February 23, 1879

Steinway-Weber piano movers battle in the Westminster Hotel in Philadelphia. English opera impresario Colonel James Henry Mapleson has brought his troupe to Philadelphia. William Steinway ordered to place a Steinway & Sons grand piano to the bedroom of every member of the troupe, and the necessary number of pianos in the theater – in exchange of Mapleson troupe letter of endorsement of Steinway & Sons pianos. Albert Weber, who has also craved Mapleson opera company’s endorsement, having found out that Steinway & Sons has provided pianos for Mapleson troupe, orders his piano movers to put Steinway & Sons pianos out in the hall, and Weber pianos in the guests’ rooms. When the singers come back from dinner, they discover, to their astonishment, that all their Steinway & Sons pianos have magically transformed into Webers. Having learned about that, William Steinway immediately sends his own piano movers to get Weber pianos out of Mapleson singers’ rooms, and roll Steinway & Sons pianos back in. The movers from Steinway & Sons and Weber meet face to face in the hallways, unscrew piano legs and have an epic battle. Weber movers win. After the opera performance, Albert Weber invites singers for celebratory dinner, where they sign the letter stating that Weber pianos are superior to anything they had even known.