Music Trade Review

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American Piano Go. Receives First of
Imported Period Piano Gases
Special Piano Case Designs, Executed by Foreign Cabinet Makers in Foreign Workshops, Reach America
After Year of Development of New Plan Originated by This House—Two Cases, Both Italian Ren-
aissance, Marvels of Artistic Workmanship and Authentic in Design—A Radical Departure
T
H E R E has just come to fruition a new
development in piano case design, which
, when outlined a year ago by George G.
Foster, president of the American Piano Co., as
sance, but each in
carrying out those
work. The first of
a Chickering piano
itself distinctive, and then
designs in the piano case
these cases to arrive houses
and the other a Knabe, and
discover the reaction on the part of prominent
decorating houses to the possibility of securing
for their clients instruments of such character-
istic and artistic worth. Mr. Foster found that
First of Period Cases Imported From Italy by American Piano Co.
1. Front View of Chickering Grand in Italian Renaissance Case. 2. Rear View of Same Instrument. 3. Knabe Grand in Italian Renaissance Case, Side View.
4. Front View of Same Instrument.
being contemplated by himself and his asso-
ciates, seemed more or less of an ambitious
dream, for it had to do with nothing less than
bringing into exclusive American homes the
conception of the great foreign artists carried
out in their own workshops and under the spell
of the great creators of cabinet designs of the
ages.
A year ago Mr. Foster and his associates con-
ceived the idea that Americans, who were in a
position to desire and pay for the exclusive and
worth while in furnishings, would appreciate an
opportunity to secure pianos of distinctive de-
sign. Arrangements were then made with a
prominent firm of cabinet makers near Milan,
Italy, for the production of a number of original
piano case designs by native artists and wood
sculptors.
Throughout the year this work has been kept
up and watched constantly, with the result that
a week or two ago there were received at the
headquarters of the American Piano Co., in New
York, two most impressive piano cases—them-
selves distinct works of art. The amount of
work that has been put into these may be appre-
ciated when it is said that for the greater part
of a year these Italian artists have been devot-
ing themselves, first, to the creation of designs
following the tendency of the Italian Renais-
both instruments will be retained by the Amer-
ican Piano Co. for display purposes, being on
hand in New York for the inspection of those
of its dealers who attend the New York con-
vention during the week of June 7.
Within a week or two several other cases
A Preliminary Design Sketch
from Italy are due to arrive in New York, and
a number of others now in the course of con-
struction will come along during the Summer
months. For the purpose of further introducing
these new art cases in America, there was re-
cently created by the American Piano Co. a
department of imported period cases under the
direction of Seth B. Foster, who first set out to
decorative authorities were warmly enthusiastic,
seeing in the new venture a solution of some of
their problems, especially that problem of find-
ing a particular piano case designed to fit into
some elaborate but strictly authentic interior
decorative scheme.
As it is now there are available in the im-
ported period case department a score or more
authentic designs of Italian period cases. These
the decorator can present to his clients, and
with the aid of a designer from the American
Piano Co. can insert in those designs such dis-
tinctive details as prove most suitable and desir-
able, providing, of course, they fit in with the
particular period. With the many motifs that
are characteristic of- certain periods of Italian
art, it is quite possible to develop an almost
unlimited number of thoroughly distinctive case
treatments, each authentic, but each different
from the other.
Should available sketches not be exactly suit-
able to the needs of the decorator or his client,
special sketches will be drawn up to meet the
situation under the direction of an architect,
assisted by a capable designer representing the
American Piano Co. The specific sketch having
been evolved, it will be sent abroad with the
assurance that the purchaser will find the com-
(Continued on page 22)