Decker Brothers Upright Piano with Jankó Keyboard

Description:

This upright piano was made by Decker Brother in New York, New York around 1888-1892. The company made mostly uprights, and around 1890 made a number with the innovative Jankó keyboard. This style of keyboard was designed by Paul von Jankó in 1882. It features a multi-row array of keys, with each column being a semitone away from its companion columns, and each row a whole step in tone from its beginning rows. This keyboard was short-lived as it required pianists to relearn music on a new type of keyboard with totally new fingering. This piano is serial number 25184 and has a compass of AAA-c5, tape-check upright action, felt hammers, wound single-strings AAA-GG#, wound double-strings AA-E, wound triple strings F-c, plain triple-stings c#-c5, 2 pedals: “soft” and dampers, a one-piece cast-iron frame, cross-strung, and an ebonized case.

Date Made: 1888-1892

Maker: Decker Brothers

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: New York, New York City

See more items in: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments, Music & Musical Instruments, Pianos

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: Gift of Hugo Worch

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: MI.299840Catalog Number: 299840Accession Number: 61285

Object Name: piano

Physical Description: iron (frame: material)felt (hammers: material)ebonized (case: material)Measurements: overall: 134.3 cm x 152.4 cm x 39 cm; 52 7/8 in x 60 in x 15 3/8 in

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-6163-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_605857

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