Three Influential Manufacturer’s of Antique Pianos

Bacon Piano Company of New York was closely connected to American antique pianos.

Robert Stodart began the company, Bacon joined and later the name and people died, retired, or changed to Bacon and Raven, then finally to Bacon Piano Company, with Charles Tremaine as president. Later Harry Tremaine became president of the then Aeolian Piano Company which was a combination of several companies for marketing sake.

Brown and Hallet started their antique piano business in 1835. Brown was a graduate of the Chickering factory with several patents for his improvements. He retired in 1843.

Davis joined the company, making Hallet, Davis and Company. Davis died and the business was incorporated under the management of Kimball. This arrangement is considered as one of the most progressive piano companies in history.

Melville Clark’s transposing device for the antique player piano was patented on May 30, 1899 and September 30, 1902. This device has been adopted by many manufacturers of player pianos. All player actions prior to 1898 were so constructed that they played only 65 of the 88 note piano scale. Melville Clark introduced his “Apollo” player which had an 88 note tracker board. E.H. Story knew that the west would eventually manufacture its own instruments. He left the Story and Camp firm in 1884, took Melville Clark and his son, and founded the firm of Story and Clark for the manufacture of reed organs.

Melville Clark was also known as an expert reed-organ builder. This business of Story and Clark grew rapidly, with a factory in London, England and another in Berlin, Germany. These organs were of highest order in quality and tone.

In 1895 pianos were built with the same high standard. The pianos were built at a fast rate also, with factories in Grand Haven, Michigan. Clark’s name will forever be printed upon the pages of the organ and piano industry as one of the most prolific inventors. He produced his first grand player in 1904. He saw his self-playing grand piano used in a public concert at New Orleans in 1906.