Monday 22 November 2021
Hopkinson Pianos
Friday 19 November 2021
Eavestaff Pianos
1923, Brasteds moved to new premises at Hermitage Road, Harringay where they remained for 47 years! Production levels steadily increased from perhaps 50 pianos per week in 1920 up to nearly 200 pianos per week by the late 1930s.
Wednesday 17 November 2021
Chappell Pianos
Saturday 13 November 2021
Danemann
In 1934, an agreement between the Halifax based firm of Poulmann & Son, and the Danemann Co. whereby all the Poulmann designs, jigs etc. were moved to the Danemann factory and Poulmann pianos would now be made in London.
Wednesday 3 November 2021
John Brinsmead
John Brinsmead began life in rural Devon and among his early ambitions was that of being a farmer! His elder brother Henry moved up to London and began building his own pianos in 1835 and for a couple of years he and John worked together. After a falling out John set up business on his own.
The firm went from strength to strength supported by the factory at Kentish Town and the showrooms at Wigmore Street. Part of the success was due to John’s very close watch on quality control and his knack at self-promotion! This not very ‘English’ trait did not go down well with the likes of Broadwood and Collard. However, timidity does not yield rocketing sales.
1899 Brinsmead became a Limited Company managed by Horace Brinsmead - John’s youngest son. Horace set about modernising the the business and introduced 10 new models by 1900. Alas, another family fall out led to Horace leaving the firm in 1903.
In 1921 the name and goodwill of John Brinsmead & Sons was purchased by Walter Saville of J. B. Cramer. The further production of Brinsmead pianos was transfered to the Saville factory very close by at Castle Road, Kentish Town.
A new range of pianos were introduced with the Brinsmead name designed by one of the Cramer workers. These pianos were the same as the Cramer pianos of the time but had the Brinsmead nameplate.
Walter Saville squired a number of brand names: Justin browne, Metzler, George Russell. In 1964 the whole company was sold to Kemble & Co.
© Steve Burden
Wednesday 27 October 2021
The Perfect Touch
Wednesday 20 October 2021
Thurmer F. Serial Nos.
Year | Serial No. |
1900 | 19500 |
1905 | 27800 |
1910 | 37700 |
1915 | 49900 |
1920 | 52700 |
1925 | 57000 |
1926 | 57500 |
1927 | 58000 |
1928 | 59600 |
1929 | 60300 |
1935 | 67000 |
1940 | 72700 |
1952 | 73800 |
1973 | 81500 |
1977 | 81715 |
1985 | 82680 |
1990 | 83330 |
1993 | 83530 |
These serial numbers can be used only as a reference point.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.
The idea that 100% accuracy for all piano makers over a century ago is an interesting thought - but considering that all record keeping would be hand-written and kept in large ledger books, inaccuracies are likely. These records will be as reliable as the clerks whose job it was to keep them. The digital age of barcodes and scanned labels was still in the realm of science fiction. So we have to be content with our best guess numbers.
Weinbach Serial Nos.
Year | Serial No. | Year | Serial No. |
1900 | 10510 | 1973 | 143000 |
1910 | 23920 | 1977 | 170000 |
1920 | 32920 | 1980 | 189200 |
1930 | 64200 | 1983 | 209951 |
1940 | 72120 | 1987 | 230740 |
1950 | 85550 | 1990 | 244040 |
1955 | 89300 | 1993 | 259410 |
1960 | 96600 | 1997 | 267430 |
1963 | 106600 | 2000 | 270950 |
1967 | 118400 | 2003 | 273170 |
1970 | 129200 |
These serial numbers can be used only as a reference point.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.
The idea that 100% accuracy for all piano makers over a century ago is an interesting thought - but considering that all record keeping would be hand-written and kept in large ledger books, inaccuracies are likely. These records will be as reliable as the clerks whose job it was to keep them. The digital age of barcodes and scanned labels was still in the realm of science fiction. So we have to be content with our best guess numbers.
Wurlitzer Serial Nos.
Year | Serial No. | Year | Serial No. |
1903 | 1910 | 1953 | 474451 |
1907 | 7500 | 1957 | 607000 |
1910 | 11600 | 1960 | 657000 |
1913 | 15000 | 1963 | 815000 |
1917 | 28000 | 1967 | 985000 |
1920 | 40000 | 1970 | 1105000 |
1923 | 53000 | 1977 | 1395000 |
1927 | 80000 | 1980 | 1595000 |
1930 | 112000 | 1983 | 1725000 |
1933 | 130300 | 1987 | 1900000 |
1937 | 150000 | 1990 | 2080001 |
1940 | 195000 | 1993 | 2820556 |
1942 | 225000 | 1996 | 2829222 |
1946 | 330000 | 1998 | 2835027 |
1950 | 400000 | 2000 | 2840520 |
These serial numbers can be used only as a reference point.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.
The idea that 100% accuracy for all piano makers over a century ago is an interesting thought - but considering that all record keeping would be hand-written and kept in large ledger books, inaccuracies are likely. These records will be as reliable as the clerks whose job it was to keep them. The digital age of barcodes and scanned labels was still in the realm of science fiction. So we have to be content with our best guess numbers.