Hi,
Below are several cuts about the Bent/Crown pianos from the "Presto
Piano Buyers Guide" (1926), which I think was referenced on this list
sometime back and is available (somewhere) in PDF format. Note that
while the PDF scans and reads properly, there are conversion problems
into EM, so that some letters and/or punctuation marks transfer inaccurately.
I've pulled just bits of descriptive parts from the introductions to
the two relevant sections of the book so that the entries make a bit
more sense. Perhaps needless to say...the writers engaged in a bit
of creative puffery in their laudatory paeans to these icons of
American Industry....:
+++++
IN THREE PARTS
This book consists of three parts or sections as follows:
Part One-Analytical Guide to Pianos and Player-Pianos,
arranged alphabetically.
Part Two--Llst of miscellaneous. unknown and trademark
pianos'.
Part Three-Industrial Section, in which the manufacturers
are classified, with officers' names. In cases of
Incorporations, and other Information which must be of
Interest to buyers of musical Instruments.
+++++
GEO. P. BENT CO.
This name is one of the most widelv known in cOlmection
with American pianos. The Gen. P. Hent Company
succeeded to the famous Chicago industry of the same
name which was established in 1870. Geo. P. Bent pianos
and player-pianos, including grands, are instruments of
unchallenged quality. The famous "Crown" piano had
won international fame before the Geo. P. Bent Co.
acquired it. The factory and offices are in Louisville,
Ky. The instruments are of the same fine character and
tone quality for which the Crown has long been noted.
Pianos, player-pianos and grand pianos are manufactured
and they are represented by responsible dealers in all
parts of the country. They have a large sale among the
l most discriminating classes of music lovers and the name.
ds a guarantee of satisfaction. The manufacturers are of
the most substantial financially and otherwise.
+++++
CROWN
Pianos which became famous by this name were for
many years manufactured by the industry controlled by
Mr. Geo. P. Bent of Chicago. The Ceo. P. Bent Co. is
now owned by the Adler Mf,. Co. of Louisville, Ky.,
which indu8try is now prodUCing the "Crown" piano of
long-time distinction. See Geo. P. Bent Co. in Part
One and also in Part Three of this book.
+++++
PART THREE
MANUFACTURERS OF
PIANOS AND PLAYER-PIANOS
Brief descriptions of the prominent American
piano industries whose instruments are
described in alphabetical order in Part One
of this book.
+++++
GEO. P. BENT COMPANY; established
1870; capital $100,000; N. P. Bloom, Pres.;
C. L. Adler, Vice-Pres.; Thos. Griffith,;,
Treas. Manufactures the Crown, Geo. P.
Bent, Concord and Blackstone pianos and
players. Factory, Louisville, Ky.
This extensive industry was established by Mr. Geo. P.
Bent in Chicago and was purchased by the present company
several years ago. The instruments produced are
all well established, and particularly the Geo. P. Bent
and Concord pianos have stood high with public and
trade for a great many years. The Geo. P. Bent Co. is
strong financially and the factory is perfectly equipped
for the manufacture of 3.000 instruments annually. The
aim is to produce only good pianos. and the company
is not in the "price" market. Financial and commercial
standing high.
+++++
Also, I'll second Fred's comment about the reliability of Pierce's
information. While I certainly use the Pierce Atlas for some things,
I also knew Bob Pierce and suspect that, however well meaning, he
often wound up simply repeating whatever hyperbole he found in
various ads, period trade magazines, and war stories he heard from
the (relatively) many Piano Travelers (another profession which no
longer exists as it once did) who came through Long Beach
(CA)...often specifically to see him.
Definitely the case that any number of relatively minor (and some
major) piano companies built larger pianos for prestige/image
promotion. The immense DD Mason & Hamlin springs to mind, but many
other makers from the last quarter of the 19th Cent seem to have done
similarly absurd things...who needed/wanted a >7" Wurlitzer? Now as
then, reality is a matter of perception.
Hope some of this is helpful in some way.
Kind regards.
Horace
At 07:52 PM 1/14/2012, you wrote:
>Sounds like Bent/Crown might be a possible guess, mostly based on
>the Louisville connection. Pierce Atlas connects the name with Crown
>of Chicago, with an additional factory in Louisville, and puts the
>founding date rather late - close to 1890. But Pierce isn't the most
>reliable source around.
>http://antiquepianoshop.com/online-museum/crown/ is another
>interesting source, Antique Piano Shop site, which has some catalogs
>of Crown - showing no grands, though, only uprights and reed organs.
>Their blurb places the founding at 1870 as well, which seems late,
>but not impossible, for a grand with those design attributes. It is
>certainly possible that any piano manufacturer might have made one
>or a few large grands as a prestige thing.
>
> Due to lack of interest and money for restoration, your advice
> seems reasonable. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely a museum other
> than perhaps a local historical sort of organization would be
> willing to take such an instrument in its condition.
>
> -------------------------------------------
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
>
fssturm@unm.edu
> "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination."
> - Einstein
> -------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------
> Original Message:
> Sent: 01-13-2012 10:31
> From: Paul Dempsey
> Subject: Re: Very Old Piano
>
>
> This name was one of the most widely known in connection with
> American pianos. This name was established in 1870. Geo.P.Bent
> pianos and player-pianos, including grands, are instruments of
> unchallenged quality. The famous "Crown" piano has won
> international fame before the Gen. P. Bent Co. acquired it. The
> factory and offices were located in Louisville, Ky. The instruments
> were of the same fine character and tone quality for which the
> Crown has long been noted. Pianos, player pianos and grand pianos
> are manufactured. This name was one of the most widely known pianos
> in connection with American pianos.
>I found this blurb in the "Bluebook of Pianos"???
> SN's begin in 1960 so that was pretty much of a dead end, which is
> where all of my research into "Bent" and Crown" pianos took me.
>
> Was there a factory in Louisville that made piano plates?
>
> There is no interest, or funds, available for any
> restoration....not that it should be even thought about.
> Seriously, I have never seen a soundboard/bridge set broken up as
> badly as this one.
>
> I told the owner that my considered opinion was that enough damage
> had been done and really the only option was to donate the
> instrument to a museum.
>
> With the meager info here, do y'all think this was OK advice?
> -------------------------------------------
> Paul E. Dempsey, RPT
> Piano Technician Senior
> Marshall University
> Music Department
> 1 John Marshall Dr.
> Huntington, WV 25701
> (304) 617-1149
>
dempsey@marshall.edu
> -------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
>