J. Piffaut
maker
inventor
patent holder
Biography
J. Piffaut was, in Spillane's account, the first New Orleans piano-maker to attain any real note before 1850. In 1853 he patented an unusual vertical piano design that Spillane calls 'a marvel of eccentricity,' yet Piffaut was reputed to have made good instruments during his career despite the oddity of the patent. Philadelphians claimed him as one of their own, but Spillane judged from his name that he was more likely a native of New Orleans or a French-born piano-maker.
Highlights
- Regarded as the first New Orleans piano-maker to attain any note before 1850
- Patented an eccentric vertical piano design in 1853
- Reputed to have made good instruments despite the oddity of the patent
Source
Daniel Spillane, History of the American Pianoforte (1890), p. 193.
Public domain.