Piano and Steinway
Steinway & Sons: Combining Craftwork and Teamwork
Steinway and Sons remains one of the best-known producers of concert pianos in the world. Throughout its great history the company has shown a distinctive talent at innovation and quality workmanship, as evidenced by its 114 patents. In an age of mass production, Steinway continues to manufacture a limited number of handmade pianos in a unique testament to individual craftsmanship. However, Stein¬way’s dominance in the concert piano market is being chal¬lenged by several rivals. Can Steinway continue its cherished ways, or will it need to adjust to new circumstances? A Long History
Steinway & Sons was founded in 1853 by German immi¬grant Henry Engelhard Stein¬way in a Manhattan loft on Varick Street. Henry was a master cabinet maker who built his first piano in the kitchen of his Seesen, Ger¬many, home. By the time Henry established Steinway & Sons, he had built 482 pi¬anos. The first piano pro¬duced by the company, num¬ber 483, was sold to a New York family for $500. It is now displayed at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Steinway’s unique qual¬ity became obvious early in the history of the firm, evi¬denced by its winning gold medals in several American and European exhibitions in 1855. The company gained in-ternational recognition in 1867 at the Paris Exhibition when it was awarded the prestigious “Grand Gold Medal of Honor” for excellence in manufacturing and engineering. Henry Steinway developed his pianos with emerging technical and scien¬tific research, including the acoustical theories of the renowned physicist Hermann von Helmhotz.
In the early 1890s, Steinway moved to its current location in the Astoria section of Queens, New York, and built Steinway Village. Virtually its own town, Stein¬way Village had its own foundries, factory, post of¬fice, parks, and housing for employees. Its factory today still uses many of the crafts¬manship techniques handed down from previous
Steinway and Sons remains one of the best-known producers of concert pianos in the world. Throughout its great history the company has shown a distinctive talent at innovation and quality workmanship, as evidenced by its 114 patents. In an age of mass production, Steinway continues to manufacture a limited number of handmade pianos in a unique testament to individual craftsmanship. However, Stein¬way’s dominance in the concert piano market is being chal¬lenged by several rivals. Can Steinway continue its cherished ways, or will it need to adjust to new circumstances? A Long History
Steinway & Sons was founded in 1853 by German immi¬grant Henry Engelhard Stein¬way in a Manhattan loft on Varick Street. Henry was a master cabinet maker who built his first piano in the kitchen of his Seesen, Ger¬many, home. By the time Henry established Steinway & Sons, he had built 482 pi¬anos. The first piano pro¬duced by the company, num¬ber 483, was sold to a New York family for $500. It is now displayed at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Steinway’s unique qual¬ity became obvious early in the history of the firm, evi¬denced by its winning gold medals in several American and European exhibitions in 1855. The company gained in-ternational recognition in 1867 at the Paris Exhibition when it was awarded the prestigious “Grand Gold Medal of Honor” for excellence in manufacturing and engineering. Henry Steinway developed his pianos with emerging technical and scien¬tific research, including the acoustical theories of the renowned physicist Hermann von Helmhotz.
In the early 1890s, Steinway moved to its current location in the Astoria section of Queens, New York, and built Steinway Village. Virtually its own town, Stein¬way Village had its own foundries, factory, post of¬fice, parks, and housing for employees. Its factory today still uses many of the crafts¬manship techniques handed down from previous