John Frederick Schmidt
1823–1906-09-26 · German
Biography
John Frederick Schmidt, born at Marburg, Germany, in 1823, learned the trade of cabinetmaking and became one of the foremost old-time hammer coverers. He entered partnership with Peter De Witt Lydecker in 1864 in a hammer-making business originally founded by Ole Syverson in 1856. When Lydecker retired in 1877, Schmidt continued the firm alone until 1886, when ill health compelled him to retire to private life. His firm enjoyed an enviable reputation for excellent workmanship in hammer making throughout. He died on September 26, 1906. His son, David H. Schmidt, carried the business on afterward as a corporation with marked ability and success.
Highlights
- Born at Marburg, Germany in 1823; ranked among the foremost old-time hammer coverers.
- Partnered with Peter De Witt Lydecker in 1864 in a hammer-making firm originally founded by Ole Syverson in 1856.
- Continued the firm alone after Lydecker's 1877 retirement until ill health forced his own retirement in 1886; died September 26, 1906.
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911).
Public domain.