Parker Smith Plymouth Piano Makers

[Fingerless Fred]

Hi

I am trying to learn more about this piano i have just acquired. Spent hours trying to find anything on the company but nothing and struggling to learn age or any information. I cant find one other piano for sale the same make? Odd

It looks like a cottage upright? The company where based in Plymouth.

I have a serial number(46910) and attached photos. I may be wrong but think its 1875 to 1880?

Any help or information about this company/piano would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Bill Kibby]

When you consider that I have about 40,000 piano names on file, it is not surprising if they are not all on the market, and most are not listed on the internet. The company already existed in the 1860s, and was still going in the fifties. No dates of serial numbers are available, and it would be much more useful if you could upload photos to show what the WHOLE piano looks like. Cottage Pianos are shown at
http://www.pianohistory.info/victorian.html
but they rarely have this type of iron head bar.

If you want to search for clues inside the piano, have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/datemarks.html

[Fingerless Fred]

Here is pic of piano

[Bill Kibby]

This looks like 1920s, my guess is 1924. I know that pianos made by Broadwood White for Dove and others around 1901-1910 were marked 97BW on the iron frame, and although I have no dated examples on file as late as 1924, your piano is not likely to be as early as 1910.

It seems that in the 1860s, Parker & Smith were patentees of pianos, so presumably real makers, but later pianos were from wholesalers. Here's a sketch of one of their pianos from a 1928 ad.

[Fingerless Fred]

Hi Bill

Thanks for swift reply and interesting, cheers.

Where they a good maker of pianos please?

This piano was heading to the skip or to be turned into a bar and I bought it off a Kosovan for 40 Pounds. Do you think potentially it could be restored and not cost a fortune? And would it be worth it?

Is there anywhere I can learn more about the company also? Still intrigued.

[Fingerless Fred]

The Iron Frame says 97BW. DOes BW mean British Wood? and what does 97 mean please?

[Bill Kibby]

Nobody can guess the value or condition of a piano without inspecting it on the spot, and tuning it, so your local tuner is the best person to ask about likely cost of repairs.

Some of the marks are explained at the link I gave you. Some people say that BW is used on pianos made by British Woodcrafts. I have no evidence that Parker & Smith even had a factory, and it is more likely that (like so many other retailers) they bought in pianos from wholesalers and put their name onto them.

John Markham, who used to be one of my bosses when I worked for Berry Pianos, told me that British Woodcrafts was a subsidiary of C.H. Challens, situated in Hermitage Road at "Omega Works", the factory of Capes & Crocks, the part makers to the trade. He also told me that they made "D'Almaine" and "Schubert" pianos, the latter mostly sold by Selfridges when they had a piano department. Some pianos are marked BW or BWZ on the iron frame, but BW may also indicate Brodwood White & Co. sometimes, although these tend to be earlier, and often have imported actions.

A 1908 Broadwood White piano is marked 97BW on the iron frame, but we have no information about whether this mark was still used by the twenties.

[Colin Nicholson]

Does the piano play OK, and does it sound in tune?
Any odd notes sounding weird?

Keep fingers crossed the wrest plank is OK, and not too many loose pins