Cable

[rf34232]

I have just acquired a Cable "Columbian Exposition" piece with the #84024. Any help with the date would be appreciated.

[Bill Kibby]

The number suggests 1906. Nothing to do with Columbia or Colombia, the so-called “Columbian Exposition” took place in Chicago, 1893 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of Christopher Columbus. Newman showed organs. Bush & Gertz, Cable, Kimball, Lehr, Melville Clark, Orpheus, Reed, Starck, Strauch and Vose all showed pianos, and almost all of them received medals, which seems to devalue the whole process! People reading information on instruments naturally assume that the individual piano was actually there at the exhibition, or even won a prize medal, whereas this is really general information written on hundreds or thousands of pianos made in the years after the exhibition, some certainly as late as 1914. See
http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/piano ... tions.html

[rf34232]

Billy, thanks for the info....I was aware the piano wasn't actually at the exposition, just a commemorative model. I appreciate the date given, and am curious as to the possible value, the piano being in bad to poor condition, but basically sound. mechanics all seem quite good, aall the problems are aesthetic....I don't see "tone arch" inscribed any where so i don't suppose this is one of those models so endowed....again thanks for the rapid reply, will keep posted on progress restoring