Brief Googling:
* E Delarue isn't in the New Langwill Index of instrument manufacturers. That means it probably didn't have ties to other companies.
Generally means "really small". I did see a couple references to E Delarue oboes, but more for F Delarue. (That may mean that there are two different manufacturers, someone read the name wrong or the name switched at some point.)
* Someone is selling a 1913 wooden
Delarue flute online. For $2500. The seller, a music store, may have some idea as to the age of your flute, then, and its value.
* The earlier oboe references were for 19th century horns. This might mean that Delarue went *poof* around or right after
WWI.
* That's a pretty hefty crack in the flute. That's possibly bad mojo. Is the joint that's cracked the headjoint?
* You
may be missing an end stopper for that headjoint.
* The oboe folks mentioned that their horns *might* be high pitch. Depending on the age -- early 19th century, for instance -- it could even be French Standard Pitch. Probably little to no way of telling with that giant crack.
If it's the headjoint that's cracked, and it's solid wood, it's
approximately $900 to replace. I don't know if that could be repaired.
From what I read, cylindrical headjoint wooden flutes with Boehm system (modern) fingering are insanely rare and relatively expensive (several thousand $ range). I *think* you've got a standard Boehm system flute; I don't play one, so I can't tell, 100%. I also think that the headjoint's cylindrical, based on the conical headjoints I've seen.
Hey, if you've got bigger pics, I'll consider it for my 2010 calendar
.
Check out
http://www.oldflutes.com/boehm.htm