919

Guichard

Paris,

Stamp: On all joints except barrel: (Italic, in oval cartouche) Guichard / � Paris.

Marks:

Manufacture Date: Probably made after c. 1840, as the crab mark suggests, and possibly as late as the 1872 registration of a very similar maker's-hallmark.

Hallmarks: Keys hallmarked with the crab (outside of Paris from c. 1838) and the maker's diamond: . This mark is similar to the Parisian mark of Alexis Lachaume (No. 00424, insculpation 19 avril, 1872).

Comments:

Material: Made of a brown grenadilla type wood, with silver keys and trim. Springs flat steel. Cork screw of wood, with replaced ivory disk on the crown. Barrel and tuning slide repairs.

System: This interesting flute is an adjusted French 8 keyed flute, with changes made to enhance the playing of traditional tunes. The embouchure is reshaped into a softened rectangle. The F# hole has been opened by a descendant of Schuchart, who liked to undercut half way around the bore.

Condition: The restoration of this flute is complete.

Pitch:

Sounding Length: Sounding length 597 mm.

Measurements:

Weight: 384 g.

Case: In wooden case contemporary with the flute.

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919.01

The Guichard mark is the oval cartouche. The embouchure is part of a later rebuilding, intended to make this flute playable in traditional music.

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919.02

The heartpiece shows a bit of the lovely keywork on this expensive model from Guichard, and the enlargement of the F# tone hole so useful for playing Irish music.

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919.03

The Bb key shows the fine keywork; completely up-to-date in 1840 but a bit archaic after 1870.

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919.04

The C key lofts over the G# key in this classic French setup. The silver and the workmanship are of high quality.

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919.05

The beautiful sculpted dance between the G# and long F keys, made famous, if not introduced, by Godfroy and Lot.

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919.06

The French C foot, with finely made rollers, sculpted shanks, and shapely cups. This would have been a first-class flute from Guichard's workshop.

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919.07

Overcutting on the F# hole is part of a rebuilding of this flute, several owners ago. The current owner purchased this instrument some years ago for its quality of construction and playability.

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919.08

The silver hallmarks are the maker's diamond , and the crab of silver purity made outside of Paris. The crab was in use from 1838 onward, and the only silversmith published with this maker's mark is Alexis Lachaume, registered 19 April, 1872.

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919.09

The entry for Alexis Lauchame, from the Dictionnaire des poincoins, published by Cahiers de l'Inventaire, No. 25. It almost seems unlikely that the Guichard flute was made as late as 1872, but it is possible. The Guichard label continued in use after 1845 by the successors Gautrot and Cousenon (Langwill).