Spinet Annibale Rossi Milan 1577
Cypress case and soundboard, boxwood and ivory ornaments, inlaid with pearly, amethysts, lapis lazuli, japser, agate, turquoise and other precious and semi-precious stones.
Of all musical instruments, those with keyboards were the grandest, and an ability to play them well was considered a princely virtue. Even more so if the owner possessed an elaborately decorated instrument like this one, which is covered with some 1,928 precious and semi-precious stones.

Charles Austin Two Manual Melodeon

(I thought they were pianos, but they just look like it!)
Cabinet: Beautiful early rosewood; has four octagonal tapered legs and wooden pedal lyre; brass pedals. Beautiful original finish.
Action: Double keyboard; 8' pitch on lower and 4' pitch (octave higher) on upper; one ivory stopknob controls upper to lower unison coupler; two pedals, right is bellows and left is swell (volume).



G. Prince Two Manual Melodeon - 1869 Buffalo NY


Treat & Davis Melodeon - 1864 New Haven CT

1894 Chickering Concert Grand Piano
Sorry, back on track with a *real* piano.

That Chickering is my my kinda pie-anna!

Where is that Chickering? I want to hear it, play it!

The scuttlebutt I've heard is that the 1890's were Chickering's best period.

I wonder if there is a Chickering as nice as that previous post?
Chickering's limited edition concert grand,prepared for the 1867 world piano show in Europe. (Rosewood case)
This Chickering is the same year and model that was awarded the gold medal (best piano in the world) at the Paris Exposition of 1867. At 8'4" in length, this concert grand was the greatest piano of its day, and was produced to serve the great concert pianists of the world. This piano is very rare since it was Chickering's limited edition concert grand, prepared for the 1867 world piano show in Europe. Nearly all chickerings and steinways of the 1860s and 1870s had only 85 keys and the old-style square grand type action. In addition, few were made with the fully scalloped case. This piano was truly the finest, sporting a full 88 keys and a modern style repetition action. In addition, Chickering craftsmen carved the most beautiful, symmetrical case we have ever seen on any concert grand piano. It corresponds with the victorian era yet not in an overbearing style.

More story here: http://shafferpianos.com/1867%20chickering.html




Chickering Square Grand (1885) Rosewood, scalloped case
Story here: http://www.shafferpianos.com/1885chickering/

This Petrof 1898 Rosewood Artcase,
5'8" has beautiful inlaid satinwood floral motifs on the case.





Schwechten 1890 inlaid artcase Mahogany, 6'4"
Truly one of a kind and a work of art with fine marquetry of floral patterns and portraits of famous composers. You cannot find a better made, playing or sounding piano from any time. This company specialized in the highest quality for wealthy clients.





John Brinsmead Art Case Upright c. 1888 - serial no. 34347 Gilded with hand painted designs and hand lettered poems, 57" tall.

Wow, I put more pictures here to show this wonderfully beautiful piano...

Manufactured by the John Brinsmead Company, one of the most prominent English piano builders of the late 19th century. This piano is truly one of a kind. It was commissioned by a gentleman as a wedding gift for his beloved daughter. This extraordinary case is an absolutely original condition, and is exceptional for the quality of the colors and intricate handpainting, verses, and music notation.

GREEB...

That is gorgeous!

Yup, RP, there were two Chickering Buildings. The one that Frank and Camilles is located in now is the second building.

NOTHING to me compares to the first building. Googles all day for maps, viewings, history, old pics, images, etc brings up what happened to the original building.

What a shame. It was elegant.

Where's Chickgrand?

YOO HOO...

Hello out there CG!

Rippen Aluminium Grand All shiny and clearly showing the frame/case single unit construction


An AluRip that has been Gold Plated!!

Bechstein Upright 1862 Ornate

Their teacher was either mad or a genius...
Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on ‘Ode to Joy’ for a Prepared Piano (2008)

This time, the duo (Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla) enlisted a rotating roster of six pianists to play the famous fourth movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (1824). Using an early 20th-century C. Bechstein grand piano that has been customized and set on casters, given a reverse set of foot pedals, and bearing a hole cut clear through the centre of the cabinet, each performer is provided with just enough room to fit through the opening. This forces them to perform backwards and over the top of the keyboard while traipsing through an otherwise empty gallery with the piano firmly in tow.

Zorba, IF you want it, here it is on ebay.de!! IF every one chipped in we could start an amazing museum...

http://cgi.ebay.de/UNIKAT-C-Be...7C293%3A2%7C294%3A50

Grotrian Steinweg, model 1889, serial # 6630, 6ft 4in long.

I like it very much when the piano makers go to the trouble of putting some art into the Cast-iron. Not many do it.

Bosendorfer model nostalgia 1904, S/N 16758, 6 ft 2 in.
If you only bought a piano because of its Desk, then you would do fairly well with this one...

I just thought, sure, its a Bösendorfer Imperial, with those Jumbo747 large diameter dual-wheels but it's an interesting photo with the Harp and pre-electric Speaker trumpet... some people just know how to take a photo!