Faith in the industry and the conviction that the piano industry needed someone to keep the venerable manufacturers in operation, Aeolian has acquired companies which would not otherwise have survived.ĭuring 1960 the work force included only excellent craftsmen under the direction of people who had been associated with these fine makes for many years, thus preserving unimpaired the Individual and distinctive quality of each piano. Heller and associates acquired the Sears interest and devoted the production to defense work during World War II. in 1903, the firm became affiliated with Sears Roebuck and Co. in 1899, later incorporated as Winter & Co. and Memphis, Tenn.Īeolian probably produced more instruments than any other company in the U.S. Factories were located at East Rochester N.Y., Worchester Ma. Instruments made by Aeolian American Division enjoyed an unquestioned reputation throughout the worldĪEOLIAN – AMERICAN CORPORATION – Founded 1932Īeolian – American was the consolidation of the American Piano Company, Aeolian Piano Company formerly Winter & Company, and Weber Piano Company. Aeolian was one of America’s largest producers of grand pianos. of space situated on over eight acres of land occupied and devoted exclusively to the manufacture of only pianos since 1906. The manufacturing facilities at East Rochester consist of over 250,000 sq. Piano lines controlled and manufactured by this Division listed alphabetically include Chickering & Sons, Wm.
This name is known the world over in connection with musical instruments, It is applied to some of the various products of the Aeolian Company of New York which instruments of renown included the Duo Art Pianola, Weber Pianola, Steck Pianola, Wheelock Pianola, Stuyvesant Pianola, Steinway Duo Art Pianola, Stroud Pianola the Aeolian Orchestrelle and the Aeolian Pipe Organ it also controlled the Meludee Music Co., Inc., and the Universal Music Co.ĪEOLIAN-AMERICAN DIVISION OF AEOLIAN CORP. By this time everyone got into the act, and every piano maker so manufactured a player of some sort. Within a few short years, the push up”players disappeared from the scene. It wasn’t long after the turn of the century that it was deemed desirable to “miniaturize” the clumsy Pianola and other similar, instruments so that they could be built directly inside the pianos. With four page color advertisements (almost unheard of in that day) published in the popular magazines, he literally stunned the piano industry with the message that here, indeed, was the answer to everyone’s prayer for music in the home! Tremaine and Pianola built an enormous business empire over the next thirty years. With the newly perfected “Pianola,’ he launched an aggressive advertising campaign which was entirely new to the stodgy piano business. His son took over in 1899 and immediately set about to apply his own business acumen to the company’s affairs. He founded the “Aeolian Organ and Music Company” around 1888 the firm achieved considerable success with larger instruments and organs.
Tremaine’s father had built a successful small business making and cranked table-top-sized mechanical organs, a very popular item in homes in the late 1800’s. Tremaine was a business genius who brought about the commercial exploitation of the piano player on a big scale. Name brands built in East Rochester include Chickering & Sons, J & C Fischer, Wm. Combined they made a great and powerful contribution to the art of music, for each of the great instruments they produced will continue providing magnificent music for generations to come.
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The manufacturing facilities at East Rochester was comprised of a series of separate and individual factories planned so that manufacturing of the various instruments was carried on in an entirely individual and distinct manner, and by separate organizations, each under direction of men who had been associated with each respective make for many years, thus preserving, unimpaired, the individual and distinctive qualities of each piano.
All Baldwin Upright or Vertical Pianos – Does not include Hamilton Studios or Baldwin Grand Pianos.ĪEOLIAN/AEOLIAN – AMERICAN Est. Regis, Sargent, Schroeder, Valley Gem and Winton).