GOING PLACES
WEEK OF
APR.6-APR.12
JEWISH EVENTS
Finally, the Met gave its ap-
proval, but Lash discovered
the curator's information was
wrong. The actual spinet was
six inches longer than the
case he had built. At that mo-
ment, Lash decided he had to
build two spinets, so at least
one would be structurally cor-
rect. Because of that error,
Lash says, one of the spinets
gracing his living room is
really his design, down to the
length of the strings.
meticulously
Lash
measured and studied the
Met original, even taking
rubbings of where the pins,
which hold the strings,
belong inside the case. He
In fact, Lash
refuses to be
called an expert
on 18th century
American period
furniture. "I wish I
were an expert.
I'm only an expert
on the piece I'm
making."
Dr. Steven Lash
also obtained a huge, highly
detailed photographic file
from the antiques dealer who
had sold the spinet to the
museum.
"I had pictures of the string
lengths, pictures of the keys,
pictures of the barring inside.
So, now I had everything I
needed to make the spinet."
Neither spinet lacks for
detail. Lash cut, shaped and
built every element of the
harpsichords, including the
pins that hold the strings in
place and a delicate line of in-
laid wood that wraps around
the inside and outside of the
wooden case. He even repro-
duced the gold leafing on the
spinet keys.
The Lashes say the twin
harpsichords are conversation
pieces when company comes
to visit, but Carol adds that
her husband is not show-
offish when it comes to the
furniture. "If someone asks,"
she says, "then Steve will tell
them about it."
In fact, Lash refuses to be
called an expert on 18th cen-
TEMPLE BETH EL
7400 Telegraph,
Birmingham, Dr. Samuel
Adler, musical
composer-in-residence,
April 6-7, concert 5:30
p.m. April 7, wine and
cheese reception 6:30 p.m.
April 7, 851-1100.
HILLEL
B'NAI
1429 Hill Street, Ann
Arbor, movies, Angel
Heart 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
April 7; Local Hero, 9 p.m.
April 12, admission.
769-0500.
SPECIAL EVENTS
HENRY FORD
MUSEUM
Dearborn, Henry Ford
Museum Live on the Air!,
April 7 and 8, admission,
271-1620.
Lash spends many hours in his workshop.
tury American period fur-
niture. "I wish I were an ex-
pert. I'm only an expert on
the piece I'm making."
Lash's handiwork has been
featured a couple of times in
Fine Woodworking
magazine's Design Book,
which displays the creme de
la creme of woodworking
design. His desk was pictured
in 1983; one of the pair of
harpsichords was featured in
1987.
Lash says it's impossible to
attach a monetary value to
his works and would never
consider selling one. But for
comparison's sake, he says the
piece after which his desk is
modeled — the original is ac-
tually a secretary with a
bookcase on top — sold for
more than $12 million last
year.
Lash is busy working on his
current project, a huge dining
room table with a special col-
lapsible mechanism that
allows the table to expand to
just more than 14 feet or
shrink down to five feet. The
mechanics are based on the
workings of the huge dining
table at the Grand Hotel on
Mackinac Island.
"I promised Carol I'd have
the table done for Rosh
Hashanah," says Lash. "But
I don't think I'm going to
make it. I've got about
another year to go. All told, it
will take me about 2 1/2 years
to finish."
Though the table is only
half completed, Lash is
already thinking about his
next project.
"I've asked myself, 'Should
I make the dining chairs?'
I don't know. I've never mass
produced anything. It would
be an intellectual
challenge." CI
COMEDY
GNOME
The Gnome Restaurant,
4124 Woodward Avenue,
Detroit, The Ron Coden
Show, 9: 30 p.m., 11 p.m.
and 12:30 p.m. Fridays
and Saturdays through
April, admission,
833-0120.
DUFFY'S
Waterfront Inn, 8635
Cooley Lake Road, Union
Lake, Bob Posch, through
April, admission,
363-9469.
THEATER
SOUTHFIELD-
LATHRUP
HIGH SCHOOL
12 Mile Road, Lathrup
Village, Oklahoma, April
6 and 7, admission,
746-7292.
A spinet piano, appropriately engraved.
BIRMINGHAM
THEATRE
Wait Until Dark, through
May 6, admission,
644-3533.
MEADOWBROOK
Oakland University,
Rochester, The
Immigrant: A Hamilton
County Album, through
April 22, admission,
377-3300.
DAYS HOTEL
17017 W. Nine Mile,
Southfield, Little Mary
Sunshine, through
March, admission,
557-4800.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
71