Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

1788 Valentine Metzler came to England from Bingen, Germany, and established his business at Wardour Street.

1794 entry in the Sun Fire Office where Valentine insured his warehouse at 344 Oxford Street.

1812 located at at 105 Wardour Street.

1816 His son, George Richard (1797-1867) joined his father in the business, Metzler and Son. Added publishing in addition to instrument dealer and manufacture business.

1822 listed as musical wind instrument makers and dealers in musical instruments

1833 Became Metzler and Co

1842 37 Great Marlborough Street, and then expanded to adjacent properties.

1858 Patented a Sonorphone, a variant of the helicon.

1866 George Richard retired and his son, George Thomas (1835-1879)

1867 Partnership with Frank Chappell.

1881 42 Great Marlborough Street

1895 40-43 Great Marlborough Street

1911 42 Great Marlborough Street

1920 located at Charing Cross Road

1929 located at Rathbone Place

1931 taken over by J.B. Cramer.

1936 139 New Bond St.

In about 1790, Valentine Metzler came to England from Bingen on the Rhine, Germany. He married an Englishwoman and their only son, George Richard (1797-1867) joined his father in the business, as did George’s son, George Thomas (1835-1879).(1)

The earliest record I found is a July 1794 entry in the Sun Fire Office where Valentine insures premises at 344 Oxford Street. He describes himself as wind musical instrument maker and dealer in iron and rags.

The next insurance record is for 1822 when Valentine and George can be found at 105 Wardour Street where they are musical wind instrument makers and dealers in musical instruments.

An 1828 advertisement in The Harmonicon announces ""New comic songs" that were published by the Metzlers and also the arrival of a shipment of Spanish guitars.

In 1836, they advertise their improved seraphines in The Musical World which are capable of giving effect to any organ music, at a price less than one fourth the cost of an organ of the same power and depth of tone.

In late 1839, George Richard registers a pianoforte damper for which he gets a one-year copyright.(2) A few years later, Metzler & Co move to Great Marlborough Street, starting at number 37, but expanding over time to include the neighbouring properties. Metzler & Co had in the Street View booklet, they sold much more than just piano fortes. Not only did they sell all kinds of other musical instruments, such as flutes and drums, they also sold and published music. George Thomas was a gifted songwriter himself. And although the names in the advert suggest their publications were only of the highest classical sort consisting of sheet music by composers such as Mozart or Beethoven, they also published more popular music like See-Saw, Music Man and Punch’s Wedding Polka Metzler’s also published instruction manuals, such as Joseph R.W. Harding’s New and Complete Method for the German Concertina (1858), Metzler and Co.’s tutor for the viola or tenor (1920), and even a magazine, Exeter Hall: a monthly magazine of sacred music (1842-1881). The Metzler instruments sometimes come up for auction and a number can be found in various museums around the world. piano Mason and Hamlin, When they resided in Great Marlborough Street, Metzler’s became the agent for Mason & Hamlin, the American organ builders. The Metzler firm, after a few more moves to Charing Cross Road and Rathbone Place, was eventually taken over by J.B. Cramer in the 1930s.

1851 Great Exhibition: Official Catalogue: Class X.: George Metzler 475. METZLER, GEORGE, 37 Great Marlborough Street - Manufacturer. Small size cottage pianoforte, made in pollard oak, O. G. or arched fall, with ornamental shell front.

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