Victorian 1880s Advertisement for Blasius and Sons Piano Store Interior Philadelphia
by Peter Ogden
Title
Victorian 1880s Advertisement for Blasius and Sons Piano Store Interior Philadelphia
Artist
Peter Ogden
Medium
Painting - Chromolithograph
Description
This is a digitally restored reproduction of an 1880s Victorian advertising trade card depicting the interior of the Blasius and Sons pipe organ and Steinway piano store on Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material. It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings. It was invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700.
The word "piano" is a shortened form of pianoforte, the Italian term for the early 1700s versions of the instrument, which in turn derives from clavicembalo col piano e forte (key cimbalom with quieter and louder) and fortepiano. The Italian musical terms piano and forte indicate "soft" and "loud" respectively, in this context referring to the variations in volume (i.e., loudness) produced in response to a pianist's touch or pressure on the keys: the greater the velocity of a key press, the greater the force of the hammer hitting the strings, and the louder the sound of the note produced and the stronger the attack. The first fortepianos in the 1700s allowed for a quieter sound and greater dynamic range than the harpsichord.
The Fine Art America logo does not appear on the final product.
Uploaded
July 19th, 2018
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