George Russell - London

[enxox]

Hello everybody,
I'm Vincenzo (from Italy) and I've recently bought this old George Russell.
I've found this useful board with some info and I've decided to post some photos to ask your help to recover any information.

This is my piano (that I'm actually restoring with a friend)

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Thank you in advance. I'll post some image of the restoration, if someone want to see it :)

[enxox]

two other photos

[Bill Kibby]

Piano serial numbers can be very misleading, this one suggests that the piano was made in 1913, but I would guess it was about 10 years later. The Herrburger Brooks action proves it is after 1919. I will have a look to see what I can learn about the retailer John Lyddon in Devon. He was certainly around in the 1880s and 1890s, but I don't know how much later. It is a shame that the label under the keys has no date on it. Are there any marks on iron frame below keyboard level? Have a look at
http://pianogen.org/datemarks.html

[enxox]

Hi Bill, thanks for the answer.

We dismount the piano but we can't find any date, only serials, sadly.

Here are some photos of the iron

[Bill Kibby]

The HC&S mark is thought to be for the iron foundry H. Clarke & Son, but it doesn't help with the date. R2 is not one I know of.

[enxox]

If you want to see any other photo of the interior, feel free to ask.

I'll post some photos of the actual work on the piano. We are doing an hard work on the wood and the mechanics too

[Bill Kibby]

John Lyddon's business was still going in the thirties, so it is quite possible he sold the piano in the twenties, or even later, secondhand.

[enxox]

Is this coat familiar to you?

[Bill Kibby]

This crest and the motto of Belgium are associated with Cramer & Co.. In the 1900s Russell was one of the "Cramer agencies", as described at
http://pianogen.org/names.html

and
http://pianogen.org/numbers.html

[enxox]

I'm reading it, thanks!

[quinreitz]

Nice Piano.

[tareqnews]

Thank you very much.

[bernard byrd]

Thank you very much.