Headline event: Feurich production books found

For decades these sales books and production books were said to be lost. With the fantastic help of Dr. T. Kluttig, we have found these books Sep2017 at the Staatsarchiv Leipzig. Incredible 20+ huge books documenting the main part of the production of Feurich. Beside wonderful details on any Feurich instrument, these books allow an insight into the production for M. Welte & Soehne (Freiburg) as all deliveries are documented. First time, we now can find out how many Feurich instruments had been send to Welte (for Welte Mignon, but also for Orchestrion like "Luna" and "Artist" etc.) - and also how many had been send to Philipps for DUCA pianos. As Feurich had been the partner of choice for the very beginning of Welte-Mignon, we might even find out more details on the recording instruments / first cabinet being presented at the Leipzig fair. The production books contain all steps of manufacturing for each instrument (11 different specialised workers). The books have not been scanned yet - we will try to bring this forward to share this great content with the broader community for further research. What an exciting discovery!

Feurich key to Mignon Duca Stella...

The sales books of Feurich underline the key role of Feurich to support the development of the Welte-Mignon - and the Philipps DUCA.

Feurich had also been a close friend to Hugo Popper. Based on the sales book, it is very likely that Feurich delivered the grand piano cores "Raste", that became the recording grand pianos esp. in Leipzig. Feurich delivered 12 grand piano "Raste" to Hugo Popper (first one ser no 17385 on Oct12th, 1904, ser no 17383 and 17384 on Nov 2nd, 1904, ser no 17386 on Dec30th, 1904, ser no 17391 and 17393 on Feb14th, 1905, ser no 17394 on Mar7th, 1905, ser no 17389 and 17390 on Mar23rd, 1905, ser No 17387, 17388, 17392 on May2nd, 1905). Not a single one "Flügel Rast" got delivered to Welte! We announce the ser no to probably help to identify one of these grand piano somewhere in the world. They might still be around - maybe without the recording mechanisms?

Here are some major steps of development:

Sep7th, 1904 the first* piano core (Klavierraste) had been delivered to M. Welte & Soehne (Freiburg)
*subject to further research, as this delivery had been "no7" - so we need to look into "no1-no6"

Oct2nd, 1904 the first* grand piano core (Raste) has been delivered to Hugo Popper (Leipzig)
*subject to further research, as the deliveries to Hugo Popper & Co had not been consecutively numbered

Jul12th, 1905 the last "Artist" (Popper product name for "Mignon") of 21 delivered Artists had been delivered to M. Welte & Soehne (Freiburg)*
*subject to further research

Jul29th, 1905 is the delivery-start of ""Mignon" Raste mit Stimmklaviatur" to M. Welte & Soehne (Freiburg)

Nov5th, 1907 the first "Amerikaner-Rast mit Stimmklaviatur" (ser no 20699) most likely a special Welte-Mignon cabinet design for the US market got delivered

Nov7th, 1907 the first Feurich "Mignon Rast mit voller/grosser Klaviatur" (ser no 20717) got delivered - which is the version for the high cabinet Welte-Mignon piano

Apr25th, 1908 the first Feurich "Stella" piano (ser no 21042) got delivered to Hugo Popper

Aug6th, 1908 the first Duca piano (ser no 22737) "Duca Pianino mit Sapelimahagoni mit elektrischen Doppelleuchtern" got delivered to J.D. Philipps in Frankfurt

Oct5th, 1912 the first Feurich grand piano (ser no 27557) "zu Versuchszwecken" got delivered to Welte - the start of implementing Welte-Mignon into grand pianos

May29th, 1922 the first Feurich Ducartist piano (ser no 36171) got delivered

Oct8th, 1923 the first Feurich-Welte piano (ser no 38203) "kombiniert" (mit Fußbetrieb) got delivered to M. Welte

tbc soon