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1836 : - Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, a German master-carpenter, builds his first instrument in his Seesen (Harz) kitchen, followed by 482 pianos in the next ten years. One of them is displayed in the New York Metropolitan Museum.
1850 : - Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg and his family emigrate to the United States.
1853 : - Heinrich Engelhard changes his name to Steinway and, with his sons, founds STEINWAY & SONS in New York.
1855 : - Thanks to their high-quality instruments, STEINWAY & SONS are awarded the first of a long series of prizes at the ëAmerican Institute Fairí held in the New Yorker Cristal Palace.
1867 : - The name of STEINWAY & SONS is given full praise in the official report of the Paris Universal Exhibition.
1875 : - Opening of London Steinway Hall.
1880 : - Foundation of the Steinway factory in Hamburg, Schanzenstraße.
1904 : - Opening of the Jungfernstieg store in Hamburg.
1909 : - Opening of the Berlin subsidiary.
1923-28 : - Construction of the new Steinway factory in Rondenbarg, Hamburg.
1931 : - PIANOS HANLET are appointed STEINWAY & SONS agents in Belgium.
1941 : - With the United States at war, the STEINWAY & SONS Hamburg concern is put under German control as "enemy property".
1943 : - The old Schanzenstraße factory is bombed (by that time it housed administrative offices only).
1944 : - The Rondenbarg factory is also destroyed; production is interrupted.
1947 : - PIANOS HANLET are appointed STEINWAY & SONS agents in FRANCE.
1948 : - Production is resumed at the Rondenbarg facilities.
1949 : - Part of the old Schanzenstraße factory is again devoted to administrative offices.
1953 : - Steinway inaugurate their new "Colonnaden" premises and sell the old Schanzenstraße factory.
1955-57 : - Extension of the Rondenbarg facilities.
1972 : - STEINWAY & SONS is taken over by CBS Inc. and incorporated in the Columbia Group.
1980 : - The STEINWAY & SONS Hamburg subsidiary celebrates its 100th anniversary.
1984 : - Administration is fully transferred to the Rondenbarg site.
1985 : - CBS sell STEINWAY & SONS and their Musical Instruments Division to three American businessmen: John P. Birmingham, Robert M. Birmingham and Bruce A. Stevens. The new holding is named Steinway Musical Properties, Inc.
1988 : - Steinway release their 500,000th piano. Wendell Castle, the celebrated designer, has worked for months to create a stunning design for this unique instrument, which bears the original signature of more than eight hundred Steinway pianists worldwide.
1989 : - On June 20th, the company decides to replace the ivory used to cover the keys with synthetic material, thus contributing to the preservation of endangered animal species.
1990 : - Piano No. 500,000 starts its European tour at the Berlin Philharmonic on December 2nd.
Pianists do not have an exclusive contract. Most of them insist on a Steinway piano as a matter of course.
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