Piano

Object/Artifact

-

Vermont Historical Society

piano

Name/Title

Piano

Entry/Object ID

1986.39.1

Description

An upright toy piano marked at the center front, "Schoenhut". Handwritten in pencil on the back of the front panel is, "Bought Christmas in December 1897. Price 1.00 Ivaloo Rumney from Mamma." The piece is stained a deep burgundy and has an ornate, decorative panel of black and gold filigree against a yellow background. The panel rests against the general red, imitation wood-grained background. The Schoenhut trademark appears prominently in its center consisting of a Jester playing a horn amid the extant trade-name symbology. The keyboard at one time created sound, but now only nine of the keys still work.

Context

Used by Delphine Boudreau and her father, Leo Edmund Boudreau of Berlin, Vermont

Acquisition

Accession

1986.39

Source or Donor

Boudreau, Stella Mary Dulki

Acquisition Method

Gift

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Schoenhut

Date made

1897

Place

City

Philadelphia

State/Province

Pennsylvania

Country

United States of America

Continent

North America

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Piano

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Instrument, Keyboard

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Musical Instruments

Nomenclature Class

Musical T&E

Nomenclature Category

Category 06: Tools & Equipment for Communication

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Height

11-3/4 in

Length

16-1/2 in

Material

Wood

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Boudreau, Delphine Josephine Versailles (1883-1933)

Interpretative Labels

Label

Albert Schoenhut, a young German immigrant who had been born into a toymaking family, founded The Schoenhut Piano Company in 1872. He came to American at age 17 and worked as a toy piano repairman for Wanamaker's department store in Philadelphia before striking out on his own to found his company. By the time of his death in 1912, Schoenhut was the largest toy company in America, having expanded its product line into other toy musical instruments. Our Schoenhut piano was a Christmas gift for young Ivaloo Rumney (1894-1985) of Berlin, Vermont, from her parents in 1897.