Welte firms & products
compiled by Robbie Rhodes
"There was never any consistency in the names
for the
Welte-Mignon instruments, nor for the firm."
-- Chas. D. Smith
Since 1865 a Welte showroom had existed in New York, managed by Edwin's uncle Emil, who didn't want to deal with his nephew's Mignon player. So in 1906 Edwin Welte went to New York to direct the marketing for the new Mignon products.
Edwin found that the copyright to the name Mignon was held
by another piano maker, Wm. Knabe & Co. Thus the instrument's
first name in the States was "The Welte Artistic Player Piano -- In Europe,
the Mignon". The advert below, featuring a testimonial by Venezuelan
aritiste Teresa Carreño, suggests that Welte soon licensed or otherwise
gained control of the name Mignon.
ca. 1906
Welte Artistic Player-Piano The Welte Artistic Player Piano Co. 18 East 17th Street, New York |
ca. 1907
The Welte Mignon Piano The Welte Artistic Player Piano Co. 398 5th Avenue, New York |
In the third advert, from 1911, is an early appearance of the hyphenated name Welte-Mignon, and also the first use in a Welte advert of another name and phrase, Autograph and The Welte-Mignon Autograph Piano. At this time Edwin shared space in the showroom of his uncle Emil's firm, M. Welte & Sons, whose products included orchestrions imported from Germany and the Welte Philharmonic organ made in New York.
1911
The Welte-Mignon Reproducing Autograph Piano
The Welte Artistic Player-Piano Co.
273 5th Avenue, New York
Compilation copyright 2002 by Robbie Rhodes and Mechanical Music Digest
rev. 14 August 2002