page_title: Weber Piano Company
section_title: Weber Piano Company under Albert Weber Sr.
hierarchical_section_title: Weber Piano Company / History / Weber Piano Company under Albert Weber Sr.
caption_attribution_description: English: Weber Piano Fortes - 1860s Weber Square Piano Advertisement
context_page_description: The Weber Piano Company is a former piano manufacturing company based in New York City and East Rochester, New York from the middle of the 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century, and continued as a division of Aeolian-American at East Rochester, New York until 1985, when Aeolian went out of business.
  The Weber name was then sold to South Korean piano company Young Chang, which in turn sold the Weber name to Samsung Group in 1987. Young Chang remains responsible for manufacturing the pianos, which are sold in two product lines: Weber, with entry-level and mid-level pianos, and Albert Weber, with higher-level products.
context_section_description: The Weber Piano Company was founded in 1852 by Albert Weber (born: July 8, 1829, Heiligenstadt, Bavaria; died: June 25, 1879, New York). Weber emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, and while his first intent was to support himself by teaching music and playing the organ, he soon was employed first as an apprentice of Charles J. Holder, a piano builder, and then as a piano builder by the D.J. Van Winkle piano company. During this time, Weber supplemented his income by giving music lessons in the evenings, and by playing the organ in churches on Sundays. In 1851, he set up a small piano business on West Broadway and White Street, in Manhattan. On October 1, 1851, Weber completed his first piano, working with two assistants, and by the beginning of 1852, they had completed five additional pianos. In 1852, Weber moved to a larger facility at 103 W. Broadway & 28 Jones Street.
  A fire destroyed Weber's Broadway workshop in 1854, but Weber stayed in the Manhattan area, moving to 103rd & 105 W. Broadway, and later to 155 W. Broadway. By 1864 Weber had achieved some success with the then-popular "square grand piano", and opened a larger factory nearby at 41 Wooster Street in Manhattan, and later expanded that facility several times. Between 1864 and 1869, Weber's pianos became popular in New York music circles. In 1869, Weber opened a large, luxurious showroom on 108 Fifth Avenue and 16th street in New York City. This was seen as a bold move by Weber's larger competitors, but it paid off, establishing the Weber brand as a premium product in the mind of customers. This new location became a "rendezvous of musical people" and Weber became wealthy. Weber's products were arguably some of the highest-quality pianos of their day, famous for fine materials and exacting attention to detail. Lacking a background in piano construction, Weber focused on proven methods of piano construction as opposed to innovative new ideas. Weber's pianos were also some of the most expensive of the day – the price of a Rococo Weber Grand Piano in 1874 was $1,400, approximately the cost of a large mansion.
  As Weber's business grew, his pianos received recognition.  The company received medals at the Philadelphia Worlds Fair (1876), the London World's Fair (1887) and the Paris World's Fair (1889). Weber also advertised his pianos aggressively, and is believed to have coined the term "Baby Grand" to describe a small grand piano. Weber was described as a skilled pianist, with genuine enthusiasm for music. He was well-educated and well-read, and was described as "a keen observer of men and things, [and] a most interesting entertainer". Weber was also a socialite, founding the Arcadian Club in New York, as well as being a member of the Manhattan Club, the Palette Club, the Arion Society, and the Liederkranz Society.
  Albert Weber died relatively young, at the age of 50. Like many creative professionals, Weber was highly passionate about his work; however, this came at a cost to his health. He worked long hours, and also attended opera, theaters, and clubs at night. Described as having a "Bohemian" temperament, it may be that Weber's health failed due to his hard work and restlessness, or it may that he taxed his body with various vices such as smoking and drinking. According to his obituary, he was ill for nearly a year before he died, with the final nine weeks being serious enough to cause him to withdraw from his business.
  At the time of his death, Weber lived at No. 32 West Nineteenth Street in New York, and his remains were interred at Green-Wood Cemetery. Weber's funeral was attended by over 300 employees, friends, and family. Weber's fortune, estimated at over $1 million (about $24 million in 2012 dollars), provided a comfortable living for his widow, Martha Weber (Maiden name: Martha Woodward), and his three children, Albert Weber Jr., Martha Weber, and Robina Weber.
  Less than a year after Weber's death, however, a suit was brought against the estate by an alleged illegitimate child – Miss Josephine Todd – who claimed that she was Weber's daught
caption: Weber Piano Fortes – 1860s Weber Square Piano Advertisement
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