Francis Ramacciotti (c. 1826 Leghorn, Italy – 13 June 1891 Manhattan)[1] was an Italian-born inventor who founded a major piano string manufacturer in the United States.

Career

Ramacciotti was reportedly associated with Garibaldi and held a military rank. Ramaciotti immigrated to the US in 1848, moving to Buffalo, New York. He apprenticed in a piano company in Buffalo before founding his own piano string company, the F. Ramacciotti company, in 1852. While in Buffalo, Ramociotti played bassoon as a member of the Metropolitan Theater Orchestra under the direction of Albert Benjamin Poppendorf (1819–1900).[2][3]

Ramacciotti – on June 12, 1952, in Buffalo – married Rachel Caroline Rendt (maiden; 1833–1914) of Detroit. The couple had five children: (i) Italo Francis Ramacciotti (1853–1911), (ii) Hugo Louis Ramacciotti (1855–1907), (iii) Alberto "Albert" De M. Ramacciott (1857–1926), (iv) Eugenia W. Ramacciotti (1860–1938; married to Edward G. Johnson), and (v) Emma Serena Ramacciotti (1869–1963; married to Milton Lockwood Bouden; 1866–1938).

In 1867, Ramaciotti moved his company to New York City. He invented and patented the first modern bass string for the piano. Previous piano strings used iron winding over iron. This modern invention using a special new machine used copper wound over iron. The company was one of the top makers of piano strings in the world for several decades.

In 1891, Francis Ramacciotti died. His son Albert took over the company the next year. Albert expanded it to one of the three top string makers in the nation.

Selected patents

1883: US 280512 A – "Spinning Lathes for Winding Piano-Strings."[4][5][6]
1893: US 508974 A – "Machine for Swaging Wire for Musical Instruments."[7][8]
1902: US 740918 A – "Bass String for Pianos or Other Musical Instruments."[9][10]

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ↑ NYC Deaths: "Francis Ramacciotti," June 13, 1891.
  2. ↑ Buffalo Times, September 21, 1885, p. 3.
  3. ↑ Buffalo Evening News, June 28, 1900, p. 1.
  4. ↑ Scientific American, July 28, 1883, p. 58.
  5. ↑ Gazette, US280512A, July 3, 1883, p. 39.
  6. ↑ Documents, US280512A, July 3, 1883.
  7. ↑ Gazette, US508974A, November 21, 1893, p. 1095.
  8. ↑ Documents, US508974A, November 21, 1893.
  9. ↑ Gazette, US740918A, October 6, 1903, pp. 1455–1456.
  10. ↑ Documents, US740918A, October 6, 1903.

References

Inline
  • "New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795–1949" (database, FamilySearch → searching "Francis Ramacciotti" → DOD: June 13, 1891 → Place of Death: Manhattan → Place of Birth: Leghorn, Italy → Father's name: Joseph Ramacciotti → Death Certificate No. 20407 → Home Address: 213 East 78th St., Manhattan). New York City Municipal Archives. FHL microfilm 1,322,821. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
The Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office
  • 1883: US 280512 A – "Spinning Lathes for Winding Piano-Strings" (filed November 23, 1882; serial number 280,512; granted July 3, 1883). 24 (1). July 3, 1883: 39. Retrieved October 14, 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  • 1893: US 508974 A – "Machine for Swaging Wire for Musical Instruments" (filed October 5, 1892; serial number 447,953; granted November 21, 1893). 65 (8). November 21, 1893: 1095. Retrieved October 14, 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  • 1903: US 740918 A – "Bass String for Pianos or Other Musical Instruments" (filed December 13, 1902; serial number 135,184; granted October 6, 1903). 106 (6). October 6, 1903: 1455–1456. Retrieved October 14, 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)
General
  • Frank E. Morton; William G. Schaff; John Rossi; George Holz; Albert Francis (Alberto "Albert" De M. Ramacciotti; 1857–1926); C.F. Hovey; Dr. Floyd S. Muckey; William Ruhenbeck (1866–1935); Francis Kraus; Justin O. Shore; Mark P. Campbell; Dr. Daniel Russell Hodgdon (1885–1957) (March 5, 1919). "Bass Strings – Their Manufacture and Proper Use". Piano Tone Building – Proceedings of the Piano Technicians' Conference, Chicago, 1919. pp. 19–28 (21, 22, 24, 25). Retrieved October 14, 2021 – via Internet Archive (Brigham Young University).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) OCLC 1050758672 (all editions), 5133516, 220487569.
  • Rand's New York City Business Directory for 1877. Vol. 2. New York: Walter Heugh & Co. (publisher). 1877. Retrieved September 23, 2007.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) OCLC 166590332, 29801355.
    1. "Directory listing → "Piano & Harp Strings" "Ramacciotti, Francis"". New York City Business Directory: 249. 1877 – via HathiTrust (Harvard).
"One day a foreman in the Ramacciotti plant, John —, who had been a boy apprentice when" ... "that was the end of the New York Cooperative Piano String Co."
Estab-
lished
National Music String Co.
 Strings — New Brunswick
Celluloid Piano Key Co.
 Keys 1876 New York
Tingue, Brown & Co.
 Felts 1901 New York
Ramacciotti F.
 Strings 1867 New York
Schirmer, Charles
 Hardware 1866 New York
    1. Via Internet Archive (Library of Congress). New York, St. Cecile lodge, no. 568, F. & A.M. 1916. p. 146.
" ... Francesco Ramacciotti, who died June 13, [1894]." "The lodge met in a hall corner of Third Avenue and Eighty-Sixth Street." "Ramacciotti joined the lodge in 1871 ... "
"Ramacciotti F. Inc, 421 W. 28th St. — Manuf. of Piano Wire and Bass Strings — Panels."
    1. Peters, Andrew James (1872–1938), Assistant Secretary (December 11, 1915). T.D. 35966 – "Drawback on Pianos and Player Pianos". p. 650 – via Google Books (University of Michigan).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

"The sworn statement of Francis Ramacciotti, dated January 21, 1915, covering bass strings ... "

Note: The petitioner, Albert Francis (Alberto "Albert" De M. Ramacciotti; 1857–1926), was Francis Ramacciotti's son.
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