Roller et Blanchet

Paris, France

The Blanchet family was a famous harpsichord-making family working in Paris from the end of the 17th century into the 18th century. They were specialists in transforming, or adapting, Flemish Rückers harpsichords, and took Parisian harpsichord making to superlative heights. Nicolas Blanchet, born in Reims in 1660, was the first in his family to become well known. He moved to Paris where he started a workshop that specialised in making harpsichords and spinets. He died in 1731. Then came Armand François Nicolas Blanchet (1763 - 1818), husband of Marie Louise Despau (c. 1751-1832), and father to an only son Nicolas Blanchet. Jean Roller became a partner in the business around 1826, and it became Roller & Blanchet. Then came Armand’s grandson, Nicolas’s son: Pierre Armand Charles Blanchet (7 April 1819 - ?), who set up shop in 1852.