Ernest J. Knabe, Jr.
b. July 7, 1869
Biography
Ernest J. Knabe, Jr. was born at Baltimore on July 7, 1869, the son of Ernest J. Knabe, Sr. He attended the Scheib school and the City College of Baltimore, graduating in 1886 with a degree of Mechanical and Mining Engineer from the Pennsylvania Military College, then entered his father's factories as an apprentice, training from piano-case making to scale drawing. Upon his father's death in March 1894 he was elected president of William Knabe and Company. After the 1908 organization of the American Piano Company he became its president, with his brother William Knabe as vice-president; the brothers withdrew in 1909 and, on March 23, 1911, organized the Knabe Brothers Company, of which Ernest served as president. He designed new scales for the Knabe Brothers pianos, aiming to meet modern tastes while retaining the tone long praised by masters such as Von Bulow, D'Albert, Tschaikowsky, and Gruenfeld. He personally superintended the new factory's work daily and kept in close touch with his workmen.
Highlights
- Became president of William Knabe and Company upon his father's death in 1894
- Co-founded the Knabe Brothers Company in 1911 with his brother William Knabe
- Designed new piano scales for the Knabe Brothers line
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. II (1913), pp. 120, 121, 122.
Public domain.