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Colt Clavier Collection

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The Colt Clavier Collection is a collection of historical keyboard instruments located in Bethersden, Kent, England. Consisting mostly of 18th and 19th-century pianos, it also includes a few harpsichords and a few unusual keyboards which defy standard categorization. It has been considered one of the most important collections of historically important instruments in the world.

Location

The Colt Clavier Collection is located in Bethersden, Kent, England, housed in a community of demonstration houses built by the Colt Family. Most of the instruments are housed in a purpose-built building, but each of demonstration house also features an instrument. A few of the instruments are displayed by museums in Germany and Switzerland.[1]

Scope and importance of collection

The collection consists mainly of pianos (forte-pianos), but also includes harpsichords.[2][3] The Colt Collection contains the largest single accumulation of Broadwood pianos.[4] The oldest specimen dates to 1775, with the most recent instrument dating to the late 19th-century. Consisting in excess of 130 instruments, the collection is one of the largest of its type in England.[1] In addition to actual instruments, the museum displays numerous images and miscellaneous artifacts related to the history pianos and the manufacture thereof.[1]

History

The collection was started in 1944 by Charles F. Colt, whose family fortune came by way of constructing prefabricated housing.[4][5][1] Colt began his collection with the purchase of an 1827 Broadwood square piano, which cost the sum of ₤6.[1] Colt stored these instruments at the village hall in Bethersden, which was built by the Colt family, and it was in Bethersden that Colt resided.[5] Eventually the collection grew to size that storage necessitated utilizing several Colt buildings within the village.[2] Piano-maker Derek Adlam was the curator of the collection from 1936 until 1973.[6] Although Colt died in 1985, maintenance of the collection has continued[4] under the management of Colt's widow and a board of trustees.[1] Construction was underway in 1994 to create more appropriate space for housing the instruments, as many were difficult to access due to area limitations.[1] Some items from the collection have subsequently been sold, while other pieces are on loan to the Munich Stadtmuseum.[2]

Specimens

  • A particularly notable specimen is a "claviorganum" constructed by Merlin in 1784 This instrument combines the strings and the pipes of an organ, although the strings may be disabled. In appearance it is similar to many of the square pianos housed in the Colt collection.[7]
  • An 1827 Broadwwod square piano, the first instrument acquired by Colt.[1]


Current status

The collection is no longer acquiring new instruements, but the sale of instruments in the collection has also ceased.[1] The collection is currently view-able only by appointment.[8] Concern has been expressed regarding the climate control within the main building, and the proximity of climate-modifying equipment to the instruments, in most cases because of space restrictions. [1]

References

[9]

[10]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bray, David (October 1994). "The Colt Clavier Collection at 50 - A Collection in Distress?". Harpsichord and Fortepiano. 5 (1). Ruxbury Publications, Ltd.: 30–33.
  2. ^ a b c Clinkscale, Martha Novak (1999). Makers of the Piano: 1820-1860. Oxford University Press. p. 457. ISBN 9780198166252.
  3. ^ Louchet, Jean (2010). The Keyboard Stringing Guide. p. 146. ISBN 9781445710334.
  4. ^ a b c Walker, Graham (December 17, 2013). "The Survival and Preservation of English Square Pianos". The Early Piano: Authentic Materials for Early Keyboard Instruments. Early Piano. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Harris, Paul (2009). Malcolm Williamson: A Mischievous Muse. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857120465.
  6. ^ Ripin, Edwin M. (1989). Early Keyboard Instruments. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 248. ISBN 9780393305159.
  7. ^ Palmieri, Robert (2004). The Piano: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 232. ISBN 9781135949648.
  8. ^ "The Music Room Workshop: Web Links". The Music Room Workshop. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  9. ^ Ratcliffe, Ronald V. (March 1977). "A Keyboard Heaven". Clavier. 16 (3): 22–23.
  10. ^ Colt, C. F. (March 1977). "From My Collection". Clavier. 16 (3): 23–25.
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