<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1498" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah said:"<FONT face="Times New = Roman" size=3>It also appears to be a birdcage!  The piano has a "cheapie" look to it.<BR>Notice the bronze finish on the upper half of the plate but not = the lower<BR>half.  Most curious is the lack of music desk, except for = what appears to be<BR>an improvised framework thingie hanging over the = front.  Oh, and of course<BR>it's a two-pedal design.  I wonder if these = features were simply<BR>cost-cutting measures taken during the Great = Depression.  (What year was it<BR>built -- Hoffmann, S/N 30652?)<BR><BR>I guess flat-stringing was easier/faster to string?  Perhaps it was<BR>faster/easier to make and hang the hammers?  Would a = birdcage action have<BR>been cheaper/easier to build/install?  (Yes, I know they're = no fun to<BR>service, but that wasn't the manufacturer's concern.)  Very interesting<BR>piano, in a Depression-ish sort of way.  ;-)<FONT = face=Arial size=2>"</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sarah et al,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The piano(?) in question is definately = not of the 1930's! The Newest one I've ever encountered was made in 1930 and had a = much more modern case design. It's probably 1900-1910 at the most. Typical, = in all ways, of the English Over-damper piano(s). The "music rack" is also = quite typical. I've seen that type of rack installed on German pianos that = were in England. A nice feature of the rack is the little tabs to hold the music = pages.<G></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards,</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain, Tool Police<BR>Squares R I</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>