What is it about?
This paper begins with a description and discussion of the construction of two ornately decorated cabinets attributed to the renowned cabinet maker and inlayer Christopher Fuhrlohg, made in London in the latter half of the eighteenth century and housing pianofortes signed by the musical instrument maker [Arnold] Frederick Beck. This is followed by a presentation and discussion of newly identified biographical primary source materials for each man, including images of their previously unreported original wills, each bearing their personal signature and both now held in the London Metropolitan Archives.
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Why is it important?
Our findings are of historial value, adding new information and insights to contribute to the body of knowledge relating to the activities of skilled craftsmen in Georgian London during the latter half of the eighteenth century
Perspectives
The findings reported here are an example of a useful and positive application in the field of Digital Humanities. As an Educational Technologist by training, it affords me much pleasure to be able to use my skills to search historical source databases and locate information via the Internet that in the past would have involved time consuming trips to visit institutional archives in person and laborious searches through paper records . Moreover, I have found that searching the digitised records has resulted in many unexpected findings coming to light, which is an added bonus.
Dr Margaret Debenham
Independent Scholar
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Marquetry Cabinets Containing Newly Fashionable Pianofortes Made in Eighteenth-Century London: The Cabinet Maker’s Pianoforte — or the Pianoforte Maker’s Cabinet?, The London Journal, January 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/03058034.2018.1425518.
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