William Lindeman

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William Lindeman
William Lindeman

Wilhelm Lindeman (March 28, 1794 in Jöhstadt, Germany, on the Bohemian border - December 24, 1875) was a 19th century piano manufacturer who worked in New york City. The third son of Karl Gotthilf Lindemann, a preacher who was rector of the municipal school, Wilhelm learned cabinetmaking, and in 1812 moved to Vienna where he worked as a fancy cabinetmaker, and later moved to Munich working as a pianomaker for about a year, and subsequently for piano manufacturers Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig and Rosenkranz in Dresden before establishing his own shop. His small output was entirely wholesale, and he was unable to profit from his well regarded and innovative instruments.

Lindeman emigrated to New York City in 1834 but had difficulty finding work as a pianomaker due to language and hiring practices at the leading manufacturers, and instead worked tuning and regulating at Geib & Walker's music store. Within a year he was able to send for his family, and by 1836 he established a small factory at the corner of Bank and Fourth street, but removed to Long Island due to the bank crisis of 1837.

Lindeman reestablished himself at James Street, New York City in 1842, and within two years produced two pianos a week, and soon moved to larger premises at Centre street. In 1849, Lindeman made his oldest son Hermann a partner, and the firm moved to 56 Franklin street, and then to 171 and 173 Mercer street in 1859. In 1864 Henry and Ferdinand joined the company, reorganized as Lindeman & Sons, and recovering from severe financial difficulties brought on by the civil war they quickly doubled production to eight pianos a week and established new headquarters at 92 Bleecker street.

Herman patented a construction for cycloid pianos in 1860. These semi-circular square pianos with continuous bent laminated wooden frames gained Lindeman & Sons international attention at the 1867 Paris Universal Exposition, and their instruments earned gold medals at the American Institute Fairs in 1865 and 1867, the Indiana State Fair in 1865, from the Kansas Agricultural Society in 1863, and at Ohio State Fair in 1882. Herman established warerooms in Cincinnati in 1874 to promote their sales in western states.

William Lindeman died December 24, 1875. Henry Lindeman took over the company, and admitted his son Samuel G. Lindeman as partner in 1901.

[edit] References

  • "Der aelteste deutsche Pianofabrikant in Amerika" Der Deutsche Pioniere, Deutsche Pionier-Verein, Cincinnati, vol. 7 p132 (1875) (translated in Clifford N. Smith (1984) Early 19th Century German Settlers, German-Am Gen. Research Monograph nr. 20)
  • Edwards, Richard, ed. (1884) "Lindeman & Sons" New York's Great Industries, Historical Publishing Co., New York
  • Dolge, Alfred. (1911) Pianos and their Makers, Covina Publishing Co., Covina, CA.