{"id":14316,"date":"2025-10-14T15:06:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T19:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/?page_id=14316"},"modified":"2026-04-29T14:08:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T18:08:33","slug":"steinway-piano","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/music\/exhibits\/queens-music-history\/steinway-piano\/","title":{"rendered":"Queens Music History: Steinway & Sons Piano"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#E71939″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|true|true” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ use_custom_gutter=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_padding=”5px||5px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/127\/2026\/03\/QCL1-logo1-white-80h.png” alt=”Queens College Library logo white” title_text=”Queens College Library” url=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/library\/” admin_label=”QCL Logo” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#cccccc” custom_padding=”20px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”50px|50px||50px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”10px|10px||10px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”20px|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Content” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||50px|||” custom_padding=”||||true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ border_color_all=”#A9A9A9″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

\"Steinway

Steinway “Boston\u201d upright model<\/strong>
Photo Credit: Alton \/ CC BY 3.0<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

The iconic Steinway<\/strong> piano has a long and rich history in New York City. Founded in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in a Manhattan loft on Varick Street, Steinway & Sons has owned and operated the same land in Astoria, Queens since the 1880\u2019s. Steinway produces about 6 pianos a day, or 1,300 a year\u2014it is a very labor-intensive process and each piano is an individual work of art that takes Steinway\u2018s unionized and largely immigrant workforce a full 11 months to complete. Steinway pianos are formed of wood chosen from rock maple\ufffc, sugar pine, and Sitka spruce; the now-classic figure of the grand piano having been patented by C.F. Steinway in 1880. During production the instrument takes shape as it moves from the \u201cBelly Department,\u201d where the bridge is assembled, to \u201cKeys & Action,\u201d where keys are added and fine-tuned, through to the \u201cPounding Room,\u201d where it is stress-tested and perfected. Finally, the instrument is sanded, painted, and hardened before it is ready to go out into the world. A Steinway piano can be found in every ACSM classroom and rehearsal space.<\/p>\n

New York Times Article:<\/strong> 5 things you didn\u2019t know about NYC\u2019s Steinway & Sons factory<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|true|true” custom_padding_tablet=”|50px||50px|true|true” custom_padding_phone=”|10px||10px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”ITEMS ON DISPLAY IN THE MUSIC LIBRARY” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”||||true|true” border_color_all=”#A9A9A9″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

ITEMS ON DISPLAY IN THE MUSIC LIBRARY:<\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”|50px||50px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”|10px||10px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”||||true|true” border_color_all=”#A9A9A9″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

American Musical Instruments in the Metropolitan Museum of Art<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.); Libin, Laurence, author.
ML476 .M47 1985<\/p>\n

Steinway & Sons<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Lieberman, Richard K., author.
ML424 .S76 L54 1995<\/p>\n

Steinway & Sons (Henry Z. Steinway signed copy)<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Ratcliffe, Ronald V., author. Steinway, Henry Z., 1915-2008, writer of foreword.
ML424 .S76 R4 1989 c.2<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”ADDITIONAL LIBRARY RESOURCES” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”||||true|true” border_color_all=”#A9A9A9″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

ADDITIONAL LIBRARY RESOURCES:<\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” custom_padding_tablet=”|50px||50px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”|10px||10px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||true|true” border_color_all=”#A9A9A9″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand (author signed copy)<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Barron, James, 1954 – author.
ML661.8 .N7 B37 2006<\/p>\n

The Steinways and Their Pianos in the Nineteenth Century<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Hoover, Cynthia A., author.
ML424 .S76 H66 1981<\/p>\n

The Steinway Saga: An American Dynasty<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Fostle, D.W. (Don W.), author.
ML424 .S76 F7 1995<\/p>\n

Talking About Pianos<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Kummer, Corby.
ML650 .T28 1982<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Additional Library Resources on the Piano including the Steinway Piano:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Piano: Its Story from Zither to Grand<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Grover, David S., 1936-1976
ML650 .G75<\/p>\n

Pianos and their makers : a comprehensive history of the development of the piano from the monochord to the concert grand player piano<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Dolge, Alfred, 1848-1922.
ML652 .D6 1972<\/p>\n

Pianos in the Smithsonian Institution<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Hollis, Helen R.
ML650 .H64<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||true|true” border_color_all=”#A9A9A9″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

The Book of the Piano<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Gill, Dominic
ML650 .B64<\/p>\n

Grand Piano<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Harrison, Sidney
ML650 .H33<\/p>\n

Historical Pianoa, Harpsichords & Clavichords<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Michel, N.E. (Norman Elwood), 1894-1973, author.
ML650 .M48 1970<\/p>\n

The Lives of the Piano<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Gaines, James R.
ML650 .L58 1981<\/p>\n

The Piano<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Siepmann, Jeremy.
ML650 .S58 1996b<\/p>\n

The Piano: A History<\/a>
<\/em><\/strong>Ehrlich, Cyril.
ML652 .E4 1990<\/p>\n

Pianos Inside and Out: A comprehensive Guide to Piano Tuning, Repairing, and Rebuilding<\/a><\/em><\/strong>
<\/strong>Igrec, Mario.
ML652 .I47 2013<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” width=”82%” max_width=”82%” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|20px||20px|false|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” custom_padding=”||||true|true” border_color_all=”#A9A9A9″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

NON-LIBRARY RESOURCES:<\/h2>\n