Aeolian Pianola Piano Player
date: label: date made
content: 1901
name: label: maker
content: Aeolian Co.
notes: label: Description
content: <p>This piano player was made by Aeolian Co. in New York, New York, around 1901. It is a pianola player, with 65 felt covered metal fingers. This instrument can accommodate 11-1/4" wide 58 or 65 note paper rolls. This pianola has a hinged lid to access the spool box to exchange piano rolls, and levers to operate bass and treble accents, tempo, and play/rewind. A two-door panel on the bottom front of the pianola conceals two folding foot pedals used to activate the bellows. The back of the pianola with its 65 felt covered metal fingers is placed above the corresponding keys on a piano, with a lever at the bottom in contact with the piano’s sustain pedal.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>Edwin Votey is attributed as the inventor for this instrument. The patent for it was originally filed in 1897 and then renewed in 1900. U.S. Patent #650285, dated May 22, 1900.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>This pianola also features the following patents:</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U. S. Patent #351172, dated October 19, 1886, by Merritt Gally for sheet motors for mechanical musical instruments.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U. S. Patent #356690, dated January 25, 1887, by George B. Kelly for improvements in mechanical musical instruments.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U. S. Patent #357933, dated February 15, 1887, by George B. Kelly for improvements in a motor for mechanical musical instruments</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U. S. Patent #594981, dated December 7, 1897, by Theodore P. Brown for a pneumatic motors for musical instruments.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U. S. Patent #595466, dated December 14, 1897, by Theodore P. Brown for foot pedals for musical instruments.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U. S. Patent #601163, dated March 22, 1898, by Robert W. Pain for improvements in adjustable music rolls for mechanical musical instruments.</p>
label: Description
content: <p>U. S. Patent #627570, dated June 27, 1899, by Joseph P. Chase for an improvement in primary valves for automatic organs.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Popular Entertainment
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content: Mechanical Musical Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Julian James
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.285023
label: accession number
content: 57301
label: catalog number
content: 285023
label: serial number
content: 122
objectType: label: Object Name
content: piano player
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (tubes material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 37 1/2 in x 44 in x 16 3/8 in; 95.25 cm x 111.76 cm x 41.5925 cm