Weser Bros. Transposing Upright Piano
date: label: date made
content: 1940
name: label: user
content: Berlin, Irving
label: maker
content: Weser Bros.
notes: label: Description
content: This transposing upright piano was made by Weser Brothers in New York, New York in 1940. According to the inscription on the case, it was made “expressly for Irving Berlin.” The transposing mechanism moves the action and keyboard so that the player can play in any key. Irving Berlin was a self-taught pianist who preferred to play on the black keys. This piano is serial number 117728 and has a compass of AAA-c5, tape-check upright action, felt hammers, single-, double-, and triple-strings, 3 pedals: :soft,” transposing mechanism, and dampers, 1 hand lever under the keybed: keyboard and action shift, one-piece cast-iron frame, cross-strung, and a black lacquer case.
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York
topic: label: Subject
content: Musical Theater
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: Pianos
label: Exhibition
content: Price of Freedom
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Irving Berlin
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MI.73.30
label: accession number
content: 305340
label: catalog number
content: 73.30
label: serial number
content: 117,728
objectType: label: Object Name
content: piano
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: felt (hammers: material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron (frame material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (case: material)
label: Physical Description
content: cast (frame production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 45 in x 60 in x 25 in; 114.3 cm x 152.4 cm x 63.5 cm