Charles Begg's stockbook shows new Kirkman pianos being sold with completely different serial numbers that suggest the s. These show a variation of 13, in a year, which we cannot assume to be the number of pianos manufactured and, as often happens, they did not sell in number order …. By the s, they had numbers suggesting the s. We are asked to believe that only of this famous name were made in 26 years — less than one per week.
Here are some estimates. The impression from these is that they made an average of Kirkman pianos a year, or at least got through that many numbers from to The wartime numbers shown here in red are not in sequence.
On average, the others get through about 15, numbers per year. Our Bansall piano circa has an un-named German action with the number ,, probably Langer. Later taken over by Herrburger Brooks. Well-known as a maker of harmoniums, we have a example Malcolm also made piano players, and piano actions, and these usually have a numbered label on the rear of the hammer rail.
Rubber-stamped numbers:. Paper Labels:. I suppose I must be allergic to something in the felt dust. See also the modern numbers near the bottom of the page. Some have adjustable brass flanges, as illustrated. Murdoch upright pianos typically have a number on the top edge of the bass end of the case, with a smaller number at right-angles, thought to be a model number or type, but the published numbers for Murdoch are unreliable, although they can often be dated quite reliably by the action number, if it is made by Malcolm.
Many of the pianos had made-up names such as Claremont, Normelle or Rottmann. At some point, Murdoch took over the Spencer factory, but also used other factories, so Murdoch pianos cannot usually be dated by numbers.
These pictures show that a Murdoch piano had the number , and also at right-angles to it, and further inside, in addition to A encircled on the iron frame. An uncommon example was dated by the Malcolm action numbers listed above…. In terms of names, there were ELEVEN different Schiedmayer firms, so before you apply any published information such as serial numbers to your piano, it is vital to check inside and outside for the full name of the company that made it.
Sadly, various sources especially on the internet see the name "Schiedmayer" and immediately jump to the conclusion that it is some particular firm, without checking first. Ehrbar has a similar problem, you need to check which Ehrbar you are dealing with. He had 3 sons…. Perhaps from ? Schiedmayer, perhaps from ? Their published numbers may appear to remain at a thousand per year from to , but the entries do not include every year, and anyway, the pianos have more than one number.
According to various sources, modern pianos bearing the Schiedmayer name were made by Kemble UK, and more recently by Kawai, Japan.
Some actions were exported for use in English pianos, and some were used by German firms, including Baldur, Hauptmann, Waldstein, Musikhaus Ortlieb, Neumeyer, Steck, etc.. Around , they often made upright actions which were integral with the keyboard, so that they could be removed from the piano whilst still connected to each other, as they normally are in grands.
Henri Pape did this in the s. This can make repairs and adjustments in the home more difficult, and require 2 people, and a table of suitable height. Isermann may have made them in that form too. Apart from Henry Schwander, the family did not make pianos, but their name is often hidden inside old pianos, on the rear of the action.
After , some actions are marked with an imprint of their exhibition medals, as in the sketch above. Pianos that used Shenstone keys include Bansall, Brasted, C. Shenstone key labels are dated, but their numbers seem to have used some sort of code, they are not in sequence, so they do not help us with dates. In the thirties, Shenstone keys were normally used in conjunction with Herrburger Brooks actions.
Sometimes, Shenstone iron frames are marked with JS and a number. We receive more enquiries about Spencer numbers than any others, and my entries on the Piano History Forum have had over twenty thousand hits for Spencer postings alone.
Hundreds of their surviving instruments are listed in our files and, as with many old pianos, you can usually just open the top, and immediately see a serial number, often accompanied by a model number or letter. If you find the number , it is not a serial number, it refers to a patent. According to the Pierce Piano Atlas, Spencer piano number 38, was made for HRH the Princes of Wales in , but this is incorrect, her purchase was mentioned in Murdoch's Music Album celebrating the Coronation in , and is also the likely date of the number.
Strangely, it must also have been made or sold before 37,, which has a plate inside it referring back to the royal purchase. What we do know for a fact is that by , the numbers had reached 52,, suggesting that in 26 years, they got through an average of two thousand numbers per year, although it is unlikely that they made that many pianos.
Surprisingly, their numbers continued to increase at a similar rate through the war, then settled down to about one thousand per year. By the s, some more modern pianos bearing the Spencer name have numbers that look like those of the s. As far as Steinberg Berlin is concerned, in spite of the sudden increase in the early twenties, this list is the best we can offer, compiled from a number of different sources.
It seems that serial numbers may have been counted in steps of a thousand per year, with the first 2 digits also representing the year, so 28, might be The firm was established in The later examples are in a different sequence, but they are dated under the keys…. John Markham was one of my bosses when I worked for Berry Pianos, and he had lived next door to Charles Stiles when he was young, so I suspect there was more than one generation of Charles working from at least the s to the s.
The few available dates we have for Stodart London pianos all seem to be estimates, some are my own, some from owners, museums, restorers etc.. The numbers do not run in a single continuous sequence, so without photos of the WHOLE piano, we can't guess anything about the date.
Some of the variations may be because of various members of the Stodart family producing pianos. The only published lists are for the later American firm, and some of those are misleading. Established Henry Ward was established in , and was based at Great Russell Street until the s.
The Cottage Piano we have here, , which I estimated at , is dated on the side of the key of the top note. Marie Judge emailed about another Cottage Piano , which I estimated at It is dated on the key! Apart from these, the only other firm date we have is the one…. They averaged about numbers per year, suggesting these dates…. Then they got through about numbers per year, suggesting the following dates…. Numbers published for Wornum are misleading because they do not give the Piccolo Pianoforte numbers, or the grand numbers, and as more and more production was devoted to Piccolo Pianos, the numbers for these almost began to catch up with the main number sequence.
Pianos bearing the Store Street address must be after Piccolo Pianoforte numbers. In the main numbers, for example, 4, is dated By the s, Henry Zender was producing pianos in London. Around , Sydney Zender seems to have taken over from Henry, but we have no numbers until…. This is a list of twentieth-century serial number dates, mainly from some of the pianos I have tuned over the years, which were reliably dated inside.
Where several numbers are known for the year, I give the earliest and latest. It would be so easy for other tuners to keep such information on index cards or computers, and help us to preserve history.
If you have an idea of the date, and the true maker is uncertain, you may be able to guess it from the numbers on this list. Rogers 21, Seabrook 32, Hicks 13, Stiles , by Bord. Collier 11, Spence 22, Cramer 45, Wheatland 22, Danemann 36, Gilbert 7, Hansen 8, Paul Gerard 1, Hauptmann 2, Lestel 6, Collard , Hocking 13, Hofmann 14, Garrick 92, Niendorf 23, Parker 91, Cooper Southam 21, Kemble 20, Dated on a paper label on the back. Co-Op 2, John Ralph 99, Windover 45, Hicks 37, Dagmar 85, Elmore 71, Ebhar 43, Stiles K36, by Kemble.
Strohbech 37, Allison 53, Hicks 43, Osbert 36, by Kemble? Kirkwood 45, Osbert 42, by Kemble? Stahl 4, by Challen. Hopkinson 84, Barnes 43, Dale Forty 6, by Challen. Gilbert 44, Schubach 7, Boyd 49, Challen 63, Osbert 49, by Kemble? Regent 9, by C. Barnes 66, by Kemble. Boyd 87, Challen 56, Frame cast in , keys dated Knight 1, Kemble 69, painted on frame, K imprint on soundboard.
Knight 2, Welmar 46, Their numbers seem to start with 2 digits of the year. Welmar 52, Challen 79, Danemann 72, Knight 13, Challen 82, by Brasted. Keppell 52, Knight 16, Boyd , by Brasted. Chappell 84, Eavestaff , Boyd , by Kemble. Bentley 90, Berry 44, Chappell 85, Danemann 76, Kemble , Broadwood , Challen 87, Zender 45, Rogers Eungblut , by Kemble.
Bentley 97, Cramer , Knight 31, Paul Gerard 8, by Kemble? Squire , by Kemble. Zender 31, Knight 35, Lincoln , by Bentley. Lindner D29, Giles 10, Knight 45, Welmar 65, Zender 36, Challen 91, Hayward 2, Knight 38, Rogers 46, Zender 37, Welmar 66, Danemann 88, Zender 43, Brinsmead , by Kemble.
Zender , Kawai , Zender 46, Bentley , Cramer , by Kemble. Knight 49, C 1 E0 3 9 -T 7 6. C 2 T9 2 J 0 1 4 -R April Last R Serial Numbers are for the first instrument made in year shown. Th i s fa c tory was c losed in In Yamaha sta r ted w i t h 5 0 and then chan g ed t o , n u mbe r s. Normandie Armstrong Haines Bros. Pease Bent, George P. Miller Wellington. Bent George P. Bjur Bros. Crown pianos by Crown Before Crown Pianos Made by Aeolian After Drachmann Metropolitan Anderson Bro Meldorf.
Purcell Wegman Soward Settergren. Estey Pianos with Settergren numbers:. Haines and his brother Francis W. Haines in New York City. For the first 20 years, they built a nice selection of Square Grand Pianos before building their first upright pianos in Haines Brothers was known for building high quality, lovely sounding instruments and they were very popular for several decades.
Their grand and baby grand pianos became popular after the turn-of-the-century. In the 's, Sherlock-Manning Piano Company took control of Haines Brothers, building the Haines Brothers brand name until ceasing operations in The W. The firm was incorporated in by T. Linton Floyd-Jones, the grandson of W. Haines Piano Company built a full line of upright pianos, baby grand pianos and player pianos, and their instruments were known for being of very good quality, and the firm was very successful.
Haines factory was capable of high volume manufacturing, and they actually manufactured pianos to the specifications of several other firms during the early 20th Century. In addition to pianos sold under the 'W. Winter continued building pianos under the W. Haines brand name until about Became part of the large Aeolian American Corporation. Grands before Re-introduced in the s has pianos manufactured to their specifications by various Asian manufacturers including the Dong Bei Piano Group factory, in the Liaonin province of China.
Scroll down below to find the 1 manufacturer of your piano, and then 2 click on the link to find the serial number. Please be patient as we are updating this page on a daily basis. Looking for the Current Market Value of Your piano? Cable Kemble. Kimball Kohler and Campbell. Melville Clark. Schafer and Sons. Sohmer Steinway and Sons Story and Clark.
Yamaha Young Chang. Thinking of purchasing a Yamaha Piano? Visit our Grey Market Pianos page to find out more before making that purchase! The Pierce Piano Atlas, 12th Edition now in hardcover format, provides a wealth of information about the piano manufacturing industry. Over 12, piano names are included, some dating back to the early eighteen hundreds. This guide provides references to serial numbers, dates of manufacture, factory locations, a brief history of many manufacturers and other pertinent information.
The Piano Book is the bible of the piano marketplace. An indispensable resource to buyers and owners of pianos, amateur and professional pianists alike. This book evaluates and compares every brand and style of piano sold in the United States.
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