<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content='"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=GENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Hello Stephen,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>I'm just now able to respond  to your post = below re my old Broadwood. I'm planning to visit the museum again to collect more = data an take more photos, etc. In addition to the speaking length of all the C's = what other things should I be on the alert for?  If the number I found underneath the keybed is not the Serial #, then where are some likely = places to look? I have some pictures that I could  send- would that be of = help. This particular instrument appears to be very similar to the 1804 Broadwood = at the Boston MFA.  Mine has turned legs and a different lyre = design.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Boston also has a 1796 with a very ornate case, but = according to the pictures in the book that I am referencing, this one is also = almost identical to the Huntington Museum instrument. The 1796 is a six octave.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>BTW, Huntington is in West Virginia (not western = Virginia-it's a whole 'nother state. There was a war and all- it was in all the = papers.Big, Big Grin ;-) ) which, of course is in North America ;-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Seriously, any help/information you could provide me = with will be greatly appreciated.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Paul E. Dempsey, Jr. RPT<BR>Marshall = University<BR>Huntington, WV</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>-----Original = Message-----</B><BR><B>From: </B>Stephen Birkett <<A = href="mailto:birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca">birketts@wright.aps.uogue= lph.ca</A>><BR><B>To: </B><A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> = <<A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR><B>Date: </B>Friday, November 05, 1999 1:03 AM<BR><B>Subject: </B>Re: Old = Broadwood Grand<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>Finally delved back into the first of the = spate of histroical letters here...<BR><BR>Paul wrote:<BR>> that is = located in the Huntington Museum of Art.<BR>><BR>sounds interesting. Where is Huntington? Whcih continent even?<BR>> <BR>> Now the detective = part.... in my exam I found a number (17046) stamped<BR>> into = the underside of the keybed, roughly in the center in front of = the<BR>> lyre. Assumeing this to be a serial number, I have checked Pierce and = the<BR>> <BR>I doubt very much that this is a serial number in this location. = It is <BR>probably a part number stamped to denote the number in a series = made in <BR>the factory, to identify the part with a particular piano. You = see all <BR>sorts of these type of numbers stamped in various places.<BR><BR>>  Anywho...where do I go from here? The = instrument is wonderful on the<BR>> outside.. the case is quite beautiful in = mahogany, satinwood with rosewod<BR>> inlays with surprisingly = few dings and bangs.<BR>><BR>OK sounds good. As I said a few replies back - = please measure the C2 <BR>speaking length for starters. But maybe if you = want to go back to the <BR>museum and get the data all in one go, I'll suggest = a few other things <BR>before you go.<BR><BR>> My considered opinion is = to recommend to the museum that they do NOTHING.<BR>> Leave it as it = is. This is a legitimate historic museum piece whether it<BR>> was = mad in 1811 or 1850. Nevertheless I'd like to pin down the age if<BR>> possible.<BR>><BR>Easy to pin down the age. As mentioned = elsewhere if 1850 I would have no <BR>qualms about a restoration to original = state, and they can use it for <BR>some wonderful concerts. If earlier - even = 1811 - these are not <BR>altogether uncommon pianos, so they might = seriously consider a <BR>restoration. Money is of course a (big) issue in such = work, but donors <BR>are usally not hard to find for such projects - = corporate, local <BR>business, patrons etc.<BR><BR>Stephen<BR><BR>Stephen = Birkett Fortepianos<BR>Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos<BR>464 Winchester Drive<BR>Waterloo, Ontario<BR>Canada N2T 1K5<BR>tel: 519-885-2228<BR>email: <A = href="mailto:birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca">birketts@wright.aps.uogue= lph.ca</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>