Arthur Allison

[melissa_jf]

I recently purchased an upright piano but the previous owner was unsure of how old it is. It has 4 tulips carved above the keys with 2 candle holders in between. It has an Arthur Allison and Co London plaque with Charles F Hocking Devonport in a smaller plaque below it. Above the keys I think it says " overstrung Construction", but the first letter is missing and I can't tell what it is meant to be. It has an exhibition medal which says 'International Inventions and Music 1885 Awarded to Arthur Allison and Co for Good Tone' and it also says 'Regina' inside the medal.
It also found a serial number- 34840. And below the keys I found some more markings but I cannot tell what the second marking is...could be a 6, which would make it 467A. There are some pictures below. If possible could you please give me a date and a rough value. Thank you.

[Bill Kibby]

The serial number suggests about 1906, but we only know this because Arthur Allison's pianos are dated on the keys. Arthur Allison & Co. piano #35795 is dated 3/5/07 on the keys.

Have a look at the Datemarks page at http://www.pianogen.org

Valuation is impossible from here.

[Guinney1971]

sorry to dig up an old thread - you say they are dated on the keys - can you be more specific as to location as I'm struggling to find any numbers on my player piano.

All I can gather, after some detective work on Google, is that it must pre-date 1911 as thats when they became Allison & Allison apparantly.

Other half has just beeen in the loft of the house - it was built in 1899 and we've just bought it with the piano - and he said there are 3 boxes of music rolls up there for it - must be 60 in total!! Just had a look at a few, they look like they,ve never been used!

[Bill Kibby]

Good job they didn't put the piano in the loft! Have a look at my Datemarks page at pianogen.org

There were several branches of the Allison family in business in overlapping addresses and dates.

[vernon]

my dad worked at Allisons first world war time. Thought you'd like to know.
I understand there was some industrial dispute and they were all locked out.

[Guinney1971]

okey dokes, will have a look at the link. I think I can narrow mine down to between 1905 and 1911 going by what I've found out so far, including the patent dates inside the top cover.

Vernon, interesting bit of family history you have there!