 The logo and keys of a late Wertheim upright piano from between 1925–1930 | |
| Industry | Musical instruments |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1880s (imports), 1908 (current) |
| Founder | Hugo Wertheim (1854–1919) |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia |
Key people | Hugo Wertheim, Herbert Wertheim |
| Products | Grand pianos and upright pianos |
Number of employees | 300–400 at peak |
Wertheim is an Australian brand of pianos, formerly produced in Richmond, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Around 18,000 upright pianos were made in Melbourne between 1908 and 1935. They were designed for the south-eastern Australian climate and were a popular all-purpose piano.
They were used in a range of settings such as schools and public halls, as they were renowned for their ability to stay in tune for prolonged periods of time, requiring little maintenance. They were also used by piano teachers and for professional live performance, the most famous of which was for performances by Dame Nellie Melba, who frequently requested that Wertheim Pianos be used during her performances.[1]
The business was very successful and the Wertheim family achieved celebrity status in Australia during the 1920s. However, after the 1929 Great Depression and with declining demand for pianos, the factory closed in 1935. Today, Wertheim is still an Australian owned company and the Wertheim brand name is used for a range of pianos that are produced overseas in China and South Korea.[2] Original Wertheim pianos undamaged and fully restored can be potentially quite valuable.