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My earliest reference to Murdoch in Corporation Street is at number 47, in 1897. The piano looks typical of the 1920s, but the number suggests that it may have been made before 1921. I will see what I can find, but Murdoch pianos cannot be reliably dated by serial numbers, because they were made for...

I have a few estiated dates for William Sames pianos from England, but I have no idea if they will help. If you open the top of the piano, can you see any numbers?
Also, have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/datemarks.html

This is a typical Victorian Cottage Piano as shown at
http://www.pianohistory.info/victorian.html
They finished in the 1880s, this one may be a little earlier, but unless there is a date written on the end keys, I can't pin it down more accurately.
My email is on my own website.

The only clue in your information is Maunder... 1865 Not listed. 1869 John Maunder, 54, Queen Street Camden Town NW. 1870 John Maunder, 54, Queen Street Camden Town NW. 1875 is the latest directory entry I have found so far for John Maunder, Apollo Works, Leighton Road NW. 1880 Not listed. Arthur Al...

My initial guess is that it was made around 1902, so have a look at http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html Dodson was established in 1867, but did not appear in the London directories up to 1870. By 1875, the first reference to Dodson in my London lists of Pianoforte makers is Wm.Dodson, 22A, B...

Unfortunately no proper dates of their serial numbers are available. I had an enquiry about this piano on this forum in 2016, and estimated its date at 1899, but with more information arriving, I can say that it is shortly before 1902, perhaps 1901. However, the key clearly has a date ending /99 so ...

I don't know if there are 2 posts about this piano, I answered it yesterday but can't see my answer.
The number suggests that your piano was made in 1888.

I'm not sure about the "etc.", no original archives survive, and all we can do is try to date the number. In this instance, 10516 suggests that it was made around 1888.

I was guessing that your piano was made around the 1914 war. This website needs some help with the software that is supposed to upload photos. Here are (I hope they load) some pictures of Brinsmead numbers. Like yours, they have 5 digits preceded by a circle, but it's not a zero, it's a felt pad to ...

Dating a piano purely on the basis of numbers is often not as simple as it seems, and one reason for this is the fact that most pianos have several numbers inside. Although it is not unusual for a serial number to have 6 digits, in 60 years I have never seen one that began with a zero. If you just o...

It is usually very straightforward with Spencers, and as you can see in examples above, if you lift the top and look inside, you should see a serial number. If 1695 is the number, it was made shortly after 1883, and will probably be a Cottage Piano style, as shown at... http://www.pianohistory.info/...

When you say "baby" do you mean a baby grand? If this number appears on the front edge of the soundboard, near the treble end, it is a separate sequence, known as a belly number. A few of these are shown at http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html and suggest a date around 1903. There should be ano...

A Monington & Weston would usually have a serial number visible when you lift the top. Another is hidden away on the soundboard, probably inside the bottom. Both would be 5 digits, but quite different.

Is there no name at all on the piano? The style is a bit like the Jacobean models of the twenties, but the inside looks older. See my Edwardian page... http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html Is it possible to have more of a front view? Can I ask how you arrived at the idea that it is a Moningto...

Michael Gunn & Son were in business until 1873,and are known to have sold Erard Semi-Grand pianofortes. 1451 appears to be the serial number, which would suggest that it was made around 1847, although published information varies. We don't know yet when they moved to Grafton Street, and it may be th...

You mention "more photos" but you haven't shown us any yet. Parker is a very common surname, so it is not surprising that there have been a number of piano firms with the name, but most of these were retailers, not true makers. They include... PARKER & Co. at BISHOPSGATE PARKER & Co. at EDGEWARE ROA...

My guess would be walnut, but someone else may offer a more reliable answer to that. The number suggests that it was made in 1916, and this seems reasonable. The deep bevelled edges of the panels were common then. Some earlier Spencers only have partial iron frames, and wooden pedals. Around this ti...

My only clue is the Jacobean style, which suggests twenties, starting from about 1923-4 onwards.
Checking the keys is a more major operation with a player, can you see any markings near the bottom of the iron frame?

In the twenties, Rogers serial numbers were about half the Chappell numbers.
Reviewing my files on Chappell serial numbers, there are many that don't correspond to the published dates. My Numbers page only lists confirmed dates.
Later in the 1900s, Chappell pianos were made at the Kemble factory.

Is it a Herrburger Brooks action? That would place it between 1920 and the fifties, when the last overdampers were made.
The name appears to be on a separate headbar, not part of the original frame.

These are similar to the Jacobean models shown on my Edwardian page... http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html If you have a look at the dated serial numbers near the bottom of my Numbers page, that may give some clues. Chappells were around 70,000 in the twenties. If you haven't already checked...

The next question is - who was making Chappell pianos at that time?
Jacobean styles were popular in the twenties.

I am going to see an 1842 Broadwood grand with 82 notes C-A, and the owner is having trouble finding a buyer because of its age. She has been told it is worth a few thousand pounds, so we must assume that it has been restored, and would probably not interest a restorer. If anyone is interested, or c...

The number preceded by K indicates that it was made by Kemble, London in 1951. This style resembling the front of a grand was popular then.

I can only refer you to the comments I made above. If anyone simply quotes a date for a Steck number, it is not reliable.

The number suggests that it was made in 1913. I have hundreds of individual Spencers on file, but knowing one doesn't usually help with learning anything about another.

Cooke is still in business in Norwich, but their archives are not available. Howlett was the biggest name in Norfolk for many years, and the stock number next to that name suggests that it might be 1920s. What we really need is the Rogers serial number, which might be in the twenty-thousands. If you...

If somebody wanted to deliver it to Linconshire free of charge, I would be delighted to have it in our time-line, and might well get it working for very little money.
In the real world, what you say is true, it is unlikely to be worth the cost of transporting it from Guernsey.

Can anyone help me to locate action diagrams for French uprights made before 1826?

It is not usually possible to trace the history of individual pianos. Dating a piano purely on the basis of numbers is often not as simple as it seems, but that number suggests that your piano was made around 1896. Ecke was a well-known maker, but I don't think any archives survive. We might be able...

I was hoping to hear from "Cooper" because my records only show Kent & Cooper as dealers who (like so many others) put their name onto pianos bought in from anonymous London wholesalers. If their numbers were in sequence, all I can say is that it was probably made shortly after 1931, the one mention...

My Names page http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html explains that dating a piano purely on the basis of numbers is often not as simple as it seems, but with Spencers, you can usually open the top and see the serial number there, often with a model number too. 21711 suggests that it was made in 1...

Originally Graham & Adam, they became Graham & Young in the first few years of the 1900s, and were Ltd. in the twenties. This seems to place your piano in the first quarter of the 1900s, so have a look at my Edwardian page... http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html I am surprised that they descr...

My Numbers page http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html refers specifically to problems with Steck numbers, and there is no simple answer to this, unless there are any datemarks inside the piano. My own Steck Pianola has this problem, and although some lists suggest that it is 1914, I suspect it i...

I don't think you will find that it was manufactured by Ewing & M'Intosh. They were retailers. Ritzmar does not seem to be a real maker's name, and my Names page at pianohistory.info explains that many piano names are meaningless. Nobody anywhere can guess the value or condition of a piano without i...

John Crowley was in business from at least 1914 to 1928, but was gone by 1936. He described himself as a maker, and other firms sold his pianos, but very little information is available. Most grands of the 1900s are so similar, it is difficult to assess the date by their appearance. Perhaps your tun...

That number suggests that it was made in 1908.

I would guess around 1920, but we have no way of dating it accurately from this information. Some dates of Meyer's serial numbers are available, so open the top and see if there are any numbers visible, perhaps in the 20,000 range. If your tuner thinks it is safe to remove the action, it may be mark...

The type of soft pedal you have is known as a Celeste. We have a number of pianos with celeste pedals, but I have just checked, and they all use the same system, in which the pedal operates 2 wooden rockers, one raising at each end of the piano, so the celeste rail is raised equally at both end, and...

It is normally a very simple vertical square stick, rounded at the top end to pass through a guide hole that keeps it aligned.
I will have a look at my pianos in the daylight and see if any of them resembles your sketch.

The number 29258 suggests that it was made around 1932, the other number 10434 would suggest something nearer 1910. The case appears to have been modernised, was that done when you had it?

I can't picture what type of rod would be on the soft pedal, is it up the side of the piano, or in the middle?

I can only guess that it was made around the turn of the century. If your tuner feels that it is safe to remove the action, it may be marked on the back with the action makers' name and number, and I may be able to date this.

I see what happened, it's a pdf instead of a photo. The name looks like "Wanner" but means nothing to me. My Names page at pianohistory.info explains that many piano names are meaningless, and we could tell you more from photos of the whole piano.

Sorry, you didn't manage to post the photos. We can tell you more if you include photos to show what the whole piano looks like.

The number suggests that it may have been made around 1881, and unrestored pianos of this age usually have very little value. Nobody anywhere can guess the value or condition of a piano without inspecting it on the spot, and checking how well it holds in tune, so your local tuner is the best person ...

Key numbers are not usually helpful, but keys are often dated. I am not sure what you mean about "your datemarks would put it around mid 30s?" but the Barnes numbers on my page would suggest 1936, and the number is repeated so it is probably the right one. I think it looks like a Kemble, which could...

Thanks for your kind comments about my website. The Numbers page explains that dating pianos purely on the basis of numbers is often not as simple as it seems, and pianos have several numbers inside, so it is sometimes difficult to be sure which is the actual serial number. The page also explains th...

The correct name is Reisner. Finding the serial number will not help you, because no dates of Reisner's numbers are available. You best clue is the dates of the exhibition medals shown next to the name, so have a look at http://www.pianohistory.info/exhibition.html The piano will have been made afte...

The type of panel used on the top door suggests that it might be from around 1890, but the trusses that support the keyboard are very plain, and perhaps suggest Edwardian, so have a look at http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html I think the number is nearer to 1890. If you search Ebay for piano...