History of my Player Piano
Moderators: Feg, Gill the Piano, Bill Kibby
History of my Player Piano
Could someone give me the early Company history of my Player piano. I found it in an old threater on the west cost, It is An "Andrea Auto Piano" From a company named Howards's Ltd. Manchester, This Piano works great! I am only now trying to get it in the house, I just brought it home today and need to Un-load it!, into my Garage and its heavy
the serial for the above mentioned piano is 3833, with signed initials S.H.O http://img25.echo.cx/my.php?image=00014050cr.jpg http://img25.echo.cx/my.php?image=00000963bh.jpg http://img25.echo.cx/my.php?image=00000974ud.jpg http://img25.echo.cx/my.php?image=00000988ic.jpg http://img25.echo.cx/my.php?image=00001004zq.jpg http://img25.echo.cx/my.php?image=00001018jc.jpg
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Bill Kibby
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Howards Ltd.
All I can tell you is that Samuel Howard became Howards Ltd. after 1899, and by 1911.
1951 Howards Ltd., 58 Oldham street.
1951 Howards Ltd., 58 Oldham street.
Piano History Centre
http://pianohistory.info
Email via my website.
If you find old references or links on this site to pianogen.org, they should refer to pianohistory.info
http://pianohistory.info
Email via my website.
If you find old references or links on this site to pianogen.org, they should refer to pianohistory.info
Thank you for the info, here is a jpg of the Howards LTD plaque, Is there a chance that the serial number tells me that this player piano was made in either 1920 or 1933 http://img254.echo.cx/my.php?image=00001059jp.jpg
So this is about all I know about Our 'Andrea' player Piano, made by Auto-Piano. and sold by Howard of Manchester....................................................................1863 The Pianista was invented by Fourneaux, Paris. This was probably the
first pneumatic piano player with mechanical fingers, and had punched folding
cards for the tune sheets. The system was based on technology developed for
card- operated looms.
1896 Perhaps the first pneumatic player pianos, by Thompson.
1897 Army & Navy Co-Operative Society's catalogue includes an ad for
Fourneaux's Pianista.
Enhanced enlargement of the Pianista against a piano.
1899 Thompson's pneumatic piano-player.
1900 From the beginning of the century until the war, there were an enormous
number of patents and inventions for players.
Our player piano is called An "Andrea, Auto-Piano" sold in England, By Howards Ltd of Manchester. The control functions that are written near the all the knobs, are in German. Howards Ltd of Manchester England was owned by a person named Samuel Howard, who has initialed the serial number #3383 (SHO) of our 'Andrea Auto-Piano. Sometime between 1899 and 1904. at this time Samuel Howard became 'Howards Ltd' (1951 Howards Ltd, 58 Oldham street, Manchester England). In 1905 Auto-Piano established a new Factory in New York USA. I have seen another Player Piano from this New York factory dated 1905, That looks alot like ours. Since he used German on the knobs. To create a European ambiance of Quality , Why wouldn't he use a brass 'Made in Manchester' name plaques in New York.
The Waldorf Piano Company, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, 1908, owned and controlled by the Autopiano Company, manufactures one style player-piano and an expression player-piano, sponsored and vouched for by the Autopiano Company, thus assuring first-class material and workmanship. The Waldorf player wholesales at a very reasonable price. The financial standing of the Waldorf Piano Co. is unquestioned. Welte-Mignon of Germany licensed more than 100 American companies to use its action including the Baldwin piano company. There were a few other reproducing actions made by other American companies but they were short-lived. The heyday of the self-contained player piano was from about 1910 to 1925. During this period, a high percentage of all pianos made in the United States were players uprights and grands alike. A number of companies produced player actions for regular piano companies. Among these were Standard Pneumatic Action Co., Pratt-Read Player Action co., and Auto Pneumatic Action Co. (Autopiano). Many of the large piano manufacturers produced their own player actions, including Aeolian, Baldwin, Gulbransen, Kimball, and Story and Clark. There were certain limitations to the regular player piano, the primary one being that it did not have the ability to reproduce the expression of a concert pianist. What was sought after was a piano that could accurately produce all the nuances that would occur during a pianists performance such as changes in volume, intensity and speed. Hence, the reproducing piano was invented. The reproducing pianos purpose was to re-create or reproduce the pianists playing without sounding mechanical. The reproducing piano is basically a regular player piano with the addition of expression control mechanisms and an electric pump. Three major manufacturers sold their products in American. These were: the American Piano Company, makers of the Ampico; the Aeolian Company, manufacturers of the Duo-Art; and the Auto-Pneumatic Action Company, makers of the Welte-Mignon licensee mechanism. AUTOPIANO
Auto-piano One of the strongest and most enterprising of the American player- piano industries. The success of this factory had been such that the factory floor space embraced more than 300,000 square feet with an annual capacity of 10,000 player pianos. The Autopiano Company had for years exported its popular product to sections of the world, and the Autopiano was notable for its remarkable expression capabilities and staunch durability. It resisted the climatic extremes of the Arctic regions and the tropical zone equally well.
Being manufactured by player-piano specialists, in large factories devoted exclusively to the manufacture of player-pianos, and having an expert knowledge of the exact requirements of the foreign trade, were all leading reasons why the Autopiano Company proposition was unusually attractive and appealing. The Autopiano line embraced a comprehensive assortment of prices and styles, including upright players, reproducing pianos and grand player-pianos. This company manufactured the Autopiano, the Autopiano Electric Expression, the Autopiano Grand, the Autopiano Welte-Mignon (licensed), the Autopiano Welte-Mignon (licensee) Grand, and the Pianist Player-piano.
It was said that there were twice as many Autopiano's in use as any other player piano. The Autopiano was a thoroughly high grade piano, containing a player mechanism of marvelous attainments in which a great number of patented devices that make possible interpretation of the highest order on the Autopiano. The Autopiano received the highest awards at the following expositions: Grand Highest Award, Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exhibition, 1909; Grand Prix, Rotterdam, Holland, International Musical Exhibition, 1909; Gold Medal, Manchester, England, Industrial Exhibition, 1910; Gold Medal. Manchester Coronation Exhibition, 1911; Highest Award, Appalachian Exposition, Knoxville, Tenn., 1911; Gold Medal, Second Insular Fair, Porto Rico, 1911; Festival of Empire, London, England, 1911; Grand Prix, International Exposition, Petrograd, Russia, 1911; Grand Premix, International Exposition, Turn Italy, 1911; Gold Medal, International Exhibition, Leeds, England, ibis; Grand Prix and Diploma of Honor, Anglo-American Exhibition at London, England, in 1914; and the Gold Medal and Diploma of Honor, International Exposition at Lyons, France 1914. The State Commissioners of more than twenty States officially selected the Ethiopian for they're, respective State Buildings at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, Ca. , 1915. The New Mexico and Washington State Buildings of the Panama-California Exposition, San Diego, Cal. 1915, also officially selected the Autopiano. In addition to this practically universal selection at these last two named exposition. , The Autopiano received at the San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Exposition the following awards: (1) The medal of Honor; (2) Gold Medal; (S) Silver Medal.
The Autopiano was also an official purveyor to the royal families of Japan and is in the palaces of Prince Shidlnadya and Prince ITO; they also enjoy this distinction in Korea where Prince Ye of the reigning dynasty had an Autopiano in his palace. Puccini used an Autopiano, and Victor Herbert the composer expressed his appreciation of this instrument.
AUTOPIANO - WELTE- MIGNON
As a player, using any eighty-eight note music roll, it was the Autopiano itself, electrically pumped. As a reproducing piano using the Welte-Mignon reproducing record, it presented the exact "tonal portrait" of the artist. Every gradation of tone, every change of the tempo, every dynamic modification was unerringly reproduced. The world's master pianists, most eminent composers recorded their art for the Welte-Mignon Model of The Autopiano.
This company of distinguished musicians includes Paderewski, Hofmann, Busoni, dePachmann. D'Albert, Lhevinne. Bloomfield-Zeisler, Sauer, Gabrilowitsch, Scharwenka, Ganz, Schelling, Caireno, Spross, Grieg, R. Strauss, Samaroff, Epstein, Fryer, Mero, LaForge, Saint)Saens, Leschetizky, Debussy, Leoncavallo, Lamond, Nikisch, Humperdinck and many others, as well as all the late popular lists played by New York's finest jazz artists.
The remarkable effects produced by the Welt-Mignon Model of the Autopiano (licensed) were made possible by the use of the Auto de Luxe Welte-Mignon player mechanism (licensee). The faithful recording of the artist's performance are procured by a secret process. How carefully the secret is guarded is demonstrated by the fact that no other reproducing piano has been able to approximate the results achieved through the Welt-Mignon mechanism, using the Welt Artist reproducing records. This instrument has been submitted to various comparison tests of the severest nature. And in every instance has been triumphant. The Welte-Mignons Model of The Autopiano (licensee) was, therefore, a great achievement in a double sense, in that it had artistic possibilities, second to none. Vessels in the United States and foreign navies purchased and used these Autopiano's, I found info on an old Advertising card showing U.S Battleship Fleet leaving Hampton Roads on its "around the world cruise," the card is tinted brown, on back is advertising for Autopiano, noting that every battleship possessed an Autopiano for entertainment.
first pneumatic piano player with mechanical fingers, and had punched folding
cards for the tune sheets. The system was based on technology developed for
card- operated looms.
1896 Perhaps the first pneumatic player pianos, by Thompson.
1897 Army & Navy Co-Operative Society's catalogue includes an ad for
Fourneaux's Pianista.
Enhanced enlargement of the Pianista against a piano.
1899 Thompson's pneumatic piano-player.
1900 From the beginning of the century until the war, there were an enormous
number of patents and inventions for players.
Our player piano is called An "Andrea, Auto-Piano" sold in England, By Howards Ltd of Manchester. The control functions that are written near the all the knobs, are in German. Howards Ltd of Manchester England was owned by a person named Samuel Howard, who has initialed the serial number #3383 (SHO) of our 'Andrea Auto-Piano. Sometime between 1899 and 1904. at this time Samuel Howard became 'Howards Ltd' (1951 Howards Ltd, 58 Oldham street, Manchester England). In 1905 Auto-Piano established a new Factory in New York USA. I have seen another Player Piano from this New York factory dated 1905, That looks alot like ours. Since he used German on the knobs. To create a European ambiance of Quality , Why wouldn't he use a brass 'Made in Manchester' name plaques in New York.
The Waldorf Piano Company, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, 1908, owned and controlled by the Autopiano Company, manufactures one style player-piano and an expression player-piano, sponsored and vouched for by the Autopiano Company, thus assuring first-class material and workmanship. The Waldorf player wholesales at a very reasonable price. The financial standing of the Waldorf Piano Co. is unquestioned. Welte-Mignon of Germany licensed more than 100 American companies to use its action including the Baldwin piano company. There were a few other reproducing actions made by other American companies but they were short-lived. The heyday of the self-contained player piano was from about 1910 to 1925. During this period, a high percentage of all pianos made in the United States were players uprights and grands alike. A number of companies produced player actions for regular piano companies. Among these were Standard Pneumatic Action Co., Pratt-Read Player Action co., and Auto Pneumatic Action Co. (Autopiano). Many of the large piano manufacturers produced their own player actions, including Aeolian, Baldwin, Gulbransen, Kimball, and Story and Clark. There were certain limitations to the regular player piano, the primary one being that it did not have the ability to reproduce the expression of a concert pianist. What was sought after was a piano that could accurately produce all the nuances that would occur during a pianists performance such as changes in volume, intensity and speed. Hence, the reproducing piano was invented. The reproducing pianos purpose was to re-create or reproduce the pianists playing without sounding mechanical. The reproducing piano is basically a regular player piano with the addition of expression control mechanisms and an electric pump. Three major manufacturers sold their products in American. These were: the American Piano Company, makers of the Ampico; the Aeolian Company, manufacturers of the Duo-Art; and the Auto-Pneumatic Action Company, makers of the Welte-Mignon licensee mechanism. AUTOPIANO
Auto-piano One of the strongest and most enterprising of the American player- piano industries. The success of this factory had been such that the factory floor space embraced more than 300,000 square feet with an annual capacity of 10,000 player pianos. The Autopiano Company had for years exported its popular product to sections of the world, and the Autopiano was notable for its remarkable expression capabilities and staunch durability. It resisted the climatic extremes of the Arctic regions and the tropical zone equally well.
Being manufactured by player-piano specialists, in large factories devoted exclusively to the manufacture of player-pianos, and having an expert knowledge of the exact requirements of the foreign trade, were all leading reasons why the Autopiano Company proposition was unusually attractive and appealing. The Autopiano line embraced a comprehensive assortment of prices and styles, including upright players, reproducing pianos and grand player-pianos. This company manufactured the Autopiano, the Autopiano Electric Expression, the Autopiano Grand, the Autopiano Welte-Mignon (licensed), the Autopiano Welte-Mignon (licensee) Grand, and the Pianist Player-piano.
It was said that there were twice as many Autopiano's in use as any other player piano. The Autopiano was a thoroughly high grade piano, containing a player mechanism of marvelous attainments in which a great number of patented devices that make possible interpretation of the highest order on the Autopiano. The Autopiano received the highest awards at the following expositions: Grand Highest Award, Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exhibition, 1909; Grand Prix, Rotterdam, Holland, International Musical Exhibition, 1909; Gold Medal, Manchester, England, Industrial Exhibition, 1910; Gold Medal. Manchester Coronation Exhibition, 1911; Highest Award, Appalachian Exposition, Knoxville, Tenn., 1911; Gold Medal, Second Insular Fair, Porto Rico, 1911; Festival of Empire, London, England, 1911; Grand Prix, International Exposition, Petrograd, Russia, 1911; Grand Premix, International Exposition, Turn Italy, 1911; Gold Medal, International Exhibition, Leeds, England, ibis; Grand Prix and Diploma of Honor, Anglo-American Exhibition at London, England, in 1914; and the Gold Medal and Diploma of Honor, International Exposition at Lyons, France 1914. The State Commissioners of more than twenty States officially selected the Ethiopian for they're, respective State Buildings at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, Ca. , 1915. The New Mexico and Washington State Buildings of the Panama-California Exposition, San Diego, Cal. 1915, also officially selected the Autopiano. In addition to this practically universal selection at these last two named exposition. , The Autopiano received at the San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Exposition the following awards: (1) The medal of Honor; (2) Gold Medal; (S) Silver Medal.
The Autopiano was also an official purveyor to the royal families of Japan and is in the palaces of Prince Shidlnadya and Prince ITO; they also enjoy this distinction in Korea where Prince Ye of the reigning dynasty had an Autopiano in his palace. Puccini used an Autopiano, and Victor Herbert the composer expressed his appreciation of this instrument.
AUTOPIANO - WELTE- MIGNON
As a player, using any eighty-eight note music roll, it was the Autopiano itself, electrically pumped. As a reproducing piano using the Welte-Mignon reproducing record, it presented the exact "tonal portrait" of the artist. Every gradation of tone, every change of the tempo, every dynamic modification was unerringly reproduced. The world's master pianists, most eminent composers recorded their art for the Welte-Mignon Model of The Autopiano.
This company of distinguished musicians includes Paderewski, Hofmann, Busoni, dePachmann. D'Albert, Lhevinne. Bloomfield-Zeisler, Sauer, Gabrilowitsch, Scharwenka, Ganz, Schelling, Caireno, Spross, Grieg, R. Strauss, Samaroff, Epstein, Fryer, Mero, LaForge, Saint)Saens, Leschetizky, Debussy, Leoncavallo, Lamond, Nikisch, Humperdinck and many others, as well as all the late popular lists played by New York's finest jazz artists.
The remarkable effects produced by the Welt-Mignon Model of the Autopiano (licensed) were made possible by the use of the Auto de Luxe Welte-Mignon player mechanism (licensee). The faithful recording of the artist's performance are procured by a secret process. How carefully the secret is guarded is demonstrated by the fact that no other reproducing piano has been able to approximate the results achieved through the Welt-Mignon mechanism, using the Welt Artist reproducing records. This instrument has been submitted to various comparison tests of the severest nature. And in every instance has been triumphant. The Welte-Mignons Model of The Autopiano (licensee) was, therefore, a great achievement in a double sense, in that it had artistic possibilities, second to none. Vessels in the United States and foreign navies purchased and used these Autopiano's, I found info on an old Advertising card showing U.S Battleship Fleet leaving Hampton Roads on its "around the world cruise," the card is tinted brown, on back is advertising for Autopiano, noting that every battleship possessed an Autopiano for entertainment.