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94 PAGES WITH SUPPLEMENT.
VOL. XXI. No. 14.
Published Every Saturday at 3 East FourteentH Street. .New York, October 26,1895,
The Piano Industry in New York,
ITS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
AN HISTORICAL SKETCH.
k
HE short period of our
national history has fur-
nished an unexampled pro-
gress in productive industry,
and in all the elements of a
great and increased material
prosperity.
Take the evolution of the
music trade industry right
here in New York since the day when
George Ulshoefer exhibited "a patent high
strung pianoforte" of his own manufac-
ture in the coffee room of the City Tavern,
in 1785, and what a glorious history is re-
corded!
Throw aside for the moment its commer-
cial and technical aspects, and consider the
important part this industry has played as
a factor in our civilization. Through its
aid the humanizing influence of music has
been disseminated throughout our country,
thus elevating the human mind to a higher
plane of intellectual and spiritual attain-
ment.
From all nations have been recruited the
skillful hands and tireless minds which
helped to lay the foundation of our great
art industry.
And what a grand structure has been
raised by patient toil, indomitable energy
and intelligent foresight!
When this country was in its swaddling
clothes New York, as a piano center, did
not cut much of a figure. It took the
people some time to realize that they were
not chained in complete dependence upon
the workshops of Europe. They had won
the right to political freedom and thought,
and soon realized that industrial freedom
could only come through self-help in the
form of home manufactures.
The universality of this feeling led to a
demand for home products, and, as a matter
of course, for skilled mechanics. This re-
sulted in a "tide of emigration to these
shores, bringing not only the practical
thinkers who worked at the bench, but men
skilled in the arts, hence at an early date
New York was able to boast of a settlement
of musicians and art patrons who helped
sow the seeds of that culture which found
its fruition in a new atmosphere of musical
taste and refinement.
With this environment the piano became
a necessity.
New York slowly but surely usurped the
place then held by Boston and Philadelphia
as a center of art and literary activity,
and followed suit in piano making, a su-
premacy which it has since held and main-
tains to-day.
THE PRECURSORS OE THE PIANO—IMPORTERS
AND MANUFACTURERS.
Long before this country was emanci-
pated from foreign political domination
and entered into business on its own ac-
count, spinets and harpsichords were com-
mon in the homes of every family having
any claim to -distinction in New York.
They were imported by general merchants
in the same manner as books, paintings
and furniture, and among those distin-
guished in that business—some of whom
imported pianos in later years—were Levy,
Goelet, Campbell, Gault, Rivington, Astor
and others.
In the meantime, spinet and harpsichord
making was not unknown in New York, and
it is on record that one, Tremaine, a skillful
cabinet maker and musician, incidentally
made a harpsichord of "a most agreeable
and melodious volume and tone character,"
which was used in the old John Street
Theatre in 1759, at a benefit performance
arranged by a company of London thes-
pians just in town. In addition to his
ability in this direction Tremaine was an
able histrion, who held no insignificant
place on the New York stage until after the
Revolution.
Another manufacturer of harpsichords,
and it may be said the first general dealer in
guitars, drums and all sorts of musical in-
struments, was David Walhaupter, who, in
an advertisement in the New York Journal
$t.oo PER \ EAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS
in 1773, announced this fact from his ad.
dress "at the upper end of Fair street.
Around that period and up to the close of
the last century, a number of dealers came
to the surface who made repairing a spec-
ialty. In the files of the New York Journal
we find many announcements of interest in
this connection. For instance, in that
paper of May 14th, 1775, w e ^ n ^ William
Pierson announcing from his address "at
the sign of the Dial, Hanover Square,"
that he teaches vocal music and the harpsi-
chord, also tunes harpsichords and other
musical instruments. Others mentioned in
later issues were William C. Hulett and
Gilfert, who kept a regular line of pianos
and musical instruments, and Joseph Adam
Fleming, who advertised himself in the
Independent Gazette for May, 1785, as
"harpsichord and pianoforte maker from
Europe," with his significant postscript:
"Harpsichords and other instruments
made, sold, bought, and exchanged or let
out at quarterly payments at 27 Crown
street." Later John Jacob Astor, who was
engaged since 1789 in the fur exporting
busniess, and who imported pianos and
other merchandise for retail trade. Astor
was succeeded by Michael and John Paff in
1802, which business subsequently fell into
the hands of Wm. Dubois.
'"_.
THE EARLY MANUFACTURE OF PIANOS.
The first definite evidence about the early
manufacture of pianos in New York ap-
peored in Louden s Register, under date of
February 12th, 1792, and is as follows:
"Messrs. Dodds & Claus, musical instru-
ment manufactory, 66 Queen street, an-
nounce that the forte piano has become so
exceedingly fashionable in Europe that few
polite families are without it. This much-
esteemed instrument forms an agreeable
accompaniment to the female voice, takes
up but little room, may be moved with ease,
and consequently kept in tune with little
attention, so it is on that account superior
to the harpsichord. The improvements
which Messrs Dodds & Claus have made in
the forte piano have rendered it much more
acceptable than those imported. The in-
troduction of their newly invented hammers
and dampers is acknowledged to be a great
improvement, as also the means they have
taken to prepare their wood to stand the
effect of our climate, which imported in-
struments never do, but are sure to suffer
Continued on page
Seven.