The Omaha guide., 1939-07-29
OLD PIANOS CHANGE
THEIR TUNES
By.ANN JOYCE

The old square piano has long
been a drug on the market. worse
than useless. Tco often It refused
to be tuned. while its bulk used
space needed for useful things. TO
move it cost money and few per-
sons would aeee.t it as a gift.
Then some bright cabinet maker
REALIZED that here were pessibili-
tiles. Old pianos were often maze
of exquisite wood. rosewood or ma
hogany, these woods having been
~fasorites with piano makers.
In a corner of his own home
stood n of these dereliets. tune
less and worthless exce9t for tie
beautiful rosewood case. So he
went to work dlsmantling 1t.
From M large piece of the top
he fashioned a long. narrow table
that was Just the thing to place
back of a diyan that faced a fire.
place. A sturdy piano leg at each
end supported the table handsome
~. Piano legs were often wcr IS
of art in themselves. OF course he
finished his handiwork meticulously
and polished it until all tie beauty
of the rosewood was revealed.
He used the other two piano legs
in different ways. One became q
pedestal for q small table to which
he fastened a drop leaf attached by
brass hinges. The other he made
into q taboret with a round fiat
piece OF the wood on top.
Then the three completed pieces
he placed together in his shop win
dow. The long table carried a few
books and q lamp ON a lacy scarf
that hid none of the beauty OF the
polished wood. The small table
had no decoration but q work bask-
et and tiny piece of unfinished
sewing. On the taboret stood .
plant In a brass jardiniere.
A card In the window read:
A PIANO THAT CAME BACK
Many persons were attracted by
the display and each piece soon
found q purchaser in some one who
desired a combination of the beau
tiful and the unusual. The sale Of
these pieces paid the cabinet work.
er well for the time he had spent
on them and he looked around fer
other material to work on.
Dealers In old furniture were
sure to have old square pianos in
their stock. So this ambitious CAB
met maker began to collect a few
with cases that appealed to him.
Piano after piano he dismantled.
Sometimes he made small desks
which sold quickly. Other times he
used all four legs IN a square table
instead of one long and narrow.
The delicate lyre-like piece that
connects the pedals in old pianos
he disconnected with especial care.
These he used in a variety of ways
as his fancy dictated. Sometimes 1t
made a charming connecting orna-
ment under a small table when
only two piano legs were used, a
suggestion of the old Tyres OF song
and story. Other times it graced the
top in some artistic way that the
workman designed. Being an ex-
pert craftsman ideas came to him
as he sarked and besides the joy
of 4reating exquisite pieces of
furniture he made a large profit
from a small expenditure of money.
Each piano makers name, all in
the old type gilt letters he kept
religiously until he had a collection
that read like an old musical his
tory. This collection became a
hobby and he kept his treasures in
a cabinet made from one of the cd
pianos. displaying them proudly to
musicians and music lovers.
AS business increased he called
in the help of other capable work
men, glad of the opportunity to gel
colgenial work.
So it was that many of the poor
old instruments that had once
thrilled to the music of the masters
made an artistic comeback in an.
other way. They also became a
profitable business venture fol
sore enterprising artisans which
in itself was no small accomplish.
nlent.
Old metal was sold outright and
unused wood cracked unsteady ir
cheerful lreplaces, dispensing
warmth e-d brightness to all IL
4hai- na-far