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BRINSMEAD
in London
Pianoforte for Peninsular and oriental steamship Paramatta, 1851 (?)
LONDON - "474 Brinsmead, J. 15 Charlotte St. Fitzroy Sq. Manu. —Registered pianoforte, with improved joint." Official catalogue, Great exhibition, 1851, p. 70
LONDON - "474 Brinsmead, J., Fab., 15 Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square. – Ein Pianoforte." Amtlicher Catalog der Ausstellung der Industrie-Erzeugnisse aller Völker, 1851, p. 66
Registered Pianoforte on the London Exhibition of 1851, Official description and illustrated catalogue of the Great exhibition, 1851, p. 465
LONDON - "474 Brinsmead, John, 15, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square - Manufacturer. Registered pianoforte - the long brass joint generally seen upon the fall of pianofortes, obviated when opening by a simple contrivance. The case permits the instrument to be placed in any part of a room. Embroidered device in the central panel, and music stool. [This instrument is the first instrument in the left border]." Official description and illustrated catalogue of the Great exhibition, 1851, p. 464-465
1862
LONDON - "In our first illustration we have the pianoforte exhibited by John Brinsmead, of 15, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square; with model of the action, and so much needed by the profession, and conveying from the performer to the hammer acting on the string all the delicacy of action of the finger expressing the feeling of the player, from the most powerful to the softest quality of tone. ln the escapement of this action, the hammer relieves itself from a block on the end of the key; the set-off and repeat being attained by one movement. Thus, the touch of the most rapid performer never fails to elicit a distinct note. Again, the lever and hopper being superseded in the mechanism of this action, the full force of the blow is transmitted direct from the string to the hammer; while, in the ordinary action, the sticker is hinged from the butt with leather,and connected with levers by leather clothing, the underside of the lever having a piece of box cloth, which forms an clastic cushion for the hopper to strike against. From the consequent and necessary interposition of these clothings, a portion of the power of the blow is absorbed; while, in this action, the sticker is connected with the butt by a bushed centre, resting on the adjusting block and the end of the key, and is the only medium from the hammer, thus gaining its superiority of power. In the construction of the ease, iron supports aro scientifically introduced in front of bracings, forming square abutments against metal plates from the bottom block, and bent side to the wrest or tuning-pins' plank, thereby rendering it impossible for the case to yield to the great pull of the string; carrying out a perfect compensating principle, and ensuring the instrument standing to one pitch, however variable the temperature of climate; as the iron supports in the front of the wood bracings and the strings contract or expand in the same proportion. Thus, we have in this instrument all the modern improvements combined with the principle patented by Mr. Brinsmead." Cassell's Illustrated Exhibitor: Containing about Three Hundred, 1862, p. 103
LONDON - "3370 Brinsmead, J. 15,
Charlotte-st. Fitzroy-sq. — Perfect check repeating grand and upright
piano on a new principle, and models.
LONDON - "Mr. Brinsmead exhibits some superior cottage pianos in walnut, with a new repeating check action; also a model of a new grand action, of considerable merit." The Illustrated London News, 14/06/1862, p. 617
LONDON - "Mr. Joan Brinsmead (3370) exhibits three upright pianos of different kinds, and some models of improved grand and upright actions patented by him. The pianos have a metallic strengthening arrangement in the framing. He is awarded a Medal for improvements in the action and for general excellence." Reports by the Juries on the subjects in the thirty-six classes into which ..., 1862, p. 148
1865
LONDON - "BRINSMEAD,
JOHN, 4, Wigmore Street, late 15, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, and 1,
Chenies Street, Bedford Square. — Piano Forte Manufacturer. Awarded, Prize
Medal, International Exhibition, 1862, for Improvement in Action, and
General Excellence of Piano Fortes."
Debrett's Illustrated Peerage, of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain, 1865, p. 501
1867
PARIS -
"Mr. John Brinsmead furnishes grand, oblique, and upright pianos. Some of
these instruments have been in use five years, and are now exhibited in
proof of their durability. They are good instruments. A patent for perfect
check and repeater action for grands and uprights was taken out by Mr.
Brinsmead in 1862."
Reports on the Paris Universal Exhibition,
1867, Volume 2,
p. 201
PARIS -
"Pianoforti a coda. - [...] La firma Brinsmead di Londra ha anche ottenuto una medaglia di
bronzo; questa casa è infaticabile per il progresso, essa ha spesso cambiato
i suoi meccanismi, ed ora quello del suo pianoforte a coda è riuscito
benissimo e dà molta soddisfazione al suonatore. Il pianoforte esposto ha
bella voce giustamente flautata e noi facciamo all'autore i nostri sinceri
complimenti. La fig. 255, Atl. Tav. 11, dimostra il suo meccanismo
privilegiato, come egli l'aveva esposto."
Il Pianoforte, guida pratica per costruttori,
accordatori, etc., Sievers, 1868, p.
217 -
les
images (on-line)
1876
1878
PARIS -
"Brinsmead, John, & Sons; Fabricants et
Inventeurs du "Patent Perfect Check Eepeater Action" ; 18, Wigmore Street,
Cavendish Square, London. Fabrique, The Brinsmead Works, Grafton Road,
London.
PARIS - "Brinsmead, John, and Sons;
Pianoforte Manufacturers and Inventors of the Patent Perfect Check Repeater
Action ; 18, Wigmore St., Cavendish Square, London. Factory, The Brinsmead
Works, Grafton Road, London.
1880
MELBOURNE -
"Madame Tasca still
performs on the Brinsmead patent sostenente on Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday, in the north transept, portions of Schumann's Carneval, andante
spianato, and polonaise of Chopin, and other good music, in her accustomed
style ; also on the Bord pianos in the French Court, and on Friday, on the
grand concert piano of Bluthner in the Piano Saloon of the German Court.
The
acoustic qualities of this portion of the building are so superior that it
has been proposed to remove the instruments entered for competition to this
saloon, and to have the tone of all tested in succession under equal
advantages."
The Sydney Morning Herald, 09/12/1880, p. 7
(trove.nla.gov.au)
MELBOURNE -
"GRAND
PIANOS. [...] BRINSMEAD, J., AND Son, London, exhibit a concert grand
of good tone, fine treble, sweet medium, and powerful bass. This instrument
has been played upon during the whole of the Exhibition, and has borne well
the strain placed upon it by its frequent removals from one part of the
building to another, and maintained the reputation of the makers for
solidity of construction.
Like the French makers, Messrs. Brinsmead have
retained the old system of wooden instruments and parallel stringing. The
innovations due to American, and adopted so completely by German
manufacturers, have to be considered from different points of view, viz.,
solidity of construction, sonorous tone, and economy of cost.
They, as well
as the French makers, do not ignore the advantages to be derived from the
American system, and if they have not adopted it, it is possibly because
they suppose that the vibration is greater and the sound travels further in
the piano entirely constructed of wood than in that of iron. This firm also
exhibited a semi-grand and a boudoir grand, which fully maintained their
reputation.
First award. [...]
COTTAGE
PIANOS.
[...]
BRINSMEAD, J., AND Sons, London. — The pianos of this firm are well
constructed. Their patent action is greatly simplified by diminishing the
number of centres, repeats well; the sounding-board covering the whole
surface of the instrument, has greater elasticity; the vibration of the
strings is greatly increased, and the tone improved thereby.
An improvement
on the system of compensating bars is also introduced, the strings passing
over them on to the bridge of the sounding-board; a pressure bar, which can
only be regulated by means of a series of screws, controls the pressure of
the strings so as to diminish or increase the tone at will. The touch of
these instruments is most agreeable. First award."
Official Record: Containing Introduction, History of
Exhibition, Description ..., 1882, p. 46-49
1884 CALCUTTA - "BRINSMEAD (JOHN) AND SONS, 18, Wigmore Street, and Brinsmead Works, Grafton Street, London. - Horizontal grand pianoforte, specially constructed to withstand the effects of extreme climates. Upright iron grand pianoforte in solid case, specially manufactured for India. Upright iron grand pianoforte with patent perfect check repeater action sostenente sounding board. Upright iron grand with patent tuning apparatus." Official Report of the Calcutta International Exhibition ..., 1884, p. 12
1885
LONDON -
"At
3,589, Messrs. J. BRINSMEAD & Sons, Wigmore-street, show an elegant music
cabinet in American walnut-wood."
The Furniture Gazette, 01/07/1885, p. 311
LONDON
-
"BRINSMEAD,
JOHN, & SONS. —
1889
MELBOURNE -
"105 Brinsmead, J., & Sons, 10, 20, and 22: Wigmore-st., London. Oblique and
uprig it grand pianofortes."
The Official Catalogue of the Exhibits: With Introductory ..., 1888, p.
10
1889
PARIS -
"4. BRINSMEAD (John) & Son, à Londres, Wigmore street, 18. — Pianos à queue
de diverses formes, pianos droits, caisse intérieure de piano."
Catalogue général officiel de l'exposition universelle
de 1889, p. 16 (gallica.bnf.fr)
1894
LONDON -
"John Brinsmead & Sons have secured a liberal space but content
themselves with showing a sectional piano and illustrations of the numerous
awards and "appointments" with which they have been honoured. This of itself
shows the honours that have been given this enterprising firm from all parts
of the world."
Musical Courier: A Weekly Journal Devoted to Music and the ..., 12/06/1895,
p. 2
BRINSMEAD
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