The sales books document Feurich’s key role in the success story of both the Welte-Mignon and the Philipps DUCA.
Julius Feurich was also a close friend of Hugo Popper. According to the information in the sales books, it is very likely that Feurich supplied the grand piano backs for the later Welte-Mignon recording grand pianos to Hugo Popper in Leipzig. Feurich supplied a total of 12 grand piano backs to Hugo Popper. The first grand piano back, ser. no. 17385, on October 12, 1904. Subsequently: ser. nos. 17383 and 17384 on November 2, 1904, ser. no. 17386 on December 30, 1904, ser. nos. 17391 and 17393 on February 14, 1905, ser. no. 17394 on March 7, 1905, ser. nos. 17389 and 17390 on March 23, 1905, ser. nos. 17387, 17388, 17392 on May 2, 1905. Not a single grand piano back was delivered to M. Welte & Soehne in Freiburg. We list all the serial numbers in detail here in the hope of tracking down one of these grand pianos somewhere in the world. These instruments may well still exist – but perhaps without the recording technology?
Here are further details of important deliveries by Feurich, some of which document technical innovations:
On September 7, 1904, the first “Klavierraste 132” (upright piano back) was delivered to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg*
*however, according to Feurich’s documentation this is the 7th delivery to Welte – further research is needed on this point
On October 12, 1904, the first grand piano back was delivered to Hugo Popper in Leipzig
*further research is needed on this point, as Feurich did not number the deliveries to Popper & Co
On July 12, 1905, the last “Artist” (Popper’s trademark for “Mignon”) of 21 Artists supplied was delivered to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg*
*further research is needed on this point
July 29, 1905 marks the start of deliveries of the “Mignon back with tuning keyboard” to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg
On November 5, 1907, the first so-called “American back with tuning keyboard” (ser. no. 20699) for a US version of the cabinet was delivered to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg
On November 7, 1907, the first Feurich “Mignon back with full/large keyboard” (ser. no. 20717) was delivered to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg – the version for the tall upright piano with Welte technology above the back
On April 25, 1908, the first Feurich “Stella” upright (ser. no. 21042) was delivered to Hugo Popper in Leipzig
On August 6, 1908, the first DUCA (ser. no. 22737), an “upright in sapele mahogany with electric double candlesticks”, was delivered to J.D. Philipps in Frankfurt
On October 5, 1912, the first Feurich grand piano (ser. no. 27557) was delivered “for experimental purposes” to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg – the start of the availability of the Welte-Mignon built into grand pianos
On May 29, 1922, the first Feurich DUCARTIST upright (ser. no. 36171) was delivered to J.D. Philipps in Frankfurt
On October 8, 1923, the first Feurich upright (ser. no. 38203) “kombiniert” (with foot operation) was delivered to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg
More details coming soon…