[Bell Historians] bell profiles

[Susan Dalton]

David Bryant writes: 
> Whitechapel - True harmonic tuning was introduced here in the 1920s (anyone
> have an exact date), and from what I can gather there was initially some
> experimenting with profiles (e.g. the ex-Birmingham twelve). This evolvd
> into the Mark I profile, used until about 1970, when the present Mark II
> profile was introduced.

First true-harmonic bells sent out from Whitechapel were in 1923, including
a ring of 6 for Petham which sounds well even though the tuning is not veru
accurate at all. The foundry then reverted to "Old Standard" tuning (i.e.
no real standard at all, but with hums sharp to a varying degree and
fundamentals generally flat) till 1927 when true-harmonic tuning was adopted
in earnest, more than 30 years after Loughborough. Good Shepherd, Preston,
Brighton 8 was the first ring. (I did think all this was common knowledge!)
>
> Gillett & Johnston - I know less about these, but I believe TH tuning was
> introduced in about 1907...

1907 it was. G & J bells were markedly long-waisted in the early years
(e.g. Wimborne Minster). But the foundry's casting and tuning abilities
reached a virtually unrivalled pitch of perfection in the 1920s (e.g.
Coventry Cathedral).

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