Clarinet in E-flat
William Whiteley (born Lebanon-Goshen, CT, 1789 or 1790; died Knoxboro, NY, 25 March 1871) was an American maker of musical instruments, specialized in the clarinet. He made five-to ten-key clarinets, the many surviving examples show that he made them in a wide variety of sizes (F, E-flat, C, B-flat, and B-flat/A) in both Continental and English styles. He ran a woodwind instrument manufacture in Utica from 1810 to 1853. According to Robert E. Eliason, Whiteley’s significance lies in the volume and variety of clarinets he made, his publication, and in what the remains of his shop show about 18th century woodwind making. (Robert E. Eliason, "Whiteley, William", in: The Grove Dictionary of American Music, 2nd edition)
Overall size: 490
Bore: c-hole 10.2; f-hole 11.0
Conical part: 80
Technical description: Boxwood with ivory ferrules and brass keywork. Six pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, middle section for the fingers of the right hand, lower section with keys, bell. Long tenon English-style rosewood mouthpiece grooved for cord. English style flask shaped barrel. Square wooden rings. Pins to strengthen the key mounting. Speaker liner projects almost to the centre of the bore. Tone holes undercut. Levers for L4, tone-hole and key for R4 mounted in a bell-shaped swelling. Zig-zag F♯3/C♯5 lever guided in a rudiment of a round turned wooden ring.
L0: T; speaker.
L1: T; throat A♮.
L2: T.
L3: T.
L4: E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R1: T; trill key for throat A-B♮.
R2: T.
R3: T.
R4: T; G♯3/E♭5.
Keyhead type: flat square.
Keymount type: turned wooden rings, swelling.
Inscribed on upper joint, lower joint, and on bell: sunburst / "WHITELEY / UTICA / Eb". On middle joint: sunburst / Eb. Mouthpiece and barrel unstamped.
Playing accessories: one reed and a string (not contemporary)
(Heike Fricke, 2014)
Overall size: 490
Bore: c-hole 10.2; f-hole 11.0
Conical part: 80
Technical description: Boxwood with ivory ferrules and brass keywork. Six pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper section, middle section for the fingers of the right hand, lower section with keys, bell. Long tenon English-style rosewood mouthpiece grooved for cord. English style flask shaped barrel. Square wooden rings. Pins to strengthen the key mounting. Speaker liner projects almost to the centre of the bore. Tone holes undercut. Levers for L4, tone-hole and key for R4 mounted in a bell-shaped swelling. Zig-zag F♯3/C♯5 lever guided in a rudiment of a round turned wooden ring.
L0: T; speaker.
L1: T; throat A♮.
L2: T.
L3: T.
L4: E3/B♮4; F♯3/C♯5.
R1: T; trill key for throat A-B♮.
R2: T.
R3: T.
R4: T; G♯3/E♭5.
Keyhead type: flat square.
Keymount type: turned wooden rings, swelling.
Inscribed on upper joint, lower joint, and on bell: sunburst / "WHITELEY / UTICA / Eb". On middle joint: sunburst / Eb. Mouthpiece and barrel unstamped.
Playing accessories: one reed and a string (not contemporary)
(Heike Fricke, 2014)
Artwork Details
- Title: Clarinet in E-flat
- Maker: William Whiteley (1791–1869)
- Date: ca. 1810–53
- Geography: Utica, New York, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Wood, ivory, brass, reed
- Dimensions: L. including mouthpiece: 49 cm (19-5/16 in.); Bell Diam. 6.5 cm (2-7/16 in.)
- Classification: Aerophone-Reed Vibrated-single reed cylindrical
- Credit Line: Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher M. Brown III Gift, 1991
- Object Number: 1991.290
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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