Barnard, London

[liza]

I have recently been given a piano and I am trying to discover how old it is. Inside, it has the name Barnard London on the the cast iron, and the name Herrburger Brooks LTD London on the action. It has the number 15079 on the action and 9071 on the cast iron and on some of the wooden in the piano. Any information will be great. thanks

[Bill Kibby]

Some of these were sold by the Bristol Piano Company Ltd New Zealand.. No such firm has been found yet in our London lists. The Herrburger Brooks action indicates a date after 1919. No serial numbers are published for this name. Many people are frustrated if their piano does not have a name, but many piano names are meaningless anyway. See

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/piano ... iases.html

[pianola.co.nz]

A few years late to the party, but an art-case Barnard player piano from 1929-30 (Jacobean oak) is almost identical to the case of a Chappell piano for sale online, leading me to believe that Chappell made Barnard for the Bristol firm here in NZ.

[Bill Kibby]

The next question is - who was making Chappell pianos at that time?
Jacobean styles were popular in the twenties.

[pianola.co.nz]

Hi Bill, I've subsequently found a very similar case also in a ROGERS brand upright of the same era.

Perhaps your expertise can help...

a) Would Rogers and Chappell have been connected with each other in the mid to late 1920s?

b) Would they have sourced cases from a third party, or would one have supplied empty cases to the other?

Bill, would examining the interior of the Barnard piano give you a clue as to who really made it?
Here's the three pianos in question..

1) 'BARNARD' player piano in NZ - most definitely from 1929-1930 , can be this precise due to period newspaper ads. Some interior pics included.
https://www.trademe.co.nz/music-instrum ... ?archive=1

2) Chappell upright in UK.
https://shacklefordpianos.com/products/ ... twist-legs

3) Rogers upright in UK.
https://www.picuki.com/media/928887458960379191

[Bill Kibby]

These are similar to the Jacobean models shown on my Edwardian page...
http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html
If you have a look at the dated serial numbers near the bottom of my Numbers page, that may give some clues. Chappells were around 70,000 in the twenties.
If you haven't already checked the keys, have a look at my Datemarks page.

[Bill Kibby]

In the twenties, Rogers serial numbers were about half the Chappell numbers.
Reviewing my files on Chappell serial numbers, there are many that don't correspond to the published dates. My Numbers page only lists confirmed dates.
Later in the 1900s, Chappell pianos were made at the Kemble factory.

[pianola.co.nz]

Both pianos have serial number 10xxxx (103276 on the piano I have access to, which can be narrowed down to 1928-1931 manufacture).

Does the inside pic here help at all excluding or giving clues to the real maker? http://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/ ... 188142.jpg

[Bill Kibby]

My only clue is the Jacobean style, which suggests twenties, starting from about 1923-4 onwards.
Checking the keys is a more major operation with a player, can you see any markings near the bottom of the iron frame?