Clements Claus
German (native of Stuttgart)
musical instrument maker
patent holder
Biography
Clements Claus was a native of Stuttgart, Germany, who came to New York from London in 1788. In 1781, while in London, he had taken out a patent relating to a new stringed instrument. In New York he partnered with Thomas Dodds in the firm Dodds & Claus, musical-instrument manufacturers at 66 Queen Street, whose 1792 advertisement credited the firm's newly invented hammers and dampers with making their forte pianos superior to imported instruments, and touted specially prepared wood better suited to the American climate.
Highlights
- Came to New York from London in 1788
- Had taken out a patent in London in 1781 relating to a new stringed instrument
- Partner in Dodds & Claus, 66 Queen Street, whose forte pianos were advertised (1792) with newly invented hammers and dampers
Source
Daniel Spillane, History of the American Pianoforte (1890), pp. 70, 71.
Public domain.