Gerhard Heintzman Co.

Gerhard Heintzman Co.

Gerhard Heintzman Co. Toronto piano manufacturers. Gerhard Heintzman (b Hanover 6 Oct 1845, d Toronto 8 Oct 1926), a nephew of Theodore Heintzman, moved in 1860 to the USA and in 1867 to Toronto. He established the Heintzman Piano Manufacturing Co in 1877 on Little Richmond St and built 10 pianos by himself. In 1879 he moved to 365 Queen St. He began making pianos - almost a third of his output - for A. & S. Nordheimer in 1881, and by 1885 he was employing 50 to 60 people who produced eight pianos a week. The two companies merged ca 1886 as the Lansdowne Piano Co. After Heintzman withdrew from that partnership in 1890, he established the Gerhard Heintzman Co. The factory was located at 63-75 Sherbourne St in Toronto, and in 1892 it produced a dozen upright pianos each week from seven different designs. A grand piano was introduced in the 1890s. The factory was enlarged in 1900 and a recital hall was added. Showrooms were opened at 97 Yonge in 1905 and at 41-3 Queen St in 1909. After Gerhard's death the business was purchased by Heintzman & Co. The Gerhard Heintzman Co produced over 39,900 instruments.

Gerhard Heintzman's daughter was the composer and pianist Cornelia Heintzman Richardson.