Aeolian Pianola Piano Player: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This piano player was made by Aeolian Co. in New York, New York, around 1901. It is a pianola player, with 65 felt covered metal fingers. This instrument can accommodate 11-1/4" wide 58 or 65 note paper rolls. This pianola has a hinged lid to access the spool box to exchange piano rolls, and levers to operate bass and treble accents, tempo, and play/rewind. A two-door panel on the bottom front of the pianola conceals two folding foot pedals used to activate the bellows. The back of the pianola with its 65 felt covered metal fingers is placed above the corresponding keys on a piano, with a lever at the bottom in contact with the piano’s sustain pedal.

Edwin Votey is attributed as the inventor for this instrument. The patent for it was originally filed in 1897 and then renewed in 1900. U.S. Patent #650285, dated May 22, 1900.

U. S. Patent #351172, dated October 19, 1886, by Merritt Gally for sheet motors for mechanical musical instruments.

U. S. Patent #356690, dated January 25, 1887, by George B. Kelly for improvements in mechanical musical instruments.

U. S. Patent #357933, dated February 15, 1887, by George B. Kelly for improvements in a motor for mechanical musical instruments

U. S. Patent #594981, dated December 7, 1897, by Theodore P. Brown for a pneumatic motors for musical instruments.

U. S. Patent #595466, dated December 14, 1897, by Theodore P. Brown for foot pedals for musical instruments.

U. S. Patent #601163, dated March 22, 1898, by Robert W. Pain for improvements in adjustable music rolls for mechanical musical instruments.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1901
• maker: Aeolian Co.
• Object Name: piano player
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Physical Description: plastic (overall material)
• Physical Description: rubber (tubes material)
• Measurements: overall: 37 1/2 in x 44 in x 16 3/8 in; 95.25 cm x 111.76 cm x 41.5925 cm
• place made: United States: New York, New York City
• ID Number: MI.285023
• accession number: 57301
• catalog number: 285023
• serial number: 122
• Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Julian James
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.