Broadwood & James Smith & Sons

[cliveh]

I have just acquired a Broadwood upright. According to the serial number on the frame (66704) it would appear to date from the late 1880s. Below the plaque for John Broadwood and Sons (underneath the lid) is a second plaque for James Smith & Sons, 76 & 74 Lord Street, Liverpool.
I have checked commercial directories, and James Smith & Son were listed as a "Pianoforte Warehouse" in 1894. My theory is that Broadwood supplied the frame to Smith, and Smith made the casing.
Would that be plausible?
Many thanks

[Bill Kibby]

In much earlier times, Broadwoods supplied whole pianos occasionally, for other people to put their names onto, but this one is much simpler than that, Smith just sold a Broadwood piano, as did a great many dealers then. Have you seen...

http://www.piano-tuners.org/piano-forum ... f=2&t=8718

[cliveh]

Thank you Bill. I see there is a company of the same name still trading in Southport, who call themselves "music sellers". I have written to them to see if they have any records from the period.

[cliveh]

I have just received the following mail from Smiths in Southport:

Hi Clive

Thanks for your email

We are indeed the same James Smith & Son ( Music Sellers ) Ltd who traded at Lord St Liverpool

The company was founded in 1825 and was taken over by my Great Grandfather Ernest Sidney Wright in 1912.

The company was very strong in musical instruments and supplied Cunard liners with grand pianos in its heyday and the showrooms displayed over 24 grand pianos at its height.Music Grade exams were held in the showroom and concerts by the the famed concert pianists of the day were regularly held.

Sadly all the company records were destroyed in the blitz of Liverpool in 1942 and the family only hold records since then.

Over the years we have changed and are now TV and Audio retailers with six shops in the area north of Liverpool at Southport and surrounding areas. Our last piano was sold in 1974 and we ended our piano tuning contract with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra around that time

See our website at smithstv.co.uk

If you are interested in any other information, i will be happy to help and thank you for your interest and hope your piano is a much loved and proud posession as i am sure it will have been to the original purchasers

Kind Regards

R Graham Wright
Managing Director

What a pity the records were lost. It is amazing, however, that the firm has been in existence for so long!