These books were thought to be lost for decades. Thanks to the wonderful help of Mrs Kluttig, we were able to look through these books in the Leipzig State Archives in September 2017. Over 20 extensive books document the production of the important Julius Feurich pianoforte factory in Leipzig very precisely.
These are the sales books, production books and register books, so that it is possible to search chronologically, by customer and by serial number. In addition to fantastic details on each individual Feurich instrument, there is also valuable information on deliveries to M. Welte & Söhne in Freiburg and J. D. Philipps in Frankfurt and much more.
As Feurich was Welte's most important and first supplier for WelteMignon, it is now possible for the first time to research specific facts about the instruments supplied. Deliveries for Luna (orchestrions) and Artist (=Mignon), which were manufactured for Popper & Co, are also documented. This may also provide important clues to the recording grand pianos for Welte-Mignon.
The production books contain all the work steps during the manufacture of an instrument, so that the names of the 11 different workers are explicitly recorded.
The books are in good condition overall - but have obviously been exposed to fire and are therefore very fragile and brittle. Some of the books need to be restored before they can be read. The books have not yet been digitised - we are in close contact with the State Archives and will make progress with digitisation as quickly as possible so that these wonderful contents are accessible to all interested parties.
