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Steinway, Theodore, People and Pianos (New York: Steinway & Sons, 1953)

Collection Creator:
Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this
Container:
Box 2 (Series 15)
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but the original and master audiovisual materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.
Collection Citation:
Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
See more items in:
Duke Ellington Collection
Duke Ellington Collection / Series 15: Books
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep877347962-a5d4-407c-8805-2778231f5956
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0301-ref22169

Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974

Creator:
Jacques Seligmann & Co.  Search this
Subject:
Hauke, Cesar M. de (Cesar Mange)  Search this
Glaenzer, Eugene  Search this
Haardt, Georges  Search this
Seligman, Germain  Search this
Seligmann, Arnold  Search this
Parker, Theresa D.  Search this
Waegen, Rolf Hans  Search this
Trevor, Clyfford  Search this
Seligmann, René  Search this
Seligmann, Jacques  Search this
De Hauke & Co., Inc.  Search this
Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this
Eugene Glaenzer & Co.  Search this
Germain Seligmann & Co.  Search this
Gersel  Search this
Type:
Gallery records
Citation:
Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Mackay, Clarence Hungerford, 1874-1938 -- Art collections  Search this
Schiff, Mortimer L. -- Art collections  Search this
Arenberg, duc d' -- Art collections  Search this
Liechtenstein, House of -- Art collections  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- France -- Paris  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
La Fresnaye, Roger de, 1885-1925  Search this
Art, Renaissance  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Art treasures in war  Search this
Art, European  Search this
Theme:
Art Gallery Records  Search this
Art Market  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9936
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212486
AAA_collcode_jacqself
Theme:
Art Gallery Records
Art Market
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212486
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  • View Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974 digital asset number 1
Online Media:

John R. Anderson Piano Trade Literature and Ephemera Collection

Donor:
Anderson, John R.  Search this
Names:
John Broadwood and Sons Limited  Search this
Mason & Hamlin  Search this
Sohmer & Company  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Weber Piano Company  Search this
Wm. Knabe & Co.  Search this
Extent:
6 Cubic feet (14 boxes, 1 map folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Advertisements
Advertising cards
Brochures
Ephemera
Ledgers (account books)
Manuals
Notes
Pamphlets
Photographs
Price lists
Trade catalogs
Trade cards
Date:
circa 1700-2011, undated
Content Description:
The addendum consists of trade literaure and ephemera on the subject of pianos.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into three series.

Series 1: Piano Trade Literature and Ephemera, 1850-1990, undated

Series 2: Photographs, undated

Series 3: Research Notes, 1700-2011, undated
Biographical / Historical:
A retired government employee, Anderson is a piano enthusiast and collector. He conducted extensive research on early piano makers.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

Pratt, Read Corporation Records (NMAH.AC.0320)

Sohmer and Company Records (NMAH.AC.0349)

Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers (NMAH.AC.0178)

Wurlitzler Company Records (NMAH.AC.0469)

South Carolina Historical Society

Siegling Music House Records, 1820-1972
Provenance:
The collection was donated by John R. Anderson in 2011.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Occupation:
Musical instrument makers  Search this
Topic:
Harpsichord  Search this
Harpsichord makers  Search this
Musical instruments  Search this
Organ (Musical instrument)  Search this
Piano -- History  Search this
Piano makers  Search this
Research  Search this
Postcards  Search this
Genre/Form:
Advertisements
Advertising cards
Brochures
Ephemera
Ledgers (account books)
Manuals
Notes
Pamphlets
Photographs -- 20th century
Price lists
Trade catalogs
Trade cards
Citation:
John R. Anderson Piano Trade Literature and Ephemera Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1257
See more items in:
John R. Anderson Piano Trade Literature and Ephemera Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8d76e940a-676b-41e8-91c7-fdb8612e42c2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1257

People and pianos a century of service to music [by] Theodore E. Steinway

Author:
Steinway, Theodore E. 1883-  Search this
Subject:
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Physical description:
125 pages illustrations 26 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1961
Call number:
ML424.S76 S8 1961X
ML424.S76S8 1961X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_3415

Upright piano used by Thom Bell at Philadelphia International Records

Manufactured by:
Steinway & Sons, American, founded 1853  Search this
Used by:
Thom Bell, Jamaican American, born 1943  Search this
Subject of:
Philadelphia International Records, American, 1971 - 2001  Search this
Medium:
wood with metal, cabled yarn and paint
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 52 3/16 × 62 1/16 × 27 1/2 in. (132.6 × 157.6 × 69.9 cm)
Type:
upright pianos
Place used:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Date:
ca. 1900
Topic:
African American  Search this
Business  Search this
Composers (Musicians)  Search this
Popular music  Search this
Rhythm and blues (Music)  Search this
Credit Line:
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Legendary producer Thom Bell
Object number:
2015.203
Restrictions & Rights:
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
See more items in:
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification:
Musical Instruments
Exhibition:
Musical Crossroads
On View:
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5a58b8b4e-5631-4c0f-bbd3-7a6bcd2d371a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmaahc_2015.203

Wurlitzer Company Records

Creator:
Rudolph Wurlitzer Company  Search this
Names:
All-American Mohawk Company  Search this
Apollo Piano Company  Search this
Beach-Carlisle Violin Company  Search this
Caldwell Piano Company  Search this
Central Discount Company  Search this
Dayton Photo Products Company  Search this
DeKalb Piano Company  Search this
Dekleist Musical Instruments Company  Search this
Deutsch Wurlitzer  Search this
Eagle Radio Company  Search this
Everett Piano Company  Search this
Fox Theatres Corporation  Search this
Lyric Piano Company  Search this
Milner Music Company  Search this
Morsatti, Inc.  Search this
North Tonawanda Barrel Organ Company  Search this
Robert L. Loud Music Company  Search this
Rudolph Wurlitzer Company  Search this
Southern Ohio Radio Corporation  Search this
Western Industries Corporation  Search this
Wunderlich Piano Company  Search this
Wurlbild Corporation  Search this
Wurlitzer Acceptance Corporation  Search this
Wurlitzer Company  Search this
Wurlitzer Company of California  Search this
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Company  Search this
Youngstown Music Company  Search this
Rolfing, R.C.  Search this
Wurlitzer, Farny  Search this
Wurlitzer, Rembert  Search this
Wurlitzer, Rudolph  Search this
Extent:
56 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Minute books
Account books
Financial records
Stock records
Reports
Advertisements
Sales records
Audits
Cashbooks
Ledgers (account books)
Annual reports
Photographs
Journals (accounts)
Price lists
Trade catalogs
Publications
Employee records
Marketing records
Commercial catalogs
Place:
DeKalb (Ill.)
North Tonawanda (N.Y.)
Corinth (Miss.)
Cincinnati (Ohio)
Date:
1860-1984
Summary:
The collection documents the history and development of the Wurlitzer Company and consists of company publications, business records, employee files, manufacturing records, sales and marketing records, product information, publicity, advertising, photographs, audiovisual materials, and organ installation drawings.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the history and the development of the Wurlitzer Company. Materials include company publications, business records, employee files, manufacturing records, sales and marketing records, product information, publicity, advertising, photographs, audiovisual materials, and organ installation drawings. The material in the collection spans from 1856-1986, although information prior to 1899 is sparse.
Arrangement:
The Collection is arranged into fourteen series.

Series 1: Wurlitzer Company Histories, Company Events, and General Business Materials, circa 1880-1987; undated

Series 2: Publications, 1910-1989; undated

Series 3: Advertising and Promotional Materials, 1911-1978

Series 4: Product Information, 1860-1984; undated

Series 5: Photographs of Wurlitzer Manufacturing Plants, Employees, Stores, and Dealerships, 1869-1970; undated

Series 6: Photographs of Wurlitzer Products and Product Sales Promotions, 1900-1978; undated

Series 7, Photographs Used in Wurlitzer Advertising and Public Relations, 1904-1970; undated

Series 8: Wurlitzer Employee Records and Related Materials, 1909-1961; undated

Series 9: Production and Shipping Records, 1905-1987

Series 10: Shipping and Sales Records for Wurlitzer Dealerships, Wurlitzer Retail Stores, and Rembert Wurlitzer, Incorporated, 1917-1952

Series 11, Records of Stock Certificates, Meeting Minutes, and Related Financial and Legal Documents, 1907-1972

Series 12, Rudolph Wurlitzer Company Financial Records, 1893-1986

Series 13, Maps and Charts, 1931-1976

Series 14, Organ Installation Drawings, 1920-1931; undated
Historical Note:
The Wurlitzer Company began in 1856 when Rudolph Wurlitzer, a Cincinnati bank clerk, sold seven hundred dollars worth of musical instruments he had bought from family and friends in Germany. The busi¬ness was incorporated in Ohio in 1890 under the name the Ru¬dolph Wurlitzer Company." For the first fifty years, Wurlitzer was primarily a retail instrument business operating out of its Cincinnati Store headquarters. Although fire destroyed the com¬pany's headquarters in 1904, a new building was completed in time to celebrate Wurlitzer's fiftieth anniversary in 1906.

In 1908, the Wurlitzer Company bought the DeKleist Musical In¬strument Manufacturing Company in North Tonawanda, New York. The Rudolph Wurlitzer Manufacturing Company continued produc¬tion of automatic musical instruments including player pianos, military bands and pianorchestras. In 1910, the Wurlitzer Company bought the Hope-Jones Organ Company and began to manufacture unit-or¬chestra pipe organs at their North Tonawanda plant. These were pipe organs equipped with bells, gongs, horns and sirens. They became known as Mighty Wurlitzers and provided the musical back¬ground in silent movie houses all over the world and were also built for churches and private homes. In 1919, Wurlitzer bought the Melville-Clark Piano Company of DeKalb, Illinois. Wurlitzer pianos were then manufactured at the DeKalb facilities under a variety of names: the Apollo Piano Company, the DeKalb Piano Company and the Wurlitzer Grand Piano Company. Each name des¬ignated a different quality, price range and style.

With the decline of sales during the 1920s and 1930s, pro¬duction of automatic musical instruments ceased until the manu¬facture of the first jukebox in 1934. In 1930, the Julius Bauer Piano Company was purchased and continued to build pianos in that name until shortly before World War II. For a brief time, radios and refrigerators were made by the Wurlitzer controlled Air-Amer¬ican Mohawk Corporation. It was not a successful venture and ended in the mid-1930s. Many of the Wurlitzer retail stores were, at that time, in bad locations and needed repairs. The solutions to these problems came about with a reorganization of the company in 1935. With the reorganization, many retail stores were sold, piano manufacturing was consolidated in DeKalb and many subsidiaries were dissolved or absorbed completely into the Wurlitzer Company.

During World War II, Wurlitzer halted production of musical in¬struments. The company's defense production efforts were rec¬ognized in 1943 and 1944 when it is North Tonawanda and DeKalb plants received the Army-Navy "E" Award. In 1946, peacetime production resumed and the Wurlitzer Company introduced two new instruments: the electric organ in 1947 and the electric piano in 1954. In 1956, the Wurlitzer Company celebrated its centennial. That same year a new plant at Corinth, Mississippi, was completed. Later, plants were opened in Holly Springs, Mississippi (1961), Logan, Utah (1970) and Hullhorst, West Germany, (1960). The new facilities replaced those at North Tonawanda and DeKalb. The North Tonawanda plant ceased production of jukeboxes in 1974, becoming the company's engineering and research center. In 1973, the DeKalb plant ended production of pianos maintaining only mar¬keting and administrative offices. In 1977, the Wurlitzer Com¬pany's corporate headquarters moved to DeKalb, including the en¬gineering and research center from North Tonawanda.

Wurlitzer's three sons had assumed leadership of the company after his death in 1914. Each son acted as president then, chair of the board, successively. The company hired R.C. Rolfing in 1934 as vice-president and general manager. His re¬organization helped the company through the Depression years. Rolfing succeeded the last of the founder's sons in 1941 as pres¬ident of the company and in 1966 as chair of the board. Farny Wurlitzer, Rudolph's youngest son, died in 1972. A.D. Arsem succeeded Rolfing in 1974 as chair of the board. George B. Howell succeeded W. N. Herleman as president of the company.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers, 1857-1919 (AC0178)

Chickering & Sons Piano Company Collection, 1864-1985 (AC0264)

Sohmer & Company Records, 1872-1989 (AC0349)

William J. Lenz Piano Tuning Collection, circa 1903-1955 (AC0511)

Janssen Piano Company Records, 1901-1929 (AC0512)

John R. Anderson Piano Trade Literature and Ephemera Collection, circa 1850-1990 (AC1257)

Warshaw Collection of Business America's Piano and Organ related materials (AC0060)
Provenance:
Collection donated by Northern Illinois University, and Regional History Center, 1994, November 11.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Violin -- Manufacture  Search this
Radio -- Receivers and reception  Search this
Coin-operated machines  Search this
Accordion  Search this
Jukeboxes -- Manufacture  Search this
Harp -- Manufacture  Search this
Piano -- History  Search this
Player organ  Search this
Accordion -- Manufacture  Search this
Piano makers  Search this
Organ -- Manufacture  Search this
Organ -- History  Search this
Wurlitzer organ  Search this
Musical instrument makers  Search this
Mechanical organs  Search this
Mechanical musical instruments  Search this
Musical instruments  Search this
Genre/Form:
Minute books
Account books
Financial records
Stock records
Reports
Advertisements
Sales records
Audits
Cashbooks
Ledgers (account books)
Annual reports
Photographs -- 19th century
Journals (accounts)
Price lists
Trade catalogs
Publications
Employee records
Marketing records
Commercial catalogs
Citation:
Wurlitzer Company Records, 1860-1984, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0469
See more items in:
Wurlitzer Company Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8b6b1ed59-da9e-468e-ae2e-8bcd065f8cb2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0469
Online Media:

Wood and Brooks Company Records

Creator:
Wood & Brooks Company  Search this
Names:
International Association of Machinists  Search this
Pratt, Read and Company  Search this
United Furniture Workers of America  Search this
Donor:
Brady, Larry  Search this
Gielow, Albert C.  Search this
Extent:
3 Cubic feet (10 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Business records
Correspondence
Specifications
Date:
1889-1959
Summary:
Collection documents the activities of Wood & Brooks, a manufacturer of piano keys and actions.
Scope and Contents:
The collection conists primarily of correspondence Charles H. Wood, M.S. Brooks and Hilton C. Brooks, financal and sales records, and some photographs documenting the company's work as manufacturer's of ivory piano keys and piano actions.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series.

Series 1: Executive Records, 1889-1949 Series 2: Correspondence, 1890-1932 Series 3: Financial Records, 1891-1932

Series 4: Photographs, 1902-1959 Series 5: Piano Action and Specification Materials, 1927-1959

Series 6: Miscellaneous, 1958
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Hammond Wood founded Wood and Brooks Company in 1901, in North Tonawanda, New York with financial help from Connecticut entrepreneur, M.S. Brooks. The company manufactured piano keys and piano actions. In 1905, Wood and Brooks acquired Seavern Piano Action Company of Cambridge, Massachusettts and in 1910 purchased Kurtz Action Company of Rockford, Illinois.

Source

Dolge, Alfred. Pianos and Their Makers. Development of the piano, Volume II, 1913.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

Pratt, Read and Corporation Records (NMAH.AC.0320)

Warshaw Colletion of Business American, Series: Ivory (NMAH.AC.0060)

Warshaw Colletion of Business American, Series: Pianos (NMAH.AC.0060)

Ernest D. Moore Papers (NMAH.AC.0321)

Otto Gerdau Collection (NMAH.AC.0363)

Sohmer & Co. Records (NMAH.AC.0349)

Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers (NMAH.AC.0178)

Chickering & Sons Piano Company Collection (NMAH.AC.0264)
Provenance:
Collection donated by Wood & Brooks Company, through Elizabeth W. Crane, President, 1992.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Collective labor agreements  Search this
Factory workers  Search this
Factories  Search this
Ivory  Search this
Ivory industry  Search this
Keyboard instruments  Search this
Photographs  Search this
Piano  Search this
pianos  Search this
stock certificates  Search this
Genre/Form:
Business records
Correspondence -- 19th-20th century
Specifications
Specifications
Citation:
Wood and Brooks Company Records, 1925-1966, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0457
See more items in:
Wood and Brooks Company Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8efc6d2ed-bdae-4a1f-8b48-9d43344e70e0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0457

Steinway & Sons Upright Piano

Maker:
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Physical Description:
felt (hammers material)
one-piece iron (frame material)
ebonized (case material)
glass (case material)
Measurements:
overall: 48 1/2 in x 58 1/4 in x 27 1/2 in; 123.19 cm x 147.955 cm x 69.85 cm
overall: 48 1/4 in x 58 in x 26 1/2 in; 122.555 cm x 147.32 cm x 67.31 cm
Object Name:
piano
Place made:
United States: New York, New York
Date made:
1882
Credit Line:
Gift of Steinway & Sons
ID Number:
MI.072627
Catalog number:
72627
Accession number:
11693
Serial number:
47653
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
Music & Musical Instruments
Pianos
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-4488-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_605950
Online Media:

Steinway & Sons Grand Piano

Maker:
Steinway and Sons  Search this
Physical Description:
felt (overall material)
wood (overall material)
iron (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 40 in x 66 in x 108 in; 101.6 cm x 167.64 cm x 274.32 cm
Object Name:
piano
Place Made:
United States: New York, New York City
Date made:
1939
Credit Line:
Transferred from General Services Administration
ID Number:
1989.0216.01
Accession number:
1989.0216
Catalog number:
1989.0216.01
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
Music & Musical Instruments
Pianos
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-4ac8-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_606750

Sohmer & Co. Records

Author:
Falcone Custom Grand Pianos  Search this
Donor:
Pratt, Read and Company  Search this
Creator:
Sohmer & Company  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical Instruments  Search this
Names:
Sohmer & Company  Search this
Kuder, Joseph  Search this
Sohmer, Harry J.  Search this
Sohmer, Harry J., Jr.  Search this
Sohmer, Hugo  Search this
Sohmer, William  Search this
Extent:
43 Cubic feet (82 boxes and 11 map-folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sales catalogs
Photographic prints
Advertisements
Scrapbooks
Clippings
Journals (accounts)
Ledgers (account books)
Place:
Ivoryton (Conn.)
New York (N.Y.) -- Musical instruments industry
Date:
1872-1989
Scope and Contents:
The records of Sohmer & Co., date from 1872 through 1989. They fall into fourteen series based primarily on function. Legal, financial, inventory & appraisal, manufacturing, marketing, advertising, and sales are the major series. Photographs, awards, family papers, publications about Sohmer, general publications, "miscellaneous" and correspondence are the remaining series. The records are especially strong in the areas of advertising, finances, and marketing. The collection does not contain corporate records, articles of incorporation, executive records, minutes, annual reports, or personnel records such as payrolls or job descriptions.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into 14 series.

Series 1: Stock and Legal Records, 1882-1985

Series 2: Financial Records, 1887-1962

Series 3: Inventory & Appraisal Records, 1891-1980

Series 4: Manufacturing Records, 1872-1967

Series 5: Marketing, 1901-1989

Series 6: Advertising Records, 1880-1983

Series 7: Sales Records, 1923-1982

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1920-1964

Series 9: Awards, 1876-1976

Serioes 10: Sohmer Family Papers, 1945-1970

Series 11: Publications about Sohmer, 1883-1986

Series 12: General Publications, 1912-1985

Series 13: Miscellaneous Records, 1894-1983

Series 14: Correspondence, 1892-1987
Historical:
When Sohmer & Co. was founded in 1872 by Hugo Sohmer and his partner Joseph Kuder, it became one of 171 piano manufacturers in New York City. Over the next 110 years, Sohmer & Co. was one of the few active and successful family-owned and operated piano-making ventures in the United States. Nationally known for tonal quality and fine craftmanship, the firm's product, in the music trade, came to be referred to as "The Piano-Maker's Piano."
Biographical:
Born to an eminent physician in Dunningen, Wurtemberg, Germany on November 11, 1846, Hugo Sohmer enjoyed a first class education. Riding the last major wave of German immigration, which had brought piano makers such as Albert Weber, George Steck, John and Charles Fischer, and Henry E. Steinway to America, Hugo arrived in New York City in 1862. He became an apprentice in the piano making house of Schuetze & Ludolf. To learn more about European piano making, Hugo returned to Germany in 1868 and travelled extensively throughout Europe. In 1870 he returned to New York and by 1872 the 26 year old Sohmer and his partner, Josef Kuder, began manufacturing pianos in the 149 East 14th Street factory previously utilized by J.H. Boernhoeft and most recently by Marschall & Mittauer.

Josef Kuder, originally from Bohemia, Austria Hungary, learned piano making in Vienna between 1847 and 1854. Kuder arrived in New York in 1854 and became a pianomaker with Steinway & Sons which had been founded in 1853. In 1861 he returned to Vienna; he worked there until returning to New York in 1864, where he worked for Marschall & Mittauer until joining Sohmer.

Concentrating on tonal quality and response, Sohmer & Co. began producing pianos which were recognized in 1876 by an award from the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. In the waning years of the nineteenth century Sohmer & Co. received other awards including a diploma from the Exposition Provinciale in Montreal, Quebec in 1881, the gold medal at the Great New England Fair in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1889, and an award from the World's Columbian Commission in 1893 in Chicago.

By 1883 additional factory space, located on East 23rd Street and formerly used by Carhart & Needham, was occupied to accomodate increased production. In three years this space proved inadequate and forced the renting of an extension to the original factory. The main office and salesrooms were located at 31 West 57th Street in New York City. Meanwhile, in 1884 Sohmer invented the first five foot "baby" grand piano which was applauded for its musical brilliance and depth of tone. In the early 1900's Sohmer produced grand pianos in four sizes: Concert, Parlor, Baby & Cupid.

Limited space and increased production soon became issues again, and in 1887 the company moved its factory and special machinery to Astoria, Long Island. This factory, located at 31st Avenue and Vernon Boulevard, remained in continuous operation until 1982, when the Adirondack Chair Co. bought the building and Pratt Read acquired the company.

During the 1880s a number of letters patent were granted to Sohmer for such piano improvements as the agraffe bar for tone augmentation, and the aliquot string, which were auxiliary strings "arranged in conjunction with the regular strings for the purpose of giving forth reverberatory or sympathetic waves of sound, thus augmenting the general tone results of each unison." (Spillane, History, 256.)

In 1894 Hugo Sohmer took competitor Sebastian Sommer to court for stenciling the name "Sommer" on the fallboard of his pianos. Sohmer declared that "Sohmer" was a trademark used as an emblem to distinguish the piano from others, especially the Sommer piano which he considered inferior. The court in this equity case dismissed the case on the grounds that Sohmer had not proven damages accruing from the advertising and sale of the Sommer piano.

By 1907 Sohmer & Co. was producing 2,000 pianos per year. Additionally, with Farrand & Co. of Detroit, Sohmer was making the Sohmer Cecilian player piano. On June 8, 1913 Hugo Sohmer died in Scarsdale, N.Y.; 20 days later, Josef Kuder died as well. Hugo was survived by his wife, Elizabeth; a daughter, Adelaide S. Weber; and a son, Harry J. Sohmer, born in 1886. Company leadership was assumed by Harry J. Sohmer after Hugo's death.

During the 1920s Sohmer began a special department in its plant for the manufacture of period pianos. According to Harry Sohmer, the 1930s were difficult. He recalled that, once only one piano in 29 days was shipped. The number of American piano manufacturers dropped from 140 to 22 during this time. It was during this time that Harry's cousins, Frank and Paul Sohmer joined the company as consultants. However, through its pioneering efforts in the introduction of a console vertical piano known as a "Spinet," Sohmer revitalized the industry. (Taylor, "Piano Family.") This console vertical piano has been called "The Musicians' Console.

Primarily because of its concentration on the console vertical pianos Sohmer & Co. never cultivated famous performers in the way that Steinway and Baldwin did. While publicly acknowledging that it never entered into the competition for artistic endorsement (an acknowledgement which perhaps worked to its favor), Sohmer & Co. relied upon a most comprehensive and innovative advertising strategy stressing integrity, quality and craftsmanship in the pursuit of the ideal tone and touch.

In 1940 Harry incorporated the company as Sohmer & Co. and led it, with his sons Harry J. Sohmer, Jr., (born 1917) as production manager and Robert H. Sohmer (born 1920), as process engineer. By 1969 Harry Jr. was vice president in charge of production and Robert was production engineer/ treasurer. In 1971 Harry Sr. died and Harry Jr. became president.

In 1982 Pratt Read Corporation, a long established manufacturer of piano keyboards, acquired Sohmer & Co. for an undisclosed amount, and moved the operations to its Ivoryton, Connecticut factory, while retaining the Sohmer name. The Sohmer brothers retained their positions in the company. At the time of its purchase Sohmer & Co. employed 120 people, produced 2500 pianos yearly, and grossed $5 million in sales. Harry J. Sohmer, Jr., grandson of the founder, in expressing his feelings about the move and the Sohmer piano, compared his piano to old New York beers saying that "they were strictly New York products and in a way so were we." He concluded by saying, "We were always identified with this city. Sohmer was a New York piano." (Prial, "Sohmer Piano.")

By July 1983 under Pratt Read's management Sohmer was producing 6 pianos per day, only 50% of the expected capacity according to H.B. Comstock, president of Pratt Read. In 1986 the Ivoryton factory was sold to a group of investors organized as Sohmer Holding Co., who continued to make pianos there until a lack of skilled workers and financial losses forced its closing in December 1988. In an effort to fill the backlog of orders, Sohmer president Tom Bradshaw opened a new facility in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. A retail showroom was maintained in Ivoryton. In 1989, the Sohmer company was sold to the Falcone Custom Grand Piano Company of Haverhill, Massachusetts.

References

Cox, Erin. "Labor Woes a Main Factor in Sohmer Closing," The Pictorial Gazette West, 3 (December 8, 1988), 1, 22.

Dolge, Alfred. Piano and their Makers. 1911; rpt. New York: Dover Publications, 1973.

Loesser, Arthur. Men, Women and Pianos: A Social History. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1954.

Musical Merchandise Review. "Sohmer Pianos Underway at Conn. Pratt Read," July 1983, 91.

The Music Trades. "Pratt, Read Acquires Sohmer & Co. Piano Maker,"August 1982, 18.

Piano and Organ Purchaser's Guide, 1907, 1930. Prial, Frank J. "Sohmer Piano, and 110 Years of Craft, will leave Astoria," New York Times, August 13, 1982, B1, B4.

Purchaser's Guide to the Music Industries. 1956, New York: The Music Trades, 1956, 58 60.

Spillane, Daniel. History of the American Pianoforte: Its Technical Development, and the Trade. 1890; rpt. New York: Da Capo Press, 1969.

Taylor, Carol. "Piano Family Stays in Tune," New York World Telegram & Sun, August 15, 1958.
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History:
Pratt Read Corp. Records (AC0320)

Chickering & Sons Records (AC0264)

Steinway Piano Co. Collection (AC0178)
Provenance:
Collection donated by Pratt Read Corporation, August 11, 1989.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Musical instrument manufacturing  Search this
Piano makers  Search this
advertising -- History  Search this
Keyboard instruments  Search this
Piano  Search this
advertising  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 20th century
Sales catalogs
Photographic prints
Advertisements
Photographs -- 1850-1900
Scrapbooks
Clippings
Journals (accounts)
Ledgers (account books)
Citation:
Sohmer & Co. Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0349
See more items in:
Sohmer & Co. Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep835d3556b-26b5-4ae0-90bc-8c018159dbb3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0349
Online Media:

Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Names:
CBS  Search this
German Presbyterian Church (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Lehman, Lilly  Search this
Steinway, Fred T., 1860-1927  Search this
Steinway, Henry (Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg), 1797-1871  Search this
Steinway, John  Search this
Steinway, Theodore (C.F. Theodore Steinweg), 1825-1889  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History  Search this
Extent:
6 Cubic feet (12 boxes, including photographs and microfilm)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Business records
Diaries
Catalogs
Correspondence
Microfilms
Photographs
Minute books
Business letters
Love letters
Letters
Letter books
Place:
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Date:
1857-1919
Summary:
Records of the Steinway & Sons piano company and a daily diary of William Steinway, a key figure in the rise of the company to international prominence in the nineteenth century. The records document overall operations of the company, individual piano serial numbers, and the business and personal life of William Steinway, a prominent figure in New York business, politics, and musical life.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of an original diary (and microfilm copies) kept by William Steinway and microfilm copies of nineteenth century business records of Steinway & Sons. There also are business and family photographs and some miscellaneous documents.
Arrangement:
Series 1, William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896

Series 2, Steinway Business Records, 1858-1910

Series 3, Steinway Family Materials, 1877-1882

Series 4, Rev. Bartholomew Krüsi Materials, 1857-1919
Biographical / Historical:
Heinrich Engelhard Steinway (Steinweg) (born 1797, Wolfshagen, Germany; died 1871, New York City) made his first piano in 1836. In 1850 he immigrated to America and settled in New York City with his wife, three daughters, and four of his five sons. He and his sons Charles, Henry, Jr., and William at first worked for various New York piano makers until 1853 when they formed the partnership of Steinway & Sons. One year later Steinway & Sons' square pianos won first prize at the Metropolitan Mechanics Institute Exhibition (held at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.) and in 1855 won the Gold medal for the best piano (an over-strung iron-frame square piano) in the American Institute Fair at the Crystal Palace in New York City. In 1859, Henry, Jr. patented (patent no. 26,532, December 20, 1859) a design for a one-piece over-strung iron frame for the grand piano that won praise, a gold medal, and international recognition at the 1867 Paris Exposition.

The firm faced a crisis in 1865 when two of Heinrich's sons died: Henry (born 1831), who was responsible for the first seven patents, and Charles (born 1829). The family prevailed on the eldest son, C. F. Theodor (1825 1889), to sell his partnership as a piano manufacturer in Braunschweig, Germany, and to join his family in New York City. Not eager to sever all his ties in Germany, Theodor spent time in both countries until his death, contributing technical innovations that resulted in forty-one patents. One of these patents was for the duplex scale in 1872. Several of the following generation worked with the firm, including Fred T. Steinway (1860-1927), son of Charles, who served in London, Hamburg, and New York City.

C. F. Theodor Steinway's technical skills were matched by the entrepreneurial skills of his brother William (1835 1896). William was a creative businessman who played the piano, sang tenor, and supported the musical life of New York City. His promotional and marketing techniques, and his cultivation of eminent musicians and association with aristocratic patrons, helped to make Steinway & Sons so successful. William Steinway was prominent in New York City social and political life.

In 1880, Steinway & Sons opened a Hamburg branch. The firm was sold in 1972 to CBS. Subsequent owners include the Birmingham Brothers (Steinway Musical Properties, 1985-1995) and Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. (1995-).
Related Materials:
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Industry on Parade (NMAH.AC.0507)

Reel # 156, Before the Concert, 1953. Making pianos. Steinway and Sons, Long Island, New York.

N W Ayer Advertising Agency Records (NMAH.AC.0059)

Contains advertising proof sheets for Steinway & Sons from 1900 through 1963. The Piano series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana contains five folders of material on Steinway. The Industry on Parade Film Collection has a short, 1953 film (reel #156) on Steinway's manufacture of pianos in its Long Island plant. The Sohmer & Company Records contain three folders of trade literature from Steinway. These include catalogs, pamphlets, and booklets on the Steinway family genealogy and on the Steinway piano used at the White House. Sohmer, also a New York City piano manufacturer, collected copies of competitors' sales catalogs and other publications.

Materials at Other Organizations

The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY is the largest repository of Steinway materials. It holds extensive business records as well as personal papers and photographs. The Steinway family loaned seventy folders of Steinway family correspondence to the National Museum of American History in October, 1984, and a program of transcription and translation was begun by the Steinway Diary Project. The original correspondence was transferred to the Archives Center in August 1985 and, at the request of Henry Z. Steinway, transferred to the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives in March, 1990. Additional Steinway materials are at the New York Historical Society, the University of Maryland Performing Arts Library, and other repositories. The control file for this collection has further information on the location of Steinway materials.
Separated Materials:
The Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds several Steinway and Sons pianos.
Provenance:
Henry Z. Steinway donated the William Steinway diary on April 2, 1996.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use. Researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Keyboard instruments -- Manufacturing  Search this
Travel  Search this
Politics -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this
Church Interiors  Search this
Piano  Search this
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Business records
Diaries
Catalogs
Correspondence -- 1930-1950
Microfilms -- Negative
Photographs -- 1850-1900
Minute books
Business letters
Love letters
Letters
Letter books
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 1900-1910
Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0178
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8ded45715-d45f-4f3e-8a9b-dd3ce334c6b1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0178
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
9 Volumes
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1861-1896
Scope and Contents:
Contained in nine volumes. It records William Steinway's daily activities, his observations on current events, and his comments on business activities. He began the diary in the year of his marriage and continued writing until shortly before his death. The handwritten diary pages are fragile and the volumes have been disassembled; researchers must use the positive microfilm copies or consult the digital version scheduled to be on-line.
William Steinway's nine-volume, 2500-page diary provides an intimate view of the life of one of the piano world's great innovators, a prominent German-American, and a key figure in the musical, cultural, political, financial and physical development of New York City. Spanning 36 years, the Diary begins three days before William's marriage in 1861 and ends three weeks before his death in 1896.
In near-daily entries, William records the evolution of his business and family life--two worlds that were closely intertwined; the fact that almost all Steinway men worked at Steinway & Sons underscores this fact. William recorded the firm's most public celebrations, such as international recognition at the 1867 Paris Exposition, as well as its labor issues and the fierce competition between 19th-century pianomakers. Likewise, William shared more intimate aspects of his life, including a painful divorce, the births of stillborn children, and his physical suffering from rheumatism and gout. Daily entries further reflect current events, such as the defense of the Steinway & Sons factory during the 1863 New York City Draft Riots, as well as the centrality of the German community to his life, especially the Liederkranz singing society. William's hand in the development of Western Queens, particularly Steinway Village and Astoria, is a recurring theme in the Diary, as is his key role in the development of New York City's rapid transit system and the Bowery Bay/North Beach Amusement Park (now LaGuardia Airport) which rivaled Coney Island in its day. William's entries are sometimes terse, providing enough detail for him to recall a situation but not enough for later readers to understand. Lapses into German, liberal use of abbreviation, and coded marginalia can further complicate one's comprehension of the Diary.
Arrangement:
Subseries 1: Diary, April 20, 1861 - May 31, 1869. Subseries 2: Diary, June, 1869 - December 31, 1873. Subseries 3: Diary, January 1, 1874 - December 31, 1875. Subseries 4: Diary, January 1, 1876 - December 31, 1877. Subseries 5: Diary, January 1, 1878 - December 31, 1880. Subseries 6: Diary, January 1, 1881 - December 31, 1885. Subseries 7: Diary, January 1, 1886 - December 31, 1889. Subseries 8: Diary, January 1, 1890 - December 31, 1893. Subseries 9: Diary, January 1, 1894 - November 8, 1896.
Local Numbers:
1996.3031 (NMAH Acc.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0178, Series 1
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86ae31e12-b2c4-4a69-819f-d97aa160418d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref31

William Steinway Diary, Volume One

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1861-1869
Scope and Contents:
Volume One of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from April 20, 1861 - May 31, 1869. .
Arrangement:
Subseries 1: Diary, April 20, 1861 - May 31, 1869.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86fe6eb31-59b5-4a41-9835-32d4a60c833d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref33
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary, Volume Two

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1869-1873
Scope and Contents:
Volume Two of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from June 1, 1869 - December 31, 1873.
Arrangement:
Subseries 2: Diary, June 1, 1869 - December 31, 1873.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83d85c907-d46b-4cba-ae5e-e7de60c66707
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref34
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary, Volume Three

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1874-1875
Scope and Contents:
Volume Three of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from January 1, 1874 - December 31, 1875.
Arrangement:
Subseries 3: Diary, January 1, 1874 - December 31, 1875.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e9aef9fb-01da-4672-bf14-53aae2432a7b
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref35
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary, Volume Four

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 2
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1876-1877
Scope and Contents:
Volume Four of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from January 1, 1876 - December 31, 1877.
Arrangement:
Subseries 4: Diary, January 1, 1876 - December 31, 1877.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8cf811712-683e-42b6-a734-71aea29886ed
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref36
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary, Volume Five

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 2
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1878-1880
Scope and Contents:
Volume Five of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from January 1, 1878 - December 31, 1880.
Arrangement:
Subseries 5: Diary, January 1, 1878 - December 31, 1880.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep878414846-25ee-4612-9568-2fcb9f52f019
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref37
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary, Volume Six

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 3
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1881-1885
Scope and Contents:
Volume Six of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from January 1, 1881 - December 31, 1885.
Arrangement:
Subseries 6: Diary, January 1, 1881 - December 31, 1885.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80df1d9c0-bcc3-4bcc-b3d5-49f88722594e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref38
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary, Volume Seven

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 3
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1886-1889
Scope and Contents:
Volume Seven of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from January 1, 1886 - December 31, 1889.
Arrangement:
Subseries 7: Diary, January 1, 1886 - December 31, 1889.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8198a8ea5-15ab-4cba-b8bc-c903d3eabbe0
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref39
Online Media:

William Steinway Diary, Volume Eight

Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Donor:
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Culture and the Arts  Search this
Collection Creator:
Steinway, William  Search this
Steinway, Henry Ziegler  Search this
Steinway family  Search this
Steinway & Sons  Search this
Krüsi, Bartholomew, Rev.  Search this
Extent:
1 Volume
Container:
Box 4
Type:
Archival materials
Volumes
Diaries
Date:
1890-1893
Scope and Contents:
Volume Eight of The William Steinway Diary records the author's activities from January 1, 1890 - December 31, 1893.
Arrangement:
Subseries 8: Diary, January 1, 1890 - December 31, 1893.
Series Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Due to fragility, researchers must use positive microfilm copy of diary, or the on-line version of the Diary expected to be available in 2011.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Piano makers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Collection Citation:
Steinway and Sons Piano Company Collection, 1857-1919, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers
Steinway & Sons Records and Family Papers / Series 1: William Steinway Diary
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8762746a6-9c0b-43aa-b829-cb2b321b0185
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0178-ref40
Online Media:

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