• Home
  • About
  • The Blog
  • Galleries
    • Ithaca Waterfalls
    • Scene Around The House
    • Fabrications
  • Contact

Paul Duncan

~ photography and other stuff

Monthly Archives: April 2013

Francis Bacon Upright Piano

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Paul Duncan in Photography

≈ Comments Off on Francis Bacon Upright Piano

old upright piano in Victorian-era room

Our temporary home, in an 1870’s Victorian in Owego, NY, features an old upright piano that seems to come to life in the warm glow of late afternoon sun diffusing through the curtains.

It’s a Francis Bacon upright piano, probably made in the early- to mid-1920’s as near as I can tell based on the serial number.  It’s showing its age with the darkened craquelure finish, numerous scratches, stains, and dings.  It’s endured hard use and some disrespect.

One’s ear strains to hear reverberations from past playing; the mind wanders to Fats Waller, Thelonius Monk, or Scott Joplin.  Evidence from the contents of the piano bench indicates more prosaic use–mounds of old yellowing sheet music, much of it from the 1930’s and 1940’s, provided training for aspiring pianists.

The Francis Bacon pianos were recognized for their sturdy construction and modest price. This one, sadly, is probably beyond repair; the piano’s value would not warrant the cost required to bring it back to life.

Francis Bacon name cast into piano's pin bock
Piano pin block and tuning pins
Upright piano hammer mechanism
sheet music
piano keyboard

RSS Feed

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Categories

  • General
  • Home Building
  • Outdoors
  • Photography
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • October 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012

Copyright © 2021, Paul Duncan. All rights reserved.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×