Wertheim Piano
Encyclopedia
Wertheim is an Australian brand of pianos, formerly produced in Richmond
, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Around 18,000 upright pianos were made in Melbourne between 1908 and 1935, they were designed for the south-eastern Australian climate and were a popular all-purpose piano.
They were used in a range of settings such as schools and public halls, as they were renowned for their ability to stay in tune for prolonged periods of time, requiring little maintenance. They were also used by piano teachers and for professional live performance, the most famous of which was for performances by Dame Nellie Melba, who frequently requested that Wertheim Pianos be used during her performances.
The business was very successful and the Wertheim family achieved celebrity status in Australia during the 1920s, however after the 1929 depression and with declining demand for pianos, the factory closed in 1935. Today, Wertheim is still an Australian owned company and the Wertheim brand name is used for a range of pianos that are produced overseas in China and South Korea
. Original Wertheim pianos undamaged and fully restored can be potentially quite valuable.
, Germany to Melbourne, Australia as a reasonably wealthy man, in 1875 after being sent by his father, Meyer Wertheim, to travel the world as an agent for the family's sewing machine
business. He opened two showrooms in Bourke & Collins Streets, importing German goods such as pianos, harmoniums and bicycles, but later focussed his attention on the demand for pianos in the then, new colony of Australia. Wertheim began importing cheap German pianos and re-badging them as "The Planet" and "Habsburg Wertheim" possibly as early as 1880. Around the turn of the century, Wertheim sent his eldest son, Herbert, to learn the piano manufacturing trade in the United States and tour the continent before returning to run the new Melbourne enterprise.
, Bechstein
, Kaps
and others, to design a prestigious factory. Wertheim spent somewhere between $25 and 75 thousand on the factory which was designed in a Free Arts & Crafts style applied to an industrial building. The investment was of such significance in Australia at the time that Prime Minister Alfred Deakin
laid the factory's foundation stone on 21 October 1908. The structure was built by R. McDonald on 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land at 22 Bendigo Street, Richmond
and when completed hosted 50,000 squares of space, its own power generator and tram line. At its peak, the factory was the largest piano factory in Australia, employed around 300 people and produced up to 2,000 pianos a year, including 12 grand pianos.
and the popularity of the wireless
decreased demand for pianos and the factory was closed in 1935 after producing around 18,000 pianos over 27 years.
to become the site for food preserving. With the advent of television in the 1950s, the then disused factory became the studios for the GTV 9 television station in 1956.
These pianos were hand crafted in the factory on Bendigo Street, Richmond, using predominantly Australian materials. These were the first pianos ever manufactured in the state of Victoria
. Around 18,000 were produced, many were exported interstate and overseas. They were used for many purposes, from live performance to performance halls, school theatres and by piano teachers. They were designed for the Australian climate and were noted for their ability to stay in tune for long periods of time. Many of these pianos are still in use today around Australia and, undamaged or restored, can be quite expensive.
Grand Pianos:
Player Pianos:
and Tianjin, China under Australian quality control guidelines by "Piano Time". With Wertheim pianos you get a European performance for an Asian price These pianos are the best value pianos you can invest in for a lifetime of musical enjoyment.Wertheim Gold series pianos are made in the Tianjin factory, while Wertheim Platinum Series pianos are made in the South Korean factory. There are six models of Grand Piano and six models of Upright Piano, a range of modern and traditional styles are available in black and various wood grain finishes. The sound boards are made from solid Sitka Spruce, while Mahogany, Walnut and Ebony are used for the finishes. All models feature agraffe system.
Upright Pianos:
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Around 18,000 upright pianos were made in Melbourne between 1908 and 1935, they were designed for the south-eastern Australian climate and were a popular all-purpose piano.
They were used in a range of settings such as schools and public halls, as they were renowned for their ability to stay in tune for prolonged periods of time, requiring little maintenance. They were also used by piano teachers and for professional live performance, the most famous of which was for performances by Dame Nellie Melba, who frequently requested that Wertheim Pianos be used during her performances.
The business was very successful and the Wertheim family achieved celebrity status in Australia during the 1920s, however after the 1929 depression and with declining demand for pianos, the factory closed in 1935. Today, Wertheim is still an Australian owned company and the Wertheim brand name is used for a range of pianos that are produced overseas in China and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Original Wertheim pianos undamaged and fully restored can be potentially quite valuable.
Early History
Hugo Wertheim migrated from FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany to Melbourne, Australia as a reasonably wealthy man, in 1875 after being sent by his father, Meyer Wertheim, to travel the world as an agent for the family's sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
business. He opened two showrooms in Bourke & Collins Streets, importing German goods such as pianos, harmoniums and bicycles, but later focussed his attention on the demand for pianos in the then, new colony of Australia. Wertheim began importing cheap German pianos and re-badging them as "The Planet" and "Habsburg Wertheim" possibly as early as 1880. Around the turn of the century, Wertheim sent his eldest son, Herbert, to learn the piano manufacturing trade in the United States and tour the continent before returning to run the new Melbourne enterprise.
1908-1918
While Wertheim's son was overseas, he commissioned architect Nahum Barnet, who had worked for SteinwaySteinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
, Bechstein
Bechstein
Bechstein is a surname and may refer to:*Johann Matthäus Bechstein , a German naturalist and forester.*Ludwig Bechstein , a German writer....
, Kaps
Kaps
Kaps is a town in the Shirak Province of Armenia....
and others, to design a prestigious factory. Wertheim spent somewhere between $25 and 75 thousand on the factory which was designed in a Free Arts & Crafts style applied to an industrial building. The investment was of such significance in Australia at the time that Prime Minister Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin
Alfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
laid the factory's foundation stone on 21 October 1908. The structure was built by R. McDonald on 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land at 22 Bendigo Street, Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
and when completed hosted 50,000 squares of space, its own power generator and tram line. At its peak, the factory was the largest piano factory in Australia, employed around 300 people and produced up to 2,000 pianos a year, including 12 grand pianos.
1919-1935
Hugo Wertheim died in 1919, leaving his son Herbert, to run the business. His father's investment in the factory paid off both financially and socially, and the Wertheim family enjoyed celebrity status in Australia. This was particularly noteworthy as a generation of the Wertheim family were non practicing Jews, yet enjoyed "Melbourne Club status" during a time of anti-Semitism. However, by the late 1920s, none of the third generation of the family was interested in running the business, which also suffered from the 1929 depression. The Wertheim's struggled on by sharing the Richmond site with three competitors Allan's, Paling's and Sutton's. In the early 1930s, the great depressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the popularity of the wireless
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
decreased demand for pianos and the factory was closed in 1935 after producing around 18,000 pianos over 27 years.
Recent History
The closure of the Wertheim factory was somewhat of a family disagreement, as Herbert wanted to continue producing pianos while his mother did not, she had a casting vote on the board which decided to sell the property to HeinzH. J. Heinz Company
The H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
to become the site for food preserving. With the advent of television in the 1950s, the then disused factory became the studios for the GTV 9 television station in 1956.
1908-1935 Pianos
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Around 18,000 were produced, many were exported interstate and overseas. They were used for many purposes, from live performance to performance halls, school theatres and by piano teachers. They were designed for the Australian climate and were noted for their ability to stay in tune for long periods of time. Many of these pianos are still in use today around Australia and, undamaged or restored, can be quite expensive.
Types
Upright Pianos:- Concert Upright?
- Gold frame model?
- original prices?
- H9482 (serial number, 1920)
Grand Pianos:
- original prices?
- models?
Player Pianos:
- original prices?
- models?
Current Pianos
The Wertheim brand continues to be used on a range of pianos which are manufactured by Young Chang in Soul, South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Tianjin, China under Australian quality control guidelines by "Piano Time". With Wertheim pianos you get a European performance for an Asian price These pianos are the best value pianos you can invest in for a lifetime of musical enjoyment.Wertheim Gold series pianos are made in the Tianjin factory, while Wertheim Platinum Series pianos are made in the South Korean factory. There are six models of Grand Piano and six models of Upright Piano, a range of modern and traditional styles are available in black and various wood grain finishes. The sound boards are made from solid Sitka Spruce, while Mahogany, Walnut and Ebony are used for the finishes. All models feature agraffe system.
Types
Grand Pianos:- range from $12000 to $100,0000AUD
- W150 EP (black )
- W150 MBP( Mahogany Brown Polish )
- W150 White
- W185 EP (Black )
- AW185 EP ( Black )
- AW208 EP ( Black )
- AW228 EP ( Black )
- AW275 EP ( Black )
Upright Pianos:
- range from $4000 to $12000AUD
- W114 EP ( Black )
- W121 EP ( Black )
- W121 MBP (Mahogany Brown Polish )
- W121 White
- W131 EP (Black)
- W131 MBP (Mahogany Brown Polish)
- AW121 EP ( Black )
- AW121 MBCP ( Satin Walnut )
- AW131 EP ( Black )
Other information
- Dame Nellie Melba was known to frequently request that Wertheim Pianos be used for her performances.
- The street on the northern boundary of the Bendigo Street Factory was named after Wertheim.
- Former VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
n premier Jeff KennettJeff KennettJeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
is a great grandson of Hugo Wertheim. - The Bendigo Street Factory is protected by local heritage laws and is under consideration for state heritage listing.