Less Than Grand Piano #14903

The Story

This completely ruined piano was left outside in the elements to face no matter what comes from Mother Nature. It is still holding together, but the musical bones are showing and there won’t be any more jingly things or solemn hymns coming from this one! Although it’s gone pretty rough after being abandoned to the elements, there’s a lot of great character here, the kind that only time and exposure to weather can give.

I was told about this old ruined piano by a friend who had seen it outside a music store and lesson place. My brother and I went to check it out one biting cold November afternoon and it was good to have his extra hands along too. Unfortunately, the sun was behind the piano when we arrived…the worst possible place! I always keep a reflector in the back of the truck, so I had my brother hold it to redirect the light onto the keyboard and into the dark innards to see the hammers and the metal harp with its strings. My cold hands were busy with the tripod and camera so his help was appreciated. It’s not often I get to work with a voice-activated reflector holder!

Unlike others that have been thrown away and dumped wherever someone can get away with it, this ruined piano has had a place and a job to do standing outside the music lesson place. It’s been serving as a kind of advertisement to those who drive by or a curiosity to look at for anyone who wanders over to it. As you can see, its musical days are long past. They’ve never made waterproof wooden pianos and this one is pretty far gone from many seasons in the wind, rain, and snow. There will be no more music from this nearly abandoned instrument. Nowadays, it’s just a relic with the wind blowing through its musical bones.

Of course, the best time to shoot a vertical image is just after you’ve created a horizontal. If you like this view, there’s also an enjoyable vertical picture of this piano called Broken Ballad #14851.

Location: Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Picture and story © Andrew Dierks