Extra: Pianos

As a pianist, I am often frustrated by the fact that more and more venues are forsaking their acoustic pianos and requiring performers to bring in their own digital keyboards. While it is true that the digital keyboards can be easily positioned anywhere, require no maintenance on the part of the venue, and are always in tune, they simply cannot match the look, feel, and sound of a real acoustic piano.

I have developed a sense of nostalgia for a time (which I can now hardly remember) when every home, stage, and public gathering space was equipped with a piano. The high point for piano sales in the United States was the 1910's, when dozens of piano factories in the United States produced mostly large upright studio and player pianos that were solidly built from old growth timber. When properly restored and maintained, many of these instruments still sound great today.

The following are images of pianos that at one time graced Iowa's theaters and public spaces and were fortuitously captured in photographs. They are included in this web site for your enjoyment (and because I have no where better to post them at the moment.)

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Theater pianos

 

Davenport, Family Theatre

DavenportFamilytheater

Postcard, postmarked 1911, Author's Collection

 

Des Moines, Harris-Emery Store theater

DMHarrisEmeryStore

Postcard, postmarked 1919, Author's Collection

 

Shenandoah, Mayfair Auditorium

Two pianos! One on stage and one in little alcove to the right.

ShenandoahMayfair

Postcard, postmarked 1931, Author's Collection

 

Lobbies, Parlors and Ballrooms

 

Belle Plaine, "The Herring Cottage", hotel parlor

BellePlainepiano

Undated postcard, Author's Collection

 

Davenport, Hotel Kimball, Green Parlor

DavenportHotelKimball

Undated postcard, Author's Collection

 

Des Moines, Hotel Fort Des Moines ballroom

DesMoinesFtDMballroom

Undated postcard, Author's Collection

 

Dubuque, Y.W.C.A. parlor

DubuqueYWCApiano

Postcard postmarked 1909, Author's Collection

 

Music Stores

 

Cedar Rapids, Emerson & Hiltbrunner

CedarRapidsEH

Undated postcard, Author's Collection

 

Cherokee, Kendall J. Nelson Pianos & Players

Cherokeepianomover

Undated postcard, Author's Collection

 

Davenport, Tri-City Piano Company

Davenportpianostore

Postcard, Postmarked 1916, Author's Collection

 

Des Moines, Milligan Piano Sales, 19o9

DMMilliganpiano

DMMilliganpianoback

Postcard, postmarked 1909, Author's Collection

 

Waterloo, Stroebel Music House, 1910

WaterlooStroebel

WaterlooStroebelback

Postcard, postmarked 1909, Author's Collection

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