The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-11

and generation. was arr, -,
and admirer Of the comIos,e ~.
did much to make his IN -.
happy and comfortable.
Tho piano was coming ~. !.
own late in the 18th csntpr, ~
the worch collection has 4 n..'s
Of specimens Of the instrumsss n.
ing from about Its. Ths -.
upright In the collection =
made BY Stein Of Vienna i, -
There are also . number 49,
Engliah pianos. among tIesv
Broadwood Grand made n ~
and an upright from the facfs....
Stoddard and Southwell. v4
bears the date Of 1900.
The history Of these early -.
ments Is somewhat uncertsin q
Worch picked them up whers,,s !.
was his good fortune to Ana ~.
and he has been unable for ths -.
part to trace out anything Vim ~
erence to their former owner
The Oldest American piano !. y.
collection Is 4 five octave ~.
made in Philadelphia in l77k :
was not until after the RAnis,,."
that American manufacturer -
gan to take up this work ana ~.
themselves to 1t seriously
first instruments produced N A.
country were divided in prinli.l
between the German and Enriisl
models. For America is invStv
along mechanical rather than Als.&
esthetic lines. and the American n. \
provements to the piano have ~
for the most part in the mech,uini
direction. -
Even to this day, European h.
struments have q much greater 4
gree Of individuality than our On
America aims at quantity, and =,
inventive genius has been err.
cised rather along this line tha,
that Of improving the individul
units Of production. For who're Ia
European factories have turned on
one piano, ours have made dosa
or maybe q hundred, and instead d
being q mark of distinction d
America to own . piano, Il h
thought that a home is mot prop-
erly furnished without one.
First Uprights . Century on
The Worch collection does MT
include any of the more modern ID.
novations such as the pianola q
player piano. which are Of distinch
American origin. 1t is confined d
the aristocrats Of the family. >
Shortly after the Revolutioa,
there grew up q keen rivalry u
tween the manufacturers In various
cities, and from this time on N
have instruments from New Yost
Boston, Baltimore and Philadel.
phia. For the period from Its Il
1910 there is an almost oomplsa
collection Of American Instrument
The first upright to make Its y.
pearance in this country. was iron
| the shop Of Hawkins Of Philadsl'
phia, and bears the date OF 1901
This instrument forms one Of III
most interesting parts Of the collie
ton.
One of the curious pianos show
is the "Harp-pian0" which NJ
made somewhere around 1850. Noth
| ing is known of the maker, not ever
his name being remembered. It Il
q square piano surmountsd By
full size harp, and serves TO linl
the modern instrument with IL ~
mote ancestor. For the piano Il
simply the harp with keys, spring
!, and other innovations. Perhaps III
Oldest instrument in the collectio
is an Italian clavichord whicl
dates back to the 18th century.
is a curious looking affair. muc
smaller than the modern piano, On
having yellow keys.
The exhibit brings clearly n
fore our minds the steps by whic
our mastery Of this first Of the sr'
has come to pass. For the early II
struments lacked both the tone %
the range to give a full interprss,
ton of our musical feelings. SpAl
ing OF those old instruments. .
early writer described the toni
they made, as "a scratch WITH
sound at the end OF it. Both q
harpsichord and the spinet ha'
only four or five .octayes each, .!
these for the most part are In =
upper register. But they sefve
and in looking at these old instr
ments, with their yellowed keys o
quaint oFnamentation. there COM
q feeling as of other days. In U
minds eye there is a vision Of po'
. dered hair and knee breeches,
. high born danes and courtly scni.
linen dancing the minuet. Anp =
, I,pianola with its jingling jazs'see'
far away Y