When a Hairstyle Inspired a Piano: The Curious Story of the Jacob Doll "Pompadour"

What do an elegant nineteenth-century hairstyle and a piano have in common?

At first glance, the answer seems to be "nothing." Yet one of the most distinctive upright pianos ever built was named after one of history's most fashionable hairstyles: the Pompadour.

It is a reminder that musical instruments are not created in isolation. They are shaped by the fashions, tastes and cultural trends of their time, and few instruments illustrate this better than the remarkable Pompadour piano built by Jacob Doll & Sons in New York.

The Rise of the Pompadour

The word Pompadour originally comes from Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), the influential mistress of King Louis XV of France. A celebrated patron of the arts, architecture and fashion, her name eventually became associated with hairstyles that swept the hair upwards from the forehead to create height and elegance.

Although inspired by an eighteenth-century figure, the pompadour hairstyle enjoyed a dramatic revival during the late nineteenth century, particularly in the 1890s. Women's magazines were filled with illustrations of towering hairstyles that curved gracefully upwards before flowing backwards, creating a striking silhouette.

This fashionable shape soon appeared in architecture, furniture, jewellery and decorative arts. It even found its way into piano design.

A Piano that Sweeps Upwards

Most upright pianos are exactly what we expect: the strings run downwards towards the floor behind the keyboard.

The Pompadour piano does something completely different.

Instead, the strings rise above the keyboard, creating an elegant upward sweep that immediately recalls the fashionable hairstyle from which it takes its name. The cabinet itself seems to "lift" in the same graceful curve as a Victorian pompadour coiffure.

Rather than simply borrowing the name for marketing purposes, Jacob Doll created an instrument whose overall profile genuinely echoed one of the defining fashions of the day.

It is a wonderful example of industrial design taking inspiration from everyday culture.

Fashion Meets Engineering

Behind its stylish appearance lies an ingenious piece of engineering.

The design owes much to the upright grand pianos produced during the early nineteenth century by makers such as Clementi & Company. Like those earlier instruments, the Pompadour piano has hammers that strike the strings from behind.

Jacob Doll, however, introduced an important innovation. Instead of placing the strings at the front of the instrument, he reversed the internal layout, positioning the cast-iron frame and soundboard so that the strings sit on the back of the piano. This unusual arrangement allowed the instrument to achieve its distinctive upward-reaching shape while retaining the musical advantages of an upright grand.

The result is a piano that is as much a conversation piece as a musical instrument.

Beauty Inside and Out

The Jacob Doll company clearly understood that buyers were looking for more than good tone.

The front panels of the Pompadour piano are decorated with exquisite marquetry and shimmering mother-of-pearl inlay, transforming the instrument into a piece of fine furniture. During the Victorian era, the piano occupied pride of place in the drawing room, where it reflected both the family's musical interests and their social status.

The Pompadour perfectly captures this dual role. It was designed to be admired before a single note was played.

Jacob Doll's Vision

German-born piano maker Jacob Doll established his New York company in 1885, during America's golden age of piano manufacturing. His firm developed a reputation for producing beautifully made instruments that combined reliable construction with imaginative design.

The Pompadour demonstrates that Doll was not afraid to think differently. Rather than producing another conventional upright, he created an instrument that blended historical engineering, modern manufacturing and contemporary fashion into a single design.

After Jacob Doll's death in 1911, his sons continued the business until 1931, but the Pompadour remains one of the firm's most memorable achievements.

More Than a Musical Instrument

Today, the Pompadour piano reminds us that design inspiration can come from unexpected places.

We often think of pianos evolving through advances in acoustics or engineering, yet this remarkable instrument tells a different story. Its shape was inspired by something entirely outside the world of music: a hairstyle that symbolised elegance, sophistication and modern taste.

In an age when manufacturers competed fiercely for attention, Jacob Doll recognised that buyers wanted instruments that reflected contemporary fashion as much as musical excellence. The Pompadour is therefore more than an unusual piano—it is a snapshot of Victorian culture, where music, furniture, engineering and fashion came together in one beautifully crafted object.

Few instruments demonstrate so vividly that inspiration can come from the most unexpected sources. Sometimes, all it takes is a fashionable hairstyle.

This piano is at the National Music Museum: https://emuseum.nmmusd.org/objects/6073/upright-piano?ctx=4b9ad49ccb0e87020cab1ae45188841d0feb9c5f&idx=112

Credit: https://emuseum.nmmusd.org/objects/6073/upright-piano?ctx=4b9ad49ccb0e87020cab1ae45188841d0feb9c5f&idx=112