List of Keyboards
Square Piano by Knabe
This square piano was made by the William Knabe & Company in Baltimore, Maryland around 1860. The factory, located at Eutaw and West Streets in Baltimore was five stories high and covered most of a city block. Knabe exhibited grand, upright and square pianos at the Philadelphia Exhibition in 1876. This piano has a compass of AAA-a4, felt hammers, first 11 strings are single and the rest double, tuning pins at rear, 2 pedals: una corda and dampers, iron frame, and a mahogany case.
Credit: Smithsonian
Lyre Piano by Klein, F
This lyre piano from Klein, also called lyra grand, was built in Berlin around 1830. The cabinet has a beautiful finish in walnut with copper chandeliers and nicely constructed lion paws. On the front side you can see 7 bars dominating the view. Christian Schleip and F.A. Klein, both from Berlin, built this instrument between 1820 and 1830. This instrument is very rare, an identical copy can also be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York).
Technical data:
Inscription: FA Klein in Berlin
Compass: 6,5 octaves (DD-g'''')
Keyboard: naturals in ivory, sharps in ebony
Pedals: 2 kneelevers: keyboard shift - controlling dampers, 1 bassoon
Dimensions: W 120 cm / D 59 cm / H 209 cm
Case: mahogany
Chris Maene Collection number: CM 15 338
Location: 2 - Museum "Chris Maene Collection" Ruiselede
Grand Piano by Kisting, H
This grand piano was made by Heinrich Christian Kisting & Son in Berlin, Germany around 1828-1832. The nameboard of this piano shows that it was made explicitly for export to Washington, D.C. and reads “H. KISTING and SON / Piano-fort maker of the Royal Court / at / Berlin / to be sold by Mr. / F. A. Wagler / at / WASHINGTON.” The piano has a compass of CC-a4, Viennese action with back checks on a rail, leather hammers, brass and iron strings with 2 or 3 strings for each note, 2 pedals (missing): keyboard shift (?) and dampers (?), a frame made from 3 iron tension bars (probably not original) screwed to a wood string plate and pin block, straight-strung, and a cherry veneer case with mahogany legs
Credit: Smithsonian
Harpsichord by Kirkman, J
According to Sheridan Germann, “No more magnificent British harpsichord survives than this 1761 Jacob Kirkman, which was formerly Queen Charlotte’s (the wedding present from King George III)…” This instrument is said to have been played by the nine-year-old Mozart for the royal family at Buckingham House in 1764.
The name Kirkman had many different spellings. For ease of search, this website is using one spelling. For precise spelling on this instrument please consult the location.