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 1905. It is a Themodist-Metrostyle player, with 65 felt covered metal fingers. This instrument can accommodate 11-1/4" wide 65 note piano or 65 note Themodist 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 sliding 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.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: ca 1905
• maker: Aeolian Co.
• Object Name: piano player
• Physical Description: wood (overall material)
• Physical Description: metal (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 40 in x 46 in x 18 in; 101.6 cm x 116.84 cm x 45.72 cm
• place made: United States: New York, New York City
• ID Number: MI.73.36
• catalog number: 73.36
• accession number: 304324
• Credit Line: Gift of Mills Dean III in memory of Clarence R. Shoemaker
• 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.