Bauer grand piano

Tonerboy · Post by **Tonerboy** » 14 Jan 2007, 05:21

My wife purchased a 6'1'' grand piano several years ago which was painted a pale green. She stripped off all of the paint and we found that the veneer was a patchwork of grains so she used an "antique" kit on it.

We now need to sell the piano and one of the questions that many people ask is " who made it and how old is it?"

From what I can tellit is a Bauer with a serial # 0f 35300 and stamped "made for Sophia Taylor Strong" with a patent date of 1916.

Any info would be helpful and thank you for your time.

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 14 Jan 2007, 11:38

There have been several piano firms named Bauer, in London, Berlin and Chicago, but the Chicago one is the only firm whose dates of serial numbers are published, and these would suggest 1893. I don't know what you mean by a "patent date" - does it say it was patented in 1916? We have no more access to American information than anyone else.

Tonerboy · Post by **Tonerboy** » 14 Jan 2007, 20:28

Thanks, yes it says patented 1916.

Tom Tuner · Post by **Tom Tuner** » 01 Mar 2007, 20:22

Evidently not made 23 years before the patent, unless the maker was precient about when it would be granted. Seriously, there are several "Bauers", including some 'stencils' which are hard to conclusively identify. Is it perhaps Julius Bauer, or Bauer Bros.? I will see if anything turns up consistent with the reported number.

Tom Tuner

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 01 Mar 2007, 23:27

As usual, people place far too much reliance on numbers in general, and Michel's numbers in particular. I have a mechanism for dealing with many of these enquiries, but I don't give my life's work away free on the internet.