Square Piano

This is the oldest extant piano by Thomas Loud Evenden, the venerable Philadelphia piano maker who would later be a founder of Loud & Brothers.

Technical description: Rectangular mahogany veneer case on integral table stand with 3 drawers (center one concave) over turned and reeded legs with brass claw feet; lid not hinged to spine, but composed of four hinged panels plus fall board, the narrow third panel from the front dowelled to case sides, the rear panel having 3 recessed sections formerly covered with cloth; compass FF-c4 (68 keys), ivory naturals with molded fronts, ebony accidentals; pedal mechanism missing (raised dampers by lifting hinged back rail of keyframe, raising key tails); iron oblong unpierced tuning pins; lowest 20 strings on separate bridge; thick (5 cm) spine; English double action with intermediate lever and escapement; dampers (missing) on rods running through a drilled batten alongside the nut, to rest on blocks on the key levers; double strung throughout, lowest 11 notes wound; top 11 keys mounted on separate frame below soundboard, with hammers striking through soundboard cutout; several shanks and heads not original. (L. Libin Dec. 1976)