These mid-19 th entury grand pianos were rarely less than six feet long, and were usually very massive and striking in appearance. By the late 1860s and early 1870s, conventional grand piano models began to appear in the sales catalogs of most manufacturers, but were still dominated by the selection of square grands available. There were a limited number of grand pianos built during the early 19 th century, but they were few and far between. Prior to the Civil War, the square grand piano was the piano of choice by American manufacturers. Instead, plain square pillars and streamlined moldings resulted in a very “modern” looking upright piano which was considered “uncluttered” and “beautifully simplistic.” These simple-looking upright pianos were generally of excellent quality.
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With the exception of period furniture styles like Louis XV and French Provincial, most upright pianos were without ornamentation or frills. The upright piano had evolved into a very simple basic design, becoming more utilitarian in appearance than ever before. By this time makers had streamlined operations and the piano had evolved into a perfect machine. The 1920s era was considered the “Golden Age” of piano building. Sadly, very few manufacturers ever offered Craftsman style pianos, and as a result, original specimens are exceedingly rare today. A handful of manufactures attempted to build pianos in the Craftsman/Mission style, but because the Movement was so short-lived, most of them didn’t see the significance of the Arts & Crafts Movement until it was too late the Arts & Crafts Movement was over before 1920. Furniture manufactures were quick to jump on the new trend of the Craftsman style, but piano makers were slow to recognize just how important the Arts & Crafts Movement really was. Although the Arts & Crafts design was very popular during the early 20th century, piano makers were slow to adapt to the Mission/Arts & Crafts design. The first decade of the 20 th century saw a calmer, less radical movement in interior design than the previous decades, and this change was immediately seen in the evolving styles offer by the major piano manufacturers.įrom about 1900-1916, the Arts & Crafts Movement was a major force in American design. The ostentatious styles of the late 19 th century gave way for more classic and simple design. The last decade of the 19 th century saw some of the finest craftsmanship and quality ever to be put into piano manufacturing.Īfter the turn-of-the-century, tastes began to change and piano design began to become a bit more streamlined.
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Since this was the height of the Victorian era, manufacturers were building their upright pianos with exotic woods and lavish carvings, often producing incredibly ornate and lavish models to suit the décor of the era. In the 1880s and 1890s, upright piano production increased substantially and by the last decade of the 19 th century, the square grand piano that had dominated the market for the past century had all but vanished. It is exceedingly rare that we see an upright piano dating prior to 1870 come through our restoration shop, indicating that the extant models of mid-19 th century upright pianos are very scarce today.Īs the 20 th century approached, makers began shifting their production from the square grand piano to the upright piano, as the public’s tastes were beginning to change and homes were becoming smaller and less suited for large square grand pianos.
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Most of our vintage ephemera collection doesn’t show upright pianos until the 1870s, although upright pianos were built on a limited scale all through the early and middle 19 th century. Prior to that time, the square grand piano was the preferred choice that dominated the American piano market. Also, some brand names have models that are manufactured in entirely different manufacturing plants or countries than another model of the same brand.The upright piano didn’t become popular in American culture until the last quarter of the 19 th century.
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This often applies to old brand names, revitalized to give an air of heritage to a new piano line, or to pianos manufactured specifically for individual dealers or shops. Many of these piano brand names are "stencil pianos", which means that the company which owns the brand name is simply applying the name to a piano manufactured for them by another company, and that the same or very similar pianos are sold under differing "stencil" brands. This list also includes names of old instruments which are no longer in production. This article is a list of piano brand names from all over the world. JSTOR ( April 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "List of piano brand names" – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.