ERARD LONDON GRAND PIANO ARCHIVES
One year on ..... almost exactly to the date (piano arrived in the UK on 2nd August, 2018), an amazing archive has come to light since the restoration to this piano, and now safely in the USA with my client. Working closely together, with my technical knowledge (and a bit of history thrown in for good measure!), and with my client's further knowledge, the following has been discovered.
First though, I will take you back to around December 2018.
Upon dismantling the keyboard and carefully removing the front key dip cloth and paper/ card washers, there were various pieces of newspaper cuttings, punched into washer shapes, and located between other washers. Normally a piano technician might throw these away, as they need to be replaced for new washers. These ones had something about them (don't know what, just a hunch), so I decided to keep them after my client requested for them to be kept, and I mounted some of them on a piece of 6" card with other "old & new bits". Things like cloth, felt, paper washers, an old bit of piano wire and on. Along with other inventory items, the following chart was wrapped in a box and sent to the USA.
Fig. 01
First though, I will take you back to around December 2018.
Upon dismantling the keyboard and carefully removing the front key dip cloth and paper/ card washers, there were various pieces of newspaper cuttings, punched into washer shapes, and located between other washers. Normally a piano technician might throw these away, as they need to be replaced for new washers. These ones had something about them (don't know what, just a hunch), so I decided to keep them after my client requested for them to be kept, and I mounted some of them on a piece of 6" card with other "old & new bits". Things like cloth, felt, paper washers, an old bit of piano wire and on. Along with other inventory items, the following chart was wrapped in a box and sent to the USA.
Fig. 01
I regularly sent updates on a weekly or fortnightly basis, telling my client at what stage I was at, and what was to be started next - ish!
The above shows update 014, dated 13th December 2018, including the chart (the lower section is not shown).
Here is a shortlist of the above parts & materials, each one carefully glued to the card .....
Fig. 02
The above shows update 014, dated 13th December 2018, including the chart (the lower section is not shown).
Here is a shortlist of the above parts & materials, each one carefully glued to the card .....
Fig. 02
Although I extensively make millions of notes and lists, this one was added to the next update, number 015. Using the list as a reference to the chart, it is part of my job to well-inform my client of
the names of the parts, even if not fully understood. This list (I think) was printed off, and sent with the chart.
Fig. 03
If we look at the chart again more closely, you will see item 3 (the 3rd lot of 3) hand-written "3" by myself, I have highlighted an old newspaper cutting, punched out with a worn hole to make a washer.... the word "POLICE" seems to have caused an attraction! I just stuck this onto the chart with some wood glue, like the other bits. (Some parts like the old oblong tuning pin was glued on with a 2-pack resin & hardener, so it will never come loose.
Some of the other washers were (1) top felt washer for the piano key to press against, and adjustment card/ paper washers in French writing, and washer 3/1, even an advert selling a steam engine!
As so the updates and notes continued, again, informing my client ......
Fig. 04 (a bit more detail)
If we look at the chart again more closely, you will see item 3 (the 3rd lot of 3) hand-written "3" by myself, I have highlighted an old newspaper cutting, punched out with a worn hole to make a washer.... the word "POLICE" seems to have caused an attraction! I just stuck this onto the chart with some wood glue, like the other bits. (Some parts like the old oblong tuning pin was glued on with a 2-pack resin & hardener, so it will never come loose.
Some of the other washers were (1) top felt washer for the piano key to press against, and adjustment card/ paper washers in French writing, and washer 3/1, even an advert selling a steam engine!
As so the updates and notes continued, again, informing my client ......
Fig. 04 (a bit more detail)
Fig. 05
Here is that newspaper washer in question - enlarged.
Diameter: c. 18 - 20mm (standard)
Thickness: c. 0.125mm (very fine for Erard)
This was located under ONE piano key, between the top felt cream washer (item 1 on the chart) and possibly a card washer to adjust the correct key dip. On a grand piano, this is normally 10mm, and even this wafer-thin newspaper washer made a difference. keyboard washers are also used to adjust the "back checks" of the hammers to exact distances from the strings, after a note has been played & held down. This washer still had the "cricket bat" shape from the front bat pins on the key frame of the piano.
My client then later discovered the following (first paragraph)......
Here is that newspaper washer in question - enlarged.
Diameter: c. 18 - 20mm (standard)
Thickness: c. 0.125mm (very fine for Erard)
This was located under ONE piano key, between the top felt cream washer (item 1 on the chart) and possibly a card washer to adjust the correct key dip. On a grand piano, this is normally 10mm, and even this wafer-thin newspaper washer made a difference. keyboard washers are also used to adjust the "back checks" of the hammers to exact distances from the strings, after a note has been played & held down. This washer still had the "cricket bat" shape from the front bat pins on the key frame of the piano.
My client then later discovered the following (first paragraph)......
Fig. 06
Fig. 07
Fig. 08
Quite amazing!
The original keyboard washer was later found by my client in an archive copy of this local newspaper back in 1861.
It is pure chance finding something like this, or is it?
Well, through my experience of fishing out old washers, many of them have been punched
showing a main heading and a few words to follow...... perhaps for us to investigate later?
Was this original washer hand-punched, or created on a punching machine?
Well, Erard almost had every conceivable piece of apparatus and jig for parts on their pianos, so I suspect this pure chance.
Quite amazing!
The original keyboard washer was later found by my client in an archive copy of this local newspaper back in 1861.
It is pure chance finding something like this, or is it?
Well, through my experience of fishing out old washers, many of them have been punched
showing a main heading and a few words to follow...... perhaps for us to investigate later?
Was this original washer hand-punched, or created on a punching machine?
Well, Erard almost had every conceivable piece of apparatus and jig for parts on their pianos, so I suspect this pure chance.
As we know, the piano was dated 1860.
The washer's contents is dated 1861
Which date is more accurate for this piano?
On the left, lever undercarriage (No 1) is clearly date stamped "1860".
This part was removed and examined during the assessment (Italy).
However, serial numbers and date stamps usually apply during the first stages of building the piano, when the piano is in fact in many different parts, scattered all over the factory. The soundboard is also marked "6543" which dates the piano at 1860. However, during the final stages of regulating the piano's keyboard, Mr Piano Technician pulled out of his bag of washers a newspaper one, not really paying attention to its content, but more importantly its THICKNESS.
Some of the washers have French writing on them, so perhaps the same bag of washers was mixed with London ones, when Erard fled to the UK, due to the French Revolution. The "Police Courts" conviction could have also taken several months to be announced in the local paper (see the header).
However, a remarkable bit of later detective work.
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The washer's contents is dated 1861
Which date is more accurate for this piano?
On the left, lever undercarriage (No 1) is clearly date stamped "1860".
This part was removed and examined during the assessment (Italy).
However, serial numbers and date stamps usually apply during the first stages of building the piano, when the piano is in fact in many different parts, scattered all over the factory. The soundboard is also marked "6543" which dates the piano at 1860. However, during the final stages of regulating the piano's keyboard, Mr Piano Technician pulled out of his bag of washers a newspaper one, not really paying attention to its content, but more importantly its THICKNESS.
Some of the washers have French writing on them, so perhaps the same bag of washers was mixed with London ones, when Erard fled to the UK, due to the French Revolution. The "Police Courts" conviction could have also taken several months to be announced in the local paper (see the header).
However, a remarkable bit of later detective work.
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