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BRINSMEAD
in London

1851

 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

Piccolo Piano in carved case,
Exhibition London, 1862,
 
Cassell's Illustrated Exhibitor: Containing about Three Hundred, 1862, p. 103

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Again, the lever and hopper being superseded in the mechanism of this action, the full force of the blow is transmitted direct from the string to the hammer; while, in the ordinary action, the sticker is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.
3371 Brinsmead, J. 15, Charlotte-st. Fitzroy-sq. — Tubulated equipollent boudoir pianos, with check-repeater actions; and models."
International exhibition, 1862 : Official catalogue of the industrial department, 1862, p. 54

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)

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.
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Piano à queue, grand format pour concert, caisse en bois de noyer, avec le "patent perfect check repeater action," cadre et table d'harmonie perfectionnes en metal, "sympathetic scale," "tone sustaining pedal," etc.
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Piano à queue demi longueur, caisse en bois de noyer, avec " patent perfect check repeater action."
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Piano a queue oblique, avec "patent perfect check repeater action," "full metal front frame," table d'harmonie "sostinente," etc.
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Piano, demi - oblique avec "patent perfect cheek repeater action," iron front frame, "table d'harmonie" sostinente," etc.
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Piano droit avec "patent perfect check repeater action," etc.
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Modeles de "patent perfect check repeater action" pour pianos a queue et pianos droits." Catalogue officiel de la section anglaise, 1878, p. 66 (archive.org)

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.
- Full Concert Grand Pianoforte, in walnut case, with patent perfect check repeater" action, improved metal frame and sounding board, sympathetic scale, tone sustaining pedal, &c.
- Short iron Grand Pianoforte, in walnut case, with patent “perfect check repeater" action.
- Grand Oblique Pianoforte, with patent “perfect check repeater" action, full metal front frame, sostinente sounding board, &c., &c.
- Half Oblique Pianoforte, with patent perfect check repeater action, iron front frame, sostinente sounding board, &c.
- Upright Piano. forte, with patent perfect check repeater action, &c., &c.
- Model of Patent “Perfect Check Repeater" Action for Grands;
- Model of Patent “Perfect Check Repeater" Action for Upright Pianos." Official Catalogue of the British Section, Paris Exhibirion, 1878, p. 62

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

1885

LONDON - Messers Brinsmead's Pianofortes at the Inventions Exhibition. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 8 August 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. —
Concert Grand, with patent leverage, sounding board, &c.;
Semi-Grand, with patent screw tuning pins and continuous iron frame;
Drawing-room Grand, with patent mechanism and tone sustaining pedal ;
Skeleton Piano, with patent screw tuning apparatus and metal action, &c.;
Upright Piano, with patent leverage sounding-board, &c. ;
Models : patent iron frame, patent screw tuning apparatus, patent check action, patent simplex action, patent grand check action, patent leverage sounding-board, &c.
"
The Musical Standard: A Newspaper for Musicians, Professional and Amateur, 22/08/1885, p. 121

1889

Image of Brinsmead Grand Pianoforte in an advertisement of Kelly & Walsh,
 The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits ..., 1888, p. 418

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)

BRINSMEAD
on this site

 
ARTICLES
EXPOSITIONS

UNE GRANDE MANUFACTURE DE PIANOS À LONDRES, 1883

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