Leukfeld & Holmyard Square Pianos

[restorer]

I am a 3rd year student in furniture conservation & restoration and have a square piano to restore. It is five and a half octave and is double action. It stands on six turned mahogany legs and has a single damper pedal. The nameboard states: "Holmyard - Foreman and successor to the late Mr Leukfeld, 7 Grefse St. Rathbone Place, London".

Can anyone give any information (however brief) on Leukfeld and Holmyard as I am trying to date this instrument?

Also I am interested in the different woods, leathers, felts etc. used in this type of piano - for example what wood was used for the keyshafts, hammers and underhammers? Can anyone recommend any reference books?

Thanks

[Bill Kibby]

The 1805 London Directory lists Augustus Leukfeld, Piano Forte maker, 27, Tottenham Court road, but I have no other definite dates for him so far, although he thought to have finished in 1811. Holmyard was operating at a similar period, and presumably took over when Leukfeld finished, but no details have been found. For example, he is not listed in London directories for 1817 or 1819. Sounds like a very interesting piano! Different makers used different woods for various purposes, I'm not a wood expert. Bonhams auctioned a Leukfeld square last year. He was at Tottenham Street, Holmyard was at Gresse Street, which might be written Grefse-ftreet at the time.

[restorer]

Bill,
Many thanks for your promt reply with just the sort of information I'm looking for.
Regards.

[oldchairs]

Hi,
I have a Leukfeld piano the enamel tablet gives Leukfeld, Manufacturer Tottenham St London.
You're welcome to pictures of it

[Bill Kibby]

I would certainly be grateful for any photos you can email to me at the address below. Leukfeld died in 1810, and Holmyard took over.

[Pianomate]

I expect you have already come across the site, but Lucy Coad is a wealth of information and advice regarding restoration of square pianos

http://www.squarepiano.co.uk/

[Nomisblue01]

Good Morning,

I have recently come across the reference to the Holmyard Pianoforte. I am currently doing some research in this area, as he is a relative. If you have any picture that would be fantastic. Having looked at the local map it appears New Street, no longer exists, although Elverton Street appears to track the same direction. I am due a visit there is a couple of weeks.

Anyway hope you can help.

Currently his Great, Great, Great, Great Grand daughter is learning the piano. may be a Guinness world record if she was to actually play one of his pianofortes.

Kind regards

Simon Holmyard

[Bill Kibby]

This example was on sale at Morley Galleries back in the seventies.

Sadly, the London directories from 1786 onwards do not mention T.Holmyard, Foreman and successor to the late Mr Leukfeld, 7 Grefse-ftreet, but a Thomas Holmyard began to appear in 1841, and James Holmyard was listed as a tuner by 1850.

Good luck with your trip, please let us know if you find any fragments of piano history.

Have a look at
http://www.pianohistory.info/genealogy.html