Scan 25
Musical Courier 1892-09-07: Vol 25 Iss 654, 1892
120 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 26. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHICKERING.
2The New Catalogue.
4WITH a dainty, artistic cover inclosing some exquisite half tone presentations of their various styles of grands and uprights, and an excellent cut of the mammoth factory, the new Chickering catalogue comes from the press of Ketterlinus, perhaps the most striking work we have seen from their expert hands.
6Some reflex of the present substantial success of the old American house under its new management seems to be embodied in the quiet, dignified introduction which opens the book and which is here reproduced.
8Introduction.
10After a career of three score and ten, a career in manifold directions embracing art, industry and commerce, the firm of Chickering & Sons in presenting its latest catalogue believes itself entitled to eschew many of the descriptive details essential to comparatively new and young piano manufacturing firms who, in a certain sense, require reiterated introductions to the public to emphasize their existence.
12In every sense of the word the piano as it is known today is, relatively speaking, a modern art product, its age being limited to the enclave of our century. Before this century had advanced one-fourth of its course, the founder of the house of Chickering had already placed before the musical world the product of his skill and genius, for Jonas Chickering had entered upon his work as the leading intellect and force in piano construction in America as early as 1823, having experimented considerably during the preceding years. He represented in his personality at that time all that was known in the realm of his art, plus the inherent capacity to develop his knowledge practically in the creation of the Chickering piano and its development as the years of his potency and ascendancy progressed. one of two readings
13In every sense of the word the piano as it is known today is, relatively speaking, a modern art product, its age being limited to the enclave of our century. Before this century had advanced one-fourth of its course, the founder of the house of Chickering had already placed before the musical world the product of his skill and genius, for Jonas Chickering had entered upon his work as the leading intellect and force in piano construction in America as early as 1823, having experimented considerably during the preceding years. He represented in his personality at that time all that was known in the realm of his art, plus the inherent capacity to develop his knowledge practically in the creation of the Chickering piano and its development as the years of his potency and ascendency progressed. one of two readings
15In the early years of his activity, the square piano—a successor of the old clavichord and kindred instruments—was chiefly held in esteem, but as early as 1830 Jonas Chickering made upright pianos, thus anticipating by many years the manufacture of this class of instruments.
17Following rapidly upon the upright came the grand piano, of which the very first of its kind with a full iron plate or frame (such as are used at the present moment in the construction of these instruments in Europe and America) was made by Jonas Chickering in 1840.
19The stages of this progress are seen to have been evolutionary, but, in justice to the memory of the founder of the piano making industry in America, it should be added that they were also revolutionary, for Jonas Chickering was an originator, not an imitator, and he consequently endowed his pianos with a new and distinct tonal quality that has gradually been accepted and adopted as the modern piano tone, or tone of the modern parlor and concert piano. Not only has this quality become the characteristically predominant one in America, it has been adopted as the only consistent quality of piano tone by all the leading makers who aspire to musical preeminence.
21In recognition of this remarkable contribution to the science of acoustics and the art of music, Jonas Chickering and, subsequently, his firm were honored and distinguished by learned societies, by world's expositions, by states and sovereigns, and by the greatest contemporaneous musicians, who bestowed upon the Messrs. Chickering & Sons the highest testimonials, awards and investments, embracing every known method of publicly recognizing merit, including the decoration of the Legion of Honor. Although it is our purpose not to burden this introduction with details, we may be pardoned for publishing a short list of a few of the honors extended to the firm.
23A FIRST PRIZE MEDAL awarded us at the GREAT CRYSTAL PALACE EXHIBITION IN LONDON, 1851.
24At Paris in 1867 at the International Exhibition, THE HIGHEST AWARD OVER ALL COMPETITION and awarded only to CHICKERING & SONS, THE IMPERIAL CROSS OF THE LEGION OF HONOR and FIRST GOLD MEDAL. This double Recompense placed us at the Head of all competitors.
26The FIRST GRAND GOLD MEDAL and a SPECIAL DIPLOMA OF DISTINCTION at the Exposition in Santiago de Chili, 1875.
28The GRAND MEDAL AND DIPLOMA at Philadelphia in 1876.
30The FIRST AWARD AND DIPLOMA at the International Exhibition at Sydney, N. S. W., 1879.
32The FIRST MEDAL AND DIPLOMA at the Great Exhibition in Cork, 1883.
33FIRST GOLD MEDAL AND DIPLOMA at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1884.
34THREE FIRST GOLD MEDALS at Exhibitions in the United States during the year 1884.
35In all a total of One Hundred and Twenty-eight First Medals and Awards.
37The catalogue itself will show a selection from the large number of valuable testimonials from authorities of international reputation.
39But it is a source of the greatest pride to point, after all, to the distinguished eminence the Chickering pianos have attained among the thousands who have been practically using these instruments for years past in this and foreign countries; to the thousands of occasions when Chickering grand pianos were used with unequivocal success in all kinds of concerts and musical events; to the hundreds and the thousands of teachers who have used these instruments, and the army of pianists, professional and amateur, who have been educated with the aid of Chickering pianos. These are the numberless incidents beyond the reach of statistical evidence that acclaim the marvelous value of the Chickering piano as the great factor in the musical education of the people.
41The coming years of the nation promise to be periods of unusual musical activity paramount to any recorded periods of aesthetical development, and they will be paralleled by similar stages of industrial activity. To meet these Messrs. Chickering & Sons have prepared themselves for every emergency, and their extensive factory and plant in the city of Boston, an industrial monument second to none in the country, is to-day the most comprehensive and extensive piano manufactory on the globe. The number of pianos that will issue from it will far exceed the average production of previous years, and in the character of the workmanship, the quality of the article and its artistic features, the upright and grand pianos of Chickering & Sons will represent the acme of the pianoworker's art.
43About Philadelphia.
45"I T'S a long lane that has no turning." We have been writing of Philadelphia for some weeks past and on the same strain: no business, and that's the way it has been running, but the turn has come and what a difference it does make.
47From one end of Chestnut street—in the row—to the other the piano men were active; not a store but some one was looking at pianos, and that's the way it has been for more than a week now.
49No accounting for the spurt, they say, any more than that the weather has been for some days past delightful, and people are getting home from the country and sea shore and are interested in exchanging an old piano or purchasing a new one.
51It's astonishing from what a distance people will travel to make a purchase, and another astonishing fact is that they will leave their place of residence, in many cases an important town in point of trading facilities, where they are well known and where one would think every advantage in price and accommodation would be accorded them, and come to a large city, perfect strangers to the people they expect to deal with, to make their purchases.
53Take, for instance, Wilmington, Del., or Lancaster, Pa., or York, Pa., all excellent trading points supplied with extensive stores, and yet the amount of trade—referring now to pianos—which comes to Philadelphia from these places and places of this size varying from 100 to 200 miles away is remarkable.
55The Philadelphia merchants are finding no fault, for it is invariably the case a sale can be made to a person coming from a distance much easier than to a home party, and better prices are obtained and less accommodation demanded.
57THE MUSICAL COURIER has been commenting with special regularity on the construction of a new piano, emanating from the enterprise and brains of a Philadelphia dealer, who, not satisfied with selling the product of some of the most reliable factories in the land, wanted to place before the public an instrument bearing upon its fall board a name which has been associated with the piano business of Philadelphia for some years and has become established in the minds of a goodly portion of the people for fair dealing and honest business methods.
59The "Cunningham" piano in its entirety was placed in the warerooms of P. J. Cunningham & Co. on the first of last week and the instrument was in all particulars worthy the name.
61This special piano was in a handsome mahogany case 4 feet 8 inches in height.
63The tone was soft and musical, with an even, well balanced scale, the middle and upper register being fairly brilliant. The action was made by Wessell, Nickel & Gross, the plate by Davenport & Treacy and the case by C. S. Stone, of Erving, Mass.
65The component parts have been furnished by those whose reputation for sending out only work of the highest grade is undisputed. The scale was drawn by a practical piano maker and the work has been completed by a thorough mechanic.
67Mr. Cunningham does not claim to be placing on the market the finest piano made. He does claim that the Cunningham piano is a well made, reliable instrument, and that whoever purchases one of them will get full value for the money invested.
69For the present these pianos will be made for retail at the Cunningham warerooms only, as the limited capacity of the factory, which is located at the corner of Fortieth and Market streets, will not admit of a product exceeding what will be needed for their home consumption.
71Mr. Cunningham controls a certain trade in Philadelphia which will purchase of him every time, and with a piano bearing his name he anticipates being able to still further augment this patronage.
73He will, beyond question, manufacture them in quantities sufficient to seek a wholesale trade, but that will be sometime in the future.
75At the warerooms of James Bellak's Sons at 1129 Chestnut street some important changes have been made for the more convenient display of their stock of Peloubet organs, the trade on which in church and cottage styles has become an important feature of their business.
77Hereafter the second floor will be devoted entirely to organs. An electric motor will furnish the power, and other arrangements have been made whereby the full qualities of the instruments can be shown.
79Mr. Leopold Bellak is yet at Atlantic City, where he has been spending the summer.
81F. A. North & Co. are back in their old store at 1308 Chestnut street, which is fast arriving at completion, the casing of the elevator being about the only unfinished work.
83They will have a handsome wareroom and withal very comfortable and convenient.
85The Lester Piano Company have sent their Mr. L. Fisher on an extended Western trip with a line of as handsome cases as can be turned out in Circassian, blister, walnut, mahogany and oaks.
87They will make a specialty of fancy cases this fall and have secured logs of veneers which they think can hardly be duplicated in the market.
89George Fleming & Co. have secured the services of Mr. T. J. Rocholl, an experienced piano salesman, well known to the Philadelphia trade.
91Mr. Charles H. Parsons, president of the Needham Piano Organ Company, was in Philadelphia on Friday and closed arrangements with Colonel Gray, of the Schomacker Piano Company, to handle the Needham pianos in Philadelphia.
93Ben. Owens, who has been away for the past three weeks, returned home on Tuesday.
95He made a little stop in Boston on his way over.
97Atlanta Piano Factory Sold.
99THE Atlanta Piano Factory is now owned by Messrs. Miles & Bradt.
101The papers closing the sale were signed yesterday afternoon, and the factory is now in the hands of the new owners.
103Last December it was put in the hands of a receiver, Mr. D. M. Bain being the gentleman selected for that position by the court.
105He has simply been holding the assets, consisting of the building and grounds, valued at $15,000, and the machinery, &c., valued at about the same. In July Judge Clarke passed an order that the factory should be advertised for sale. This was done and three bids were received.
107They were opened last Saturday week by Judge Clarke, and the highest one was from Miles & Bradt, who offered $24,000 for the factory.
109Judge Clarke ordered the bid accepted, and yesterday the papers were signed and the factory was turned over to the new owners.
111Mr. Bain will be relieved of his duties as receiver as soon as he finishes closing out a few odds and ends which he still has for sale.
113Miles & Bradt have already begun to straighten out affairs, and in about a month they will have the factory running again turning out the Cooper piano.—Atlanta "Journal," August 31.
115—The Stevens & Klock Organ Company, of Marietta, Ohio, write that the new addition to their factory is nearly completed, that a large force of men is at work on the buildings and that they expect to have everything ready for operation in about three weeks.
117—Philip Werlein, the veteran music dealer, is now located in his magnificent new store, 135 Canal street, with an entire new stock of pianos, organs, sheet music and musical instruments, all at lower prices than ever. He will be pleased to see his many friends and customers, and particularly those desiring to get a good cheap piano, as he has many bargains to offer.—New Orleans "Delta."
119—William B. Pezzoni, the violin maker on Court street, who came to this city about three years ago from New York, says that Brooklyn people are in some respects very peculiar. "When I came here," he added, "it was because I had noticed that most of the Brooklyn musicians sent their work to New York shops, and I naturally thought it would be a good 'spec' for an experienced hand to locate in a city which furnished so much employment. I must confess I have been somewhat disappointed. The work still goes to the big city. What the people who send it do not know is that it is returned to Brooklyn workmen to be finished."—Brooklyn "Citizen."
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