Square Piano 1800 - 1810

This square piano was crafted by Benjamin Crehore, who was born in Milton, Massachusetts, in 1765. In the late 18th century, the burgeoning American middle class sought symbols of refinement and culture, often emulating European customs. Musical instruments, especially the piano, became emblems of domesticity and social grace. Crehore, one of the earliest American piano makers, catered to this aspirational market, producing instruments like this one. These pianos were not merely furniture; they were statements of identity. They reflected the owner's social standing and their engagement with a broader cultural world. Consider the hands that might have graced its keys: women, often tasked with cultivating a home of taste and education, for whom playing such an instrument was an expression of their cultivated selves. This piano embodies a complex relationship between aspiration, identity, and the performance of social roles in a new republic forging its cultural identity.