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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...

I am sorry this post didn't appear on my screen when I answered your previous one, but the same still applies.

We have no content at all from you. As far as valuation is concerned, 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 to ask. As far as history is concerned, we would like to...

Kemble makes sense, but there should be a number receded by K, perhaps imprinted on the soundboard near the left edge at keyboard level.
Could it be a Bentley 1969?

Terms like "Console Piano" or "console size" are unknown this side of the ocean. It looks like a fifties-style upright from one of the London houses, and Steck is one of a group of names (including Orchestrelle) that overlap, and seem to indicate the Aeolian factory. Is there something written under...

There are lots of pianos from about 1890-1910 in England, no value in most of them if you were selling, and many of them are untuneable, so purely museum display material. It's the sort of thing that is often offered for donation to my collection, but not always worth the delivery cost. At the momen...

Thanks for the photos, I can only guess it might be from around 1890.
If you want to search inside it for clues, have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/datemarks.html

What would really help me is photos that show what the WHOLE piano looks like, rather than just the name. Where in the world are you? The name was first used in 1878, the absence of the Bristol address may suggest pre-1903. My impression is that Duck, Son & Pinker were never real manufacturers, simp...

Thanks, it's always useful to be able to tell other people where the number might be. It is not uncommon for it to be on the soundboard, but this one is tucked away.

I can't recognise the parts where 58269 is imprinted, are they keys? I can't make out what the vertical things are. The 269 on most parts is the last 3 digits of the serial number, which would date it at 1915, or perhaps just into 1916, so earlier than I guessed, but who knows how accurate these dat...

Have a look on my Datemarks page at pianohistory.info or click the "clues inside" link. I would be expecting a serial number in the 70,000 range, and not usually imprinted on the edge like that. If your tuner feels it is safe to remove the action, it may be marked with the action makers' name (perha...

Lots of points there, I hope I remember to answer them all. Most actions are capable of standing upright on a bench, but there are always the awkward ones. I wasn't saying they were the same piano, I thought the number might be same, and not a serial number. The pianos look to be of similar age, so ...

Thanks for the photos, and serial number, but I can't tell you much more than was said before. Just reading this item, it appears to give 2 different versions of the serial number, 1337 and 1887, but the first is from the earlier post. Because of their similarity, I wonder if they are actually the s...

It looks like something from the twenties, perhaps around 1923, but you don't say what the numbers are, or show them in the photos. They are the only clue that might tell us when it was made. While the piano is undressed, if you can remove the fall (keyboard cover) you could carefully lift a few key...

Can you show us what the WHOLE piano looks like? The number you show, preceded by the letter H, is not the serial number, it is probably a dealer's stock number. If for example, it was Harrods who sold it, it would have been shortly before 1920. Around this time, they used a paper label saying "Guar...

If you have a look at my Numbers page at pianohistory.info you can read that dating a piano purely on the basis of numbers is often not as simple as it seems. Most pianos have several numbers inside, but a 3-digit one is not big enough for a serial number. Often, if you just open the top and look in...

The earliest number published is 130,000 for 1925, and we can only guess if this means yours was made around 1886.

Looks very similar to the Marshall in a post I just answered. Based on the thirties Minipiano design, probably after 1934.

I can find no record that any maker ever described an instrument as "Ship's piano", this seems to be an invention of the internet. A Yacht Piano is a small upright with fold-away keyboard. Yours is in the style of the 1930s Minipianos, but I am surprised to see the Marshall name on its own. There ma...

My Names page
http://www.pianohistory.info/names.html
explains that "Karl Lange" is one of a number of fake names used on pianos sold by W.H.Barnes in London. "Minipiano" is a specific Eavestaff model, there is no general definition.
Is there any chance you could post photos here?

The photos would tell me more than the name. You can email them to me to post if it is easier. The "& Son" became plural in the 1890s, which suggests a Victorian piano, so have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/victorian.html

You would have to get a tuner-technician to do these jobs, where in the world are you?

The serial number suggests that the piano was made during the first world war, perhaps 1916. Unrestored pianos of this age have very little value here in England, but 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,...

The name is BEADLE & Langbein. Numbers do not help with this make, no dates are published, but 16,788 could be around the first world war. Can you post photos to show what the whole piano looks like? The partnership began around 1890, and the firm continued until 1931. Have a look at http://www.pian...

It seems too much of a coincidence, but I can't imagine that it would have a brass nameplate if he just owned the piano, unless he had it made for just the one piano. Perhaps it was a joke?
It would explain why I can't find Hochmann as a piano maker.

If you search this forum for any of Gill's posts, there will be a contact button, but she may be listed as Gill the piano.
I have told her you are trying to contact her.

It appears to be a typical Edwardian upright, but you still haven't told me which Brinsmead it is, or what other information is written on there. If it is John Brinsmead, the number would suggest something around 1887, but this seems wrong, so open the top and have a look inside, and there may be ot...

There are pictures online of a young Elton John playing a King Brothers piano, but very little is known about the company. The only references I have on file are between 1911 and 1949, at Tresham Avenue, Hackney Station. King is a very common surname, so it is not surprising that a number of piano a...

The number suggests that it was made in 1927, and this seems quite likely for its appearance.

I could probably tell you more if we could see what the WHOLE piano looks like, but nobody can guess what needs doing to it, or whether it is worth doing, without inspecting it on the spot, so your local tuner is the person to ask. Is that the only number inside the top of the piano? And which Brins...

I contacted Crane & Sons many years ago, and they had no archive material which would allow them to look up individual pianos. Several trades people have told me that Cranes didn't make their own pianos. Some were made by Kennard or Lyon, but we don't know who made them all, unless there are clues i...

It's not really about how old it is, it's what state it's in. 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 to ask.

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