Wilke

Biography

Wilke was a piano maker at Breslau who, about 1835, invented a machine capable of covering a full set of hammers with felt at one time. According to Dolge, hammers made on Wilke's machine were not considered as good as hand-made ones, and as a result nearly all European makers continued to cover hammers by hand until about 1867, when American pianos shown at the Paris Exposition made a strong impression on the trade. Despite this mixed reception, Wilke's basic design proved influential: Frederick Mathushek's 1850 hammer-covering machine, built with a wooden frame and iron screws, was patterned directly after it.

Highlights

• About 1835, as a piano maker at Breslau, invented a machine that could cover a full set of hammers with felt at one time
• His machine was reportedly less regarded than hand-made hammers, so most European makers continued the hand method until about 1867
• Frederick Mathushek's 1850 hammer-covering machine was patterned after Wilke's design

Source

Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), pp. 99, 100.

Public domain.