Munt Bros.

antmunt · Post by **antmunt** » 30 May 2007, 16:55

I was looking to see if anyone had any information about Munt Bros. pianos. Anything from info about the company to how much they might be worth. I heard that my family use to make them. That's all I know so I would like to learn more. Thanks for any information

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 30 May 2007, 21:31

Information on the company will not tell you what it is worth, nobody can do that without on-the-spot inspection. I deal with history, not valuation. It is not certain that they ever made the pianos themselves. In 1892, My Post Office London Directory lists Munt Brothers as musical instrument dealers, at 300 Old Kent Road SE & 52 Camberwell Road SE. By 1894, They were listed among the Pianoforte Makers & Warehouses as Munt Brothers Limited. In 1938, they were known as Munt's Piano & Gramophone Salons, but were gone after the war.

karen munt · Post by **karen munt** » 05 Jun 2007, 20:37

Dear all,

Just to let you know that Munt brothers did in fact make their own pianos - we have archive photos of the factory and the workshop hanging on our wall!
My husband is the great grandson of one of the Munt brothers and we have quite a lot of old photos, catalogues, slides, press clippings etc about the company, for anyone who is genuinely interested.
Ant - maybe you are related to my husband?

Regards
K

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 06 Jun 2007, 11:17

It is so difficult to find material like this by active research, we have very little about Munt Brothers other than directory listings, could I buy any good copies or scans from you? I would be grateful if you would email me.

Tekni · Post by **Tekni** » 03 Dec 2007, 22:31

Sorry for bringing up this topic but it was the only mentioning of Munt piano, I could find with google. My family has a pretty old (I think it's about 100yrs or so) Munt piano (At least it says Munt London in the front of the piano). It's not in too good condition any more.

We have been thinking of selling it and buying another piano, because that Munt would need quite much work done on it.

I'm doubting if we should sell it. I would love to have it repaired because it sounds and feels very special and nice (very clear sound and it is quite smooth and light to play).

What would you say? I'm quite interested in if it might be worth repairing and not getting a new one. The price of the repairing might go up to thousands of euros...

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 04 Dec 2007, 00:58

Please don't be sorry! We really cannot say without being there on the spot to make tests and measurements, especially to know how tight the tuning pins are. That is the first thing you need to have checked by your tuner.

Tekni · Post by **Tekni** » 04 Dec 2007, 08:16

Ok. Thanks for the fast reply but even I can say they are loose and couple of them were switched some years ago. But the rest of the tuning pins would have to be renewed too because, no matter what you do, the piano gets out of tune very quickly after tuning.

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 04 Dec 2007, 10:30

In the UK, that would cost over a thousand pounds, and you would never get that much for an old Munt piano if you sold it, so if you spent the money, you would have to do it for love!

mattandmeg · Post by **mattandmeg** » 10 Dec 2007, 10:26

Follwing my sister doing our family history I did a quick internet search on Munt pianos and came across this. Thank you to Karen especially for putting this on. My grandfather Cornelius Munt and his brother Norman were the last of the Munt brothers to make pianos at 69 Wilcox road Brixton until 1935 when they sold the factory to Chappels. My father has fond memories of going round the factory with his father, and up and down the piano lift. Not only did they make their own pianos, but during the years between 1914 and 1926 the actions of many British pianos came from the Munt factory due to the cessation of imports from Germany, and the Munts had fortunately always made their own. I would be interested to make contact, Karen. ( I have a hunch I may have met your husbands father through mine when I was a child, but I may be wrong) :D

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 10 Dec 2007, 12:17

The sad thing for history is that all Chappells' archives were lost in the Bond Street fire, I wonder if Munt's archives were with them.

mattandmeg · Post by **mattandmeg** » 11 Dec 2007, 12:22

I noticed I made a couple of errors. Wilcox road is actually in Lambeth not Brixton and apologies for misspelling Chappells. Yes, Bill, I think you may be right. My father has always made this assumption. Best wishes, Meg.

karen munt · Post by **karen munt** » 19 Dec 2007, 20:51

Hi Meg
Nice to hear from you - I have only just picked up your message but its excellent to hear from someone on the 'other' side of the family ie the William side.
As you will see from earlier posts, we have various archive photos, documents, newspaper articles etc which I am happy to share with you if you are interested. We also have an extensive family tree, put together by a Munt relative from Australia who we have recently been in contact with.
I wonder if you might have any archive material or whether you may be able to fill in any gaps in the family tree, or answer some of our unanswered questions about the Munt family!
Hope you get this and we can maybe even meet up
Karen

antmunt · Post by **antmunt** » 29 Dec 2007, 17:19

Hello there Karen Munt,
It is a pleasure to meet you. I am very interested in any information you may wish to share. I am looking and hope to find in my house a little family tree my family had put together some time ago. The only information that I have off the top of my head is that my great grandfathers name was Gordon A. Munt. Look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to contact me at antmunt@hotmail.com. Thanks Meg for all that you have shared as well.
Anthony Munt

antmunt · Post by **antmunt** » 29 Dec 2007, 17:44

I made a mistake on my great grandfathers name. It is Arthur Gordon Munt
Anthony Munt

karen munt · Post by **karen munt** » 04 Jan 2008, 16:03

Hi Ant
I have sent you a message on your hotmail account - I am wondering if you have received it? Maybe you have a filter on your account and it hasn't come through. Please feel free to e-mail me on karenjmorris@tiscali.co.uk Also Meg - it would be great to hear from you too.
Regards
Karen

Dalene · Post by **Dalene** » 09 Apr 2008, 13:36

Hello I have a Munt Piano which is being tuned whilst I type! It is a thing of great beauty and is still in its original state - overdamper with original strings - 1920-30 I believe. If anyone would like to see a picture of this or you would like to add it to your family archive I would be more than happy to send these.

Regards

antmunt · Post by **antmunt** » 28 Oct 2009, 14:47

Hello all again,
Dalene, I would love any info or pictures that you have for history. My email again is antmunt @hotmail.com. I am really just looking for some history to have and catolog. But searching the internet doesnt give me alot. Thanks again!

Post by **vernon** » 28 Oct 2009, 22:38

What a fantastic thread this has turned out to be.
We all look forward to this get-together of the Munt piano family

Elmbeard · Post by **Elmbeard** » 22 Oct 2011, 15:58

Another Munt descendant here. My paternal grandmother was born Lilian Munt on the Derek (?) side, not the William side. I was once a postman in the same town as my second cousin Malcolm Munt, who was a milkman at the same time, but we lost touch years ago.
Jeremy Morfey

Post by **Bill Kibby** » 23 Oct 2011, 12:18

If you would like to email me at the Piano History Centre, I would be interested to keep in touch, as with any descendants of piano makers, and we may be able to help each other with information in the future.

Suzann1980 · Post by **Suzann1980** » 11 Dec 2023, 03:01

Elmbeard wrote: ↑22 Oct 2011, 15:58 Another Munt descendant here. My paternal grandmother was born Lilian Munt on the Derek (?) side, not the William side. I was once a postman in the same town as my second cousin Malcolm Munt, who was a milkman at the same time, but we lost touch years ago.
Jeremy Morfey

Hi there,am so glad I came across this forum,
I can confirm my great grandmother was also ‘Lillian Munt’
She adopted my father (the son of Lillian Jessie Hitchens)after his Dad passed in the war..
My Dad passed away during Covid (David Hitchens)
And while he was searching for his family history,He put together a booklet which is how I was able to find this thread
I would love to reach out to anyone else
Suendale1980@gmail.com

stephencpoole · Post by **stephencpoole** » 11 Jan 2025, 12:32

hello, I have just seen this post. Is Karen Munt still active? I have tried to email but it was bounced as, I assume, she has a new email address. Could you please make contact regarding family records. I have a relative who was an apprentice at the Wilcox Road factory in 1921. stephencpoole@aol.com

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