Broadwood grand

[garethbh]

Hello. I wonder if you can help shed more light on a piano...

My mother-in-law's father has recently died and we are looking into the history of his Broadwood, before potentially shipping it a long way south from Perthshire. I am lucky to live near Woking so have been to see the wonderful porters' books today. This is what I have found out about the piano.

First, it was sold to Harrods on 1 Sept 1927. It is described as follows in the book: "A No 101 Gd Pf Mah Col (sold as 100) A- C No 54786 £118 less 2.5% @ 30 days"

Then - although I couldn't find it coming back (though there was a brought in date in the numbers book - it went out again to a Mrs Albert Reeves, 6 Streatham Hill. This time the book says: "A No 101 Gd Pf Rw colour A-C No 54786 £186 To pay £50 down + 8qty of £12/7/6" It turned out near the end of the book that Mrs Reeves traded-in an upright for £37 as part payment.

The mysteries for me are:

- what is a No 101 Gd Pf?
- why would the colour change? Just a mistake? (I haven't actually seen the piano in more than a decade, having played it once in around 1998. My wife knows it better but isn't here to ask about the colour!)
- can I take it that A-C is the compass?

The other bits of history we know are that the piano must have made its way to Oxford, where Acott's (now defunct) probably sold it to my mother-in-law's father.

Can anyone tell me anything? Many thanks!

[Bill Kibby]

Your later posting doesn't seem to have anything extra. You have the advantage over us that you have actually looked at the archives. Are we to assume that your research was based on the serial number 54786? And are you sure that is correct, and the only number in the piano? It doesn't look anything like any 1927 numbers that I know of.

We must assume that 101 is the model, you'd have to ask Broadwoods. I expect gd pf means grand pianoforte. Mah is mahogany, but I don't know if "col" means colour, and why do you say the colour changed? I can't think what rw would mean unless it "red walnut"? That would be a complete new veneer job!

It seems to be saying that the compass is 88 notes A-C, my collection incudes a 1924 one of similar size which is, but I can't confirm it, you would have to ask the vendor or check photos.

Broadwoods are famous, but not generally renowned for their tonal quality, although I am impressed with mine.

[garethbh]

Sorry about the double posting - my fault (I didn't read the message about it needing approval first, so I thought I hadn't submitted properly). O can't see how to delete the other one, but am happy to see it disappear.

I didn't get hold of the number myself. I relied on a family member. But I was given 54786 after a good search. The number appeared twice in the porters book and in the numbers book so I can assume it's right. On the Broadwood page, it does look as though the serial number makes sense, although it would have it at 1925. The porters book had the from factory date as "3/9/27" but since this was after the date it apparently made its way to Harrods, I'm not sure that makes sense.

I assumed that "RW" was rosewood. But I can't account for the shift from mahogany to rosewood. Perhaps just a simple mistake. (Someone in my family should know what the wood is!)

I'll contact Broadwood about a type 101 piano.

Out of interest is the 1924 piano in your collection (of similar size) an example of a barless grand? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

(I really must get hold of some photos of the piano I'm interested in!)

[Colin Nicholson]

Unless the natural wood finish is showing through shellac (or just natural wood), occasionally, if the piano has been re-polished at some stage, it could be stained to look like rosewood, but in fact be mahogany or even oak. Even if the French polish is removed, a wood stain is permanent..... but it can play tricks on the eye due to age/ fading/ dark areas due to lack of light etc. If you remove the fallboard and both end key blocks, the back of the blocks (where the lid rests) will show the original colour and finish, but may be much darker....

Colin

[Bill Kibby]

My mistake, ours is #54916, so perhaps 1924 is wrong. It didn't occur to me that it would be rosewood at that time. No, mine is not barless. I will delete the extraneous posting for you.

I'll have to have another look at later Broadwood numbers, my brain is stuck in the 1800s most of the time!