Gail Stanley     Researcher, 1998–2004

print this page

Gail Stanley’s research assignments included many of the musical performances that William Steinway and his family attended during the late 1870s and early 1880s, as well as his numerous activities with the Liederkranz Society of New York City.

As president of the Society intermittently over a 30-year period he presided at the 1881 cornerstone laying for its grand clubhouse on East 58th Street. In her other assignments, Stanley also investigated educational customs of the period, including the education of girls, and cultural and societal customs, such as gift giving.

Stanley owns and operates a small appraisal firm that serves the metropolitan DC area, focusing on antiques and decorative arts. She received an AB, cum laude, from Randolph-Macon Woman's College and an MA in political science from Emory University. In 1997 she received certification in appraisal studies in the fine and decorative arts from George Washington University. She is an accredited member of American Society of Appraisers and a former director for the Washington, DC Chapter. Prior to becoming an appraiser, she completed a 30-year career as a Congressional employee, working for many years as a legislative assistant before joining the staff of the Architect of the Capitol. There she held a position in the Architect’s immediate office that included administrative oversight of the curator. In addition to her work as a Steinway Diary Project volunteer, Stanley also worked as a curatorial volunteer at Tudor Place and Dumbarton House in Georgetown, and served as a member of the Board of Directors of Watergate East, Inc.