In the 1930s, Mathushek, one of the most inventive American piano companies, introduced the “spinet grand.” It was in the shape of a square piano, but had a modern repetition grand action, in place of the French square action with a jack attached to each key that was the norm in the 19th century. It also maximized soundboard size by extending the soundboard above the bass and treble keys, and achieved maximum string length via an extreme angle of cross stringing. The aim was to make it possible for apartment dwellers to have the advantages of a grand piano in a small footprint.
