The Makers
Gand & Bernardel Frères
Firm established 1866
The firm was established as Gand & Bernardel Frères in 1866. The principles were Charles Nicolas Eugène Gand, Gustave Bernardel and his brother Ernest.
Gand was born in 1825 and was made an Officier de la Légion d’Honneur on 14 December 1889. He died at 3 p.m. on 5 February 1892 at his home in Boulogne on the Boulevard de quatre septembre no.18.
Gustave Adolphe Bernardel was born in April 1832 and was made a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur on 14 August 1900. He died in Cherbourg on 29 January 1904.
Ernest Auguste Bernardel was born in April 1826. He retired in 1886 and died 10 December 1899.
Death registration of Ernest Auguste Bernardel
Both the Gand and the Bernardel families had strong ties to Nicholas Lupot; Gand’s father was Lupot’s son-in-law and his pupil, Ernest and Gustave’s father, Auguste Sébastien Philippe, was a pupil of Gand Père and Lupot. As such the firm can be considered to be heirs to the French tradition which many consider to be founded by Lupot.
Upon the retirement of Gustave Bernardel in 1901 the firm was sold to Caressa & Français.
We have two examples, numbers 784 and 786, of 1878, originally made as part of a quartet. They have matching wood and exhibit the flawless workmanship one would expect from the company. Both are exceptional concert instruments.