New England Contradance Piccolo

         This piccolo/ flute set is for sale David and Nina Shorey Antique and Handmade flutes in the US. The flute is a lovely Euler with block mounted keys and low B foot. The piccolo is an original Meyer. What is  interesting is that this well worn little piccolo was used to play for contra dances in New Hampshire in the 1880s.

From the website:
     Condition: This flute (and the accompanying piccolo) have seen many good times in the hands of Mr. L. J. Dean of Peterborough, N.H. (U.S.A.). Evidence of this is seen in the repaired headjoint cracks, the mark of a long fingernail on the C# hole, a small socket crack on the lower joint, and the wear of usage on the tone holes (especially on the piccolo). Nonetheless the flute itself is in fine usable condition. The piccolo is so heavily worn from use at the tone holes that one suspects Mr. Dean's piccolo technique to have been very well rehearsed. The accompanying tune book of 16 manuscript contra dance tunes, marked "Piccolo/L. J. Dean", with the heavily worn piccolo, show not only that the instrumentation at the contra dances has not changed to this day, but the traditional tunes are still in use today. The dances of New England are one of the few venues that have not changed over the years; here in Maine (in 1980) we enjoy one player using an 1832 system Badger, one playing a Meachum of Albany 4 keyed flute, several with English romantic 8 keyed flutes, and keyed piccolos of various nationalities.

With the set is a tune book marked "piccolo"  and the original owners name.
From the website:

Mr. Louis J. Dean was a shoemaker in Peterborough, N.H. from Oct. 1881. His manuscript tune book includes 16 contra-dance tunes, including Money Musk in A, Hulls Victory in F, College Hornpipe in Bb, and Widow Bedott Reel in E. Clearly Mr. Dean was an accomplished piccoloist, and the wear on the tone holes of his piccolo attest to this.

Dean must have been accomplished enough to play outside the "normal keys" of traditional players. It's nice to see evidence of flute playing in contra dance prior to revivalists. I've not played a Meyer piccolo but the original Meyer flute I am acquainted with plays very well with a very unique feel and response for traditional music.