I called to a house in Howth, Co. Dublin to tune for a family our own family have a long musical history with. I was aware that my father, Anthony Woods and grandfather Fergus Woods had tuned the piano in this home, but upon opening up the piano I also found a signature from my great grandfather Patrick Woods who tuned the very same piano in September 1952 as the photo below illustrates.
Patrick Woods began his piano tuning apprenticeship in the early 1900’s with Cramer and Wood of Westmorland Street Dublin. They were a long established music store in the heart of Dublin, with earliest records showing their existence since 1852. Prior to this, at the same location was Marcus Moses, whose adverts boasted of a ‘Piano-forte, Harp and Music Warehouse’ in the same location – 4 Westmoreland Street.
Shortly after this apprenticeship Patrick moved to Piggots and served as a piano tuner/builder in their workshop on Dame Lane, Dublin and in their store on Grafton Street across from the railings of Trinity College. When Piggots tragically burnt down, he left to become a freelance tuner while also maintaining the pianos for Waltons Music. This connection to Waltons still continues five generations on as I service their pianos today.
At some stage through his career in pianos Patrick would have visited the piano I found his signature on. Seventy two years separate our visits. It is beyond comprehension in many ways. We sat at the same piano, tuned in I presume the exact same way (the method to tune a piano has not changed) and both left our names in pencil on the back of the A note above middle C.
With no competition to the moment, finding signatures of family inside pianos is my favourite part of this job. Often I find my Dads name, and I can WhatsApp him the find. Often I find my grandfather Fergus’ signature and am told stories of him by the clients who remember him well.
Only twice have I discovered my great grandfather name. He didn’t have WhatsApp, or presumably a landline. To have this tangible connections to him and our family history in pianos is a gift.
Gary Woods Piano Tuning 