Vosemar Piano

[jacquigood2]

I have an upright piano with the word Vosemar on it. The maker is Beech's of Preston and has the number 52483 inside. I would love some information on it but cant find anything. Can anyone help please?

[Colin Nicholson]

Hi
Thank you for your post.

I'm not familiar with the name 'Vosemar' , nor registered in my piano atlas book, but I have come across their name before many years ago, having an unusual font on the fallboard like Chinese.

T Beech of Preston were piano retailers (shop) founded in 1868 who sold their pianos, not the makers, and they would have placed a "shop" decal on their pianos they sold to advertise, usually to the left or right of the keyboard - near the key slip rail. They were located at 37 Lune Street, Preston, Lancashire, UK .... here is a photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/6303955147

The shop may have received the piano at any time after new, and even though passed onto to several new owners (like yourself) - the shop name still remains, but may not be the original sellers from new - however, the piano name may remain a mystery. The numbers you state could be the serial number, but without original archives - the number is of no use.... could also be a stock or cabinet number which cannot be traced. Without photos, who knows if it is a serial number or not?

If you could send a photo of the piano, or perhaps copy/paste the link - if you bought the piano online? .... we may be able to give you more general information/ legs/ front panel / mechanism etc. I suspect that Vosemar could be a stencil name (google "Stencil pianos") or a name added to the cabinet after polishing or refurbishment. There may be more clues inside the piano if you have it tuned. I also believe that some were pianolas, but the player unit not survived and often removed so it just becomes a piano.



Hope that helps
Colin

[Bill Kibby]

There are a few of these around from the twenties, I used to wonder if they were connected with Vose, U.S.A., but they seem very English pianos. Vosemar doesn't seem to be a real maker, Beech was just a retailer. Some of the mysteries of piano names are discussed at
http://www.pianohistory.info/names.html

Numbers don't help with the majority of piano names, unless we can find out who made it. If you want to search inside the piano for clues, have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/datemarks.html

Beech doesn't appear in any of my Preston lists 1886-1938 except the 1914 Music Trades Directory, when they were instrument dealers.