Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
9
A number of other well known institutions were founded, which will
be referred to elsewhere.
The house of Weber was founded by Albert Weber in 1852, and in
1869 this far-sighted business man had surprised the trade world of New
York by opening up warerooms on the corner of Fifth avenue and
Sixteenth street, warerooms which have been continued by the Weber
Co. all these years, having been finally abandoned in 1906.
In 1857, just a half century ago, there was a financial crisis in New
-York similar to the one which we have just witnessed. A number of the
smaller piano firms of those early days succumbed to the conditions
which were forced upon them. The stronger ones, however, survived, and
the industry in this city began to assume large proportions. It has never
ceased in its development, and while as years rolled on factories have been
started all over the country, New York has always been considered not
only the metropolis in a financial sense, but the headquarters for music
trade creations.
A list of the corporations manufacturing pianos in this city to-day
•shows the importance of piano making in New York City. Huge factories
have grown up here, and according to a report recently issued by the
Federal Government, the value cf musical instruments produced in New
York represents more than one-third of the total production of the
United States.
This special bulletin, which was issued this fall by the Department
of Commerce and Labor, contained the following regarding the develop-
KNABE BUILDING ON F I F T H AVENUE IS SHOWN IN THE FOREGROUND.
establishments, the report of the Census Bureau says, is more or less
characteristic of all lines of industry in recent years, being indicative of
the tendency toward production on a large scale.
AEOLIAN HALL ON F I F T H AVENUE, KNICKERBOCKER TRUST BUILDING ADJOINING.
ment of the manufacture of musical instruments, which was treated in
a statistical form. The bulletin covers a period of five years, ending in
1905. In this bulletin the figures show astonishing development, and
some interesting facts are presented regarding the value of products and
the number of wage earners employed. According to statistics New
York's lead in the making of musical instruments is clearly emphasized.
The official bulletin shows that there were 625 establishments engaged
in this industry in 1905. They employed 35,220 wage-earners, reported
an aggregate capital of $72,225,379,. and manufactured products to the
value of $69,574,340. Five years tefore, when the census of 1900 was
taken, the number of establishments reported for this industry was 619;
total number of wage-earners, 23,714; the aggregate capital, $47,706,582,
and the value of products, $44,418,978.
Comparison of the figures for these two censuses shows that there
was an increase in the five year interval of $25,155,362, or 56.6 per cent.,
in the value of products; $24,518,797, or 51.4 per cent., in the amount of
capital employed, and 11,506, or 48.5 per cent., in the number of wage-
earners. The establishments in the meantime increased by only six, or
about 1 per cent. This comparatively small increase in the number of
SHOWING SCHIBMER, JACOT AND REGINA STOHES ON UNION SQDABB,