The Baumgardt Piano Factory
The Baumgardt piano factory was a four generations family company. Established in 1857 by Johan Wilhelm Baumgardt in Stockholm, it was continued by his son Johan Otto who in 1871 moved to Linköping, the grand sons Jonas and Nils, and at last the cousins Gunnar and Gösta who were in charge of the company until the end in 1984..
The Klaverens Hus houses the following objects and archival documents from this factory:
1. The company glass signboard, drawings for pianos, wooden patterns to cast iron frames, piano and grand piano finish specimens, felt specimens, a piano board with cast iron frame and glued bridges (used as pattern in the production that to the end was transferred to Fazer in Helsinki), a grand piano soundboard and an electronic tuning device of old type (the first one used by Gösta Baumgardt);
2. A series of pictures of the production, a large computerized collection of photos of the three factories at the Nygatan, Apotekaregatan and Industrigatan in Linköping, portraits of the five Baumgardt makers and of name boards together with periods of use (dating of instruments):
3. Archival documents of the production, for example ‘Gösta’s notations on pianos in production 1958-1968’, account books such as inventory-book 1902-1905, order list 1934, a journeyman’s booklet that once belonged to a factory worker, the carpenter Otto Fredrik Jarl, containing testimonies of J.G. Malmsjö, J.P. Hofstedt and Aug. Hoffmann. In addition there are also documents on the establishment of the Associated Piano and Organ Factories in 1917;
4. Copies of testimonies of Pehr Rosenwall concerning Johan Wilhelm Baumgardt together’s with his franchise documents in Stockholm, Johan Ottos first notice books that are sales books and ‘unlce Jonas’ notes’ on the Baumgardt family.
Gift from the makers Gösta and Gunnar Baumgardt in 1978, Gösta Baumgardt in 2007 and 2008, the Conny Carlsson estate in 2002.
Company plate placed at the entrance of the store at the Apotekaregatan 8 in Linköping
