From http://www.steinway.com/steinway/catalogue/leadership.shtml "The 19th century was an age of invention in which no improvement, no matter how innovative, could stand unchallenged for long. Thus began a tradition of Steinway technical development which has produced an uninterrupted flow of technical enhancements." "Card from John B. Dunham, "THE OVER-STRUNG GRAND PIANO CONTROVERSY. "An advertisement has appeared in the daily papers [NYT, Jan. 1, 1860] forbidding manufacturers of piano-fortes using the bass over-strings in their instruments. "This card is to inform the public and the manufacturers that the improvement of the over-strings in grand pianos is open to all, and that all the prolonged discussion of their merits as an American invention amount to nothing, as there is at the present time AN OVER-STRUNG GRAND PIANO, MADE IN RUSSIA SEVERAL YEARS AGO, in possession of a gentleman of this City, in whose house it has been for OVER TWO YEARS. "Parties desiring further information upon the subject can gain it by applying to the undersigned. "The subscriber will continue to furnish the overstrung grand Pianos to all who may desire them. "JOHN B. DUNHAM. Nos. 76 to 86 East 13th st., Near Broadway, New-York" (New York Times, Feb. 6, 1860) By 1865 they were marketing the patent agraffe arrangement as "the greatest improvement of modern times." Clark ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sucker-punch spam with award-winning protection. Try the free Yahoo! Mail Beta. http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/features_spam.html
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