Grand Piano
1815 - 1820 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 1792 William Stodart (fl. 1792-1838) took over the piano-making firm that his father Robert (1748-1813) had founded in 1775. The Stodarts supplied the Royal family with pianos, as the inscription on the nameboard states, and William's father taught music to the daughters of George III. This undated piano was almost certainly made before 1820, the year in which William Stodart's employees William Allen and James Thom invented tubular metal bracing. This device, designed to keep the piano's tuning stable in fluctuating temperatures, is not used on the present piano.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Oak case with mahogany veneer, rosewood cross-banding and brass stringing; Brass collars on the tops of solid mahogany legs; Ivory covered naturals and ebony sharps |
| Brief description | English grand piano, 1815-25, oak with mahogany and rosewood veneers and brass stringing, William Stodart, 1815 - 1820. |
| Physical description | Grand piano, with a range of seventy-three notes, CC - C4. Its case is oak, veneered with mahogany, cross-banded with rosewood and decorated with brass stringing. Fluted legs of solid mahogany, surmounted with brass collars. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | William Stodart / Maker to their Majesties and Royal Family / Golden Square, London (Inscribed in ink on the nameboard of the piano.) |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Miss R.M. Scott |
| Object history | This instrument was given to the Museum in 1952 by Miss R.M. Scott. It was lent to the National Trust at Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire, from 1976 to 1994 (see Nominal File MA/1/N1064). |
| Summary | In 1792 William Stodart (fl. 1792-1838) took over the piano-making firm that his father Robert (1748-1813) had founded in 1775. The Stodarts supplied the Royal family with pianos, as the inscription on the nameboard states, and William's father taught music to the daughters of George III. This undated piano was almost certainly made before 1820, the year in which William Stodart's employees William Allen and James Thom invented tubular metal bracing. This device, designed to keep the piano's tuning stable in fluctuating temperatures, is not used on the present piano. |
| Bibliographic reference | Howard Schott: Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part I: Keyboard instruments. (London, 1998), pp. 119-120. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.5-1952 |
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| Record created | May 16, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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