Walter Villiers Luck Apollo Works

[thelarch]

It seems now he had an empire based around the Apollo Piano Company. The origins of this company started with Emil Ascherberg of Dresden, who was originally a linen draper who put together a few good pianos made with industrial components, his successor, after 1880 was the Apollo Piano Company which took the front page of the Zeitschrift fur Instrimentenbau with an advertisement in German, French, Dutch and English seeking ‘firms which are in a position to do justice to and to push the Apollo Pianos’, in other words piano resellers. Just at what point Walter became involved is somewhat clear by the evidence, but the Apollo Piano Company first became truly prominent in America after 1900 and the name ‘was first used by Melville Clark Piano Co of De Kaib, Illinois. The name Apollo has been for some years past, the name of a very high grade line of grand pianos and reproducing grand pianos manufactured by The Apollo Piano Company. The name is now known principally as a brand of a reproducing mechanism of the highest order of perfection.’
My analysis that it was Walters Company originally has been confirmed by another source below. Apart from his 1882 premises Luck & Co Pianoforte Manufacturing, Leyton Rd. Newtown located at 2 The Grove, He had manufacturing shops by 1886 in several streets in Finsbury Square, London. Namely 75 to 85 Tabernacle Street; 1 to 14 Short Street & 5 to 12 Wood Street, Finsbury
He took control of a longstanding company called Avill & Smart who had formally been at these addresses since 1865, modernized them by introducing the standard parts supplied by Ascherberg, and may have still had an interest in the company after moving to Aussie, as there he became an import/ export Merchant of music. By 1879 the group of addresses at Finsbury were known as ‘Apollo Works’ and Walters own house at 3 the Grove was called Apollo House. (1881 census) But by 1892 Avill & Smart were again making pianos at 75 to 85 Tabernacle Street. In 1888 Avill & Smart received a medal at the Anglo-Danish Exhibition.

Some information from The Piano: a history by Cyril Ehrlich.

Walter Villiers divorce was in 1887 and I presume between then and his marriage to Amelia in Victoria 1898, they moved to Australia. And I’m fairly certain he imported Apollo pianos into Australia by Avill & Smart or the Apollo Piano Company, which he most likely still had shares in.

Email: PianoPage History:

‘At some point, Walter Grover was in partnership with his father as Grover & Grover, and they also owned the Avill & Smart piano factory.

1879 Walter's son Douglas Grover was born at Apollo Works, Tabernacle Square, London, in the house attached to the Avill & Smart factory. Douglas, the third generation of piano-making Grovers, was destined to spend a remarkable working career of 75 years in the piano industry.

It is not clear how all this fits in with the history of Avill & Smart.
1880 Avill & Smart were at Apollo Works, Tabernacle Square, Finsbury EC.

1886 Not listed. Walter Villiers Luck was at 75 to 85 Tabernacle
Street; 1 to 14 Short Street & 5 to 12 Wood Street, Finsbury EC.
Luck does not appear in our other lists, including 1880 and 1892, but Avill & Smart were making pianos at 75 to 85 Tabernacle Street in 1892.’

Information on the Web tells us that Walter Villiers Luck manufactured harmoniums and reed organs and that his business was situated at Chobham Road, Stratford in 1879, Romford Road, Stratford in 1880 and at Apollo House, Broadway, Stratford and at 21 Stratford Grove between 1886 - 1887. He sold his Apollo Works business to James Grover of W & F Grover in 1885. W & F Grover were at 150 The Grove, Stratford, London East and built piano’s and harmoniums. The London street directory shows that Broadway, Stratford becomes The Grove and Romford Road goes off Broadway. Chobham Road is five streets away and goes off Leytonstone Road, which is a continuation of The Grove. (21 Stratford Grove should read 21 The Grove, Stratford). Like so many men of little means but clear vision during the industrial revolution of the 19th century, Walter Luck made his fortune.
Robert Ferris

[PaulHayes]

Hi, not sure how to proceed so I am just asking this question; I have a harmonium, made by the Imperial Piano and Organ co. ltd London. How can I find out to which key it is tuned?

[Bill Kibby]

This should really have been done as a NEW TOPIC, so that people who might help you can find it more easily.

I presume that what you mean is - what pitch is it tuned to. I can't imagine how that information would help you, a musician could play it and judge roughly how its pitch compares to modern standards.

It will not be tuned in a different KEY to modern instruments, it is probably somewhere in the cracks. If you know any musicians who use electronic tuning aids, some of those will tell you the frequency of a note.

An alternative is to record all the As on your phone, transfer the file to your computer, and email it to me.

You could also ask one of the various reed organ websites if they know.

[Colin Nicholson]

If you own an iPod/ iPhone .... you can download an app "Cleartune" - its only about £3-£4 to buy.

http://www.apkfullapps.com/2011/12/clea ... k-app.html

I sometimes use it to check Middle C only before tuning a piano, but I prefer to use a tuning fork for final checks.

If no iPod .... then simply buy a tuning fork; either A440 or C523.3 - strike the fork on your knee - listen - play the appropriate note. However - that's it! you can't tune it!

Depending on the age and condition of the harmonium, they are seldom in tune with other instruments - and if you wanted it tuned, the whole instrument would have to be sent away/ partly dismantled and tuned in a workshop. That's even the procedure for a piano accordion. No idea of cost either.

[vernon]

I know I am showing my age but we used to do harmoniums in the old days.
It's very simple to alter the pitch in the front room as follows;

supply yourself with a reed hook. This is a steel rod resembling a crochet hook.( make one)
Expose the bank/banks or reeds, generally the narrow panel along the front below the keys.
To raise the pitch draw the reeds in order and re-insert them one slot up. There you go. Semi-tone pitch raise. You'll lose a bottom note but I bet you can still get a reed somewhere. We had boxes of them

[vernon]

While you are at it, clean each reed with your best toothbrush and petrol after inserting a thin piece of plastic under the reed.
Suck it before re-insertion to ensure a good response and also.... no! I'll leave that there.