30 EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1915. 



first who succeeded in casting a full iron frame, in 1832, though 

 there has been some controversy regarding this fact. He, received a 

 second prize at the great London Exhibition of 1851. Meyer pianos 

 were made as late as 1888, at 1717 Chestnut Street, the business 

 having been continued by the two sons of Mr. Meyer. Loud <& 

 Brothers, square. No. 912, finished December 3, 1830. The Louds 

 were the most reputed piano makers of Philadelphia. D. B. Grove, 

 square, about 1830. Alpheus Babcook, square, No. 1517, made at 

 William Swift's pianoforte factory, Philadelphia, about 1835. This 

 is a creditable example of Babcock's superior skill. It contains the 

 iron frame patented by him in 1825, and well illustrates the ad- 

 vantageous use of iron to resist the tension of the strings, which are 

 all intact, and to prevent the twisting or warping of the woodwork. 



New York City. — John Geib & Son, square, about 1800. John 

 Geib was the head of this well known family of piano makers, wdiich 

 was connected with the piano business until 1870. 'Waites & Char- 

 ters, square, about 1805. This was one of New York's pioneer firms, 

 coming from London. John Ivearsing & Sons, square, about 1808 ; 

 one of the best preserved instruments of the early part of the 19th 

 century. The Kearsing family was affiliated with the piano industry 

 until 1857, and consisted of John, senior and junior, George and 

 Thomas. Samuel Neilson, about 1815, built on square lines. Rohh c& 

 Mundy, square, about 1824 ; a neat and well made instrument. ^Yil- 

 lia-m Geib, square. No. 6662, about 1825 ; an exquisite piece of work- 

 manship. Robert <& Williarn Nunns, three examples, namely, square, 

 about 1826 ; upright. No. 1223, about 1833 ; upright, No. 1444, about 

 1840. Considered among the leading manufacturers of their period, 

 and received a second prize at the great London Exhibition of 1851, 

 w^here they also exliibited a square piano with an overstrung scale. 

 No. 1223 is one of the first small, or piccolo, uprights made by an 

 American firm. Dubois <& Stodart, square, No. 243, about 1830. 

 Joseph Kohnle, upright, ^bout 1858; action constructed on entirely 

 new lines and every individual part wholly original. Kohnle adver- 

 tised himself as a pianist in 1856-57, and as a piano maker in 1858. 

 An instnmient similar in appearance, made by Pape, Paris, in 1839, 

 is exhibited at one of the museums in Copenhagen. Carhart, Need- 

 ham, & Co., double-bank melodeon, No. 4407, about 1858. 



Baltimore, Md. — ^Yalker, square, about 1811. He was the second 

 piano maker of Baltimore. James Stewart, two examples, both 

 square, the earlier. No. 275, finished June 2, 1812, the later about 

 1814 ; also made organs and upright pianos. Joseph Hishy, two ex- 

 amples, both square, one, No. 53, about 1820, the other about 1828. 

 Hisky, who advertised that he was a piano maker from Vienna, car- 

 ried on this business in Baltimore from 1819 to 1845. James Jen- 



