Catalogue of the Sir Nicholas Shackleton Collection
Heike FRICKE

This catalogue documents the achievement of the late Sir Nicholas Shackleton (1937-2006) in assembling one of the world's finest collections of musical instruments. The Sir Nicholas Shackleton Collection, brought together over a 40-year period, was bequeathed to the University of Edinburgh where it is maintained as resource for learning and research. The purpose of this catalogue is to summarise the research resource provided by the Collection.

The bound tome of over 800 pages gives detailed descriptions of over 900 instruments and related items and is illustrated by over 1000 full colour illustrations. The instruction books collected to support study of the instruments are listed. The clarinets (which constitute the main emphasis of the collection) span a 250-year period and range from contrabasses up to the smallest regularly-used clarinets (in high A). All the major instrument-making regions of the world are represented.

A major strength of the Collection is the comprehensive coverage of the amazing variety of keywork systems invented to address the problems in clarinet design.

The text has been prepared by a team of authors, the principal author, Heike Fricke, having written the descriptions of the clarinet family instruments.

The book is lavishly illustrated by photographs taken specifically by Dr Raymond Parks, Honorary Curator of the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments.