EPW032896 ENGLAND (1930). The Aeolian Pianola Piano Factory, Hayes, 1930

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Nearby Images (5)

EPW032896
  0° 0m
EPW061232
  139° 170m
EPW032898
  175° 206m
EPW032897
  165° 240m
EPW032899
  166° 245m

Details

Title [EPW032896] The Aeolian Pianola Piano Factory, Hayes, 1930
Reference EPW032896
Date June-1930
Link
Place name HAYES
Parish
District
Country ENGLAND
Easting / Northing 510107, 179480
Longitude / Latitude -0.41343198142029, 51.503032566992
National Grid Reference TQ101795

Pins

Holmbury gardens

KNITBY
Friday 9th of February 2024 11:56:44 PM
Later Benlow Works, used by Trico Folberth

Brian
Thursday 27th of January 2022 04:55:56 PM
Later Kraft Cheese then T Walls Meat processing.

Brian
Thursday 27th of January 2022 04:52:30 PM
Railway Arms pub

John Thompson
Tuesday 22nd of June 2021 04:08:16 PM
Harrisons Print Works

John Thompson
Tuesday 22nd of June 2021 04:04:41 PM
Central Avenue at the junction with Bothwell Lane.

houds
Friday 20th of July 2018 12:00:52 AM
Hayes Town Post Office.

houds
Thursday 19th of July 2018 11:51:08 PM
The ubiquitous 0-6-0 "Pannier" tank steam engine.

John Wass
Saturday 24th of September 2016 06:58:48 PM
Facing the housing estate, the text of the three-element roof-edge sign is: 'Aeolian Co Ltd ; Aeolian Hall New York ; Steck Pianos'.

H.J.Hill
Wednesday 27th of April 2016 12:36:51 PM
T W Walls pie factory. Silverdale Road

designking
Sunday 28th of September 2014 08:13:18 PM
Grand Union Canal

Class31
Saturday 30th of March 2013 09:49:46 PM

User Comment Contributions

The Aeolian Company Ltd was the British subsidiary of the Aeolian, Weber Piano and Pianola Company of New York. The factory site at Hayes was purchased from a farmer, Ernest Shackell, in 1908, and the first buildings were erected the following year.



The four storey building behind the chimney, with the semi-circular (Diocletian) windows on the top floor, was the earliest section to be built, and by coincidence it is also, in 2013, the last to remain. The large building to the left of the chimney was erected after the First War, and was intended for the building of pianos. The building on the right of the chimney, with the Diocletian windows on the floor below the top, housed the Universal Music Company, a subsidiary that manufactured perforated music rolls for the Company's Pianolas and Pianola Pianos.



Also after the First War the Company produced Vocalion gramophone records. By 1930, when this photograph was taken, the cheaper label of Broadcast Records had taken over, as can be seen on the roof of the low building next to the railway, where the records were made. By 1930 the bottom had dropped out of the Pianola business, and the "For Sale" notice facing the passing trains was finally successful, and over the years Kraft Cheese and Walls Sausages and Meat Pies used the premises. Most of the old buildings were demolished in 1977, and in 2013 the area is mainly a modern industrial estate.



The original building from 1909 and 1912 was bought after the Second War by a property owner named Benny Lowenthal, and he renamed it the Benlow Works after himself. Thus it remains today, with a Grade 2 preservation order on it, not greatly used, but with some possibility of being redeveloped as an apartment block. On the sunny day when this photograph was taken, one can see that the factory clock was standing proudly at 1 pm, whereas for the last 70 years or so it has remained defiantly at half-past six!

pianola
Wednesday 27th of April 2016 12:59:09 PM
On 1 January 1925 the site was acquired by the Vocalion Gramophone Co Ltd, created to acquire the business and world rights of Aeolian (except in North America; and in Spain and France where certain licence issues applied). There was a floation of 500,000 10/- (50p) shares.



By April 1932 Vocalion's shares were trading at 3/3 (17p) and it was acquired by the Crystalate Gramophone Record Manufacturing Co Ltd, part of the Crystalate Manufacturing Co Ltd, (around May 1932). Crystalate did not acquire the 'pianoforte manufacturing section'. Some Crystalate shareholders were unhappy about buying a failing business. Crystalate dropped the Broadcast label/format in 1933 and would, in its turn, be acquired by Decca. The Crystalate parent company continued trading.

H.J.Hill
Wednesday 27th of April 2016 12:59:09 PM
Benlow Works, Silverdale Road, Hayes, 07/10/2014 from a train.

Class31
Monday 13th of October 2014 09:03:29 AM