Checking out historic keyboards

[starlady]

Finding myself in the historical museum of the village of Stellenbosch, South Africa, I naturally checked out the musical instruments. The museum is the Governors' houses from different eras, furnished and set up as they were in the old days.  The mid-18th century house had a clavichord that was just lovely to see, beautiful woodwork and old ivory keys. Sadly, it doesn't play (the guide let me touch a few keys in return for a lecture on 'It's NOT a harpsichord and stop calling it one!'). 

The early 19th century house had something strange: an upright piano, but TALL: the string-part was about 7 feet long and reached almost up to the ceiling.  Also it was narrow, 6 octaves. The later 19th-century house had a small-ish grand, which looked like the modern version except it also had only 6 octaves.  I wonder: was that standard for the time, or was it a special compact model suitable for shipment over great distances? 

I did not expect to see such odd old instruments there and it was a real treat.  I wanted to go back at night, steal the clavichord and give it the love it deserves, but realistically it's probably too far gone to be restored.

--s.