.............This really is a most significant and important archive of tools, probably dating from the 19th century. It comprises the complete surviving set of music printing punches, used by the leading specialist firm of Novello & Co. Ltd., of Hollen St. Soho W.1............ I have had this box of punches for a few years now, pondering over what should be done with it - I got it from a friend who had also had it for a few years. He had saved it from being put into a skip. It is still just as he found it. Everything has been put into paper parcels, and envelopes with the firm's stamp - sets have been kept together, and there is swarf and pewter dust in with the tools. I can imagine one of the last employees, clearing the benches just before the works closed for the last time, wistfully packing away and preserving the tools that had been used for many decades.... The firm of Novello was founded in 1811 by a noted organist and composer, Vincent Novello. His son Joseph Alfred Novello took over in 1829, aged 19, and built the firm up to be the leading music publisher in London in the 19th century. Joseph retired in 1866, and the business passed to his partner Henry Littleton. After Henry died in 1888, the business continued to thrive, run by his two sons. They moved to grand newly built premises at 152-160 Hollen Street in 1898, and continued at various addresses in Soho until the late 20th century. The firm presented their business archives, and collection of autograph music manuscripts, to the British Library, in 1987. Presumably these punches would have been salvaged around that time. The punches were used to impress letters, symbols, notes etc. onto pewter printing plates. These plates were then finished by hand engraving, and used to print affordable editions of sheet music, which were very popular during Victorian times. There is an interesting short film about the process in the British Pathe archives: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/notes-on-music/query/PT+353 There are so many - hard to quantify, impossible to value. Some are stamped Huntsman - the firm of Huntsman of Sheffield was founded by Benjamin Huntsman, the clockmaker who invented cast crucible steel. They made tools of the very highest quality. There are about 50 parcels. Some are still taped up, unopened since they were put in the box. Some are sets of about 50, some are lovely old, clear, alphabets, some are mixed. Some are very small indeed, others are quite big. All show signs of having been stored in paper - there is some surface rust, which looks much worse in the pictures than it actually is. I would not regard it as a serious problem, although it will be laborious and fiddly to conserve them properly. There does not seem to be any pitting that would affect the clarity of the impressions - they are beautifully hardened and still crisp. So, at a guess, I would say there are more than 2000 punches in total. I reckon that to have them made today would cost an average of over ?100 each. Whoever buys them will definitely get value for money. I hope they go to the right place - they are very useable, as well as historically important, and deserve to be preserved and appreciated. Their like will never be seen again. The wooden box, full, weighs 50 kg., and measures 70 cm. x 40 cm. x 25 cm. I could deliver it, at cost to be agreed, or the successful buyer would be welcome to collect it from Saffron Walden, with payment in cash on collection. I have quoted shipping costs, but if you live in a remote place, or on an island, these costs will be increased. Please contact me for a quote, before bidding. The buyer can arrange their own courier if preferred. I would be happy for serious bidders to inspect the lot closely, by arrangement, in Saffron Walden, before bidding.
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