people who have visited.
Thanks to the
people who have visited.
Steinway Pictures
Pictures from September 11, 1999
Old auction tag
Underneath left view
Underneath right view
Underneath upper right view
Underneath upper middle view
Ivory keys in near perfect condition (only one small chip)
Left Duo-Art control levers
Right Duo-Art control levers
Water damage on small section of lid
Holtzer-Cabot motor
Closer view of motor tag
Unknown raised plate markings
Steinway foundry makings on cast plate
Piano serial number or ID number (this number is found on other cabinet members also)
Piano serial number stamped on the bottom of the key bed
Duo-Art serial number stamped on the bottom of the stack surround
Spool box showing tracker bar
Tracking unit
Transmission
Detail showing tubing connections going through the keys
Detail of wood grain on lid
Pictures from September 14, 1999
Old Polaroid of piano in it's former glory
Front view of the closed cabinet (notice the temporary leg.)
Left side of closed cabinet
Right side of closed cabinet (good view of temporary leg)
Front view of the open cabinet (any advice about replicating a leg is welcomed) send message here
Front view looking into case at the strings and plate
Back view looking into case at the strings and plate
Right side view looking into case at the strings and plate
Hammers that show NO wear??? view 1
Hammers that show NO wear??? view 2
Close up of rusty strings
Leg detail
Veneer damage and corner molding missing (any advice) send message here
Pictures from October 7, 1999
Close-up of middle section of the keys
Case number stamped on key frame
Case number ink stamped on key frame
Signature found under bass key block
Looking under the key frame at the tube mounting surface
Action out and on the bench
Action removed from the key frame
Pictures of Ivory key cleaning October 14, 1999
Ivory keys before any clean up
Ivory keys after clean up and before any bleaching
Ivory keys after 1st bleaching with 30 volume hydrogen peroxide hair bleach
Ivory keys after 2nd bleaching with 40 volume hydrogen peroxide hair bleach
Ivory keys after 2nd bleaching with 40 volume hydrogen peroxide hair bleach another view
Side by side view of four keys from start to finish
Interesting Observations
The ID found is F 1019 and if found on the plate, stamped under the key bed and on the pedal lyre.
Here is a copy of a message posted to the Mechanical Music Digest. This message is from Bob Taylor and he filled in the missing links. Thanks a bunch Bob.
Subject: Steinway Serial Number From Case Number
When Sam Harris first inquired here about a number for his Steinway XR, several responses
resulted, including mine. While other contributors suggested various hiding places, when the plate number has been covered and lost, I suggested that there may be no serial number anywhere on the piano other than on the plate. True, many Steinways have the number marked in many places, so that a thorough search will often identify the true number.
As I stated before, there are some Steinway Duo-Art pianos that have the serial number ONLY on the plate. Those pianos left the Steinway factory with no serial number at all, and later, the number was applied by Aeolian. All Steinways have markings that are traceable. The case parts are marked with production numbers.
While these case numbers are in the records owned by Henry Z. Steinway and are not generally available, there is at least one copy of these records. One of my friends can make a phone call and retrieve that information. At my request he obliged.
Sam Harris identified his piano as being marked as F1019. This is a production number. Inside sources at Steinway identify all "F" case numbers as being produced in 1927. Specific cross references to F1019 show that indeed it is an XR Steinway, with stretched case (spool box above keys), covered in walnut veneer, and the plate bored with small style agraffes.
Steinway told Aeolian on January 18, 1928, to assign number 259547 to case number F1019. According to the Steinway web page, 1928 serial numbers begin at 260000. Thus, Sam's piano, 259547, is an 1927 piano.
This late 1927 piano has the expected attributes of the above keybed shifter, hammer rail lift, the lack of the dance mode on the modify lever, and still has the external tracker ears. In other words, it is a typical 1927 Duo-Art.
It was fun to get this information for Sam, but I will not dig out this information as a matter of routine. I had to prevail on resources of others and I had little to do with the recovery of the actual information. I respect my sources and their time.
Sam, enjoy your piano and christen it again with its real number! 259547
Bob Taylor
If you have any info you think would be helpful
please send an e-mail message here.
