S. Dillon Ripley Center
1100 Jefferson Drive, SW
Washington, DC
To commemorate the 300th anniversary of the piano, invented circa 1700 by Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1732), this exhibition examines the influence of the piano and highlights the American History Museum's distinguished collection. On view are almost two dozen instruments from the museum's collection; manuscripts by such composers as Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Gershwin, and Ellington; tools; photographs; play bills; sheet music; and other memorabilia.
Highlights include:
- a grand piano by Bartolomeo Cristofori, Florence, Italy, 1722—one of three extant instruments by the inventor—on loan from the Museo degli Strumenti Musicali, Rome
- a square piano by Chickering and Sons, Boston, 1850
- Paderewski's grand piano by Steinway & Sons, New York, 1892
- Irving Berlin's upright Transposing Piano by Weber, New York, 1940
- Liberace's grand piano by Baldwin, Cincinnati, 1984
- an Erard grand piano presented to Prince Albert by Queen Victoria
- Video Theater; runs continuously
- 2 Listening Stations
Catalogue