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Chickering action (1878)
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This very unusual action was made by Chickering. Many of the normally wooden parts are made from brass. The bridle strap is in an entirely different location. There are little springs all over the place. The action is so heavy it can barely… |
Cymbella Organ
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This is not a piano but it has the same Cymbella system as the Shoninger upright. The organ has many stops and also doubles as a writing desk above with little book cabinets below. Swell on these instruments is controlled by the knees. The… |
F.Kaim & Sohn Transposer Curiosity (c.1875)
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This piano was cut down to make a model size display. Unlike the other transposers in the collection, this system was intended to be operated by hand as opposed to a rack and pinion control. To choose one of the six available settings, the… |
Hallet Davis & Co. Model
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This section of a piano shows many details of construction. Instead of the common bridge notching and pins to align the strings, Hallet, Davis and Co. made a series of pianos with agraffes defining both ends of the speaking length of the… |
Key leveler
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Comstock & Cheney supplied makers with this design for leveling the keys without the hassle of removing keys and placing the paper punchings underneath the felt. It is tedious operation made easy by this device. Ahead of the balance rail… |
Kranich & Bach Violyn Curiosity
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This piece was saved from a full size piano that could not be saved. It shows the "Violyn" plate in cross section. These pianos have very stable tuning and a somewhat Rube Goldberg like unfolding music desk. Note the one piece pinblock and… |
MacNutt Melodeon
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A Melodeon works a bit like a large harmonica while inhaling. Whereas the common European version is like a harmonica while blowing through it. That style is called a Seraphine. |
Mason & Hamlin Melodeon Curiosity #5475 (1889)
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A melodeon works a little like a harmonica when you inhale. Americans chose this direction of airflow over the blowing through direction common in the European version of these instuments called a serafin. |