Hillier Piano

[Ginchen]

Hello and greetings from Germany!

We have an old Hillier Piano here, and I would like to know more about it. Maybe you can help me.
The piano is made of root wood and has some beautiful flower ornaments and other adornments on it (see attached picture).
A writing under the lid reads:

The Hillier Piano Company, London
Registered Iron Frame, Full Trichord, Check Action

Inside the piano, I found the number 29536, but as I understand from pianogen.org, that probably won't help much either.
I'm sorry I didn't find any further information on (or in) the piano. Is there anything you can tell me about it however?

Also, I know that you cannot judge it from afar, but a piano tuner once had a look at it and said that he wouldn't even spend the money to have it tuned, because these English pianos were generally cheap and of bad quality. He said, if he tuned it, it would probably be out of tune again after a very short time. Does anyone know more about Hillier pianos? Are they really a "cheap" product? I can't imagine that you would put so much effort into the exterior and then place a totally cheap instrument inside?!

Thank you in advance!
Ginchen

[Bill Kibby]

We have found no references to the name in that form, but it is probably the same as...

HILLIER (James) London
1850 Not listed in London directory.
1860 James Hillier, piano maker, 13, Oxford Terrace, Kings Road, St.Pancras NW.
1870 Kings Road.
1878 James Hillier, Camden Town, exhibited at the Paris Exposition.
1879 James Hillier was selling Camden Steam Works, engine and all, moving to larger premises.
1880 Not listed as piano maker, or 1886, 1892.
1892 James Hillier, harmonium and organ builder, 288 & 290, N. (Next to South West Gate entrance to Metropolitan
Catttle Market.)
1899 Not listed as piano maker.
1911 Not listed.

It probably was a cheap piano, but such decorative arts were comonplace then. The problem is finding a tuner who is open-minded enough to judge the piano objectively. I'd guess this was made at the start of the century, but numbers do not help with this make, no information is available. Many such pianos are still giving good service in front rooms all over Britain.

[Ginchen]

It is more information than I had before, however!
Thank you for the quick reply!

[Bill Kibby]

I see that you have looked at my website, did you read the Datemarks page?