The Centre Sébastien Erard is the research branch of the Gaveau-Erard-Pleyel archives, property of the AXA insurance group. The centre was created in 2010, in partnership with the Association Ad Libitum, Centre International du Pianoforte, in order to make the archives more accessible to scholars. The Gaveau-Erard-Pleyel archives are composed of the instrumental and archival collections of the three most important instrument-making firms in France. This archive (of instruments, books, correspondence, ledgers and account books, patents, royal privileges, engravings, paintings, photographs, drawings, tools, films, etc.) tells the story of harp and piano making from the end of the eighteenth century until the middle of the twentieth century, in France and all over the world. To consult a complete catalogue of the archives, click here.
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All unauthorized reproduction of these images is strictly prohibited. For all questions regarding these archives, please contact: the Centre Sébastien Erard.