Mason and Hamlin is a piano manufacturer based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. A short grand piano, with the top up. ...

History

The nineteenth century

Mason & Hamlin was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1854 by Henry Mason, son of Lowell Mason, the American hymn composer and musical educator, and Emmons Hamlin, a mechanic and inventor who had worked for melodeon makers Prince & Co. in Buffalo, New York.^[1] “Boston” redirects here. ... Portrait of Lowell Mason Lowell Mason (1792-1872) was a leading figure in American church music, the composer of over 1600 hymns, many of which are often sung today. ... A melodian is a type of 19th century reed organ with a foot-operated vacuum bellows, and a piano keyboard. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State County Government  - Mayor Byron Brown (D) Area  - City 52. ...

They originally manufactured only melodeons,^[2] but in 1855 introduced the organ-harmonium or flat-topped cabinet organ. This design placed the bellows vertically and underneath the reeds, and served as the model for the suction operated American-style reed organ.^[3] By the early 1870s they were considered the largest and most important manufacturer of reed organs, employing about 500 and producing as many as 200 instruments a week.^[1] A reed organ is an organ that generates its sounds using free metal reeds, similar to an accordion. ...

Mason & Hamlin began manufacturing pianos in 1883, initally only upright pianos which featured a patented screw stringer method of tuning and maintaining string tension.^[4] In 1895, the piano department was completely reorganized by Richard W. Gertz, who had designed new scales for them earlier that year. Gertz was elected secretary of the company in 1903, and president in 1906,^[5] and patented the tension resonator, a device meant to prevent sounding boards from flattening which was first applied to grands in 1900 and which continues to be used in all Mason & Hamlin pianos.

The twentieth century

By the turn of the 20th century, the Golden Age of the Piano was in full force and the most illustrious concert artists of the day aligned themselves with piano manufacturers. Sergei Rachmaninoff's 1924 recording of his Second Piano Concerto was made using a Mason & Hamlin. Composer Maurice Ravel said of Mason & Hamlin pianos, “While preserving all the qualities of the percussion instrument, the Mason & Hamlin pianoforte also serves magnificently the composer’s concept by its extensive range in dynamics, as well as quality of tone. It is not short of being a small orchestra. In my opinion, the Mason & Hamlin is a real work of art.”^[6] Many piano aficionados today prize Mason and Hamlins made during this period. Portrait of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1925) by Konstantin Somov This article is about the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. ... Maurice Ravel. ...

In 1930, Mason & Hamlin became part of the giant Aeolian American Piano Company. The depression hit piano manufacturers hard, and in 1932, Aeolian closed the original Mason & Hamlin factory in Boston, although they continued applying the brand to pianos made elsewhere.^[7] World War II brought the American piano industry to a halt, since basic piano building materials like iron had to used for the war effort. Mason & Hamlin turned from making pianos to building airplane gliders. This continued until the end of the war.^[8] Beginning in 1945, Mason & Hamlin pianos were made in the Aeolian American plant in East Rochester, New York. Between 1983 and 1995, Mason & Hamlin changed ownership several times. Coordinates: Country United States State New York County Monroe Settled 1897 (as Despatch) Incorporated 1906 Government  - Mayor David Bonacchi Area  - Town/Village  1. ... This article is about the state. ...

Since 1996, Mason & Hamlin has been a subsidiary of Burgett, Inc., which also owns PianoDisc, a maker of reproducing piano systems of the same name. Mason & Hamlin manufactures its pianos in Haverhill, Massachusetts and distributes them throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. Mason & Hamlin is a member of NAMM, the International Music Products Association and PMAI (Piano Manufacturers Association International).^[8] Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Essex County Settled 1640 Incorporated 1641 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor James J. Fiorentini Area  - City  35. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The NAMM (National Association of Musical Merchants) Show is the largest musical trade show in the world. ...

Today

In January 2007, Mason & Hamlin added a new Model B (162.6 cm, 5'4") to its already successful family of four grand piano models; the Model A (174cm, 5'8.5"), the Model AA (193cm, 6'4"), the Model BB (212cm, 6'11.5"), and the Model CC-94 (285cm, 9'4").^[9] Various woods and finishes are available. The A and BB Models are also available in an art case. The company also offers one upright piano model, the 50" Model 50.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Cabinet and Parlor Organs" The Great Industries of the United States J. Burr & Hyde, Hartford. 1872 p.109-121
2. ^ Samuel Atkins Eliot A History of Cambridge, Massachusetts The Cambridge Tribune, Cambridge MA 1913. p.297-298
3. ^ Robert F. Gellerman The American Reed Organ and the Harmonium The Vestal Press, New York. 1996. p.19
4. ^ "Improved Upright Pianos" The Manufacturer and Builder vol.16, no. 12, December 1884 p.282-283
5. ^ Alfred Dolge Pianos and their Makers vol.2, Covina Publishing Company, Covina CA. 1913. p.144-150
6. ^ "History", Mason & Hamlin Official Website, 2007. Accessed June 2, 2007.
7. ^ Larry Fine, The Piano Book. ISBN 1-929145-01-2
8. ^ ^{a b} "Mason & Hamlin", Grove Music Online, 2007. Accessed June 2, 2007. (Requires subscription).
9. ^ "Our Pianos", Mason & Hamlin Official Website, 2007. Accessed June 2, 2007.

is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...

External links

• Mason & Hamlin Official Website