, 588.5 mm. Ex coll.: Ellis Houghton, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. Arne B. Larson Collection, 1979.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 231, 233-235.

NMM 4345. Flute by Rudall & Rose, London, ca. 1838-1847. Serial no. 191. Stamped on body: [quatrefoil] / RUDALL & ROSE / No 1 TAVISTOCK STREET / COVENT GARDEN / LONDON / [quatrefoil]; on tuning slide barrel and foot joint: [quatrefoil] / RUDALL & ROSE / LONDON / [quatrefoil]. Conical. Four sections. Cocus, silver ferrules. German-silver end cap, screwed onto head joint. Metal lining in head joint and tuning slide. Eight silver keys in integral wooden mounts. Closed keys: long c', B-flat, G-sharp, long F, short F, D-sharp. Articulated, pewter-plug keys: c-sharp', c'. Lowest note c'. Total length, 658.7 mm. Sounding length, 583.8 mm. Original case. Arne B. Larson Collection, 1979.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 223, 237-239.

Rudall carte serial numbers flute clip art

NMM 3515. Flute attributed to Louis Lot, Paris, ca. 1849-1850. Distributed by Rudall & Rose, London. No serial number. Stamped on body (in script): Rudall & Rose / Patentees / 38 Southhampton St Strand / London. Parabolic head, cylindrical body. Three sections. German-silver-plated tube. Silver-plated body, keys, raised lip plate, and screw-cap. Boehm 1832 key system, open G-sharp, Briccialdi B-flat. Post and axle supports. Lowest note c'. Total length, 669.2 mm. Sounding length, 592.1 mm. Original case. W. Wayne Sorensen Collection, 1984.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 223, 240-242.

Stephanie Kocher, 'Boehm’s Very Good Idea,' Flute Talk, Vol. 25, No. 5 (January 2006), p. 14-15.

NMM 3791. Flute by Rudall, Carte & Co., London, ca. 1893. Serial no. 2470. Stamped on body: [crown] / RUDALL CARTE & Co / 23 BERNERS STREET / OXFORD STREET / LONDON; on head and foot joints: [crown] / RUDALL / CARTE & Co / LONDON. Parabolic head, cylindrical body. Three sections. Cocus, silver ferrules. Wooden screw-cap. Metal lining in head joint and socket of foot joint. Patented 1867 'Boehm and Carte Systems Combined.' Sixteen German-silver keys, post and axle supports. Closed keys: duplicate F, D-sharp. Articulated keys: d', c-sharp', c', duplicate c', B, B-flat, A, G-sharp, G, F-sharp, F, E, c-sharp', c'. Lowest note c'. Total length 622.1 mm. Sounding length, 542.2 mm. Original, fitted, double case shared with NMM 3972. Ex coll.: N. L. Anderson, Haslemere, Surrey, England. Arne B. Larson Collection, 1979.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 226, 243-245.

NMM 3792. Piccolo flute by Rudall, Carte & Co., London, ca. 1893. Serial no. 2998. Stamped on body: RUDALL CARTE & Co / 23 BERNERS STREET / OXFORD STREET / LONDON; on head and foot joints: [crown] / RUDALL / CARTE & Co / LONDON. Cylindrical head, conical body. Two sections. Cocus, silver ferrules. Wooden screw-cap. Metal lining in head joint. Patented 1867 'Boehm and Carte Systems Combined.' Post and axle supports. Lowest note d'. Total length, 292 mm. Sounding length, 240.5 mm. Original, fitted, double case shared with NMM 3791. Ex coll.: N. L. Anderson, Haslemere, Surrey, England. Arne B. Larson Collection, 1979.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 226, 245-247.

NMM 3208. Flute by Rudall, Carte & Co., London, ca. 1900. Serial no. 3224. Stamped on body: [crown] / RUDALL CARTE & Co / 23 BERNERS STREET / OXFORD STREET / LONDON; on head and foot joint: [crown] / RUDALL / CARTE & Co / LONDON. Parabolic head, cylindrical body. Three sections. Cocus, silver ferrules. Wooden screw-cap. Metal lining in sockets of head and foot joints. Patented 1847 Boehm system, additional closed G-sharp and Briccialdi B-flat keys. Post and axle supports. Lowest note c'. Total length 677.7 mm. Sounding length, 609.9 mm. Original case. W. Wayne Sorensen Collection, 1983.

Lit.: Amy Shaw Kreitzer, Transverse Flutes by London Makers, 1750-1900, M.M. Thesis (University of South Dakota, 1993), pp. 223, 247-249.