Hard of hearing, Thomas Edison found a unique way to appreciate piano music. As someone played, the great inventor would lean in close to the instrument, right above the keys, and he害羞草研究所檇 bite the piano.

Pressing his teeth into the wood of phonographs and pianos helped Edison experience the vibrations in his skull. Or in his own words, it allowed him to 害羞草研究所渉ear through my teeth.害羞草研究所�

Robert Friedman recently showed off marks on a Steinway grand piano once owned by Edison 害羞草研究所� a cluster of shallow indentations roughing up the black lacquer above the keyboard. Friedman, who buys and sells Steinways, purchased the piano last year and says he was surprised by the toothy signatures left by the inventor of the phonograph. He害羞草研究所檚 now looking for the right home for the novel historical artifact.

害羞草研究所淚 believe that it belongs somewhere where many, many, many people can see it,害羞草研究所� Friedman said.

Edison bought the Model 害羞草研究所淏害羞草研究所� Ebony from Steinway & Sons in 1890 for $725. Paperwork with the sale includes the handwritten notation 害羞草研究所渙ffice furniture,害羞草研究所� indicating it was sent to his lab in New Jersey. The piano 害羞草研究所渇or some reason unknown to me it gives better results than any so far tried,害羞草研究所� Edison wrote the company. 害羞草研究所淧lease send bill with lowest price.害羞草研究所�

Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. When he bought the piano 13 years later, he was experimenting with sound recording. Edison owned the instrument for decades, so it害羞草研究所檚 possible it was used in early recordings.

So did Edison害羞草研究所檚 teeth make those marks?

There害羞草研究所檚 no known old black-and-white photo of Edison chomping this piano to prove it. But he was known to bite into phonographs and pianos to help him experience music as his hearing faded. His daughter once recalled a guest weeping at the sight of Edison clamped on to a piano as someone played it.

害羞草研究所淚 hear through my teeth, and through my skull,害羞草研究所� said Edison, as quoted in Edmund Morris害羞草研究所� 2019 biography. 害羞草研究所滻 bite my teeth into the wood and then I get it good and strong.害羞草研究所�

The formulation is simple for Friedman: Those are tooth marks, and who else would have bit the piano?

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e probably had my hands on a few thousand Steinways in the last 50 years,害羞草研究所� Friedman said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e never seen that anywhere.害羞草研究所�

Friedman bought the piano for about $45,000, sight unseen, in early January 2021 as part of an estate sale on Long Island. Friedman didn害羞草研究所檛 notice the marks at first.

His friend Charles Frommer, a musician and recording history enthusiast, came to Friedman害羞草研究所檚 house in New York害羞草研究所檚 Hudson Valley to tune the piano, noticed the indentations and told him 害羞草研究所渢hose are Edison害羞草研究所檚 bite marks.害羞草研究所�

Friedman, who calls himself the Steinway hunter, finds and buys the high-end pianos from people and then sells them, usually to dealers or rebuilders. But this one is more complicated.

Given this piano害羞草研究所檚 historic association, he doesn害羞草研究所檛 want it to go back into private hands. He has yet to find an appropriate historic site that would buy the piano, which he is offering for what it cost him to purchase, ship and recondition it.

The Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, New Jersey, passed up a chance to buy the piano from its previous owner in 2020 for several reasons, including limited space, cost and the fact that some original interior parts were replaced since Edison owned it, museum curator Jerry Fabris said in an email.

Friedman is undeterred and still looking for a home. A documentary also is possible, or having the piano recorded for a virtual instrument sample library. In the meantime, the piano has been featured at fundraisers for the Ulster County Jewish Federation at the home of friends in Woodstock who housed the instrument until recently.

And, yes Edison害羞草研究所檚 listening technique has been tested on the piano. Not wanting to mark up the instrument any further, Frommer said they tried it with wooden shims placed on the piano.

害羞草研究所淲e were able to replicate the effect,害羞草研究所� Frommer said. 害羞草研究所淎nd yeah, you do hear it in your skull.害羞草研究所�

Michael Hill, The Associated Press

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