Sometimes an old object is more than just an old object. It’s a surviving piece of history.
In this video, I’m preserving an antique wooden case from the Huntington Piano Company of Shelton, Connecticut, believed to date from the late 1800s or early 1900s.
More than a century ago, America’s piano industry was booming. Pianos were a centerpiece of entertainment in homes, hotels, theaters, saloons and gathering places long before radio and television changed how Americans spent their evenings.
Today, many of those pianos and the companies that manufactured them have disappeared. Items connected to their manufacture and transportation can provide a tangible connection to that era.
When I came across this old Huntington piece, complete with its aged wood and historic markings, I knew I didn’t want to see it discarded or forgotten.
So rather than treating it as just another old wooden case, I’m saving it.
In this video, we’ll take a close look at the piece, talk about the history behind the Huntington Piano Company and explore what life was like when something like this would have been in use.
It’s amazing to think about where this has been, what it may have carried, and how many people have handled it during its 100+ years of existence.
Would you have saved it? And what would you do with it now? Let me know in the comments!
