31/3/2017 Wilcox&WhiteCo

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WILCOX&WHITECOMPANY.

ForfourdecadestheWilcox&WhiteCompany,ofMeriden,hasoccupiedapositionofleadershipinthe
manufactureofmusicalinstrumentsandwasthepioneerinthedevelopmentofthemechanicalplayerpiano,
placinguponthemarketthefirstinstrumentofthekind,theAngelus,whichhasbeenbroughttoahighstateof
perfectionandstillenjoysunexampledprestigeinitsfield.

Formanyyearsthecompanywaschieflyengagedinthemanufactureoforgans,underthenameoftheWilcox
&WhiteOrganCompany,whichwasfoundedin1877byHenryKirkWhiteandHoraceC.Wilcox.Thelatter
wasacapitalistofMeriden,andwassoimpressedbytheplansofMr.White,whowasapracticalorganbuilder,
forestablishingacompanyforthemanufactureofmusicalinstruments,thatheinvestedlargesumsofmoney,for
thatday,inthenewenterprise.FromthebeginningthecompanyprovedapayingconcernandMr.Whitethrew
himselfwithallofhisgreatenergyintotheworkofsupervisingtheoperationoftheplantandplanningforthe
extensionofitstrade.Itsfirstcapitalstockwasonehundredthousanddollarsbutatthetimeofthereorganization
oftheconcernunderthenameofWilcox&WhiteCompany,thecapitalizationwasdoubled,andthismade
possiblestillfurtherenlargementoftheplant,whichatvarioustimeshadbeenaddedto,toprovideforthe
expansionmadenecessarybythecontinuedgrowthofthetrade.Thecompanywasorganizedforthemanufacture
ofreedorgansanditsinstrumentsfoundreadysaleinallpartsofthecountryandweregenerallyrecognizedas
thebestreedorgansproducedinAmerica.Asitsreputationspreadthewholecivilizedworldbecameamarketfor
theWilcox&Whiteorgans,andin1888thevolumeofbusinesswasstillfurtherincreasedasinthatyearthe
companyaddedtoitslinetheSymphony,orpneumaticselfplayingorganswhichhadalargesale.In1897anew
erawasinauguratedinthebusinessofmanufacturingmusicalinstrumentsbytheinventionbyMr.EdwardH.
White,thesuperintendentofthefactory,oftheAngelus,thefirstsuccessfuldeviceforthemechanicalplayingof
apiano.FormanyyearsMr.Whitehadbeenexperimentingalongthatlineandthepatentswhichhetookouton
theinventionincludedsuchfundamentalprinciplesthatalthoughtherehavesincebeenmanyothermechanical
playersplaceduponthemarketnonehavegonebeyondthebasicpowersofexcellenceoftheAngelus.Inthe
interveningtwentyyearstherehavebeennumerousimprovementsinthemechanismoftheseinstrumentsandthe
companyiscontinuallyseekingtomakeeverychange,howeversmall,initsconstruction,whichwillimproveits
responsivenesstothecontroloftheoperator.Ithasreceivedthecommendationoftrainedmusiciansandwhenall
itsdevicesforsecuringanydesiredvariationintempo,dynamicsorrhythmareutilizeditisimpossibleto
distinguishbetweenitsplayingofapieceandthesameselectionplayedbyafinepianist.TheAngelusmaybe
attachedtoanypianoandismanufacturedinavarietyofwoodsandstylessoastomatchanypianocase,and
suchwasthedemandforthisinstrumentthatthecapacityofthefactorywasmorethandoubledwithinafew
years.

Abuildingtwohundredandfiftyfeetinlengthandfortyfeetwidewasdevotedentirelytothemanufactureof
thisinstrumentandtotheAngeluspiano,whichhastheplayerfeatureincorporatedwithinthepianobutmayalso
beplayedbyhand.Thecompanyemploysregularlybetweenthreeandfourhundredmenandhasbeenan
importantfactorintheindustrialdevelopmentofMeriden.EveryAngelusorAngeluspianoleavingthefactory
has,atvariousstagesinitsmanufacture,beensubjectedtothemostrigorousinspection,anditisknownbeyonda
doubtthatitmeasuresuptothehighstandardofqualitythathasbecomesynonymouswithitsname.

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31/3/2017 Wilcox&WhiteCo

TheArtrioAngelus,thewonderfulnewreproducingpiano,isthelatestdevelopmentoftheAngelus,provides
faithfulandcompletereproductionsoftheartisticinterpretationsofgreatpianistsinadditiontowhattheregular
Angelusaffords.Simplybyinsertingtherecordrollandturningontheelectriccurrent,theArtrioAngelusplays
thecompositionexactlyasitwasplayedbytheartistwhomadethemasterroll.Alloftheexquisiteartistic
effects,everycrescendoanddiminuendo,thesoft,velvetypianissimos,eachcrashingsfortzandoandthethumb
melodiespeculiartothemasterpianistarereproducedwithabsolutefidelityandcompletenesswithoutanyactor
touchofhumanhand.Pianistswhohaverecordedtheirinterpretationsinthestudiowereamazedanddelighted
whentheyfirstheardtheArtrioAngelusgiverepetitionsoftheirownrenditions,becauseeverynote,everytouch,
everytoneandtempowerefaithfullyreproduced.SuchgreatpianistsasHaroldBauer,OssipGabrilovitsch,Tina
Lerner,RichardEpsteinandEthelLeginskawereespeciallyenthusiastic.

Therapidgrowthofthebusinesswouldhavebeenimpossiblehadnoteachdepartmentofthefactorybeen
conductedalongthemostmodernlinesandinaccordancewiththeprinciplesofindustrialefficiency.HenryKirk
White,oneofthefoundersofthecompanyandthemanchieflyresponsibleforitsearlydevelopmentand
upbuilding,wassucceededinthemanagementbyJamesHenryWhite,whoisstillattheheadoftheconcern.
Twoothersons,EdwardH.andHowardWhite,werealsoprominentlyconnectedwiththemanagementofthe
businessuntilcalledbydeath,anditwastheformerwhoinventedtheplayerpianos.Thethirdgenerationofthe
familyisablyrepresentedinthedirectionofthecompanysaffairsbyF.C.White.

Thesamequalitieshavecharacterizedfather,sonandgrandsonareadyrecognitionofopportunity,keen
discriminationbetweentheessentialandthenonessential,resourcefulnessinmeetingnewconditions,
determination,andaboveall,unswervingintegrity.Theyrecognizedthatallenduringbusinesssuccessmustbe
baseduponintegrityofmanufactureandaliberalmerchandisingpolicy.

ModernHistoryofNewHaven
and
EasternNewHavenCounty

Illustrated

VolumeII

NewYorkChicago
TheS.J.ClarkePublishingCompany
1918

pgs677678

ReturntoNewHavenCountyPage
THANKSFORVISITING
NEWHAVEN
COUNTYBIOGRAPHIES
pages/textarecopyrightedby
ElaineKiddO'Leary&
AnneTaylorCzaplewski
May2002

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