Erard Upright Piano #40084

Farhide · Post by **Farhide** » 12 Nov 2016, 21:52

Good day to everyone,
I'm from Lima Perú and I've adquired an old piano and don't know much about it, I read that is from around 1890 or 1900.
It has serial number #40084 and underneath has number 19.
I would deeply apreciate any help to find more about this upright piano.
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/2186/4EkB3p.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/691/5fgGuB.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/8072/2T6uUH.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/4402/zljLBL.jpg

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 12 Nov 2016, 23:50

I would have thought it was nearer 1867 by the number, but the majority of pianos cannot be reliably dated just by numbers. What would help us is a photo showing what the WHOLE piano looks like on the outside, with nothing else in the way.

Farhide · Post by **Farhide** » 18 Nov 2016, 21:29

Thank you for your answers
I'm sending you more photos

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/9995/b8ZRVS.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/8518/kPvTX5.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/8577/u4wMfZ.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/7423/9bjyP7.jpg

Phiphi · Post by **Phiphi** » 28 Nov 2016, 14:04

The Erard archives show that the upright pianos numbered 40082 to 40085 were bought by "Mr Hulsenbeck, in Lima". Your piano left the workshop in July 1867.
I'll look a bit further in the Sales Book tonight to see if I can find anything else.
I guess that Mr Hulsenbeck was a merchant, or had a school of music, for buying so many pianos. Erard used to sell a large number of pianos in South America. In the 1940's and early 1950's, a large part of the production went to Venezuela.

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 29 Nov 2016, 14:21

Thanks for that PhiPhi, it's always good to have original supporting evidence. Looking at your website, are you aware of any evidence that Erard was in business in London in 1786? He certainly doesn't appear in the directory for that year, and 1799 is the first entry I have found in London Directories:

Sebastian Erard & Co., Mufical Inftrument maker, 18, Great Marlborough-ftreet.

Phiphi · Post by **Phiphi** » 30 Nov 2016, 01:55

In fact, there is a mistake on the pdf document that can be downloaded from the website. Sebasstien Erard started his London branch in 1792, to follow many of his French clients who emigrated. 1792 and 1793 were the hardest years for anybody considered a threat to the revolution.
However, Sebastien went to London in 1786 for prospecting the local market. He probably found that the competition would be too fierce, as a number of English pianoforte makers were already well established there.