Graf Grand Piano: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This grand piano was made by Conrad Graf in Vienna, Austria in 1832. Except for the number of pedals, this piano is essentially a twin of the instrument that Graf presented to musician and composer, Clara Wieck on her marriage to composer Robert Schumann in 1840. The piano is serial number 1594 and has a compass of CC-g4, Viennese action, leather over wood core hammers, brass and steel strings, double- and triple-strung, 5 pedals: una corda, bassoon, moderator, dampers, and janissary, an oak laminated and interlocked bars frame, straight-strung, and a walnut veneer case.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1832
• maker: Graf, Conrad
• Object Name: piano
• Physical Description: leather over wood cores (hammers: material)
• Physical Description: brass and steel (strings: material)
• Physical Description: oak laminated (frame: material)
• Physical Description: walnut veneer (case: material)
• Measurements: overall: 70.7 cm x 124.7 cm x 242.5 cm; 27 13/16 in x 49 1/8 in x 95 1/2 in
• Place Made: Austria: Vienna state, Vienna
• ID Number: 1986.3187.01
• catalog number: 1986.3187.01
• nonaccession number: 1986.3187
• 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.