transformed

Early

the upright

on, Wornum

stringing

piano into the instrurnenr

built

an upright

with the English

double

for the system

anion

used in uprights

today.

check the hammer

CO

further developed

that remains
It employs

known,

French

manufacturers

production

wrongly,

was

meet

but

in

demand

action.

The

were
mass

artistic

may have suffered.

The upright

piano was a product

also had the prestige

the grand

pianos
parts

extremely

important

of having evolved from

of society.

and more

Size

was

an

issue, since the typical

middle class home in the mid-19th

rooms.

that

classes, but it

of the wealthier

arisrocratic

adapted

his most

and his innovation

as the 'French'

could be sold co the middle

smallish

so that it cannot

of uprights

successful,
to

standards

the basis

in Paris by Playel and Pape, so that it

became

commercially

diagonal

and in the 1830s he

strike more than once. In 1842 he parented

advanced version of this anion,

we know today.

combined

action,

went on co develop the tape-check

piece of tape

that

The

upright

or disguised

century had

piano

co function

else when not in use. Pianos

was often

as something

could resemble

tables and desks, or even chests of drawers.

English
especially
domestic
designs

and French

manufacturers

inventive
appeal
of Pape,

in

enhancing

were
the

ofthe

ins trurnenr , and

though

expensive,

the

inspired

other

makers ro experiment.

Wornum upright piano

The London-based maker Robert Wornum
contributed a great deal co the development of rhe
upright piano, including advances in actions. His
"tape check" system prevented a hammer
bouncing back and hitting a string, and is still in
modified use today. This example ofWornum's
crafr (above) was produced in abour 1835.

Sticker action

propels the hammer cowards the string.

This sequence of three steps, pictured above,

Building on Geib's action, it was pioneered by

illusrrares rhe mechanics of the so-called

John Landreth during the 17805 and then by

"sticker" aerion, named for rhe sricker rhac

William Southwell in the early 1800s.

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