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Year: 1899
Who: Joseph H. Dickinson(1855–1937)
Where: Detroit, Michigan
What: Joseph Hunter Dickinson was an inventor, educator, and businessman whose contributions to the music industry and vocational education left a lasting legacy. Born in Canada to Samuel and Jane Dickinson, he grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he began his career in 1870 at just 15 years old as a member of the U.S. Revenue Service, the precursor to the U.S. Coast Guard. After serving two years aboard the cutter "Fessenden," Dickinson returned to Detroit and began working for the Clough & Warren Organ Company, one of the world's largest organ manufacturers.
During his time at Clough & Warren, Dickinson honed his craft in organ and pianola design. His work led to numerous patents, with his first patent filed in 1898 for a mechanical device. His skills were integral to the creation of organs featured at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, where they won a prize. Dickinson went on to file over 20 patents, many during his tenure with the Aeolian Company, a major manufacturer of musical instruments.
In 1882, Dickinson married Eva Gould and co-founded the Dickinson-Gould Organ Company, where they showcased their organs at the 1884 New Orleans Exhibition. After selling his interest in the company in 1886, Dickinson returned to Clough & Warren before later joining the Aeolian Company, where he worked for much of his career.
Dickinson also served as a state representative for Detroit and later moved to Cranford, New Jersey, where he continued his work with the Aeolian Company. By 1915, he and his sons started their own piano business. In his later years, he lived in a mansion in Larchmont, New York, where he passed away in 1936. Dickinson’s contributions to music and his commitment to industrial education remain influential to this day.
Sources:
PDF Document:
Cranford Historical Society. (n.d.). Joseph Hunter Dickinson: Inventor and Craftsman. https://cranfordhistoricalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Joseph-Hunter-Dickinson-Inventor-and-Craftsman.pdf
Patents:
Google Patents. (n.d.). Patent US1395802A - Pneumatic player-piano by Joseph Hunter Dickinson. https://patents.google.com/patent/US1395802A//
Google Patents. (n.d.). Patent US1424885A - Player piano by Joseph Hunter Dickinson. https://patents.google.com/patent/US1424885A/
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