Deep River and Ivoryton
Deep River and Ivoryton by Don Malcarne, published by Arcadia Publishing in 2002, offers a detailed exploration of two villages in the lower Connecticut River Valley that were significantly influenced by the ivory trade. This edition, comprising 128 pages, presents a narrative enriched with over two hundred exceptional photographs that illustrate how the piano industry transformed the local economy and culture, linking these communities to Zanzibar, a key exporter of African elephant tusks.
Readers will find a comprehensive account of the historical significance of ivory in Deep River and Ivoryton, detailing the operations of major companies like Pratt, Read & Company and Comstock, Cheney & Company, which employed thousands in the ivory processing industry. The book chronicles the rise and eventual decline of this trade, highlighting how changes in technology and economic conditions, including the advent of radio and the Great Depression, led to a halt in ivory use by the 1950s. Through its focus on history and local travel, this work provides valuable insights into the impact of the ivory trade on these Connecticut villages.
Official synopsis Publisher
Deep River and Ivoryton, two villages in the lower Connecticut River Valley, were dominated for more than a century by “white gold”-ivory. The growth of the piano industry led to a new use for this exotic and long-treasured substance and, suddenly, the two villages became tied to Zanzibar, the most important exporting place for the tusks of African elephants.
With more than two hundred exceptional photographs and narrative, Deep River and Ivoryton tells the story of how ivory shaped the economy and culture of these villages. Two companies, Pratt, Read & Company and the Comstock, Cheney & Company, employed thousands of people in satisfying the demand for new pianos. Probably more than ninety percent of the ivory processed in this country was handled in Deep River and Ivoryton. The demand for new instruments slowed with the invention of the radio, followed by the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the flow of material stopped altogether in the 1950s, when the use of ivory in the United States was banned.
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