Museum Collection: Improving the Sound of Music with U. S. Patent Models

Friday, July 22, 2016

The beautiful melodic sounds made by musical instruments, such as pianos and organs, have enriched our lives for centuries. Many of these instruments, as well as the sounds they produced, have been greatly enhanced by inventors who patented their improvements through the U. S. patent system. 

Since 1961, the museum’s musical patent model collection had only grown to nine models. One of which has a very significant inventor Levi K. Fuller (1841- 1896) from Brattleboro, Vermont. Fuller received more than fifty patents, most of which he assigned the rights to the well-known and very successful Estey Organ Company where he worked. Not only did Fuller marry the founder’s daughter and become Vice-President of the Company, he also had political aspirations and eventually served as the 44th Governor of Vermont from 1892 to 1894. 


Patent Model: (opened & closed) Improvement in Organ-Cases Levi Fuller; Brattleboro, Vermont Patent #150,017; April 21, 1874 (Museum Accession # 61.47.791)

Fuller’s Improvement in Organ-Cases was for a traveling reed organ which folded up into a small trunk. According to the patent it was intended “to be used by excursion-parties, traveling troupes, missionaries, &c…”

Last year’s acquisition of the Rothschild Patent Model Collection definitely has had a significant impact to the number of musical related patent models in our collection and it is rising every week. So far we have only unpacked eight new music models but when I went through the entire Rothschild list I learned that we have added 146 musical patent models to our holdings. This greatly enriches the stories we can tell about the history of musical instruments including piano fortes, organs, melodeons and other musical-related items.  


Patent Model: Improvement in Capodastro-Frames for Piano-Fortes Christian F. T. Steinway; New York City, New York Patent #204,111; May 21, 1878 (Museum Accession #2015.14.2607)

Included in the Rothschild collection is one patent model that is extremely significant to pianos today. Christian F. T. Steinway (1825-1889) received patent number 204,111 for an improvement in capotasto-frames for piano-fortes on May 21, 1878. He was one of the sons of Henry Steinway who founded the famous Steinway & Sons Co. in New York in 1853. In addition to serving as CEO from 1865 to 1889, he patented more than 45 piano improvements. This particular patent created a way for the string tension to be so increased that it allowed smaller pianos to have the same power and tone as the larger ones.

Going back to Levi Fuller, I was pleased to learn that there are three more of his patent models for reed organ improvements waiting to be unpacked. With four of Levi Fuller’s patent models, it helps us understand more about him and what kinds of improvements he wanted to make to the industry at that time. 

I’ve always been drawn to these kinds of patent models probably due to all those years of piano lessons I took! Stay “tuned” for more.

Debra Hughes is Hagley’s Curator of Collections and Exhibits.

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