San Francisco County
Biographies
FREDRICK WOLDEMAR LUDOVICI
FREDRICK WOLDEMAR LUDOVICI was born
in 1840 in the old German town of Trèves,
on the Moselle; his father was
of Italian extraction, and came from an old noble Roman family: his mother from
a distinguished old Dutch family. He came to New
York at the age of twelve, where he finished his
education. While still very young he entered the old hide and leather firm
of Matthew Armstrong & Sons, in the "swamp," and later he became
the partner of his father, Louis Ludovici (who came
to American in 1848) in Wall street. L. Ludovici & Son were the first
firm to refine petroleum oil, on commercial scale, and they shipped the first
barrel to Europe.
At
an early age Mr. Ludovici developed a great love for
traveling, for learning languages and for music. He has been a great
traveler, having been around the world four times. He has passed seven
years in India, and has traveled
through every part of it–on one occasion across the Himalaya mountains into Thibet
(sic). His travels also took in Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand,
Tasmania, the whole island of Ceylon, and Moulmein,
Egypt and the Holy Land from Jerusalem to Damascus; Greece and Turkey; also the
Island of Cuba, all the cities on the coast of Rio de Janeiro throughout
Brazil, Uruguay, the Argentine Republic and Paraguay, including two interesting
trips, one on the river Nile, and the other on the Amazon river. In
India he was first with a large
English importing and exporting house, and later was a partner in the leading
firm of exchange and financial brokers of Calcutta. Unfortunately,
his health gave way three times in India,
and three times he left it in a dangerous condition. Mr. Ludovici’s travels and adventures over the world have been
most interesting, exciting and amusing. Besides his travels in the old
world, embracing every city of importance, he has visited in every State and
Territory of the United States and Canada. He
is, therefore, what may be called a "much traveled" gentleman; and as
he remained long enough in many countries to acquire their languages, he is an
unusually fine linguist.
After
the civil war in this country he went to South Carolina
and planted cotton in the sea islands.
The
second time Mr. Ludovici returned from Calcutta
he went to California, and
together with some friends he purchased a large and beautiful ranch in the
southern part of the State. After that he made San Francisco his home for
several years, and started several successful companies there. He
developed some large coal mines in Wyoming
Territory during the same period.
Through
all his travels his musical talent made him notable wherever he went. As
an amateur, he plays the violin with much power and expression, and has a
beautiful and sympathic (sic) "tone". At
one time he performed very well on the cornet à piston,
being a pupil of Louis Schreiber. Mr. Ludovici
has composed some very excellent songs and horn quartets, and he has also
written some charming pieces for the piano. In New York,
London, Paris, Calcutta,
Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Ayres (sic) and in San
Francisco he has always had his string quartet, and he
has thus been in intimate association with many of the leading artists of the
day in all parts of the world. In Calcutta,
for the love of the art, he chiefly aided in producing several Italian and
French operas. He was considered the leader of the musical world there.
Among
his prominent musical friends have been Thalberg,
Gottschalk, Ferdinand Hiller of Cologne; Reinecke, of Leipzig;
August Wilhelmj (sic), Max Vogrich,
De Munck, Carlotta Patti, Karl Former (in his
boyhood, Ole Bull), and many other celebrities, who knew or know him as a true
friend and a fine musician. He has also been the musical critic of several
newspapers. S. B. Mills, George W. Morgan, Timm, Shaferberg, the Wollenhaupts, the
‘cellist Mollenhauer, Berguer,
Noll, Reyer, Groenevelt,
and many "old-timers" of the New York Philharmonic, have played with
him in his youth, and last year Mr. Hartdegen, the
fine ‘cellist, played many trios with him in New York city. One of the
earliest friends Mr. Ludovici made in New
York,
was Mr. William Steinway, and this association has been ripened by social
intercourse in later years. In the last three years in New York Mr. Ludovici floated the Universal Lasting Machine Company, and
the John Patten Ice and Refrigerating Company, which two enterprises at present
promise great success. In his love of the Steinway piano, he accepted the
position of vice-president and manager of the Matthias Gray Company, of San
Francisco (of which concern Mr. Nahum Stetson, of
Steinway & Sons, is treasurer).
Having
lived many years in California, Mr. Ludovici
did not find it difficult this year to leave New York
for the Golden West once more. He has inaugurated his arrival in San
Francisco, and his representation of the Steinway pianos on the Pacific coast
(his first "official" appearance in the musical world), by building a
much needed music room, especially for chamber music, called "Steinway
Hall," where he is making a great effort to bring all artists and music
lovers together in "good fellowship," and where every artist has
impartial opportunities to be heard by the public to the best advantage.
Mr.
Ludovici has many warm personal friends in various
parts of the world; he is known as an excellent business man, possessed of
extraordinary energy; and, having made a success of every enterprise in which
he has embarked, he undoubtedly will prove a valuable acquisition to the trade
in enhancing the unquestioned success of the Matthias Gray Company, and the
musical people in San Francisco will welcome him as their friend, supporter
and, if needs be, their champion.
Transcribed
4-17-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 403-404, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2006 Marilyn R. Pankey.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library