Keyboard instrument manufacturers and casements in the Natchez, Mississippi area (1850-1860) : a historic study

The 1850s keyboard instruments existing in Natchez, Mississippi are valuable surviving objects of nineteenth-century America warranting careful research, preservation and interpretation. Natchez is nationally recognized for its antebellum structures; many housing their original furnishings. Previous research has centered primarily on the genealogical background of the owners and the architectural significance of the structures. An understanding of the decorative art practices of the mid nineteenth-century American society requires reliable information on the physical characteristics of the furnishings and an understanding of the atmosphere within which they were produced. The purpose of this study was to establish the historical and physical documentation of the existing 1850s keyboard instruments originally owned by the people of the Natchez, Mississippi area. The traditional method of historical research was employed. A thorough search of Adams County Courthouse records, including inventories, appraisals, probate dockets and personal tax records, was conducted. These data were compared to family histories and markings found on the keyboard casements in order to gain a complete historic background of the existing 1850s keyboard instruments in Natchez. An examination of 1850s Natchez area newspaper advertisements provided an understanding of what was available to the people of Natchez, as well as the society in which the keyboard instruments were produced. After examining the keyboard instruments closely, the styles and ornamentation was documented for further research and future preservation. The 1850s keyboard instruments existing in Natchez, Mississippi were found to reflect the furnishing styles of this period and represent the social stratification of this society. The instruments showed signs of the Industrial Revolution, not only through technology, but also in a move directed toward the middle class with mass production and smaller casements.