My Gerhardt Heintzman Piano

My piano has a number inside of it as 5641. It's a Gerhard Heintzman piano and I'd like to know what year it was made.

Thank you,
Ophelia De Borghesse

It's become very difficult to determine the age of Gerhard Heintzman pianos as the lists have become unavailable. I know for a fact that your piano is from before 1900, but to be able to pin down the exact date is beyond our current capabilities. Hopefully this will suffice for now,
and hopefully we'll get access to a Gerhard Heintzman list again.

Best wishes,
~B~

Wow, I knew I had an antique piano on my hands based upon some of the responses from previous inquiries, but I didn't know my piano was THAT old!

Is there a piano museum or somewhere that would have these lists archived?

I'm going to try to attach a photo for you of my piano, it was taken at the ladies house from whom I bought it.

Thanks for your help!

Ophelia

Hello Ophelia,

Thank you so much for posting the pic. She's gorgeous!!

My Gerhard-Heintzman was made in 1903, with the serial numb er being 10080, so I just did the math. It's my only reference right at hand, though I have other numbers on here, that I can use as well. I just have to come up with the posts.

A centurian upright is a wonderful thing to have. They have a sound unmatched by their modern, oriental counterparts.

Thank you again, and enjoy your beautifully carved piano. Happy playing,

~B~

I've never been a fan of Asian pianos. When I was ready to buy a piano I knew I wanted an artcase piano and it had to be European or North American. As luck would have it I found the Gerhardt Heinztman piano and I was thrilled that it was made in Toronto, my home away from home! I'm American, but grew up in upstate NY and I'm a Toronto Maple Leafs fan so there ya go.

BTW, here's another piano for sale from the lady I bought my Gerhardt Heintzman from. It's a Collard & Collard, I'm not sure of the year it was made but it was GORGEOUS.

Ophelia

OMG that is a gorgeous piano!! Is there a way you could find out the serial number? I might have access to the maker's serial numbers, or I could email the Bluebook of Pianos and they could help me. (They are a wonderful site, by the way. They have researched many makers, so if you're interested in doing some digging on your own, it's a great place.)http://www.bluebookofpianos.com

Thak you so much for showing that pic. Oh, how I wish i could play it. How much was she asking for it?

~B~

Here's the link to Heidi's site where she sells her pianos, mine is on there as "sold" HA! Be sure to check out the Chickering she has for sale, I think it's like 8'2" or something!
http://heidimusic.webs.com/purchaseapiano.htm

Wow, thank you for that link. It was an interesting view on that site, for sure. I found the selection and ages fascinating.

It is always cute when we see our item with a sold sign. Ity's almost a rejoicing, as who might else would have wanted it and said "Oh darn! It's been sold." And it's all yours.

Best wishes,
~B~

Yes, I actually do rejoice when I see that "sold" sign on my piano because *I* got the piano! I remember finding sites with pianos just to scroll down and see that the piano was sold so this is quite a refreshing change for me.

Oh, it's so good to hear you as happy as you are about your piano. I'm so glad you got this one. The one that got away is always a let-down. This is your baby now, and I wish you endless hours of blissful playing.

Best wishes,
~Broccoli~

I emailed the Smithsonian library and asked them if they could help me find out the year my piano was built. The librarian found an interesting link, and the table within the link would suggest that my piano was made in the 1880's, probably the late 1880's, based upon my serial number of 5641.

Check this out, this is interesting:
http://hzmpiano.com/profile.aspx

Ophelia

Hi,

That list is for the Heintzman line only. Gerhard Heintzman was his nephew, and the dates/serial numbers are different for his line than that of the Heintzman pianos. Your piano isn't from the 1880's but closer to the end of the century.

We have many posts on here, older ones, that have the dates and serial numbers for the Gerhard line. I'll have a browse through them , and see what I can come up with to help make this date of manufacture come to the fore.

TTY Soon,
~B~

Yes, you're right, I was wondering based upon earlier posts if those numbers were accurate or not. This is really fascinating! Either way though, I've got a beautiful, antique piano!

I am coming to this thread late;

The Collard & Collard shown for sale is the twin sister of an instrument I have restored over the years for a fellow out this way that writes opera. Rather than burl walnut, this is blonde rosewood which was very popular in those days.

Here is a photo album of the instrument that I maintain on a regular basis.

This is a Picasa web album. Please left click once on this link; that will take you to the photo album. Then left click once on the first photo, top left, and this will open up the album so that you can read the text below each frame. Then scroll forward using the arrow above each frame. Here is the link…..
http://picasaweb.google.com/silverwoodpianos/ CollardCollard7ftGrand116091829#

On Gerhard Heintzman:

Not very much was known about the nephew of Theodore Heintzman, even by the remaining (Heintzman) family members that I know.

Gerhard was originally a cabinet maker that switched over to making pianos. Many of his cabinets were of the detailed quality shown on this thread. By 1926 when he passed more than 40,000 instruments had been produced. Heintzman took over the assets and made the Gerhard Heintzman until 1928. Another company Quidoz Pianos of Quebec made and instrument called the Gerhard from 1955-59.

Serial # 5700 starts 1898. There is a good book you can purchase about the history of Canadian Pianos.
Here is the link……
http://www.dundurn.com/books/downright_upright

Hi Dan, thanks for responding to my post. That's a beautiful Collard & Collard you have there and I'm very jealous! LOL

What did you think about the price for the C&C in the link I posted? I just have no reference point to know what the worth of the pianos are.

Thanks for the link to that book, I'll see if it's available on Amazon.

Ophelia

Hello Ophelia,

Prices on period pieces such as these are subjective. Very much like restoring old cars, some will go completely bonkers over that ’67 convertible Mustang, and would be willing to pay whatever you ask.

Others will dismiss it and purchase a Lexus or something more modern. It really depends upon your application. If you are playing or teaching lessons every day then a modern instrument would be more dependable...just like if you are commuting to work every day....you would not drive a model T right?

Most of the interest in period pieces is because someone is looking for a particular sound; a good example of this is early music societies that play chamber music and this kind of thing. They will want a harpsichord or and early spinet or virginal to play along with. It gives the music an authentic sound with vox.....

For the Collard for sale on the web site; depending upon where the instrument is located, the price is high for the Vancouver area for sure. I would think that a 7’4” straight strung would not fetch more that 15-20K on a good day.
But you never know....somebody could call tomorrow and cut a cheque for 42K.....

I'm in the DC area and around here there are quite a few people that could afford to write a check like that so I guess she's holding out for one of them! I like this woman who sells these pianos, I'd like to take some lessons from here when I can afford them.

I really love these art case pianos. It's important that the piano sound good of course, but it has to be aesthetically pleasing to me to. It has to make me want to play it, do you know what I mean?

I'm sure you've probably heard of Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music, yes? I got to hear him at the Kennedy Center once and they were wonderful, all period piece instruments and in my opinion it was just fantastic.

Oh I see you are down that way, I haven’t been around the DC area for a long time.

Yes she might get someone to cut a cheque for that price you never know. Really depends upon what upgrades have been completed on the original action and key set.

Those old instrument have a particular sound; each maker was unique then and most technicians of the day “specialized” in repairing and tuning particular instruments. There were technicians who specialized in Erard and Pleyel in France,then instruments in Germany of which there were many, and those that worked on Broadwood and other English makes like Collard.

The Collard would have a distinct sound; a bass section very woody because of the cabinet with the bottom notes full and round, a treble that is thin and flute like. Most of these instruments are used or purchased to get a particular sound or effect for a movie set or something like this.

Yes I have heard of the Hogwood fellow but have not had the chance to hear them. I have heard many others that do similar work of course.

I believe she said the piano has been rebuilt. I'm not sure exactly what was rebuilt, but that's how she describes it.

I sure wish I could afford it, I'd take it off her hands in a heartbeat!

Yes they are nice instruments and a piece of furniture when they are not being played.
you can always go and play it a little and dream.....with a little luck one day you might be able to have one!

I'm thinking by the time I'm in a position to own a piano like that I'll be able to find one. People seem to be selling these kinds of pianos, they want to sell them for any number of reasons and one day I'll be there!

Very good. Hope to read one day that you have fulfilled one of your dreams.
cheers,