By courtesy of the Lawrence Co. Up-to-date method of making pianos.

The most popular musical instrument today is the piano. Not many years ago it came under the head luxury, but the increasing culture and education of the people have changed all this and made the piano an every day necessity. Ten years ago there were manufactured in this country considerably less than 100,000 pianos. Last year (1902) there were, manufactured 225,000. These figures tell the whole story.

With the rapid development of the refining influences of life has come a demand for soulful music. The young girl's education is hardly considered complete without, at least, a moderate knowledge of the piano.

By courtesy of the Lawrence Co. Getting material ready for making pianos.

With such a demand there has come the supply, and the strife of competition has resulted in various improvements in the manufacture of pianos that have kept the art of the builder thoroughly up to date. The old square piano has been almost entirely superseded during the past 15 or 20 years by the upright, and tonal qualities have been so vastly improved that the cheapest piano, to-day, would rank well with the best of 20 years ago. By the introduction of a better quality of feet in the hammer, by the use of a large hammer and the production of a better wire, the musical quality of the piano tone has been improved even as it has been given greater volume.

By courtesy of Reed & Sons' Piano Mfg. Co. Baby Grand Upright Piano1

In order to bring the piano up to its present-day artistic worth, innumerable, inventions have been patented, each ambitious manufacturer being constantly on the alert to devise a remedy for any suggested imperfection. One of the latest important inventions relates to the keyboard, and in an exceedingly simple way makes such a thing as a "sticking key" an impossibility. The average pianist will be glad to learn that such an improvement exists because everybody has had more or less trouble on that score, caused by dampness or careless construction. This new keyboard does away with all that difficulty, and by giving a firm, elastic touch, enables the performer to produce a more musical tone. Among piano manufacturers this keyboard is considered one of the most marked improvements of late years.

In the general construction of the piano there have lately been devised many improvements.

America produces finer pianos, and a far greater number of them. than any other country in the world.

By courtesy of Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co. The most duarble piano key manufactured.

MAKING LEAD PENCILS
GREAT STRIDES IN THE OIL INDUSTRY
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© 1998, 2002 by Lynn Waterman