Celeste was the daughter of Giovanni Battista and granddaughter of Sebastiano Erard, renowned harp and fortepiano makers. The two fortepianos in the museum come from the famous F.lli Erard factory which was known and appreciated throughout Europe for the “superior quality” of the instruments it produced.
The founder of the company was Sébastien Érard (Strasbourg 1752 - Passy, Paris 1831) who also made significant innovations in the structure of the harp and was a skilled business strategist. Some Érard pianos, in addition to being of good quality, were elegantly crafted, chiselled and inlaid, making them true jewels. His work was continued by his nephew Pierre (1796-1855) and a grandson of his, P. Schäffer. In 1971 the company was acquired by the W. Schimmel piano factory.
