Robbie wrote:

>[ A signed purchase agreement of December, 1927, for $7000, is shown
>[ on page 302 of Bowers' Encyclopedia.  On page 299 is a list of "New
>[ York Retail Prices", showing February 1924 prices for Duo-Art repro-
>[ ducing pianos, from $695 to $4675.  The Steinway XR price shown is
>[ $3875 when purchased in New York City.  That's an astounding price
>[ difference in only two years!  The $7000 purchase agreement bears a
>[ rubber stamp "Bill of Sale" dated April 1929, with no value indica-
>[ ted.  I wonder if the amount actually paid to Aeolian was really
>[ $7000.

If you look at that purchase agreement again you'll find that it
specifies "XR Modern" (sic), which would indicate to me that the piano
ordered was as the one pictured in the "Salesman's Folio of Weber and
Steinway Art Cases", and designated "Moderne", a very attractive and
unusual art-cased instrument.  This would account also for the extreme-
ly long delivery time of two years.  I find it hard to believe that
Aeolian didn't have standard cased Steinway XRs stacked all over the
place, ready to stuff the Duo-Art into and ship almost immediately.

In the July/August 1999 AMICA Bulletin there is a reprinted article
from "Country Life" magazine, July 1928.  At the top of page 206
there is a very similar case pictured.

Dean Randall

 [ You have sharp eyes, Dean, and a keen memory, too!  -- Robbie