The Arts & Crafts Movement in America was most popular from about the 1900 - 1915 period, and had all but disappeared before 1920. Although the Arts & Crafts Movement was a relatively short-lived design era, hundreds of thousands of homes were built and furnished in the popular Craftsman/Mission style. Today, there is a huge Renaissance in the Arts & Crafts Movement. Original Craftsman style homes are being renovated, new Craftsman style homes are being built, and most major furniture lines are manufacturing and selling furnishings in the Craftsman style to reflect the Mission/Arts & Crafts period.
Because the Arts & Crafts movement was such an extreme change from traditional period styles, piano manufactures were very slow to adapt. Very few manufacturers went to the time and expense of adding Craftsman style pianos to their line. By the time these few makers added Craftsman design pianos to their product line, the Arts & Crafts movement seemed to fade away almost as quickly as it came. As a result, Craftsman style pianos are exceedingly rare today.
This piano is a beautiful example of the Arts & Crafts/Mission style at it's finest. Built by The C. Kurtzmann & Company in Buffalo in 1914, this instrument is one of the later Mission style pianos we have in our collection. C. Kurtzmann & Company was known for building very high-quality, expensive pianos, so this piano would have been quite a substantial investment for its original owner. Unusual over-sized front posts are paired with a classic mortise and tenon design while accenting the lovely quarter sawn oak wood grain throughout. The sound quality of this piano is very impressive - even prior to restoration - indicating that this will be a superior sounding instrument after restoration.
If desired, this piano can be equipped with the Pianomation player system, and can play by itself by streaming music live on an iPod, computer, iPad, etc.
An authentic matching piano bench is included.
Note: As founder of The Antique Piano Shop, I have personally collected Mission / Arts & Crafts style pianos for over 25 years. I have a great passion for anything Mission / Arts & Crafts, including Craftsman homes, furniture, and accessories. If you are a true Arts & Crafts enthusiast, you will appreciate how impossible it is to find true Arts & Crafts / Mission style pianos in today’s market. Nearly three decades of collecting and preserving these “impossible to find” instruments has allowed me the opportunity to present the largest collection of true Mission / Arts & Crafts style instruments anywhere in the world.
We are proud to offer the serious enthusiast the option of adding an authentic period instrument for their Craftsman home.
- Michael Stinnett, Founder, The Antique Piano Shop, Inc.