--- Robin Hufford <hufford1@airmail.net> wrote: > Hello Gordon, > In 1907 Chickering and Knabe were merged, along > with the interests > of some investors, into a larger unit called the > American Piano > Company. The two surviving Knabes who had sold > their interest in Knabe > & Sons then formed a new company called Knabe > Brothers. It failed the > next year. > During the twenty years or so from 1907 to c. > 1929, American the > production of the Chickering remained at the factory > in Boston and Knabe > similiarly in Baltimore. Certain design features in > common were imposed > progressively on the production of each unit. > American's marketing strategy consisted, if > memory serves, of > having three dealers per city. Each dealer would > chose a suite of three > piano lines. This seems to imply that nine were > available and I know > there were three price points available for the > dealer to chose from. > They would take a line from each price point and > compete against other > dealers, including the other American dealers to > make the sale. > In 1927 American experienced some sort of > financial difficulties > and as a result of some kind of financial duress the > President that had > run it for the previous 20 years, and I can't > remember his name at the > moment, was forced out. Somehow an interest in the > company probably > through a cash infusion allowed Banker's Trust to > take control of the > company. They then named a new President who had > no experience with > the piano industry. > The subsequent demise of American is a > well-studied example of poor > marketing and business practices and is considered a > classic case. > Articles exist here and there on the course of these > events. If I > remember correctly the new President then allowed a > dealer chosen by the > company in each city, to take the three top piano > lines rather than > forcing each dealer to take one line from each of > the three price point > categories. This had the effect of forcing the > other, presumably, also > well established dealers to take what was left and > sell, what in essence > that which they had competed against previously. > The end result, > coupled with an overall decline in sales generally, > was a sudden decline > in cash flow and the company was forced into > bankruptcy by, I believe, > the end of 1928 or 1929. > At the end of bankruptcy proceedings in, I > believe, 1929, or > perhaps, 1930, a new entity appeared, cash in hand, > ready to rescue the > company. This was Aeolian, probably still flush > with cash from the > player piano market. I believe, as part of the > reorganization > proceedings, or immediately thereafter, the > factories in Boston and > Baltimore were closed and production was moved to > Rochester. The new > company was the Aeolian-American which went into > bankrupcty in 1985. > American redesigned during this period > Chickering and Knabe, while > maintaining a continuity of design features, and, as > I said earlier, > while imposing certain design features in common on > these and other > lines. They produced some tremendous, great > pianos. For example the > Chickering 135, the 123, the 235, and the 141 > concert grand. > Aeolian, which then acquired Mason & Hamlin, > closing their factory > and moving production to Rochester in 1934, > progressively lessened the > quality on these pianos, and others, mainly after > WWII, leading to what > we all have seen in their last gasp production of > twenty years ago. > They did come up with some interesting pianos in the > thirties, for > example the Chickering 147 ( a console) and the > Knabe and M&H Butterfly > and Symetrigrands. I don't believe Aeolian ever > made pianos in the > original Chickering and Knabe factories as these > factories were closed > as a result of the bankruptcy. Anyway, there is > a building in New > York called the American Piano Building, on 57th > street. At the top of > the building one can seen inlaid on a large scale in > tile, the plate > decal we are all familiar with on the Chickering > pianos of the period. > Regards. Robin Hufford > > > > gordon stelter wrote: > > > Yes. Aeolian and American merged in 1930, after > > Aeolian's factory burned. For many years > operations > > were moved to American Piano's massive factories > in > > East Rochester, New York, then spilled about the > > country in the 70's and 80's, as the Japanese > > onsluaght destroyed the American piano industry. > > American had Chickering in their line since > 1909. > > Thump > > > > --- PatchWick@aol.com wrote: > > > I just got back from tuning a 'Jonas Chickering' > > > made in 1984. Was that also > > > an Aeolian name plate? > > > > > > will > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. 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