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Example of an antique keyboard instrument in Colonial Williamsburg's 'Changing Keys: Keyboard Instruments for America, 1700-1830.' The exhibition runs through Sept. 7, 2014. Image courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg.

Antique keyboard instruments on view at Colonial Williamsburg

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Example of an antique keyboard instrument in Colonial Williamsburg's 'Changing Keys: Keyboard Instruments for America, 1700-1830.' The exhibition runs through Sept. 7, 2014. Image courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg.
Example of an antique keyboard instrument in Colonial Williamsburg’s ‘Changing Keys: Keyboard Instruments for America, 1700-1830.’ The exhibition runs through Sept. 7, 2014. Image courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) – A new exhibition at Colonial Williamsburg is showcasing the historic area’s collection of antique musical instruments.

Officials say the “Changing Keys: Keyboard Instruments for America” exhibit recently opened at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.

It features more than two dozen keyboard instruments from the period between 1700 and 1830, including harpsichords, spinets, pianos, and a chamber organ. More than half of the instruments will be exhibited for the first time.

Exhibition curator John Watson says the instruments were an integral part of the culture of Virginia’s colonial and post-colonial period. Officials say the second-known public performance on a piano in America took place at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg.

The exhibit that also explores the ways the instruments changed over time will be on display through 2014.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Example of an antique keyboard instrument in Colonial Williamsburg's 'Changing Keys: Keyboard Instruments for America, 1700-1830.' The exhibition runs through Sept. 7, 2014. Image courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg.
Example of an antique keyboard instrument in Colonial Williamsburg’s ‘Changing Keys: Keyboard Instruments for America, 1700-1830.’ The exhibition runs through Sept. 7, 2014. Image courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg.