‘Victory Verticals’ a Forgotten — and Restored

Steinway-made GI pianos are the focus of a new exhibit at the Museum of Flight.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, August 08, 2025 at 12:48 PM ET

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Meg Godlewski

Jordan Cook tunes a Victory Vertical. (Photo: Meg Godlewski/FLYING Magazine)

Key Takeaways:

During World War II, Steinway & Sons produced "Victory Verticals" pianos for the U.S. military to boost troop morale, often transporting them in specially designed crates parachuted into war zones.
These robust, compact pianos were painted in military colors (olive drab or blue-gray) and designed for rugged transport, lacking front legs for easier crating.
A new exhibit at the Museum of Flight in Seattle showcases three of these rare Victory Verticals, collected by enthusiast Frank Haude, along with their history and unique transport crates.
The exhibit, which includes mini-concerts, aims to highlight this little-known aspect of WWII history and the significant role music played in supporting troops.

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You may be familiar with the concept of pianos used as weapons—it happened frequently in cartoons—but did you know that Steinway & Sons, the makers of pianos since 1853, had a military contract to build pianos during World War II? And that these pianos, packed tightly in specially designed crates, were often parachuted into war zones?

The pianos, known as Victory Verticals, are the focus of an exhibit opening Saturday, August 9 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. You will find three of them placed among the exhibits in the WWII Personal Courage wing. In addition to the pianos, there are photographs with captions explaining the history and use of the instrument.