Alfred Dolge Engelhardt
b. December 14, 1881, Dolgeville, N.Y.
Biography
Alfred Dolge Engelhardt, known as A. D. Engelhardt, was born in Dolgeville, N.Y. on December 14, 1881. At eighteen he began studying the making of piano actions, but was soon drawn to the more complex mechanism of the electric player piano and chose player piano construction as his special field of study. As a partner in his father Frederick Engelhardt's firm, F. Engelhardt and Sons of St. Johnsville, N.Y., he attended to the business end of the enterprise while his brother, Walter L. Engelhardt, ran the factories, both working under their father's guidance. The firm, among the pioneer makers of coin-operated, electrical, self-playing pianos, earned a worldwide reputation, and its player-pianos and orchestrions won top awards at the Buffalo (1901), St. Louis (1904), Portland (1906), Jamestown (1907), and Seattle (1909) expositions.
Highlights
- Born in Dolgeville, N.Y. on December 14, 1881
- Began studying piano action construction at eighteen before specializing in player piano mechanisms
- Managed the business side of F. Engelhardt and Sons while his brother ran the factories
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. II (1913), pp. 82, 83.
Public domain.