Eshelby and Sons' History in the Piano Trade

We, Deon and Jacqueline Eshelby, are the owners of Eshelby Pianos, otherly known as Eshelby and Sons' Pianos. Jacqueline handles the administration, advertising, the website, piano hire and the painting of pianos. Deon utilises his great experience and knowledge about the functioning of and various makes of pianos to buy, sell, evaluate, transport, tune, repair, paint or re-polish pianos. Eshelby Pianos works with a small staff repairing and polishing pianos and antiques, staff-work is always supervised and reviewed. 

The Eshelby family has been involved in the piano forte trade for five generations. Let's start from the beginning...

Mr Edwin Eshelby was born in Upton St. Leonards, Gloucester, England, on 13th February 1852, the son of George Eshelby, a coachman. Edwin began his apprenticeship at the then well-established firm of Hale and Co in 1865. Five years later, aged eighteen, he undertook the voyage to New York, America, where - according to an article from the Music Trade Review - on his second day on the continent he applied for work as a tuner at the firm of Steinway and Sons. This request was granted on his third day of his stay. With the exception of his first 6-7 years early years in America, some of which time he was also employed by Weber Piano Co., Ted Eshelby served Steinway and Sons continuously until his death. He built up a good reputation at the Steinway firm until in 1877, he returned to his homeland and was offerred a position at the London headquarters, where he continued his work with Steinways. Ten years later, Edwin was promoted to the position of general manager of the London House of Steinway and Sons, Lower Seymour Street West, where it is said that he served this capacity with undiminished success until the day of his death, even selling Steinway pianos to royalty like King Edward and Queen Mother, Alexandra. Edwin Eshelby died suddenly and unexpectedly in 1912, at the age of 64.

Edwin’s son, George Washington Eshelby (born New York State, North America, 9 October 1877; died 1 June 1922) followed in his father’s footsteps as a travelling representative of the firm. On his father’s death, George succeeded his father too became manager in the London House of Steinway and Sons for Great Britain and her colonies: Spain,France, other European countries and the orient.

Continuing the family tradition, George Washington’s son, Edwin Aslett Eshelby (born St. Marylebone, London 2 June 1908; died 1993) too became a travelling representative for the firm, later being based at the Hamburg factory in Germany, where he remained for a period of fifteen years. In 1939, E. A. Eshelby relocated to South Africa with his wife, Rosina ( neé Schuster Schneider, born Aitenmarle, Munich, Germany, 3 March 1913), where he was based in Johannesburg as a concert tuner for Polliacks. He went on to establish Eshelby Pianos several years later, based in his house garage in African Street, Orchards, Johannesburg. E. A. Eshelby expanded his business to country areas from Witbank all the way down to Komatipoort and also Mocambique.

“Eshelby and Sons” evolved as the new name for the business when E. A. Eshelby’s sons William (Billy) Alois Eshelby (born Hamburg,Germany, 18 July 1938) and - about two years later - James (Jimmy) George Eshelby (born Johannesburg, 21 October 1940) joined their father’s company at the age of sixteen. The business moved to Murray Street in Waverly, Johannesburg, then relocated again to workshop and showroom in Orange Grove. It was in Orange Grove that the business really became very well known.

W. A. Eshelby went to work for Smith and Hall Pianos in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in the early 1960s. Unfortunately, Billy had a serious motorcycle accident which impelled J. G. Eshely’s holiday in in Rhodesia to change to him working for Smith and Hall Pianos whilst W. A. Eshelby returned to his family to recover from the accident.

W. A. Eshelby and J. G. Eshelby travelled and worked in a variety of areas – including the wide areas of South Africa and Rhodesia, as well as London and Mozambique – but always remained loyal to the family Eshelby and Sons piano business, both returning to work with their father in Johannesburg.

Eshelby and Sons began hiring pianos out to customers on a daily basis for special functions and on a monthly basis for general use. It was at the stage that J. G. Eshelby’s son, Déon Eshelby (born in Rhodesia, 16 January 1974), at the typical age of sixteen, joined the business.

A few years later, the brothers left Orange Grove, and the business split into J. G. and D. Eshelby’s Eshelby and Son functioning from Lanseria, then Winsome Valley and W. A. Eshelby’s W. A. Eshelby functioning from Fourways and Lanseria, both covering the areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria. After the business moved to Winsome Valley, Déon started handling all aspects of the day to day business of repairing, restoring, tuning, buying, selling and delivering of the pianos. Déon’s affinity with restoration also includes antique furniture; he values, buys, restores and sells antique furniture when time allows him to do so.

In early 2008, Deon's fiance, Jacqueline Anne (neé Müller, born Johannesburg, 20 April 1982) started hiring out pianos. Deon and Jacqueline married on 5 April 2008, and after they had their first son, William (Will) James in 2009, Jacqueline took over the administration of the Eshelby Pianos business from Helga, excluding her and Jimmy's hire pianos.

With the birth of Deon and Jacqueline's second son, Edwin (Ted) Manfred Eshelby, on 10 February 2011, the 'Eshelby and Sons' title was resumed in addition to Eshelby Pianos. We were elated when Steinway Pianos posted us a lovely card to welcome the latest member of the Seinway Family as Ted was named after his great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather who was very much involved with Steinway and Sons Pianos.

Deon and Jacqueline's third child, Jonathan (Jack) Deon Eshelby was born on 5 December 2013.

In April 2015, Jimmy and Helga Eshelby decided to break away from Eshelby Pianos and run their seperate own hire business.

Deon and Jacqueline became the sole are the owners of Eshelby Pianos. Jacqueline handles the administration, advertising, the website, piano hire and the painting of pianos. Deon utilises his great experience and knowledge about the functioning of and various makes of pianos to buy, sell, evaluate, transport, tune, repair, paint or re-polish pianos. Eshelby Pianos works with a small staff repairing and polishing pianos and antiques, staff-work is always supervised and reviewed.

If it has anything to do with pianos, contact Eshelby Pianos!