The "flute family" is the oldest in the category of woodwind instruments. Throughout history the size of the tube along the flutes length has evolved in respect to its bore shape. In the Renaissance the flute was a simple cylindrical wooden tube with embouchure hole and finger holes, stopped at the end above the embouchure hole. To achieve a greater range, the bore of the baroque flute was modified to a slightly tapered conical shape with the larger radius at the embouchure hole and the smaller radius at the bell end.
The nineteenth century marked several additional modifications for the flute. In 1830 Theobald Boehm, a German watchmaker and goldsmith and an amateur flutist, developed the modern flute. The modern flute reverted back to a cylindrical bore and achieved the desired range and acceptable intonation by elongating the end section above the embouchure hole and modifying the sizes and positions of the finger holes. Boehm also designed the Boehm fingering system, which was a most important improvement in the flute.
The body of the piccolo was originally made of wood, but today the piccolo is made of metal, sometimes silver. In earlier times there were a few piccolos made of pure gold. It was said that the sound quality from them was the best.

Repertoire Guide
A basic guide to etudes, solo repertoire and chamber music for flute:

Baroque: Bach Sonatas, B Minor Suite Handel Sonatas Telemann Sonatas, Fantasies, Suite in A minor
Mid-18th C:. CPE Bach, Sonatas, Concerti Quantz, Concerti Vivaldi, Sonatas (Il Pastor Fido), Concerti
Classical: Gluck, Menuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Orfeo) Haydn, Concerto, London Trios Mozart, Concerti (G Major, D Major, C Major with Harp) 4 Flute Quartets (Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello)
Romantic: Beethoven, Serenade for Flute, Violin, Viola Chaminade, Concertino Doppler, Fantaise Pastorale Hongroise Godard, Suite Kuhlau, Divertissements, Duets, Trio, Quartets Reinecke, Undine Sonata, Concerto Schubert, Introduction and Variations on Trockne Blumen St. Saens, Air de Ballet d'Ascanio, Romance
20th C: Bloch, Suite Modale Debussy, Syrinx, Trio for Flute, Viola, Harp Dutilleux, Sonatine Feld, Sonata Hanson, Serenade Hindemith, Sonate Ibert, Concerto Jolivet, Concerti, Chant de Linos Kennan, Night Soliloquy Martinu, First Sonata Muczynski, Sonata Nielsen, Concerto Poulenc, Sonata, Sextuor for Piano and Woodwind Quintet Paris Conservatoire Concours Pieces, Busser, Fauré, Ganne, Gaubert, Taffanel Prokofiev, Sonata Sancan, Sonatine Varèse, Density 21.5
Etudes and Technical Studies
Altès Daily Exercises, Etudes
Andersen Etudes
Boehm Etudes, Caprices
Clardy Flute Fundamentals, The Etude Book
Karg-Elert Caprices
Moyse De la Sonorité, Gammes et Arpèges
Paganini Caprices
Taffanel-Gaubert Daily Exercises
Suggested basic Piccolo repertoire:
Persichetti Parable for Solo Piccolo
Vivaldi Concerto in C
Lieberman Concerto for Piccolo, Op. 50
Any Baroque Sonata by Telemann, Handel or Vivaldi