Photo: Courtesy of Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons’ White House Piano in Miniature gives all new meaning to the name Baby Grand.
The fully functional miniature piano was designed by Canadian artist Paul Gentile and is the first non-company instrument ever to earn the designation of Steinway & Sons piano. After seeing the 100,000th Steinway at the Smithsonian, Gentile approached the company with the idea for the project, and the parties worked closely together over the next 16 years.
Scaled 1:7, Gentile replicated each of the 12,000 parts that make up a Steinway grand piano by hand. For many of these parts, the artist had to first build miniature tooling, including a replica of the rim press developed by the Steinway family in the 1870s.
“All these years the company has been so patient, and as an end result they’ve come to the conclusion that I did it, that I actually captured the essence of Steinway,” Gentile said in a statement. “I didn’t know I could actually do that. It’s like going beyond the sound barrier.”
Gentile completed the case of the piano with the original’s Impressionistic top mural, intricate carvings, gilding and ornate legs. It is for sale by the artist, beginning at a low seven-figure price point.
The O.S. Kelly Foundry in Springfield, Ohio, has been casting iron plates for all Steinway pianos since 1938, and completed the casting for Gentile’s miniature. Gentile took “hundreds of measurements from a full-size Steinway plate” and then scaled those dimensions down.
The original, historic Steinway White House grand piano was a gift to President Theodore Roosevelt in celebration of the company’s 100,000th piano and 50th anniversary in 1903. Roosevelt accepted the $18,000 instrument “on behalf of the nation.” It served through Franklin Roosevelt’s administration, when it was then donated to the
Gentile is known for his miniature creations and attention to detail. His renowned "Gentile Collection" featured famous historically accurate miniatures of classical instruments, including the 1679 Heller Stradivarius Violin; the Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone; the 1688 Antonio Stradivari Guitar; the 1701 Antonio Stradivari "Servais" Cello; and several others.
Gentile's Steinway piano was unveiled Sept. 23 in Steinway Hall in New York City. A documentary about the miniature piano can also be viewed.
