Collections In Use: 1901 Steinway Piano
By Kimberly Totten, Collections Manager
If you attended our Open House on the first Friday of September, then you were lucky enough to hear our historic grand piano being played. Christian Heurich bought the Steinway piano for his wife, Amelia, around the turn of the century. The piano was originally black, but the Heurichs had it hand-painted gold with floral designs, making it a one-of-kind piece.
The Steinway is the centerpiece of a room appropriately named the Music Room. At the top of the Music Room is a balcony, originally meant for musicians to entertain guests, which overlooks the front hall and dining room, allowing the piano's music to flow through the entire first floor. Christian Heurich's second wife, Mathilde, originally designed the house with entertaining in mind, but in reality, his third wife, Amelia, used these spaces infrequently.
During our Open House program, we showcased some of the Heurich children's hobbies, including playing sports, reading, and learning music. The girls, Anita and Karla, learned to play the violin on a three-fourths violin which is also featured in the Music Room. All the children had piano lessons, but did not practice on the Steinway, instead learning on a smaller upright piano in the playroom on the second floor.
Jay Frost playing the piano during an Open House in September.
Unlike the other objects that we displayed especially for this event, the piano is one of the only objects we actively use as originally intended. When it comes to preservation, the best thing for historic objects is usually to not touch them or move them. We wear nitrile gloves when touching objects and wear shoe covers when we enter the historic rooms, to disturb the space as little as possible. But musical instruments can be one of the great exceptions to this rule.
In order to maintain a piano, it must be tuned and played. Just like anything else, using an instrument increases the likelihood of damaging it, but the integrity of an instrument includes its ability to be played. Additionally, playing the piano aids in preservation in two ways: first, tells us if the piano is in need of repair, when we otherwise would not have known, and second, the act of playing keeps the piano functioning rather than degrading from disuse.
As part of routine maintenance, we have the piano tuned by the same company who restored the piano back in 2014, Butler & Sons Piano Restorations. We also take precautions when playing the piano, including wearing gloves when opening and closing, as well as washing our hands before playing the keys.
View the house during an upcoming tour!
Love these articles about the House! I’ve been many times to visit and am a member. I’d love to explore or even see the music room on one of my visits. I’ve only ever seen it from the first floor.
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