Pianos

Historical Context

A Chicago piano maker. Newman Bros. began in Chicago in 1880 building parlor and chapel organs and added high-grade pianos in 1895. The firm built a six-story factory in 1900 and closed in the Great Depression.

The parlor piano. Around 1900 an upright piano was the pride of the middle-class parlor, and makers courted buyers by mail. "Write for Catalogue and Prices" was an invitation to order from the factory.

Mother and child. The tender oval portrait and embossed violets show how far advertising cards had moved toward the sentimental keepsake by the turn of the century.

Condition

Good, with honest wear. Corners softly rounded. A short crease at the top edge near the center and a light crease at the upper right corner of the front. The reverse shows several light creases, most at the upper left and lower right, and light even toning. Embossing intact and colors bright. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The violets are embossed, and the reverse is printed in a single blue ink.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More antique advertising trade cards for musical instruments and Chicago firms are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

A piano was the most expensive thing most families would ever buy apart from the house, and the card sells it like one. Seven lines, each starting A PIANO, then the only number that mattered to a nervous buyer: twenty thousand already made and sold.

The transposing keyboard and the mandolin attachment are the period's gadgets. A transposing keyboard let the player shift the key without learning the music again; a mandolin attachment changed the tone. Both were ways of saying this piano could do more than the one down the street.

Condition

Toning and age typical of the period. Mottled blistering and spotting across the blue ground in the upper part of the front; a faded, illegible violet stamp at the upper left; minor edge and corner wear; toning to the reverse. The kittens and the gold frame remain bright and the reverse text fully legible. Please view the images carefully.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

Provenance

This item comes from the personal collections of my family estate, accumulated over more than 200 years — including items that came west by wagon train to Colorado and later to Oklahoma. Now that my parents have passed we cannot keep all of these cherished items. They were well-educated antiques collectors/traders and continued to build their collections over more than 60 years. The vast majority of the pieces are from the Victorian Era, however there are plenty of older and newer items. Everything has been stored in a climate-controlled environment over time.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.