List of Keyboards
Clavichord by Graebner (School of)
Technical description: Fretted clavichord, European walnut case without legs, drawer extending full width under bottom has leather-hinged lid opening to reveal compartments for paper, ink bottles, etc., with remnants of marbled paper lining, lid support ribbon secured to sliding lid of compartment left of keyboard, fabric-backed music rack hinged into dust panel over strings, separate small panel with large central hole covers front C-e soundboard area, nameboard includes recessed panel that springs up to form music rest at front of rack, C-e³ double-strung, triple-scored ebony naturals with arcade fronts (note letters scratched on heads), pear accidentals topped with ivory, typically carved and lead-weighted basswood key levers numbered beneath, tuning pins identified by inked letters on paper strip, original rack pins and tangents of brass (some pins replaced), brass hardware, fretting in pairs except for Ds and As and bottom octave. Credit (Laurence Libin, 1985)
Square Piano by Goodrich, E
This square piano was made by Ebenezer Goodrich in Boston, Massachusetts around 1818. Goodrich was first a builder of organs from 1813 in Boston and was referenced as a piano maker in 1822. The date of this piano is still under study as it may have been made after 1822. This is Goodrich’s only surviving piano and is thought to be from the early part of his piano-making period, while he was still making organs. This piano has a compass of FF-c4, an English double action, leather hammers, single-strings FF-B, the rest double-strings, 1 pedal (missing): dampers, wood frame, and a mahogany case.
Credit: Smithsonian
Harpsichord/Piano by Goermans, J
Harpsichord converted into a piano. The instrument originally had two-manuals and three sets of strings (two eight foot registers and a four foot register). In the conversion, the top keyboard was removed and the four foot bridge and strings were also removed (and the hitchpin holes plugged). The lower keyboard has 61 keys (FF-f3) with ebony naturals and bone slips over painted accidental blocks. The removal of the upper keyboard and the jacks provided room for a simple piano mechanism based on the German prellmechanik
