Engineering Department Records
name: label: Collection Donor
content: Nickse, Hugo
label: Collection Donor
content: Johnson, Hanford
label: Collection Creator
content: Comstock, Cheney and Co.
label: Collection Creator
content: Pratt, Read and Company
label: Collection Donor
content: Steinway, Henry Ziegler
setName: label: See more items in
content: Pratt, Read Corporation Records
label: See more items in
content: Pratt, Read Corporation Records / Series 3: Pratt, Read and Company, Pratt, Read and Company, Inc., and Pratt-Read Corporation
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1964 - 1964
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0320, Subseries 3.11
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT RECORDS, 1964, consist of customer files, interoffice correspondence, vendor files, and miscellaneous files.  They are a complete one year sample, chosen at random, of the Engineering Department records from a period of Pratt, Read's high postwar productivity.  The customer files are arranged alphabetically by name of company or individual to whom Pratt, Read supplied actions, keyboards, or components.  Several major piano and organ companies are included, such as Aeolian American, Janssen, Kimball, Lowrey, and Sohmer & Company.  The files consist of specifications, drawings, memos, and schedules for production.  The interoffice correspondence is that sent or received by A. W. Nordquist, Chief of the Manufacturing Engineering Section.  This correspondence deals with personnel questions, changes in specifications, customers' orders, and other routine matters.  The vendor files are correspondence, catalogues, price quotations, and other information sent to A. W. Nordquist from various supply houses.  Nordquist's miscellaneous files cover a variety of topics, including  inventories of shipments made to the company's Central, S. C., plant; plans for plastic spray on key coverings; personnel notices; the safety program; plastic key production schedules; and other engineering issues.  Also of interest is a file of drawings supplied to British Piano Actions, Ltd.