Alfred James Hipkins

Alfred James Hipkins (17 June 1826 – 3 June 1903) was an English musician, musicologist and musical antiquary.

In 1840, at the age of 14, Hipkins became an apprentice piano tuner in the pianoforte factory of John Broadwood & Sons Ltd. In 1846, he was charged with training all of Broadwood's tuners in equal temperament, as many were still using the older meantone system. and he remained an employee of this company for the rest of his life. Despite having very limited musical training on the pianoforte and the organ, he gained a reputation for his performances of Chopin's music.

Hipkins married in October 1850 and the marriage produced a son John, who became a noted wood-engraver, and a daughter Edith, who became a highly successful portrait painter.

Hipkins, Carl Engel and Thomas Taphouse created three of the outstanding antiquarian collections of musical instruments in the U.K. According to his will, the Royal Institution received his collection of tuning forks and the Royal College of Music received his collection of musical instruments.

Selected works

reprinted in 1975 with an introduction by Edwin M. Ripin reprinted in