Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 238
Scan 238
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
16 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 212. See the scan on archive.org.
13. Flute, Piccolo and Clarinet Makers
3a. Some Nineteenth Century Makers
5"The first mention of the importation of flageolets, hautboys [oboes] and other instruments" into this country was in 1716.¹ They were imported by Edward Enstone, organist of King's Chapel, Boston.
7Probably the first musical instrument maker in Boston proper, aside from an organ builder, was William Callender. He was listed in the Boston Directory for 1789 as an ivory turner. From as early as 1796 at least through 1800 he was given as a musical instrument maker at [address hidden] He moved his home from [address hidden] to [address hidden] in 1798 and apparently conducted his business at his house no. [address hidden] from 1803 or earlier through 1818. In 1820 he moved his business to [address hidden] A wooden fife of his, neatly made with brass bands at the ends, was found in an attic in an old house in East Lexington, Massachusetts, and presented to the Lexington Historical Society.
9Possibly the first flutes manufactured in Boston were made by the firm of Walter Crosby, which made the popular Crosby fifes used in the Civil War and flutes. This concern, which was in business from 1836 to 1874, was located at [address hidden] in 1846, at [address hidden] in 1848, at [address hidden] in 1855 and at [address hidden] in 1870. F. G. Schauffler & Co. and John Leukhardt in the 1850's and 1860's, and Hüttl & Fischer in the 1870's were other early Boston makers.²
11The next important name in the manufacturing of flutes and piccolos is that of August Damm.³ He was born September 20, 1849 at Doelau near Halle, Germany, and served in the Franco-Prussian War, being a member of the band which marched into Paris in 1870. He emigrated to Boston in November 1872 just after the Great Fire.
13¹ Lahee, Henry C. Annals of Music in America p. 3.
14² See page 266 for further information about these firms.
15³ Information in the following paragraphs was supplied by August Damm.
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