So time for a museum tip! As you know I adore the small museums, unique collections and hidden treasures just as much as I love the big museums like Van Gogh and Rijks. As it is, the Jordaan houses some real treasures, for example the Museum of bags and purses, the Amsterdam Museum, the Jordaan Museum, and so forth. Well, today I would like to tell a story about the Pianola Museum.

The Pianola Museum is a tiny music museum located on the Westerstraat 160, in the heart of the Jordaan. The Pianola Museum houses a collection of over a 100 instruments, which originated from approx 1900 to 1935. The pianola is a self-playing piano, containing a mechanism that operated the piano via music rolls. These rolls often are perforated paper rolls, but in rare instances you’ll also find metallic rolls. With over 30.000 rolls, the Pianola Museum houses the worlds biggest collection in pianola music rolls.

Pictures by © Geelvinck Pianola Museum.

The museum had been named Amsterdam’s most intimate museum, as it is so tiny, authentic and unique. Besides the wonderful collection in music instruments and music rolls, the museum organizes many intimate concerts in different music genres like; classical music, jazz music and also tango. In most events the pianola is central to these concerts.

Pictures by © Geelvinck Pianola Museum.

For 25 years now, the Pianola Museum has been a historic and cultural treasure in the Jordaan. Unfortunately, the City Council announced they want to sell the building, which houses the museum, on the open market. If the sale continues, the museum will be forced to close down. You can sign an online petition to protest the sale! Let’s hope this wonderful museum will be able to stay open.

Sincerely,
Mr. J.

Geelvinck Pianola Museum
Westerstraat 160
1015 MN Amsterdam
http://www.pianola.nl/
LINK TO PETITION: https://petities.nl/petitions/pianola-museum-moet-blijven?locale=nl
€••• (adult ticket: 5 euro)