Mosaic Monday #4 - The Piano Man

Do you own anything that is 100 years old?  Last week, our upright piano was serviced by Daryl Frank, piano technician, and he confirmed that it was crafted at the turn of the century.  This was not a complete surprise since I know it originally belonged to my maternal great-grandfather Clem.  My mother inherited it, and the piano lived with one of my sisters for a time until I adopted it.

But Daryl was a veritable font of information, confirming some points I already knew, while adding facts about the piano that were news to me.

ONE: The piano is made from quarter sawn oak.  This corroborated an assessment by our good friend Neal, the general contractor for our house who knows a lot about carpentry.  Uprights made from quarter sawn oak were the most expensive uprights you could buy.  



TWO: The piano was originally stained and shellacked a dark, almost black, color, as can be seen on the inside of the lid of the piano.  This was news (I am not sure I ever knew you could open the lid!)

THREE: Later, someone stained and lacquered the entire piano a cherry color, which still remains on some of the inside sections of the piano.  I remember this color - it was the shade I first recall on the piano, that is until my Mother decided to remove it in the late 1970s, revealing the marvelous oak grain underneath.  (She applied a protective coat of polyurethane to all the surfaces.)  Daryl and his wife Connie, who together run Daryl Frank Piano Services, remarked on the professional work of my Mother, to remove all trace of that cherry from even the intricate sections of the piano.

FOUR: Quarter sawn oak is also referred to as Chatter Oak, because of the way the saw leaves a 'chatter' pattern on the oak.  This was a new term for me; when I looked it up on the Web, most of what I found described how to eliminate chatter!!!

FIVE: The piano contains a serial number, which will allow Daryl and Connie to identify exactly when this piano was built, even though Price and Teeple has been out of business for decades.  Of course I had noticed this number in the metal frame of the piano, but I didn't realize it could be used for anything as important as this!


SIX: Daryl estimated that Great-Grandfather Clem paid $275 to acquire this piano.  In today's dollars, that equates to roughly $8,000.  I had no idea!

Detail stripped by my Mother

SEVEN: The piano is dramatically out of tune, by at least a whole tone.  Although I play, recognizing an instrument in tune is way beyond my capability.  Glad we have experts for this!  Daryl was cautious as he tuned the piano; with its age, the likelihood of breaking wires during tuning increases.

Detail stripped by my Mother

EIGHT: Humidity (or lack thereof) can affect the tuning of a piano, and Daryl theorized that the piano (moved from Ohio) might still be 'drying out' in Montana.  Until it is dried out completely, the tuning of the piano could still fluctuate.  So, partly for this reason, and somewhat due to the age of the wires, Daryl only tuned it partway and will return in the spring for another tuning.

NINE: The "action" on our piano will need repair.  The bridal tape, a component that moves the hammer back and forth to strike the strings, is made of leather.  After 100 years, those skinny bits of leather have started to deteriorate.  Also, the felt on many of the hammers (especially for those keys used frequently) has been crushed and will not be effective.  The good news?  Daryl can simply remove the action and take it to his shop, rather than have to move this massive instrument.  He plans to do this in the spring, after or as part of the next tuning.

TEN: Piano craftsmen often put pennies inside the instruments for good luck.  Another novel fact.  But, no, we are not going to tear it appart to see if we have one of those lucky pennies!

ELEVEN: Daryl pointed out the scrollwork inside the piano, which I had taken for granted.  Apparently, the decorations were hand-painted onto the metal frame.  The painter must have had a steady hand!

TWELVE: While packing his tools to leave, Daryl asked if we had any trouble getting the piano across the state border.  Spousal Unit and I exchanged puzzled looks, and he explained that some states are starting to explore legislation prohibiting the import of ivory, regardless of its age or source.  Oh my goodness - after all the trouble we had getting the piano into position (see previous post), I can't imagine what I would have done if someone wanted to strip the keys off the instrument!!!

If some of the edges are sharp, Connie advised that I could use an 

emery board to smooth the edges.  Acrylic, like that used for

nails, could be used to build up/replace the chips.  Vinegar

water can remove some of the staining without

affecting the ivory patina. 

THIRTEEN: It's irreplaceable.  Yep, I think I knew that.
(Although a physical item like this cannot be replaced, it is some consolation to receive monetary compensation from your insurance company if the item is destroyed, as in a fire.  Make sure you work with a specialist and your insurance company to document the value of such a specimen!!!)

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

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