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Square piano

Date1829

Place MadeLondon, England, Europe

Serial No.38491

SignedEngraved on tile on nameboard: John Broadwood & Sons / Makers to His Majesty & the Princess, / Great Pulteney
Street, Golden Square / London
MarkingsIn pencil on damper frame: October 16, 1829

In pencil on c3 key lever: 38491

In ink on c3 key lever: Jno Langley

In ink on treble of wrestplank: R. G. / 38.491

In ink on paper on back of dustcover, in ink: Jno Langley / 38491
DescriptionFF-f4; 73 keys

Pedals: one sustain pedal on left side

Stringing:

FF-BB: Iron tightly wound with copper
C-D: Red brass
D#-G#: Yellow brass
A-f4: Iron

Construction:

The case is made of mahogany with ebony stringing, sides 20 mm thick, veneered back 33 mm thick. A mahogany molding surrounds the base. The nameboard veneered in rosewood with fruitwood stringing. It has three cut out windows. The center on contains the signature which is engraved on tile in ornate script; the outer two contain a decorative wooden plate of dark rosewood with red leather backing. The nameboard is curved and partially covers the extreme treble and bass keys. It has a second music rack screwed to it on the back for use when the lid is raised. The case has four elaborately turned legs with castors, and one turned pedal support on the left side. There is a dust cover, fretwork music rack, and a tool compartment left of the keyboard. The dust cover is 6 mm thick and is painted green with a white pinstripe 19 mm in from the edge. The rectangular tuning pins are pierced and are located on the left and back sides of the instrument, with letters indicating notes. The soundboard extends over the treble keys and is screwed to a hardwood beam instered between c3 and c#3, 19 mm thick. The soundboard grain is from front left to back right at a 53-degree angle. The hitchpin plate is made of cast iron and was painted black. It is 4.5 mm thick and has holes throughout to increase the volume. The bass strings (FF-Ab) have their own wooden hitchpin block covered with felt. A decorative wooden plate with lattice work adorns the back right corner behind the metal hitchpin plate. There are two beveled bridges screwed from underneath the soundboard: bass bridge, FF-Ab, treble bridge, A-f4. The treble bridge is cut from one piece of wood and is in the shape of a J, with a sharp division between c3 and c#3. The treble end of this bridge is 17 mm high and 21 mm wide. The bass end of the bass bridge is 19.5 mm high and 21.5 mm thick. Both bridges are cut straight on the treble end and are cantilevered on the bass end. The bridges are double pinned from FF-c and single pinned from c#-f4. There are three ribs running from front righ to back left (perpendicular to the soundboard grain). The back two are about 32 mm high with sharp tapers, but the front rib is only about 7 mm high in the center with a gradual taper. The nut has a curved edge at the bass end and is reinforced with nails. The hitchpin plate and back right edge of the soundbaord are supported by a brace running from the right side of the case to a flat structural member right of the keyboard. There is also one brace running from the hitchpin support and two braces from the right side of the case to the flat structural member.

Action:

English double action. The trapezoidal hammer levers are of mahogany, bass lever 3.5 mm thick. The triangular hammer moldings are covered with one layer of hard leather, one layer of sheepskin (?), and one layer of thick suede. The molding of the lowest hammer is 11.5 mm long, 7 mm wide at the bass, 16 mm thick at the base, and 11 mm thick at the top. The total thickness of the hammer covering of this hammer is 9 mm. The hammers are slightly graduated from bass to treble. The hoppers have adjustment screws. No backchecks.

Dampers:

Damper compass FF-b3. The dampers consist of cloth inserted into ornamental vertical wooden blocks. The damper wires are threaded at the bottom, and the top of the wires are bent at a right angle and inserted into the damper blocks.

Keyboard:

Ivory naturals, ebony sharps. There is a double straight-line molding on the key fronts. Keys are weighted at the back and are guided by front rail pins.

Cataloging by Rodger Kelly, 1991
DimensionsLength: 1697 mm (5' 6-13/16")
Width: 651 mm (2' 1-9/16")
Height: 849 mm (2' 9-7/16")
Height of case: 268 mm (10-9/16")

Keyboard:

Three-octave measure: 488 mm
Length of heads: 44 mm
Width of heads: 22 mm

Stringing and scaling:

FF: Length: 1455 mm; Strike point: 136 mm
C: Length: 1311 mm; Strike point: 145 mm
c: Length: 1067 mm; Strike point: 115 mm
c1: Length: 581 mm; Strike point: 53 mm
c2: Length: 303mm; Strike point: 29 mm
c3: Length: 135 mm; Strike point: 13 mm
c4: Length: 69 mm; Strike point: 8 mm
f4: Length: 54 mm; Strike point: 6 mm

Gauges:
FF-BB: First string: .70 mm; First string winding: .30 mm; Second string: .70 mm; Second string winding: .30 mm
C-D: First string: 1.00 mm; Second string: 1.00 mm
D#-E: First string: .90 mm; Second string: .90 mm
F: missing
F#: First string: .75 mm; Second string: .90 mm
G: First string: .85 mm; Second string: missing
G#: First string: .80 mm; Second string: missing
A-d: First string: .80 mm; Second string: .80 mm
d#: First string: missing; Second string: .80 mm
e-f:: First string: .80 mm; Second string: .80 mm
f#: First string: .70 mm; Second string: missing
g-g#: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm
a-a#: First string: missing; Second string: .70 mm
b-f1: First string: .70 mm; Second string: .70 mm
f#1-g: First string: .65 mm; Second string: .65 mm
g#1-a#1: First string: .65 mm; Second string: missing
b1: First string: .65 mm; Second string: .65 mm
c2: First string: .65 mm; Second string: missing
c#2: First string: .65 mm; Second string: .65 mm
d2: First string: .65 mm; Second string: missing
d#2-b2: First string: .65 mm; Second string: .65 mm
c3: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .70 mm
c#3: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm
d3: First string: .65 mm; Second string: .65 mm
d#3: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm
e3: First string: .60 mm; Second string: missing
f3: First string: .55 mm; Second string: .55 mm
f#3: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm
g3: First string: .65 mm; Second string: .65 mm
g#3-b3: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm
c4: First string: missing; Second string: .60 mm
c#4-f4: First string: .60 mm; Second string: .60 mm

Published ReferencesRodger S. Kelly, A Catalog of European Pianos in the Shrine to Music Museum, MM Thesis, University of South Dakota, 1991, p.99-106.

Credit LineRingley Fund, 1976

Object number01386

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