A FRANK TEUPE 'GIRAFFE' PIANO Louisville, Kentucky, circa 1871 height 92 1/2in (235cm); width 65in (165.1cm); depth 24in (61cm) Footnotes: Believed to have been invented in Austian in the early 1800s, the giraffe piano was the first version of the contemporary upright piano. Designed to eliminate the expansive space of a traditional piano, the giraffe piano was able to not compromise on sound while taking up a much smaller area. Not much is known about Frank Teupe. A few old newspaper articles list him a French piano tuner in Louisville in the 1870 and went on to own his own piano business in the last decade of the century. It is thought that he only made 7 'giraffe' pianos, but no one knows for sure. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: W W If the lot is not picked up immediately following the auction it may be removed to an offsite storage location for collection. Please contact the salesroom location for further details including dates of removal and applicable charges. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing