http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200341399958&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1123
Something one of us might want for a music studio.
that’s a truly pathetic beard like object 
Appears to be a variant of the “chin curtain”.
That IS very interesting. What I want to know is, WHO is holding the flute? Not him… look at his hand. It looks strangely like the flute is floating over the table, or else stuck to his cufflink! Hmmm… was there photoshop back then?!
But on the subect: does anyone have other old photos of simple system flutes? Does anyone have 19th century photos of Rudall or other? S.
is he not the hairy chested frog?
Come on people.
Everyone knows goat tufted celluloid collars where all the rage for the properly kitted Edwardian gentleman.
Top coats of the day also came with a flutetoneer on the sleeve to hook the Nicholsonian “sleeve hook” improvement.
And you all call yourselves flute lovers!
Better start leaning your proper history.
I give history lessons.
I take cash.
Has anybody noticed that the seller could be one of our own, aka C&f member Suzie?
Not could be.
Is.
I bought an 8 key Metzler from here last year.
Good kid.
Stand up dealer.
Looks like a large holed Rudall & Rose, not a RS Pratten flute to me…
the short-F key is sitting way too high for it to be Rudall.
By this time (the round seats to the foot plugs give indication of age) the short-F was not only lower to the body, but angled on the lower side of the flute to accommodate the F-nat to D move.
More importantly, though it’s hard to see…I don’t at all see the characteristic “bump” just above the axle block of the long-F key. Appears more Pratten-like in its straighness, though this is clearly a two-piece body.
And the LH piece has a C key and what appears to be a Bb touch that’s sitting awfully high.
Hard to tell. Not too many Rudalls have the “overlapping” touches on the plug keys with the round seats. The Eb key is very Rudall-like, with a very high touch. This guys beefy fingers probably had trouble covering the E hole w/o venting, ergo the high key touches.
The Long-F key cup looks more Pratten than Rudall.
Key is to know what country the photo is from: UK or the USA. Could be a copy, such as Crosby or Firth.
The ring joint between the two main pieces troubles me, too. Very un-Rudall looking, though it could be the ring is simply missing.
Here is another interesting antique of a boy playing the flute.
Yes, it could be a American flute, a closer look at the keys have that sharp pointy outcropping on top of the key cup, kind of the German style, that was adopted by some American makers. the thing that shy’s me away from calling it a Pratten, is the smaller pewter C, the Pratten’s have the same diameter pewter plug.
And the most important clue, would a English gentleman be caught dead in London with a beard like that? 
across from the d# key/cup, on the other side of the footjoint, there looks like a bump in the profile of the wood, just below the stem of the c key… what is that or is that some kind of optical illusion?
It has a very thick pillow pad on that key, maybe that is what you are looking at?
no i am not referring to the pad… look to the other side of the foot, in line with but directly opposing that key, which would be the side facing the camera…
no, Jon, I think he’s seeing something opposite that, on the viewer’s side of the flute/photo. I saw it, too, but simply thought it an anomally of the print. Dunno.
And that beard? I hate to say but Mr. Rudall had one nearly the same, though better pronounced.