Michelsonne
Michelsonne Paris was a French brand of toy piano manufactured from 1939 to 1970, and created by Victor Michel (1904–1983).
They were named "bell-tone pianos" on their publicity brochure. They became very rare to find. In 1970, a fire destroyed their factory at 7 rue Duvergier in Paris 75019, and the patents were sold to Bontempi. Bontempi has continued building the same models for a 4-year-old audience. However, there are a few visual differences. They used black keys and a dark brown body layout.
There are several models:
- chromatic upright pianos with 13, 16, 20, 25, 30, 37 or 49 keys
- chromatic grand pianos with 25, 30, 37 or 49 keys
In France many toy-piano players use Michelsonne pianos because of their beautiful and inimitable sound. Players include Pascal Comelade, Yann Tiersen, Timothée Jolly, Pascal Ayerbe, Les blérots de Ravel, and Chapi chapo et les petites musiques de pluie.