R. W. Pain
inventor
Biography
R. W. Pain is credited by the author as perhaps the first person to construct a pneumatic self-playing piano. Working in conjunction with Henry Kuster, he built such an instrument for Needham & Sons in 1880, with a compass of 39 notes. In 1882 he constructed, for the Mechanical Orguinette Co. (which later became the Aeolian Co.), an inside player with 46 notes, and in 1888 he produced his 65-note electric player, showing a steady progression in the scope and sophistication of his self-playing piano designs over the course of the 1880s.
Highlights
- Perhaps the first to construct a pneumatic self-playing piano
- Built a 39-note self-playing piano for Needham & Sons in 1880 with Henry Kuster
- In 1882 built a 46-note inside player for the Mechanical Orguinette Co. (later the Aeolian Co.), and in 1888 produced a 65-note electric player
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 136, 137.
Public domain.