Fashion -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Women's periodicals, American
We must now examine its structure and finish. The attachment consists
of a series of weights of lead cased in brass, and held in their places
by brass arms, which are fastened in a frame. This frame is secured, at
its ends, to brass uprights screwed into the iron frame of the piano;
and the attachment frame works in these uprights on pivots, so that the
weights can be moved up or down from the bridge. The frame rests on a
rod which passes through the piano, and connected with the pedal; and
the weights are kept raised off the pins or screws in the bridge by
means of a large steel spring acting on a long lever under the bottom
of the piano, against which the pedal acts; so that the pressing down
of the pedal lets the attachment down on to its rests on the bridge,
and thus controls the vibrations of the sounding-board and strings.
The weights and arms are finished in brass or silver. The frame in
which they rest is either bronzed or finished in goldleaf, and thus the
whole forms a most beautiful addition to the interior finish of the
piano-forte.
[Illustration: BOARDMAN AND GRAY'S STORE (INTERIOR VIEW), ALBANY, N. Y.]
Messrs. Boardman & Gray have applied upwards of a thousand of these
attachments to piano-fortes, many of which have been in use four and
five years, and they have never found that the attachment injured the
piano in any way. As their piano-fortes without the attachment have
no superiors for perfection in their manufacture, for the fulness and
sweetness of their tone, for the delicacy of their touch and action, it
may easily be seen how, with this attachment, they must distance all
competition.
And now, dear reader, we have attempted to show you how good
piano-fortes are made; to give you an idea of the varied materials
which are requisite for this purpose; and to describe the numerous
processes to which they are subjected, before a really perfect
instrument can be produced.
The manufacturing department is under the immediate supervision of
Mr. James A. Gray, one of the firm, who gives his time personally
to the business. He selects and purchases all the materials used in
the establishment. He is thoroughly master of his vocation, having
made it a study for life. No piano-forte is permitted to leave the
concern until it has been submitted to his careful inspection. If, on
examination, an instrument proves to be imperfect, it is returned
to the workman to remedy the defect. He is constantly introducing
improvements, and producing new patterns and designs, to keep up, in
all things, with the progress of the age.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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