Victorian Lambie Music/Book Stand

A music stand is a pedestal or elevated rack designed to hold sheets of music in position for reading. Mostly used by orchestral or chamber music or solo orchestra-family instruments, they can be raised or lowered to accommodate seated or standing performers, or performers of different heights. There is evidence of music stands originating from China as early as 200 BC. They did not appear in Europe until much later, as most musicians played from memory or improvised, or if there was sheet music available it was typically laid down on a table or other flat surface in front of the instrumentalists. In the 16th century, playing music with a group in one's home became popular, and music was printed for amateurs' use.

It is not until the 17th century that floor-standing music stands were developed in the West. Such music stands were common by 1730, at least in France. As seen in the pictures below, this stand can be used to hold large books as well, with knobs to control the height of the stand, and angle of the stand, and combining the town boards together. The little iron, the stand is made from Brass and Iron and could hold 20 pounds, near the base of the stand could have been used to hold additional books. Popular composers at this time that family potentially learned to play included Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Camille Saint-Saëns, Johannes Brahms, Edvard Grieg, Gabriel Fauré, among others.