Baldwin Piano Company
The Baldwin Piano company origins date back to 1857 in Cincinnati Ohio when D.H. Baldwin began teaching piano, and in 1862 opened his first piano dealership. Baldwin vowed to produce "the best piano that could be built".
The companies first piano, an upright, began selling in 1891, and their first grand piano (a 5'4" model) in 1895. By later in the 1890's, the Baldwin company was the largest piano dealer in the midwest United States and is today the largest manufacturer of keyboard instruments in the entire United States.
In 1899, Dwight H. Baldwin died and the company was taken over by his apprentice, Lucien Wulsin, who had been hired by Baldwin in 1866 and within 7 years was made partner in the company.
The United States War Production Board ordered Baldwin Piano, along with all other U.S. piano makers, to cease production of pianos so the factories could be used for the war effort in 1942. The Baldwin Piano factories were then used to manufacture wooden airplane parts. After the way, Baldwin Piano immediately resumed their award winning piano business.
In 1946, Baldwin unveiled the first electronic organ with such success that the company changed its name to Baldwin Piano & Organ Company. By 1953, the company had doubled their piano production from the pre-war era. In 1963, Baldwin Piano acquired C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik and owned the company until 1986.
In 1965, The Baldwin SD10 Concert Grand piano was introduced and touted as a major advancement in piano design. A Time magazine article about the new grand piano reported, "If Beethoven had had a piano like that, the course of music would have been radically altered." Baldwin Piano Company built its one millionth upright piano in 1973. Their upright pianos have been heralded by music teachers worldwide for many years.
Baldwin is currently owned by the Gibson Guitar Corporation of Nashville, Tennessee, and also produces musical instruments under the names Chickering, Wurlitzer, Howard and Hamilton. They continue to produce a wide variety of acoustic and digital pianos, both upright and grand cabinets.