Steinway & Sons Pianos
When it comes to famous piano brands, very few names would be at the same level as Steinway & Sons. Pianists, musicians, artisans, piano movers, and almost all artsy people know the name, and is equated to quality, elegance, style, and performance.
Steinway & Sons is a German/American piano manufacturer founded in 1853 by Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg. Steinweg, who emigrated to America in 1850, was a piano maker in his homeland, and made pianos under the name “Steinweg”. He and his family moved to the U.S., however his son Christian stayed to continue his father's legacy in Germany. 3 years upon arriving in New York, Steinweg founded Steinway & Sons, and quickly began production of the first piano, which was named the 483, to commemorate the 483rd piano made by Steinweg since he started in Germany. The piano was sold for $500, a large amount at the time, and gave a sign of what's to come for the company.
In just one year the demand rose significantly, and soonafter it prompted the company to build a new factory and lumber yard, just to keep up with the demand. But production wasn't the only priority of Steinway, as many improvements and advancements were also made during this time. Acoustics, durability, even design and style were vastly improved, and Steinway was one of the driving forces behind the developments. They won 130 patents for their inventions and improvements, winning many awards in many cities, receiving over 35 medals in the U.S. alone.
Steinway & Sons soon created a professional community in Queens, New York, to further their production, with the original factory still open and working to this day. During the turn of the century, Steinway & Sons has improved their production dramatically, becoming one of the biggest piano makers of the era. Though the decades that followed would result in a rise, fall, and rise again of their production, as well as a number of owners, Steinway remains, to this day, one of the most popular piano brands. The original pianos made over 100 years ago fetch for large amounts today, and the modern pianos made each become instant classics in their own right.