George B. Durkee

Biography

George B. Durkee, described as 'an inventor of note,' was engaged by Charles N. Post to help construct a harp for Lyon & Healy that would be superior to the renowned Erard harp. Bringing a well-trained scientific mind to the problem, Durkee succeeded in devising a mechanism that eliminated the irritating buzzing common to ordinary harps, developed a more perfect scale that made the instrument easier to play, and enlarged the soundboard to increase the volume of tone. The first Lyon & Healy harp built to his design was produced in 1886, and it went on to be adopted by the Gewandhaus orchestra of Leipzig and nearly all the leading orchestras of Berlin, Vienna, Stuttgart, St. Petersburg, New York, Boston, and Chicago.

Highlights

• Engaged by Charles N. Post to design a harp to rival the Erard
• Eliminated the harp's characteristic 'buzzing' and improved its scale and soundboard
• His harp, first produced in 1886, was adopted by the Gewandhaus orchestra of Leipzig and other leading orchestras

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 352, 353.

Public domain.