Illustration 293 shows two piano-stools made between 1825 and 1830. The
stool with four fluted legs was sold with a piano made by Wood, Small,
& Co., of London, which has six legs fluted in the same manner. The
other stool has a base like the claw-and-pillar table, and the sides of
the seat are carved dolphins, whose tails turn up and support a carved
rail to form a low back for the seat. This stool belongs to the writer.
[Illustration: Illus. 293.—Piano-stools, 1825-1830.]
The “table piano” in Illustration 294 is marked as being made by John
Charters, Xenia, Ohio, which alone would attract attention, aside
from the curious construction of the base, which places the date of
the piano about 1835. The pedals are quite concealed as one stands by
this piano, and the whole design is clumsy and poor. The music-rack
seems to have remained unchanged for many years, and from the earliest
piano shown, made in 1800, until the large square piano of 1840, the
music-rack is the same, simply constructed of four pieces of wood which
are put together with pivots, so that by pushing one end of the top
piece they all slide and fold down together, in order that the piano
may be closed.
[Illustration: Illus. 294.—Table Piano, about 1835.]
Illustration 295 shows a Chickering piano made in 1833, of a design
entirely different from the other pianos shown, and of great elegance
and richness. The mahogany case is inlaid with the heavy bands of plain
brass, and the legs are pillars with Ionic capitals. The music-rack is
of the same simple form as the one upon the preceding piano, and the
one pedal is fastened into a lyre-shaped support.
[Illustration: Illus. 295.—Chickering Piano, 1833.]
Illustration 296 shows a music-stand made about 1835, owned by Mrs.
John D. Wing, of Millbrook, New York. The rest for the music is of the
favorite lyre shape, which seems especially adapted to this purpose.
The stand is of mahogany and is very pretty and graceful.
Illustration 297 shows a music-stand owned by Dwight Blaney, Esq., of
Boston. It is of mahogany, and its date is about 1835. The upper part
with the music-rest can be lowered or raised, and is held in place
by pins thrust through the small holes in the supports. The stand is
somewhat heavy in effect, but very firm and secure.
[Illustration: Illus. 296.—Music-stand, about 1835.]
[Illustration: Illus. 297.—Music-stand, about 1835.]
Illustration 298 shows a dulcimer which is in the Deerfield Museum.
It has an extremely plain case, and must have been, when new, an
inexpensive instrument. The dulcimer of early times was a small,
triangular-shaped instrument, to be laid upon a table. Above the
sounding-board were stretched wire strings, which were struck with
small hammers held in the hand, and doubtless the piano was first
suggested by the dulcimer and its hammers.
[Illustration: Illus. 298.—Dulcimer, 1820-1830.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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