Unusual Antique Harp with JFB/1847 carved in top and Barry on the Brass Plate

[unknown-user]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could provide more information on my harp.

[Dwyn .]

I’d advise posting about it on the Antique Pedal Harps group (Yahoo Groups).

[unknown-user]

Thank you very much for the information.

[Bonnie Shaljean]

A “history, directory and gazetteer” I came across in an antique book in the Google archives lists a number of London dealers in various items (Hardwood and Ivory, Herald Painters, Gunpowder Manufacturers, Gold & Silver Wire Drawers, Hotels Taverns & Coffee Houses, and a rather charming heading titled Instrument Makers – Mathematical, Optical & Philosophical).

[unknown-user]

Hi,

That’s great information.

[Dwyn .]

The only way a less well known maker could make the harp more valuable would be if the harp was of a quality comparable to the top makers, or had some innovative feature that really worked well.

[unknown-user]

Hi,

Please let me know if I might be able to send you some pics so you can tell me what you think.

[Bonnie Shaljean]

Scott, you really must join the Yahoo group AntiquePedalHarps and put these questions there.

[Dwyn .]

Bonnie — As long as you’re not putting any HTML commands in your post (i.e. paragraph breaks, italics start/stop commands, etc.), just putting in the URL automatically creates a hyperlink.

[Bonnie Shaljean]

I’ve been doing that, but it never seems to work!

[barbara-brundage]

It should work the same way in firefox. Trying here:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/AntiquePedalHarps/

http://www.harpcolumn.com/

Just hit return twice before pasting. WWW without the the whole http part of the address will not parse as a link here, incidentally.

[Mike Baldwin]

Hi Scott,

Can confirm that Alexander Barry was about and connected with harps in 1824. Have access to an inventory of the Erat harp company compiled a few years after Jacob Erat’s death. It is compiled by T. Dodd (Thomas) and A. Barry (Alexander). I’d suggest that this means he was known and respected within the harp world in 1820s London (around Soho basically) as he was commissioned to complete this task by the Court of Chancery. Would be very interested to see photos of your harp. I’m undertaking an MA specialising in the harp makers of Regency London and I’m trying to find out more about Barry. Only had the trade directory references and his name in the inventory until tonight.

Regards

Mike

[Mike Baldwin]

Thanks Bonny,

You’ve given me a new target – Not heard of Schwartz before. Will have to add him to my list to check out.

Regards

Mike

[Mike Baldwin]

Hi Dwyn,

You’re kind of right there. As far as I can tell Erard was making his perfected mechanism, his 1810 patent (No. 3332) which seems to have gone into production in 1811. The other makers (on the whole) were making Erard’s 1808 patent (No. 3170) at least initially. The 1810 mechanism with a deeper neck and external linkages is more stable and stronger resisting tension better.

It’s possible that Erard licensed his 1808 patent to other makers as he still owned the rights. The 1808 patent was just as successful as the later (improved) 1810 patent. I owned a Stumpff in which the imperfect mechanism still worked like a treat and know of many harps with this mechanism that are still in regular used today.

As far as the value of these harps go it does seem to be what someone is prepared to pay. I saw a pair of beautiful Erat single actions go at Bonhams recently for little over £2000 each – well under what I’d seen before and expected.

Mike

[unknown-user]

Hi Mike,

Thx for the info.

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