Longman & Broderip
The illustrious Collard & Collard Piano Company was originally established as Longman & Broderip in 1767. Longman & Broderip was a music publishing house, but the firm also built a number of pianos and organs. The first listing for Longman & Broderip was at 26 Cheapside, London, later at 15 Haymarket, London.
The famous composer and piano virtuoso, Muzio Clementi (whose music was published by Longman & Broderip) invested heavily in the firm, ultimately creating an association with F. W. and W. P. Collard under the name of Clementi & Company. Because of Clementi's fame and fortune, the firm was very successful and grew at a rapid pace.
F. W. Collard was also a mechanical genius, and he was awarded several patents for piano design and construction, and instruments by the firm were a sensation across Europe. Muzio Clementi retired by 1815 and the name of the firm was changed to Collard & Collard. During the middle 19th Century, the firm was managed by Charles Lukey Collard, and he continued to move the firm to the forefront of piano manufacturing in Europe, making Collard & Collard one of the most popular and successful European piano manufacturers of all time. In 1929, the firm was sold to the Chappell Piano Company of London, and the Collard & Collard name was produced until about 1960.
Longman & Broderip Advertisement
18th Century Advertisement for Longman & Broderip Pianoforte Manufacturing Company, London