Introduction
This Directory gives useful information about piano makers, merchants, and people in allied trades who were involved in piano manufacturing and marketing in London between 1760 and 1800. The maker’s name given on the piano nameboard during this period was not always that of the actual maker and many instruments gave the name of the retail merchant. During the latter part of the 18th century the popularity of the piano grew rapidly and this gave significant business opportunities for those who could take advantage. Varied business arrangements formed between piano makers, musical supply warehouses and people in allied trades whereby the name given on the nameboard was not of the actual maker. Often it is possible to identify the actual maker by the design characteristics of the instrument.
There are three levels of information. The top level gives a list of names in alphabetical order. From each name, there is a drop-down table of standard data (including birth and death dates, business activity, business names and addresses together with associated dates). Where the piano maker’s or merchant’s business continued into the 19th century this information is also given but shown in italics. More detailed information is available for some makers and merchants from a link in the table. (This may include biographical, business management, piano design or details of surviving instruments).
The scope of this directory is to include information about the people whose name has been given on the nameboard of pianos made in London during this period but it also includes the name of others who played an important role in the piano industry.
Any comments or additional information is welcome.
John ADLEM
Biography
Business activity: Piano maker?
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: John Adlem 1793
Business Address: 40 King’s Street Soho 1793
Comments: Adlem is recorded in James (1930), Harding (1933), and Clinkscale (1996) but there are not any known surviving instruments of this maker. Reference to John Adlem has not been found in the rate books for this period at the Westminster Archives.
George ASTOR
Biography
(1752-1813)
Business activity: Woodwind instrument maker and music seller. Piano merchant from the 1790’s possibly initially reselling square pianos made by John Geib and/or Thomas Culliford.
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: George Astor 1774-1798, George Astor & Co. 1798-1814, Astor & Horwood 1814-1821, C. Gerock, Astor and Co. 1821-1828, Christopher Gerock & Co. 1828-1835
Business Address: 26 Wynch Street 1774-1803, 79 Cornhill & 27 Tottenham Street, Fitzroy Square 1797-1814, 79 Cornhill 1814-1835, 76 Bishopsgate Street, 7 Gracechurch Street
Americus BACKERS
Biography
( -1778)
Business activity: Harpsichord and piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Americus Backers 1767-1778
Business Address: Jermyn Street 1767-1778
James BALL
Biography
(c1770-1819)
Business activity: Piano and organ maker, music seller, publisher, and printer
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: James Ball 1788-c1818, Motta & Ball in 1794, James Ball & Son c1818-1824, Edward Ball & Son 1824-1835
Business Address: 1 Duke Street 1788-1802, 26 Duke Street 1802-1808, 27 Duke Street 1808- 1835
Thomas? BATES
Biography
Business activity: Piano merchant. Possible business relationship with piano makers George Garcka and Thomas Tomkison
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Bates & Co. 1793
Business Address: Corner of Edward Street. and Wardour Street
Arnold Frederick BECK
Biography
Business activity: Square piano maker and music seller
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Frederick Beck 1772-1798, Beck & Corrie 1794
Business Address: Hart Street (Business activity unknown) 1762-1766, 4 Broad St., Golden Square 1772-1784, 10 Broad St., Golden Square 1785-1798
Comments: May have been making pianos before 1772
Thomas BECK
Biography
Business activity: Square piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Frederick Beck 1790
Business Address: 10 Broad Street
Comments: Thomas Beck was most likely a relation of Arnold Frederick Beck
Adam BEYER
Biography
(c1730-1804)
Business activity: Piano maker (mostly square pianos but also grand pianos)
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Adam Beyer 1763-1798
Business Address: Kempts Court, Piccadilly 1763 (Business activity unknown), Compton Street, St. Annes, Soho 1766-1798.
Comments: May have been making square pianos for piano merchants such as Longman & Co prior to making them under his own name
Lorence BEYER
Biography
Business activity: Piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Adam Beyer
Business Address: Compton Street, St. Anne’s Soho
Anne BLAND
Biography
Business activity: Music seller, printer, publisher (Piano merchant probably only as Bland & Weller)
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Anne Bland 1784-1792, Bland & Weller 1792-1818
Business Address: 23 Oxford Street 1784-1818
John BLAND
Biography
(c1750 – c1840)
Business activity: Music seller, printer, publisher and piano merchant
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: John Bland 1776-1795
Business Address: 45 High Holborn
James Shudi BROADWOOD
Biography
(1772-1851)
Business Activity: Piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: John Broadwood & Son 1795-1807, John Broadwood & Sons 1807-
Business address: 33 Great Pulteney Street and Bridle Lane 1773-1903, 69 Horseferry Road, Westminster, 2 Clement’s Lane, Conduit Street, George Street, 158 New Bond Street.
John BROADWOOD
Biography
(1732-1812)
Business activity: Harpsichord and piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: John Broadwood 1773-1794, John Broadwood & Son 1795-1807, John Broadwood & Sons 1808-1932
Business Address: 33 Great Pulteney Street and Bridle Lane 1773-1903, 69 Horseferry Road, Westminster, 2 Clement’s Lane, Conduit Street, George Street, 158 New Bond Street
Francis Fane BRODERIP
Biography
(c1750-1807)
Business activity: Merchant (piano and other musical instruments, music publisher and seller)
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Longman, Lukey & Broderip (James Longman, Charles Lukey and Francis Fane Broderip) 1775-1776, Longman & Broderip (James Longman and Francis Fane Broderip) 1775-1796, Broderip & Wilkinson (Francis Fane Broderip and George Wilkinson) 1798-1811
Business Address: Harp & Crown, 26 Cheapside 1775-1796, 13 Haymarket 1798-1811
Joseph BUCKINGER
Biography
Business activity: Piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Joseph Buckinger 1793-1809
Business Address: 443 The Strand
Gabriel BUNTEBART
Biography
( -1794)
Business activity: Harpsichord and piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Zumpe & Buntebart 1769-1778, Buntebart & Co., Buntebart & Sievers, 1783-1792 Gabriel Buntebart 1793-4
Business Address: 7 Princes Street, Hanover Square 1769-1994
Comments: When Buntebart died in 1794 the business was continued by Thomas Henry Scharder, Buntebart’s forman and the firm later became Schader and Hartz until about 1802.
Samuel BURY
Biography
Business activity: Piano maker and music seller
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Samuel Bury & Co. 1787 -1794
Business Address: 113 Bishopsgate Within
George BUTTERY
Biography
Business activity: Paino maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: George Buttery 1792
Business Address: Near St Martin-in-the-Fields
Muzio CLEMENTI
Biography
(1752-1832)
Business activity: Composer, printer, publisher, music seller and musical instrument merchant.
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Longman, Clementi & Co. (John Longman, Muzio Clementi, Frederick Augustus Hyde, Frederick William Collard, Josiah Banger and David Davis) 1798-1800, Muzio Clementi & Co. (Muzio Clementi, Josiah Banger, Frederick Augustus Hyde, Frederick William Collard and David Davis) 1800-1810, (Muzio Clementi, Josiah Banger, Frederick William Collard, David Davis and William Frederick Collard) 1811-1817, (Muzio Clementi, Frederick William Collard, David Davis and William Frederick Collard 1817-1823, Clementi, Collard & Collard (Muzio Clementi, Frederick William Collard and William Fredwerick Collard) 1823-1831
Business Address: 26 Cheapside 1798-1831, 195 Tottenham Court Road 1798-1831 also ajoining property 193 probably used as living accommodation
Comments: Clementi retired in 1831 and died in 1832 and the firm became Collard & Collard continuing at the same address.
Frederick William COLLARD
Biography
( 1772 -1860)
Business activity: Piano maker
Trading as, employed by or contracted to: Longman & Broderip 1791-1796, Longman, Clementi & Co. (John Longman, Muzio Clementi, Frederick Augustus Hyde, Frederick William Collard, Josiah Banger and David Davis) 1798-1800, Clementi & Co. (Muzio Clementi, Josiah Banger, Frederick Augustus Hyde, Frederick William Collard and David Davis) 1800-1810, (Muzio Clementi, Josiah Banger, Frederick William Collard, David Davis and William Frederick Collard) 1811-1817, (Muzio Clementi, Frederick William Collard, David Davis and Willaim Fredferick Collard) 1817-1823. Collard & Collard (Muzio Clementi, Frederick William Collard and William Frederick Collard) 1817-1831, Collard & Collard 1831-1860.
Business Address:
Comments: When Frederick William Collard died in 1860 the firm passed to Frederick William Collard’s two nephews Frederick Willaim and Charles Collard.