Rudall Carte

Rudall Carte
Formerly
  • Rudall & Rose (1822–1852)
  • Rudall, Rose, Carte & Co. (1852–1872)
  • Rudall, Carte & Co. (1872–1955)
Company typeSubsidiary
Founded1820 (1820)
Defunct1955 (1955)
HeadquartersEdgware, London, England
ProductsMusical instruments
ParentBoosey & Hawkes

Rudall, Carte & Co. (commonly known as Rudall Carte) was a British flute maker based in London, England.

History

Rudall Carte traces its roots back to 1820, George Rudall (1781–1871), a flute teacher in London for supplying instruments made for John Willis.[1][2] In 1821, Rudall joined Edinburgh flute maker John Mitchell Rose and formed Rudall & Rose in 1822, setting up a workshop in London.[1] In 1850, Richard Carte was a student of Rudall and joined the company and formed Rudall, Rose, Carte & Co. in 1852.[1] Carte persuaded Rudall to make Theobald Boehm's early conical flutes.[1] Rudall Carte acquired the British rights to make Boehm's patent.[1] In 1862, the company began making brass instruments with Samson's patent for finger-slide valves.[3] In 1872, the company renamed Rudall, Carte & Co.[4] In 1883, Henry Carte had taken over his father's business, then later sold as a limited company by 1911.[4]

Rudall Carte patented flute designs based on both the simple system and Boehm systems, including the Carte's "old system" flute,[1] the 1851 system[1] and the 1867 system.[1]

During the early years of World War II, the company ceased production of brass instruments in 1939,[3] and it was acquired by Boosey & Hawkes.[5] Then later ceased flute making production in 1955.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bigio 2011.
  2. ^ McGee, Terry. "Before Rudall met Rose". Terry McGee. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b Myers, Arnold; Tomes, Frank. "Journal of surviving Rudall Carte brass instruments, saxophones and sarrusophones, with archival and catalogue data". Galpin Society Reference and Data Material. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Heritage". Rudall Carte. Retrieved 16 June 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Myers, Arnold (2003). "Brasswind Manufacturing at Boosey & Hawkes, 1930-59" (PDF). Historic Brass Society Journal: 55–56.

Bibliography

  • Bigio, Robert (2011). Rudall, Rose & Carte: The Art of the Flute in Britain (Illustrated ed.). Tony Bingham. ISBN 9780946113095.