William Steinway: Difference between revisions
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==Germany== |
==Germany== |
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[[File:Rotunda_interior_steinway_hall_nyc_mia_laberge_art_case_piano.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] of the Steinway Hall on |
[[File:Rotunda_interior_steinway_hall_nyc_mia_laberge_art_case_piano.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] of the Steinway Hall on 57th Str. in New York City with artist [[Mia LaBerge]]'s ''Madison Bluestone'' [[Steinway & Sons#Art case pianos|art case piano]] in the foreground]] |
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Steinway was born in [[Seesen]], [[Braunschweig|Brunswick]], the fourth son of [[Henry Engelhard Steinway]]. In [[Germany]], he received an elementary education, and was also given instruction in languages and music. He then became an [[apprentice]] in a piano factory, where he spent two years.<ref name=appletons>{{Cite Appletons'|Steinway, William|year=1900}}</ref> |
Steinway was born in [[Seesen]], [[Braunschweig|Brunswick]], the fourth son of [[Henry Engelhard Steinway]]. In [[Germany]], he received an elementary education, and was also given instruction in languages and music. He then became an [[apprentice]] in a piano factory, where he spent two years.<ref name=appletons>{{Cite Appletons'|Steinway, William|year=1900}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 20:22, 3 September 2010
William Steinway (born Wilhelm Steinweg) | |
|---|---|
 William Steinway and family | |
| Born | March 5, 1835 |
| Died | November 30, 1896 (aged 61) |
| Other names | Wilhelm Steinway |
| Known for | Establishing the success in marketing of the company Steinway & Sons |
William Steinway, also Wilhelm Steinway, (March 5, 1835 – November 30, 1896), son of Steinway & Sons founder Henry E. Steinway, was a businessman and civic leader who was influential in the development of Astoria, New York.
Germany
Steinway was born in Seesen, Brunswick, the fourth son of Henry Engelhard Steinway. In Germany, he received an elementary education, and was also given instruction in languages and music. He then became an apprentice in a piano factory, where he spent two years.[1]
Steinway & Sons
He came to the United States with his father and brothers in 1850. With his father and his brothers Charles and Henry, he founded the firm of Steinway & Sons in 1853. In 1889, he became the head of the firm. In 1866, Steinway erected Steinway Hall to make a place for the exhibition of the highest musical skill.[1] It was a huge success for the company. He also founded the Steinway Concert & Artist department, which is still working today.
In 1870 William began building a company town, Steinway Village, on 400 acres (1.6 km2) in northern Astoria, New York. Avoiding the crowded streets and labor problems associated with operating in Manhattan, he directed the construction of the Steinway Piano Factory on this land, a large facility still in operation today. Near the factory was housing for his workers, a church, library and kindergarten as well as a public trolley line. In 1939, a resort area which Steinway developed just east of Astoria, in North Beach, was converted into North Beach Airport, later renamed LaGuardia Airport.
On January 21, 1896, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria issued an Imperial Warrant to William Steinway.
Mercedes cars
William Steinway and Gottlieb Daimler were both driven by the desire to produce the very best in their respective fields and by the time they met in 1888, both had established companies with growing reputations for providing, respectively, the most finely crafted pianos and the best engineered cars.[2]
The Steinway family had emigrated to the USA in 1850 and the quality of their instruments had rapidly made Steinway the brand of choise for professionals and, with the country's increasing numbers of wealthy entrepreneurs, a Steinway piano was to be found in many a well-heeled amateur's sitting room.[2] Similarly, Daimler's Mercedes cars had become increasing sought after by discerning motorists in Europe, but Daimler knew that they had potential markets in many other countries around the world and, from very early on, was looking far beyound the European borders.
Both men understood the importance of the American market – one from within the USA, the other from outside – but it was not long before the meeting between the two would result in a unique enterprise. As early as 1876, the gifted designer and Daimler confidant Wilhelm Maybach had come to know William Steinway. During a stay in Germany in 1888, Steinway also made the acquaintance of Gottlieb Daimler and their conversations would invariably revolve around one subject: production of Daimler engines in America. Steinway, like Daimler, quite rightly believed these was a bright future for the internal combustion engine and automobile.
After William Steinway returned to America, plans quickly materialized. On September 29, 1888, Daimler Motor Co, New York, was founded and initially produced gas and petroleum engines for stationary and marine applications. The two entrepreneurs also started seriously considering the production of automobiles in America, as "old-world" automobiles were highly coveted there, but they were expensive due to shipping costs and customs duties.
Daimler was, naturally, keen on developing new markets for his vehicles, and thus, the American Mercedes, which was basically a reproduction of the European 45 hp Mercedes, first appeared at the National Automobile Show in New York in January, 1905.[2] The car featured a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) a 4 cylinder engine of 6.8 liters displacement and four speed transmission. In the same month H.L. Bowden established a speed record of 110 mph (175 km/h) average over a mile, with flying start in a car with a double Mercedes 60 hp engine at Daytona Beach, Florida.[2]
The first vehicle sold was in 1906, painted red, at a price of US$ 7,500. The USA had been the best market for the Mercedes Cars worldwide taking 25 % of the output in the early years with cars sold to the Vanderbilt family and the Astor family among others.[2]
An early advertisement asserted "If you want the best, of course you want a foreign car. The American Mercedes is the car for speed, power and noiseless running. It is the acme of reliability." Some things change over time, but the values extolled in these early advertisements are still embodied today in Mercedes cars.[2]
Today, the hand polished wood inside the Daimler AG company's luxury top brand cars named Maybach is made by Steinway's factory in Hamburg, Germany.[3]
Public Transit
During the 1890s, Steinway began a project to extend his company town's horse-drawn trolley line under the East River and into midtown Manhattan. This project would eventually lead to the IRT Flushing Line. Although he died before the completion of the project, the tunnels that were dug under the East River were named the Steinway Tunnels after him. The dirt removed from the tunnels was formed into a small island in the middle of the East River, now called U Thant Island. Steinway served as head of the New York Subway Commission, the group that planned the New York City Subway network.
Legacy
William Steinway died on November 30, 1896[4], and was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery. Main Street in Astoria has been renamed Steinway Street in his honor, and today a station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line (E, F, M, and R trains) is named Steinway Street.
References
- ^ a b
Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Steinway & Sons – Owners' Magazine, 2009, p. 95.
- ^ "Top Gear - Maybach 62.wmv", YouTube. January 17, 2010.
- ^ Find A Grave
External links
- Steinway & Sons official website
- Greater Astoria Historical Society bio on Steinway
- SCENES/Steinway/steinway.html Forgotten NY- Mr. Steinway, Meet Mr. Kreischer
- Forbes Magazine article on Steinway
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