Charles Blasius & Sons piano factory photographs
Creation: circa 1895Abstract
Charles Blasius & Sons was a piano manufacturer founded in Philadelphia in 1855. In 1887, they bought the trade name "Albrecht," which was one of the oldest piano makers in the United States. Blasius also made pianos under their own brand name, as well as "Ideal" and "Regent." This small collection consists of one exterior view and thirteen interior views of the Woodbury, New Jersey piano factory, taken by commercial photographer James L. Dillon (1858-1942) around 1895.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1895
Creator
- Dillon, James L., 1858-1942 (Photographer, Person)
- Charles Blasius & Sons (Organization)
Extent
14 item(s)
Physical Description
14 albumen silver prints : b&w ; 10.25 x 13.75 in. on board 14 x 17 in.
Historical Note
Charles Blasius & Sons was a piano manufacturer founded in Philadelphia in 1855. Their warerooms were located at 1001, 1103, and 1119 Chestnut Street. In 1887, they bought the trade name "Albrecht," which was one of the oldest piano makers in the United States. Blasius also made pianos under their own brand name, as well as "Ideal" and "Regent." Sometime between 1913 and 1918, they were bought by the Rice-Wuest Company, which continued making pianos until they went out of business at some unknown time.
Biographical Note
James L. Dillon (1858-1942) was a commercial photographer in Philadelphia. He is listed in Philadelphia city directories as having his own business at 1017 Chestnut Street between 1893 and 1922. His stamp appears on all but one of the photographs in this collection.
Scope and Contents
One photograph shows the exterior of the piano factory in Woodbury, New Jersey. The other thirteen photographs show interior views of various departments, six of which are labeled. They are the "stringing department," "back-building department," "grand action finishing department," "sounding-board department," "side gluing department," and the "grand & carving department." All the photographs show workers.
Existence and Location of Copies
View this collection online in the Hagley Digital Archives.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Language of Materials
English
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Author:
- Jon Williams
- Date:
- 2006
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2023: Laurie Sather
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository
