Longhurst Cocus 1-Key

A cocuswood one-key flute attributed to Thomas Longhurst, believed to date from around 1840. No maker's mark is visible on the instrument, and the attribution rests on provenance rather than stamping; it is offered here with that caveat clearly stated.

The flute is in need of complete restoration and is sold as is. The head joint is missing its crown, and the barrel section carries a crack. There are also a couple of hairline cracks at the socket end of the right-hand section. Once properly restored, this should make a fine-playing cocuswood one-key.

About the Maker

Thomas Longhurst was a wind instrument maker working in New York, active through 1855. He is listed in the New Langwill Index, the standard reference for historical wind-instrument makers, and his work is documented in the Dayton C. Miller collection at the Library of Congress, which holds a Longhurst flute in C dated 1833. Longhurst was among a number of makers who contributed to a lively mid-19th-century flute-making trade in New York; while historical attention has often focused on London-made instruments of the period, flute making had become significant business in the United States as well, particularly around New York.