Manufacturing: An Innovative Industry

Workers in the Steinway & Sons Foundry Department, 1908

Steinway & Sons was a leader in using new technology to increase production, maintain quality, decrease prices and expand sales.

By 1890, the music industry was one of the largest and most innovative in America. Two hundred fifty piano makers produced over 90,000 pianos a year. Many built state-of-the-art factories to meet demand.

Profits were high, but wages were low and the workday long. When varnishers at 28 piano factories went on strike in 1891, 57 factory owners organized the American Piano Manufacturers Association of New York to break the strike. Their efforts failed due to a nationwide shift to a shorter work day, but the association continued to address industry issues.

Two federal laws had an impact on music manufacturers. The McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 protected U.S. makers from imports, prompting dozens of fretted and band instrument makers to open for business. Then in 1909, the corporate income tax forced manufacturers to change from a cash to a double-entry accounting system.