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 272
Scan 272
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
30 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 246. See the scan on archive.org.
1I. B. Other Boston Pianoforte Makers—Period 1840-1915 (Continued)
3Addresses from Boston Business Directories
5Names of Firms and Information About the Firms
7Hallet, Cumston & Allen 1847-51—293 & [address hidden]
8Hallet & Cumston 1853-66—[address hidden]
91880—[address hidden]
10Brown & Allen 1853-7—[address hidden]
111859—[address hidden]
12Henry Allen; Allen & Co. See page
13Russell Hallet & Co. 1870-1—[address hidden]
14Russell Hallet 1872—[address hidden]
151873—[address hidden]
161874—[address hidden]
18Hallet, Cumston & Allen; HALLET & CUMSTON; BROWN & ALLEN; AND RUSSELL HALLET & CO.
20Hallet & Allen came into being at Mr. Davis' withdrawal from the first Hallet, Davis & Co. William Cumston, a practical pianoforte maker, was taken into the firm about 1847. He had a fine previous record as an inventor having patented in 1839 a damper improvement in squares. In 1851 Henry Allen withdrew, formed Brown & Allen in 1853 with Edwin Brown of Brown & Hallet, subsequently "10 yrs. foreman in the manufactory of the late Jonas Chickering, Esq., where he perfected and applied his Patent Grand Action."13 "The Committee on Musical Instruments, at the Rhode Island Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry holden Sept. 12-16, 1854 reported about this company's pianoforte thus—'After a careful examination of the workmanship, externally and internally, and after repeated trials and hearings, your Committee feel prepared to say that this (Brown & Allen's) Piano Forte is one of the very best they have ever met with in the course of some seventeen years, observation of the progress of Piano Forte manufacture in this country. In purity, combined with power and mellowness of tone from the bottom to the top of the scale; in the great excellence of the action; in thoroughness and elegance of workmanship throughout; in all the qualities, in short, which unitedly constitute a first rate Piano Forte, this instrument, in the opinion of your Committee, has not been surpassed by any Seven Octave Square Piano Forte hitherto produced among us, and they consider it eminently worthy of the highest premium in this department.'"[address hidden] was trained in the Brown & Allen factory, before Mr. Brown again returned to Chickering & Sons leaving Mr. Allen in business alone 1862-74.
22Hallet & Cumston was formed in 1853 and continued to make a popular priced instrument until about 1900. Their earliest squares were plain-strung, later ones overstrung. They were among the first to make uprights. Toward the end they made grands. Russell Hallet joined Henry Allen during 1851-1852, withdrew from Hallet & Cumston about 1869, and was alone as Russell Hallet & Co. at [address hidden] in 1870, and Russell Hallet 1872-74.
241847-1854—[address hidden]
251855—[address hidden]
261860—[address hidden]
28GEORGE HEWES or HEWES
29George Hewes was listed as a music teacher in 1833 and 1834 Boston Directories, and appears in 1836 as a manufacturer. "In 1843 the firm consisted of George Hewes, Richard C. Marsh, and
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