[ ... Angelico Valerio recalled working in the Ampico research
[ laboratory on the tenth floor of the Chickering Building on 57th
[ St., above several floors of piano sales rooms. He said the
[ Knabe Building was at 584 Fifth Ave., at 47th St. -- Robbie
And the big red chimney in East Rochester, New York, still bears the
white bricks forming the word AMPICO. The actual building is now
a mall called "The Piano Works", with second floor offices, and its
sign has a keyboard as part of its motif. So memories are strong here;
but even the last of the piano tuners, many of them blind guys, are
dying out now.
I sure wish I'd taken notes and pumped our piano tuner friend, who
worked there for many years, for more info; too late now. But he said
many brands were made there, as private labels, some to have players
added later.
Will Herzog
[ See "Ampico Rochester Factory Recollections" by Bruce Clark at
[ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/Digests/199612/1996.12.20.06.html
[ -- Robbie
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