It has been great to read all the responses to my query about the left/right brake issue. Something occured to me with regard to old photos. Actually to any photos. I have come across many examples over the years of photos of "left handed" clarinets. Most (not all) have been a result of the negative being reversed. It is of course possible to do this on the computer too. The most recent issue of "The Clarinet" journal showed an advertisement for a famous brand of French clarinet of a well known player with his instrument. The image had been reversed--as far as I know their are no "left-handed" modern instruments by this, or any, maker. With bicycles, a quick butchers at the position of the chainset should suffice to check if the image was reversed. Or, am I opening another tin of maggots? Have chainsets always been on the "stage right" side of the machine? Lawrence Bradley, Tacoma, WA (Driest August here since the mid 1970's)