Francis Putnam Burns

Biography

Francis Putnam Burns was born at Galway, New York, on February 6, 1807. He learned cabinetmaking and studied piano making under John Osborn, then began business on his own account in 1835. Dolge describes him as a man of artistic temperament and an excellent mechanic who refused to allow piecework in his shop, insisting that a piano was a work of art requiring the most painstaking effort regardless of time consumed. While his pianos were elegant and durable, Burns did not build wealth, and when the Civil War disrupted business he could not withstand the financial strain. His son, Edward M. Burns, then serving as a commissioned army officer, was disabled in the field and came home to take over management of the failing business, eventually restoring it to health. A portrait of Francis Putnam Burns accompanies the text.

Highlights

• Born at Galway, New York, February 6, 1807; studied piano making under John Osborn before starting his own business in 1835.
• Refused to permit piecework in his shop, insisting a piano was a work of art requiring painstaking craftsmanship.
• Produced elegant, durable pianos but did not accumulate wealth, and his business was hit hard by the Civil War.

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), p. 287.

Public domain.