Christopher Ganer 1780
Description
| Date: | 1780 |
| Origin: | London |
| Serialnumber: | —- |
The case of this little charming instrument is made of solid mahogany and richly decorated with inlaid ribbons. The original stand is decorated on the sides with bronze applications.
The keyboard is made ivory and ebony. Inside the piano are three stops for bass dampers, treble dampers and lute. The hammers are covered with leather. The action is an english single action after Zumpe. The compass is 5 octaves (FF/GG – f3; without f-sharp).
Square Piano by Christopher Ganer, London 1780 – Eric Feller Collection (Keyboard)
The nameboard is of light wood with inlaid ribbon, swags, and geometric stringing, all surrounded by diagonal mahogany cross banding richly painted with flowers and garlands and bears the signature:
“Christopher Ganer Londini fecit 1780
No 47 Broad Street Soho”
Christopher Ganer was born around 1750 in Leipzig. Like many other instrument makers he left the continent and is from 1774 in England as a harpsichord and piano maker (as well as a harp maker from about the mid-1780s) detectable. At that time, his workshop was at Broad Street 22, Golden Square, and later at Broad Street no. 47.
In 1774 he married Lydia Willey and had four daughters and a son who died in childhood.
Special by all instruments of Christopher Ganer is that he built the typical “trestle-stands” as well as from 1777/78 in fashion coming “french-stands“. His skills as an excellent cabinet maker made him build particularly elegant instruments with high quality inlays. In 1782 he built an instrument for Princess Amelia. All his instruments are individually designed and none are alike.
Until about 1784 Ganer always dated his instruments with the Latin inscription “Christopher Ganer Londini Fecit“.
According to different sources, he died in 1811 (in some sources also in 1818).
Other surviving instruments by Christopher Ganer:
- 1785 square piano (No.?) Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna Italy
- 1785 square piano (No.?) Eric Feller Early Keyboard Instruments Collection, Germany
| Length: | 149,4 cm |
| Width: | 50,8 cm |
| Height: | 20,3 cm |
| Circumference: | 5 octaves – FF,GG – f3 |
| Mechanics: | single action |
| Pedals: | 3 stops - bass dampers, treble dampers and lute |
| Signature: | "Christopher Ganer Londini fecit 1780 / No 47 Broad Street Soho" |