Steinmeyer Berlin age

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Guido
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Steinmeyer Berlin age

Post by Guido »

I am the owner of an acoustic vertical piano very old (at least before the second world war), I would like to retrieve its age, however, even though I have its series number
32176

I have not been able to find out its age. Any help?
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Bill Kibby
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Re: Steinmeyer Berlin age

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The problem is in knowing WHICH Steinmayer or Steinmeyer made it, as explained at
http://www.pianohistory.info/names.html
It was sometimes used as a fake name on reconditioned pianos, especially modernised ones. Some Steinmeyers were sold in Leeds by Hopkinson Successors Ltd., but they appear to have been real German makers.
By the 1890s, Steinmeyers were boasting exhibition medals from Vienna, Berlin, Paris and Brussels, but we have no details so far.
1911 Alfred Dolge "Pianos and their makers" includes a huge list of Berlin's piano makers, but there is no sign of Steinmeyer.
1920~ #7,161 Steinmeyer German piano was bought secondhand in 1943, and thought to have been made around 1920, based on Kohler action numbers. This is definitely a German- made instrument, with the typical double touchrail. If your tuner thinks it is safe to remove the action (the working parts of the notes) it may be marked on the back with the action makers' name and number, and I may be able to date this.
1928 My Musique Adresses Universel lists A. Steinmeyer, Berlin.
Piano History Centre
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If you find old references or links on this site to pianogen.org, they should refer to pianohistory.info
urjenbunnie
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Re: Steinmeyer Berlin age

Post by urjenbunnie »

My grandmother purchased this upright piano in 1984 I believe. It is a J & J Hopkinson with a stamp inside on left hand side that reads 12649. It was stamped into wood. I am not sure what to do with this piece. It does have brass candle stick holders on each end.
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Bill Kibby
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J.& J.Hopkinson

Post by Bill Kibby »

Your information is posted as a reply about Steinmeyer, Berlin, but this name does not appear in your post, so you might get better results if you post it as a new topic.
It is unwise to really purely on numbers to give a date for a piano, and Hopkinson is one example where the published dates are misleading. I would guess it might be from the 1860s, but without seeing what it looks like, it is difficult to know.
Are you able to post photos here to show what the whole piano looks like?
If it is that old, I have to say that here in England, unrestored Victorian pianos have very little value, and I often try to rescue them from the bonfire or landfill. This is almost impossible within the current covid rules, unless you are near Lincolnshire.
Piano History Centre
http://pianohistory.info
Email via my website.
If you find old references or links on this site to pianogen.org, they should refer to pianohistory.info
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