MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS— THE PIANO-FORTE. 



491 



quently drifted into piano-manufacturing in Boston, where he 

 soon won a distinguished place. 



The upright, although the popular form in Euroj^e for over 

 fifty years, never won a place here until past 1870, when the show- 

 ing of these instruments at the Centennial Exhibition stimulated 

 fresh efforts in this direction. About 1882 it had conquered the 

 square as a household form of piano, and since then the latter has 

 been fast going out of use. In fact, in the leading shops the 

 manufacture of squares has ceased entirely. 



Southwell's cabinet uprights, already spoken of, were large 

 clumsy instruments, though the first acceptable pianos in perpen- 

 dicular shape produced. In 1813 Robert Wornum, a great figure 

 in British piano -making records, brought for- 

 ward an improved upright with diagonal strings, 

 which, from its portableness and other charac- 

 teristics, soon became the favorite. In his model 

 the dimensions of the uj)right were reduced to 

 about four feet six inches, and this subsequently 

 in its improved features became the English cot- 

 tage piano — a form still in pojDular favor in Eng- 

 land. Wornum also produced a smaller upright 

 in 1826, which he named the " piccolo." These, 

 in addition to valuable action improvements, cor- 

 responding in effectiveness with the originality 

 of his instruments, were most significant contri- 

 butions to the development of the upright up to 

 the latter date. He was also the inventor of the 

 upright " tape-check action," which is now gen- 

 erally used, though with many modern improvements. It was pat- 

 ented in England in 1843, but, strange to say, despite its admitted 

 qualities of excellence, was regarded with little favor in Wor- 

 num's own country. Continental piano manufacturers alone tak- 

 ing kindly to it. The upright, meanwhile, received much atten- 

 tion in Europe from piano-makers and improvers, and soon grew 

 into popular favor, to the general exclusion of the square. The 

 European squares, however, were never brought to any consider- 

 able degree of perfection, while American squares, on the con- 

 trary, were so excellent, toward 18G0, that their musical and other 

 qualities served to draw the attention of piano-makers from the 

 upright. The demand for pianos taking little floor-space for 

 household use in the large cities within more recent years drew 

 the attention of makers to the ux^right as a substitute for the 

 square ; and, now that success has been achieved in giving the 

 upright the musical characteristics of the square, the latter is 

 almost out of date. 



Cabinets and other forms of uprights on English lines were 



(^p^ 



Fig. 18 



Section of 

 Impkoved Upright 

 Action. 



