Vintage Piano Pictures

The wording on this advert says, "Messers ERARD invite Connoisseurs to visit their Show Rooms and inspect their unrivalled Stock of PIANOFORTES, decorated in pure styles according to the various periods."

The old piano my family had when I was young was a Godfrey Piano. At the time I thought it was wonderful! (This picture predates my childhood.) 

This is an old Post Card. On the reverse is written, "Long before people had TV  or even electric light, the piano was the centrepiece of home entertainment. Usually the girls played the piano while the make members of the family sang or performed on the flute. One of the most popular ballads, 'Home Sweet home' sums up the Victorian view of the home as a retreat from the harsh realities outside."

This is an old Postcard advertising the Romhildt Piano. On the reverse is a brief note from the Sole Agents: 

Breitkopp & Hartel, 54 Gt. Marlborough St., London. W.  

Another old Post Card

(Danger - Tuner at work!) 

Piano World

Baldwin Serial Nos.

Year	Serial No.	Year	Serial No.
1925	48000	1970	190028
1930	63000	1972	195485
1935	74600	1974	204113
1940	88700	1976	213470
1941	91000	1978	222683
1943	102000	1980	236654
1948	105000	1982	248306
1950	110243	1984	257293
1952	118244	1986	266329
1954	125050	1988	278556
1956	131515	1990	290656
1958	138559	1992	307561
1960	145002	1994	322347
1962	152706	1996	335514
1964	160868	1998	349726
1966	170652	2000	366583
1968	179702	2002	380584

These serial numbers can be used only as a reference point
An Exact date does not make a material difference to an assessment of a piano - a year or so out 120 years ago really is neither here more there.

The idea that 100% accuracy for all piano makers over a century ago is an interesting thought - but considering that all record keeping would be hand-written and kept in large ledger books, inaccuracies are likely. These records will be as reliable as the clerks whose job it was to keep them. The digital age of barcodes and scanned labels was still in the realm of science fiction. So we have to be content with our best guess numbers.

Back to the Piano Atlas