Description: The flute’s body is made from cocuswood and the head from ivory. The wood has a lovely color and figure in the right light. The flute has a fully lined head, nickel silver keys and rings, and a graduated brass tuning slide. It has 8 keys – C, Bb, G#, long and short F, Eb, and C# and C foot keys. The lower two foot keys use pewter plugs in nickel silver plates. The remaining keys are salt spoon style with leather-covered pads. The end cap has internal threads that engage with a threaded cork holder (turned from ivory), and can be twisted to fine-tune the stopper position. A finial with a nickel silver cap protrudes through the end cap to give a visual indication of the stopper position.
Makers marks: The head is marked “C. PELOUBET / NEW YORK”. The barrel is marked “C. PELOUBET / NEW YORK”. The left hand section of the body is marked “C. PELOUBET / NEW YORK”. The right hand body section is marked “C. PELOUBET / NEW YORK”. The foot markings are very faint, but appear to say “C. PELOUBET / NEW YORK / FACTORY AT / BLOOMFIELD / NJ”.
History: Chabrier de Peloubet, born in Philadelphia in 1806, had a business facility in New York between 1829 and 1836. In 1836 he moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he opened a factory, became one of the communities most wealthy and respected citizens, and eventually died in 1885. According to the 1850 census, Peloubet’s factory employed 4 workers, making a selection of instruments (flutes, clarinets, melodeons and reed organs). Given the foot markings, it is likely that this flute dates from some time after 1836 and prior to his death.
Peloubet entered three of his “german flutes” in the Fifth Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association in Boston in 1847, where they were judged as follows. “These instruments were exceedingly well made, in good tune, and very easy to be filled, answering promptly and readily to the most rapid fingering. The tone was clear and fine, particularly on the lower notes.“
Chabrier Peloubet probably learned flute making from his father, Louis Alexander Peloubet, who fought for the King’s army during the French Revolution, was captured and sentenced to death, but escaped and fled to Germany, where he learned to make flutes and other woodwind instruments.
For more information about Chabrier Peloubet see this extract from Charles H. Kaufman’s book on “Music in New Jersey, 1655-1860“.
Tuning: This flute plays well at A=440 hz with the tuning slide extended around 16mm at 70 degrees F. This flute would work well for playing Irish Traditional Music at modern pitch standards.
Specifications: C# – D# 263 mm. L2 tone hole 8 mm. R2 tone hole 8 mm.
Condition: The flute is in playable condition, but its restoration is still in progress. Remaining work includes fixing the crack on the back side of the ivory head, turning a new end cap, re-padding all keys, and making a new ring for the bottom of the foot, which is currently missing.