demise of upright grand pianos in 19th century

[jcgray]

Hello: I am a U.S. graduate student in the history of the decorative arts and all semester, I have been researching a Clementi upright grand piano (c. 1815) which was gutted and turned into a bookcase sometime in the mid-19th century. My question is, where can I find books and documentation about why tall (this one is nearly 9-feet high) upright grands fell out of favor by 1840. Would I be able to find info in some Broadwood or Clementi sites or papers? Thanks much.
Jackie Gray

[Brian Lawson, RPT]

An "upright grand" from my observation is just a marketing term. A piano is a grand or an upright.

For your other point, I guess the technology in making pianos improved that manufactures realized they could make smaller piano, but then on the opposite side of the coin it is how manufactures were influenced by inferior desecraters, oops! sorry, I meant interior decreators, as seen in very small pianos.

[Bill Kibby]

I'm afraid Brian's lost the plot here, this is a genuine, actual, real-life Upright Grand, (a grand placed upright) as made by Clementi, probably in the 1820s or 1830s. Why did they lose popularity? How would you like to have a nine-foot tall piano? It's as simple as that, and the height became unnecessary as soon as they realised what seems obvious in retrospect, the space below keyboard level was being wasted!

[jcgray]

Thanks. This makes lots of sense. Does anyone know if an archive of Clementi or Broadwood papers exists either on-line or as a book that someone in the U.S. can get?

Jackie Gray

I'm afraid Brian's lost the plot here, this is a genuine, actual, real-life Upright Grand, (a grand placed upright) as made by Clementi, probably in the 1820s or 1830s. Why did they lose popularity? How you like to have a nine-foot tall piano? It's as simple as that, and the height became unnecessary as soon as they realised what seems obvious in retrospect, the space below keyboard level was being wasted!

[Barrie Heaton]

Thanks. This makes lots of sense. Does anyone know if an archive of Clementi or Broadwood papers exists either on-line or as a book that someone in the U.S. can get?

Jackie Gray

The Broadwood papers were being put into a database (5 year project ) However, with the demise of WMC that now could be on hold. I do know that the trustees of Broadwood are talking to Roger Wilson of Bluthner UK (former CEO of WMC) about a few things one of them may be about the database, at the moment you can still request some information from the Broadwood site for 35.00 per search which is done by hand. I am at Bluthner UK for a weekend course this Friday if I get the chance I will ask about the database and report back

Barrie,

[Bill Kibby]

I was quoted 40 pounds. A book is in preparation. As for Clementi, look at the Archives item at PianoGen.org - This tells the situation with Clementi's successors, Collard.

[Bill Kibby]

Yes, but are you talking about an actual grand turned vertically, or simply an average old upright with "Upright Grand" written on the front?