Charles Wheatstone© Samuel LaurencePublic Domain Mark

Charles Wheatstone

Scientist; inventor of the English concertina

Born
6 February 1802, Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Died
19 October 1875, Paris, France

Charles Wheatstone came to music through his uncle’s instrument making business and turned his study of sound into a distinguished scientific career at King’s College London. His experiments with free reeds led to the bellows blown concertina, patented in 1844, which is still played in folk music today. He also invented the stereoscope.

Further reading: Wikipedia