Cramer upright

[RicLasslett]

I have recently been left a Cramer upright piano. A printed plain sheet with the number 52854 is pasted inside as well as a pasted note naming a dealer in Perth, Western Australia ( I am located in Melbourne.)
I would greatly appreciate any history about this lovely old upright. Many Thanks Ric Lasslett

[Bill Kibby]

Thousands of Cramer pianos were made from the mid-1800s onwards, so it is impossible to tell anything at all about the piano by the name. Its serial number should be visible by lifting the top, it would not be written on paper.

Is it possible you could either post photos of the whole piano here, or email them to me to post for you?

Some modern Cramer numbers can be found near the bottom of the page at
http://pianogen.org/numbers.html

[Colin Nicholson]

On my travels last year in NSW, I came across a couple of UK made pianos - Cramer was one [near Byron Bay]. The pasted numbers may be a serial number, but would not support being a serial number alone [and in its own right]. This number will be duplicated somewhere else - IF the serial number - usually near the tuning pins, and in arabic text, black/ punched numbers, being approx. 1 - 2cm in height.... but always 'properly' located, either as a decal, punched into the wood or other means.

[Not sure if this is reliable Bill?] .... but in the piano atlas, it gives the following:

#45410 year 1910
#57200 year 1920

[Serial numbers were sketchy during WW1]

If your serial number is correct, it should lie somewhere between these dates.
1.Deduct 57200 from 45410 = number of pianos made within these years [X]
2. Divide [X] by 10 = [Y]
3. Keep adding on [Y] to 45410 until it reaches your serial number approx.

That may be a rough guide, but not always reliable.

Cramer were based in 139 New Bond Street, London Est. 1824.