Firth, Pond & Company
Encyclopedia
Firth, Pond & Company was an American
music company that published sheet music
and distributed
musical instrument
s in the 19th century and early 20 century. The company began in 1847
when William Hall broke with partners
John Firth and Sylvanus Pond, thus disbanding their New York
-based publishing company, Firth & Hall.
Firth and Pond reformed under the name Firth, Pond & Company. Publishing of sheet music made up their core business, and the company played a key role in the popularizing of works by songwriters such as Stephen Foster
and Dan Emmett
. They preferred material from the minstrel show
s to more serious fare, although the company did publish material such as Foster's non-blackface
ballads and songs by Louis Moreau Gottschalk
.
In the 1850s, demand steadily grew in the United States for guitar
s. Firth, Pond & Company offered the instruments under its imprint, advertising, "Guitars of Our Own Manufacture, of Superior Tone and Finish, in Lined Case, for $15 to $50". These were actually created by guitar makers such as C. F. Martin and James Ashborn. By 1855, Firth, Pond & Company sold $50,000 in piano
s and $30,000 in guitars and other instruments; sheet music revenues were only $70,000.
When Firth and Pond parted ways, the company split into Firth, Son & Company and William Pond & Company.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music company that published sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
and distributed
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s in the 19th century and early 20 century. The company began in 1847
1847 in music
-Events:*February 28 - Fire breaks out during a performance and destroys the Großherzoglichen Hoftheater in Baden. Because the theatre doors cannot be opened from the inside, most of the audience perishes....
when William Hall broke with partners
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
John Firth and Sylvanus Pond, thus disbanding their New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based publishing company, Firth & Hall.
Firth and Pond reformed under the name Firth, Pond & Company. Publishing of sheet music made up their core business, and the company played a key role in the popularizing of works by songwriters such as Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
and Dan Emmett
Dan Emmett
Daniel Decatur "Dan" Emmett was an American songwriter and entertainer, founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition.-Biography:...
. They preferred material from the minstrel show
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
s to more serious fare, although the company did publish material such as Foster's non-blackface
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
ballads and songs by Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Louis Moreau Gottschalk
Louis Moreau Gottschalk was an American composer and pianist, best known as a virtuoso performer of his own romantic piano works...
.
In the 1850s, demand steadily grew in the United States for guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s. Firth, Pond & Company offered the instruments under its imprint, advertising, "Guitars of Our Own Manufacture, of Superior Tone and Finish, in Lined Case, for $15 to $50". These were actually created by guitar makers such as C. F. Martin and James Ashborn. By 1855, Firth, Pond & Company sold $50,000 in piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
s and $30,000 in guitars and other instruments; sheet music revenues were only $70,000.
When Firth and Pond parted ways, the company split into Firth, Son & Company and William Pond & Company.