O/T Piano From London Maker

[antique1973]

I think that might be when a few "Allison" companies merged??
Ralph Allison & Sons were at 108 Wardour St London from the 1850s, and posibly remained there until the merger. I did see a reference to the same address in the early 1890s somewhere. They patented a repeater in 1865, and became "limited" in 1883 (apparently )

It's hard to say for sure without examining them, but I think the sconce are legit.
I've actually got a gas wall light somewhere, that has very similar art nouveau weeds in cast brass, & it's quite rough looking as well- complete with mold lines.
I've also got other pairs of sconce of various qualities somewhere amoungst the rubble lol.
It may just be a case of the manufacturers attempt at making them appear more "organic" in keeping with the art nouveau/arts & crafts styles?
Probably the best way to tell is to closely examine the panels they screw to, and look for any filled screw holes or bruising on the timber or finish from the mounting plate, that dont match your pair.
If the piano had handles on the sides, you should find similar tell tale signs there too, but I think yours might be just a little too late for handles... it's kind of boarderline.
Mine is supposed to have handles, but apparently when my parents cleaned up my grans place & moved the piano, they threw the handles in the dump
I've found & seen heaps of sconce over the years, but boy those handles are hard to come by in my neck of the woods. I haven't even found a single handle in 30 yrs of antique shops, flea markets etc etc.

Ah ok, I did not read the fine print while I was half awake last night. So its possible it could be a bit earlier after all. It is definitely a relic in any case.

There are extra holes I noticed so it appears the original sconces are history. I found some brass screws that may work so I will try to mount these up tomorrow. I did not notice any holes on the sides for handles but I will take a closer look when I get a chance. Thanks for the info!

[antique1973]

You have what was known as a " Cottage Piano" . They were small, pretty and usually fairly inexpensive uprights for the masses. I think they're lovely, but speaking as a piano technician, be prepared for your tuner to have mild hysterics. Have the tea and smelling salts ready, because these things are a nightmare to work on unless a) they've been rebuilt or b) you're used to them. Tuning an overdamper...or " birdcage"... action is a task, let us say. At least most tuners nowadays have a Papp mute or two in their kit. These were developed to tune overdamper actions and simplify the job. The problem with these pianos is they were designed to live on a verdant, misty island with houses heated by coal grates. North American central heating is their nemesis.

Jim

Thanks for the helpful insight Jim. To make matters worse some of the keys don't work either.
As far as the action is concerned its quite a wreck. Sounds like we need to have plenty of
disposable cash on hand for the restoration.

[antique1973]

Wasn't it tuned at the factory? (wink, wink)

Well it has been a century, so it probably needs a bit of TLC!