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Baby Grand Model Violano Virtuoso
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| Accession #: | 2433.1 |
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| Title: | Baby Grand Model Violano Virtuoso |
| Object Type: | Instrument, Mechanical |
| Participants: | |
| Physical Description: | Automated musical instrument, Violano - Virtuoso, made of oak and metal moveable parts. |
| Description: | This coin-operated, automatic musical instrument consists of one violin and a 44-note piano housed in an oak cabinet. Its dimensions indicate that this machine is a Baby Grand Model Violano Virtuoso, manufactured by Mills Novelty Co. Until its sale in 1924-25, it was reportedly played "almost continuously" at "Slim's Place" pool hall in Lind, Washington. Coin-operated music machines offered entertainment in public gathering places throughout America between 1910 and 1930. Among them, the Violano Virtuoso had the highest survival rate. Designated by the U.S. Government as one of the eight greatest inventions of the decade at Seattle's 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, the Violano-Virtuoso's moving parts were set in motion by electric motors or electromagnets. For a nickel, the Violano-Virtuoso played popular songs of the day; home models were also available without coin operation. Listeners could not pick out individual tunes as the instrument would play straight through a roll of generally five songs from beginning to end. Sources: Collection records, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane. "Violano Virtuoso." Mills Novelty Co. http://millsnovelty.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20&Itemid=53 (accessed July 2010). |
| Category: | History |
| Subjects/Topics/Concepts: |
Music & Sound (Communication)
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| Geographical Reference: | Lind (Washington->Adams County) |
| Dimensions: |
Object H x W x D 62 x 43 x 31 "
weight,large 1250 lbs
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| Materials/Techniques: |
metal (Material)
oak (Material)
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| Marks/Inscription: |
you can play 1 to 15 nickels. place 5c in slide and push in.
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| Related Exhibits: | |
| Credit Line: | Gift of Mr. George C. Nickell, Mrs. Bernice Bergleoff, and Mrs. Leta Mae Longmeier, 1976 |
To order a reproduction, inquire about permissions, or for information about prices see:
https://www.northwestmuseum.org/collections