A Brief Intro to (Some) Piano History

In the early 14th century, a device called a dulcimer, which was a small, closed box over which stretched wires would be hit with hammers eventually led to the early development of the clavichord, which was a bit more developed into a more piano-like structure. Below is a picture of a clavichord:

 (from www.harpsichord.com)

By the 17th Century, this amateur instrument developed into what we know today as the harpsichord. Many of the harpsichords originated in Italy.

 (from wikipedia.com)

This picture is a French Grand piano from 1781. Notice how different it is - smaller, shorter, most likely less keys, and the colors of the keys are reversed - black to white, and vice versa.
The downside to harpsichords is that they do not offer a range of dynamics - no matter how softly you play on a harpsichord, it will sound the same.

And there you have it - just some snippets of early piano history!