The Starr Piano Company of Richmond, Indiana, built very high quality pianos, particularly from 1893 through the 1920's, during which period they invariably won awards at international expositions. The rich, deep tone of their concert grands is rarely matched by pianos built in recent years, and I've yet to play an instrument that sounds better than my 1913 Starr Concert Grand.
      Starr Concert Grands feature a Louis XVI style 12-legged cabinet, with carved "picture frame" moldings decorating the eight foot long case, and music holder (as shown below). My Starr's case is made of quarter-sawn oak, a dense, hard wood which when cut against the grain displays a "flame" pattern. This is a rarity for a grand piano of its vintage. At the turn of the century, imported rosewood and mahogany were the preferred woods for expensive furnishings, and oak, despite its great strength and beautiful grain, was almost never used for grand pianos, because it was considered a cheap domestic wood.
      Antique pianos are surprisingly inexpensive, usually selling for three to five times less than a new piano of comparable quality. The 1891 mahogany Starr Concert Grand pictured below recently sold for $25,000. I paid even less for mine, thanks to a seller who was desperate for cash; but whatever it cost, between its beautiful tone and appearance, I'd be very happy to own my Starr.
      Starr pianos were featured in a number of films in the early to mid twentieth century, perhaps as an effort by the company to prop up sales by placing them in public view. For instance, in the 1933 Shirley Temple film, "Curly Top", a Starr is used to help establish the good taste and good connections (i.e., old money) of the male lead. John Boles, who played the part, sang a love song while playing a Starr Concert Grand in a room larger than most houses of the day.