Age of Anton Bord piano

[Paris]

I would be very grateful to have an approximate age for my piano. Black Anton Bord upright number 102005 Signed A Bord and rubber stamped inside the lid. Gold name A Bord between two medal like crests "Republique Francaise 1870" above keys and between that and the keys is the name also in gold "Clark's Ltd, Guildford, Woking and Basingstoke".

It has 50 white keys, 2 marks where candle holders were and marks each side which must have been for the handles. It has two turned columns supporting keyboard and the keyboard cover is hinged and locks. Sacking on back is all torn. It has a black, fold up music holder and black woodwork is slightly marked here and there.

Kristine.

[Bill Kibby]

Bords made their hundred-thousandth piano in 1900, and your piano would also be from that year. The pictures of medals indicate that the piano was made after the 1870 (?) exhibition. (Probably 1878 exhibition.)

Some information about Bord may be found at...
http://www.pianogen.org/numbers.html

Althought there have been lots of Clarks and Clarkes, I don't know this one, and I suspect they were probably later, selling it secondhand. Originally, it would have been imported by Charles Stiles, London.

[Paris]

Thank you very much Bill - pity the candle holders and handles were removed but I expect that happened to a lot of them. The date on the French crest, by the way,is definitely 1870 as I looked at it with a magnifying glass. I wondered if the use of the apostrophe on Clark's was a clue to age - not sure when this was introduced to the English language - now I have myself another research topic !

Kristine

[Bill Kibby]

I believe it was several centuries ago when phrases like "Bill his piano" were shortened to "Bill's piano", but have a look at

www.apostrophe.org.uk

In 1870 Bord received a medal "Republique de France", but I have never found any details, it doesn't align with the usual Paris expositions. Oddly, this item does not seem to be mentioned on Bord pianos until about 1900-1.