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Musical Instruments

As the largest musical instrument at the Exposition, the Emmons Howard organ in the Temple of Music was the most visible representation of the strength of the American musical instrument manufacturing industry at the turn of the century. The manufacture of pianos was in the midst of an increase that would reach its peak in 1909 with more than 364,000 pianos made in that year. The manufacture of reed organs, predominantly made for home use, reached a peak in 1904 with 113,000 built. The manufacture of band instruments was also increasing to meet the demand created by the proliferation of bands throughout the country.

Advertisement for performances in the "Liberal Art Building"

The Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building

The major opportunity for musical instrument makers to display their goods was at the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building. Approximately twenty instrument makers or suppliers exhibited their wares at this venue, including John C. Haynes & Co., C. G. Conn, Buescher Co., Ludwig & Co., Melville Clark Co., Krell Piano Co., and Kimball Co. The relatively new player piano and organ mechanisms were also on display, with Ludwig and Melville Clark exhibiting new player piano models, and Kimball and Aeolian Co. demonstrating their new models of player organs (with Aeolian displaying in the Mission Building). Another example of a mechanical instrument was the $10,000 orchestrion used in Frank C. Bostock's Midway attraction, the Golden Chariots.

Click here to see entire Aeolian booklet. Courtesy of Kerry S. Grant. The Aeolian line of player pipe organs, ranging in price from $3000 to $80000, was designed as an instrument for home use. The organ could be played by using music rolls or the keyboard. The descriptive booklet that Aeolian produced for the Exposition, Music and Art, includes a list of forty-two musical selections available in the catalog of over 10,000 titles. The daily program for the Thursday October 3rd organ recital by Frank Taft in the Mission Building shows musical selections that match those listed in Aeolian's list of available music rolls. This suggests that the performance was most likely one demonstrating the mechanical capability of the instrument rather than a "live" recital performed at the keyboard. Click on the program above to compare the works performed to the list of Aeolian titles in the booklet at right [see image 7].

Steinway & Sons built a special grand piano as a presentation instrument for New York State and its State Building at the Exposition. The New York State Building was the only building designed as a permanent structure at the Exposition. It still stands today as the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society building. The piano is adorned with the State Seal on its cover. .

The black and white photographs below show the piano as it was placed in the New York State Building during the Exposition. Notice the original attached lamp stands, which are now missing. The color photographs, taken with kind permission of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, show the piano as it stands a century later.

A related article by Robert Berkman about mechanical instruments and the phonograph is also available.

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