21½-inch kettledrum

George Potter

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Alternative Title

Timpani

Instrument

Kettledrum

Instrument Family

Percussion

Maker

George Potter

Place Made

United Kingdom ; Aldershot ; Europe ; England

Date Made

Circa 1850

Description

Technical description: Cavalry drum with copper shell; release hole at bottom of bowl; 3 brass loops for carriage straps; 3 fixed legs. Tuning is by a single handle with spring lever engaging a ratchet and indicating a number on the tuning gauge; tuning handle on side operates a metal shaft with 2 screw threads of opposite sense; two threaded metal cross-pieces mounted on screwed rod, each end of both cross-pieces fitted with a pulley; eight laterally-mounted pulley wheels in frames in the bowl with tangential axles; four circumferential external pulleys with radial axles mounted on exterior of bowl; at each of the eight tensioning points there is a hook which is attached to the outside of the flesh hoop and passes through the skin, with loosely mounted pulley on each hook. Embossed covers for the 4 pulleys with axles perpendicular to shell are inscribed "BY APPOINTMENT " / lion & unicorn coat of arms / "GEO. POTTER & CO / OF / ALDERSHOT"; other fittings are marked "POTTER / ALDERSHOT / PATENTEES". Tuning gauge inscribed round ratchet, at edge, with numbers 1 to 28; below this with "GEORGE POTTER & COMPANY. MAKERS. ONLY ADDRESS ALDERSHOT."; below this with "PATENTED INSTANTANEOUS SYSTEM OF TUNING.". Handle stamped twice "POTTER / ALDERSHOT". Loops stamped "PATENTEES".

Notes

A. Myers; C. Overton and R. Parks, 13.6.98.

Measurements

55.88cm diameter, 43.18cm height

Provenance

Purchased with assistance from the Government's Local Museums Purchase Fund, 1984.