Size, Color and Condition are not all that important.

I won't be rebuilding it. I am looking to study it's action.
The action needs to be a repetition action. Again, condition is not critical, although an action in better condition is helpful.

Thank You in advance for any help.
Larry

Larry, here is a list of all the cities in France where there is a Craigslist. When you click on the city of your choice, you can go up top left and change to English from Français.

http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/fr

I will be on the lookout for one around here, but I am not sure there are too many of them around this area…….

The only other suggestion I have is getting a hold of some of the techs in France. They might have an old one not in use………….or not matched to an instrument………

I used to work on one, but I have lost track of it.

You might contact the Period Piano Company, who are very knowledgeable about early Erards, and might be able to give you information about the action.

They currently have two in their stock list:

1840 Erard

and this one which belonged to the 19th century pianist and composer Ignaz Moscheles:

1840 Erard Moscheles

Larry,
Check with Bill Shull. There was a gentleman in El Dorado Hills near Sacramento that recently moved to Southern California and had one for sale. I cannot recall his name but Bill knows him. It was in very nice condition I think it was 1861 - later than you want - but Bill may know of others.

Thanks David and Gene,

Actually, I spent the day last Wednesday with Bill Shull at Steinway Restoration documenting the earliest known Steinway Centennial Concert Grand in the US. There was one other made earlier that was shipped to Germany. Laurence Libin joined us for that.

We also spent the Day Thursday at Allied Piano(Ruth and Web Phillips) in PA documenting an early 1870's Erard. It was this Erard that made me want to explore an earlier Erard.

On to Harrisburg for the MARC Convention where Laurence Libin joined us again.

I have been working with Bill Shull for the last couple of years documenting pianos. As result I am interested in an early Erard with a repetition action. Sebastian Erard's repetition design is the first of it's kind. I'd like to have one to study.

I anticipate this search taking some time.

Dan, I did look all through France's Crsigslist. Nothing there. Many Erards were made in England during the French Revolution. I'll poke around there as well. Obviously, finding one here in the US will make shipping a lot less expensive.

Yes it’s true Larry; Sebastian did spend time in England during the Revocation.

Reading that reminded me of something, there is a fellow that runs a place called the Piano History Centre in Britain. He is also a member of the Institute of Musical Instrument Technology (IMIT).

http://www.imit.org.uk/

He might be able to provide you with some information on locating one there but as you say it would be most convenient to find one on this continent.

I have sent you a direct email with his address…..


Not sure if you are aware of this place too Larry but a posting here might help in your search there…..

http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-forums/index.php