[ Françoise Dussour wrote in 110806 MMDigest:

> Can you help me find some accounts, articles, or books about his
> production (probably imported from Mirecourt in Lorraine, France)?

Dear MMD's, Dear Françoise, Chère Françoise --  It sounds funny to me
to call you "Dear Françoise" as we are both French and members of
the French association AAIMM, but of course your question about the
serinette of De Potter might interest serinette lovers all over the
world.

I was on holiday when I received the MMD's letter and I wanted to take
time before answering.  I have the chance to own a De Potter serinette
and I wanted to examine it carefully first.

This serinette is 26 x 19 x 14.5 cm.  It is built in the typical usual
Mirecourt manner and uses the same kind of wood for the inside parts:
beech for the bellows, boxwood for the worm gear, lime tree for the
cylinder.  But there are a few differences, e.g., the case is made out
of oak.  Serinettes are usually made of walnut as I always have seen.

Another important difference is the use of brass instead of iron for the
"C"-shape crank, the side flat bolt, the springs pressing the keyboard
(might not be original) and the screws (original) for adjustment of the
keyboard.  The brass crank and bolt are precisely filed with fine
chamfers and are not replacements.  But I must say that all the bellows
springs, the connecting rod and the tune changing stud (fixed in the
cylinder carrier) are made out of iron.

The music, pinning and printing of label indicates that it is an 18th
century serinette or early 19th century.  The label is printed in French
and not in Flemish as we could expect.

At the top:
 "Noms des airs contenus dans le présent instrument"
and at the bottom :
  "Jean François De POTTER à St Nicolas, Pais de Waes.  Fecit".

The names of the nine melodies are handwritten in French:

  1 Le Coeur de ma Nanette,
  2 Gigue No 8,
  3 Le sauteur de France,
  4 le cordons bleus,
  5 gigue No(?),
  6 le tonnelier,
  7 Contredanse,
  8 Le déserteur,
  9 la favorite.

The melodies 5 and 7 are old repinnings.  The overglued label is
written in the same old manner.

What we might think of these details is that at least the case was built
by De Potter as he uses unusual materials (oak and brass), but perhaps
and why not all of it?  It could be a scrupulous copy of a serinette
from Mirecourt and in a way an honour for the Vosgian know-how.

The relief editor, Matthew Caulfield, indicates

 [ According to the book "Mechanische Instrumenten," by Isabelle
 [ Deleuse and Anne Meurant, S. F. De Potter was active as an
 [ organette maker in Sint Niklaas in the early 19th century.

Why not believe the book's authors?  But as we know, it is easy to put
one's own label on another's work and pretend to be a maker!

But perhaps De Potter did import parts of the serinettes: the whole
bellows set, the pipes, the pinned cylinder with key board?

Another curious thing is that the melody names are written in French.
St. Nicolas near Anvers [Antwerp] is a Belgium town but definitely a
Flemish town for a long time.  Does it mean that these serinettes were
made for the French market or is the French just as a sign of "French
touch"?

Doesn't it remind you of something in the present day -- a country
overflooding other countries with copies of their own best products?!

I am not sure I gave a complete answer, Françoise; in fact, I think
I made the mystery deeper.  But isn't it interesting to discuss?!

Best regards to you and to all the mechanical music friends.

Jean Nimal

P.S.: I can send a few pictures to anyone interested.

 [ Pais de Waes, or Waasland, is a region in Flanders, Belgium.
 [ See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waasland  -- Robbie