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)
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)
Artwork Details
- Title: Square Piano
- Manufacturer: Thomas Evenden Loud (British, London 1792–1866 Philadelphia)
- Date: ca. 1815
- Geography: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Mahogany case, brass, ivory naturals, ebony accidentals
- Dimensions: Case length (perpendicular to keyboard): 68 cm
Width (parallel to keyboard): 170 cm
Case depth without lid to drawer tops: 27 cm
Total height: 82 cm - Classification: Chordophone-Zither-struck-piano
- Credit Line: The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889
- Object Number: 89.4.2718
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
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Loud & Brothers
1831
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1825
W. I. Seefeldt
late 19th century
Henry G. Lehnert
after 1875
Ernst Seltmann
ca. 1870
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