WANTED:

White exhibition piano made in 1899

The Östlind & Almquist Piano and Reed Organ factory was founded in 1888. At the beginning only made reed organs were made. After ten years the factory direction started projecting for expanding the production by pianos. Parallel to this the factory buildings at the East Esplanade were enlarged to house the new production branches.

​

Cataloque 1899	Cataloque 1903

The piano production was well under way in 1899 and there were plans to participate in the Paris World Fair in 1900. For this purpose a piano was made that was considered to be ’a magnificent proof of art furniture industry’ (Nya Dagligt Allehanda, 21st December 1899). It is described as ‘made in the most elegant rococo style and should, with its white lacquer, exquisite design, delicious gildings and color shades whose enamel luster give the instrument a likeness of the real substance of the rococo, the china, be a parlor adornment kept with the style of the period.’

In the early production this piano was looked upon as the master proof of the factory. However, this instrument never came to Paris but was shown in the newly opened Stockholm branch office in 1899 and later moved to the Gothenburg branch office where it is seen in an early 20th century interior photograph (before 1910).

Our question is now what happened to this piano. Where is it today? If anybody knows, we appreciate some words or best of all the whole history of this unique piano.