Erard, Paris

[John Ormond]

I have an Erard "Paris" grand piano and I wondered if anyone could help me with year of manufacture. The serial number is 80440 and it has Erard Paris on the front. Best I have worked out is that it is may have been made between 1901 and 1925 - I have seen a similar one for sale on the web (with Paris on the front) serial number 86573 and that one apparently was made in 1904.

[Bill Kibby]

If you email me, I can arrange for a researcher to go through the Erard archives for a fee. The number suggests 1901, and the published dates of Erard numbers may be correct by then, I don't know.
Certainly, many are wrong, as explained at
http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/piano ... mbers.html
Some of the numbers shown on Erard's Paris pianos don't correspond to the published lists of dates, for example a grand which is supposedly 1913 appears to be much earlier, perhaps around 1880. Erard was not one to move on with his designs, so although they were very advanced by the 1850s, they didn't advance much until well into the 1900s. I saw a little grand in the flea market in Paris, with only three iron bars and a hitchplate, and thought it might be mid-1800s, but the number suggests 1927, which I find very hard to believe!

[John Ormond]

Many thanks for your help - I think your date must be very close to the mark - The Grand was brought to New Zealand by my grandmother Gladys Ormond sometime around 1907 I suspect and still plays beautifully today.

It is at the Ormond Homestead of Wallingford New Zealand which I have slowly developed into a lodge.

Our web site is www.wallingford,.co.nz - we are named after the town of Wallingford UK where my family came from, the piano can be seen in teh gallery part of the web site.

Best wishes


Johnny Ormond