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Charlene Ambrose | all galleries >> Galleries >> southwest > Steinway Player Piano at the Wrigley Mansion
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21-Feb-2019

Steinway Player Piano at the Wrigley Mansion

Phoenix, Arizona

As this mansion was being built, Mr. Wrigley wanted a special piano made for his wife. He asked Steinway to make him a player piano that would play 10 scrolls without needing to change the scrolls manually. Steinway said they couldn't do it, so he sent them a blank check and $10,000 dollars later, he had his piano. The cabnet at the back holds the 9 additional scrolls. The box you see on the top right side of the piano is a remote control. It has a cord but the cord can stretch quite far in the room. It can be made to shuffle the tunes just like a modern day ipod. Amazing for 1929!
Steinway had to send a team from New York to finish the assembly of the piano inside the mansion as it would not fit through the doors.
George Gershwin was a friend of Mr. Wrigley and he personally composed and recorded all the songs on these scrolls. They are about 90 years old but they still work!


other sizes: small medium large original auto
Zoltán Balogh02-Apr-2022 09:45
Wonderful interior capture! V
bill friedlander28-Feb-2019 21:12
Necessity or a big check is the mother of invention. V
Guy Dube27-Feb-2019 17:06
A very impressive piano, with the ''tape recorder'' connected in the back. A very nice picture and I like the information going with it! V
Graeme27-Feb-2019 13:09
A lovely piece of information to go with this piano room, Char. How wonderful to have money and have things custom made.V
Tom LeRoy27-Feb-2019 12:51
A great story and beautiful shot, so neat it still plays! V
Gill Kopy27-Feb-2019 02:09
What an amazing story !! What money can't buy !!!!! I wonder how the team managed to reassemble the piano to get it in the door - wish I'd been a fly on the wall :) Thanks for bringing this story to us :) V
globalgadabout27-Feb-2019 02:02
rich tones here, hopefully reflected in the music as well..
Wim Ensie26-Feb-2019 22:16
Very interesting place Charlene, fine shot!!!
joseantonio26-Feb-2019 20:29
a nice capture and a very interesting story about this piano.V.
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