Eavestaff Minipiano from Barnes

[Bill Kibby]

Is Clare the name on the piano? Barnes was a major retailer of pianos in London. The references to Princesses appeared on thousands of pianos, and indicate that this is an Eavestaff Minipiano, although you did not seem to have that name. If it is the original back-action model, with tuning pins under the keyboard, most of the UK piano trade wouldn't touch it with a barge-pole, but they may be considered rarer and more interesting in the states. The small size and tonal quality are appealing to many customers, but they are awkward to tune, and near-impossible to fix when the tuning pins get loose. If there are serial numbers under the keyboard (inside the tuning flap) or on the soundboard, we may be able to fix the date.