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Harp Making in

Late-Georgian London

At the end of the eighteenth century, after the French Revolution, the centre of pedal-harp making moved from Paris to London. There, building on the work of its Bavarian originators and Parisian developers, mainly immigrant makers elevated the instrument to new musical, technical, and decorative heights, and placed it in the hands and salons of the British upper classes and aristocracy. Until recently, the story of harp making in England has been dominated by the Erard family who built about 7,000 of an estimated 15,000 harps made in London during the nineteenth century; some 20 other makers have been all but forgotten.

This book, the story of harp making in late-Georgian England, assesses the role and consumption of the harp in society whilst describing its decorative and technical development. Forgotten makers and their innovations are identified. Through the lens of newly discovered documents and the reinterpretation of others, Jacob Erat's manufactories are reconstructed. His working methods, illustrative of those used in the wider industry, are rediscovered, and employees and suppliers are revealed anew.

ISBN: 9781527265110

428 pages

Price: £60

Harp Making in

Late-Georgian London

At the end of the eighteenth century, after the French Revolution, the centre of pedal-harp making moved from Paris to London. There, building on the work of its Bavarian originators and Parisian developers, mainly immigrant makers elevated the instrument to new musical, technical, and decorative heights, and placed it in the hands and salons of the British upper classes and aristocracy. Until recently, the story of harp making in England has been dominated by the Erard family who built about 7,000 of an estimated 15,000 harps made in London during the nineteenth century; some 20 other makers have been all but forgotten.

This book, the story of harp making in late-Georgian England, assesses the role and consumption of the harp in society whilst describing its decorative and technical development. Forgotten makers and their innovations are identified. Through the lens of newly discovered documents and the reinterpretation of others, Jacob Erat's manufactories are reconstructed. His working methods, illustrative of those used in the wider industry, are rediscovered, and employees and suppliers are revealed anew.

ISBN: 9781527265110

428 pages

Price: £60

Mike Baldwin

Author / Historian/ Folklorist/ Harp Maker

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mike45804
- Apr 11, 2022
- 1 min read

Skibbereen: Rescued Folklore

My new book, Skibbereen: Rescued Folklore, was released on 4 April 2022

The survival of folklore is a rare thing. In a world fixated with the modern and new, many no longer see any relevance in what they consider to be old. But folklore is more than a glimpse into our pasts. It is vibrant and alive, surviving and, indeed, thriving, layer upon layer in our environs, the places we inhabit and the words we use. What is more, each generation adds its own strata.

The stories in this book are from the town of Skibbereen, situated at the heart of West Cork, Ireland. In 1937, at the behest of The National Folklore Commission, who identified the loss of this important and valuable heritage, the children from Skibbereen's schools set to work, committing tales narrated by their parents and grandparents to paper. Here you will find stories and histories from Abbeystrowry, Aghadown, Castlehaven, the Convent of Mercy (Skibbereen), Corravoley, Creagh, Dooneen, Drishanemore, Hare [Heir] Island, Kilcoe, Lisheen, Lissalohorig, Lough Hyne, Ringagrogy and Sherkin Islands, and the town of Skibbereen.

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