David Jacques Way
American harpsichord builder
David Jacques Way (1918–1994) was an American harpsichord maker.
Early life
Born in Elk Creek, Nebraska, Way was educated at Black Mountain College in North Carolina in its earliest days, where he gained his lifelong interest in graphic design and typography. His first commercial venture was the establishment in 1938 of Grafix Press in nearby Lake Eden, with fellow Black Mountain College student Emil Willimetz. After leaving the college, he began his working life as a fine-arts printer and publisher. In 1953, he entered partnership with the graphic designer Bertram L. Clarke to form Clarke & Way, consolidating a collaboration which began four years previously with work on the production of the twelve volume catalog of the Frick Collection.
Harpsichord maker
Way came to harpsichord making relatively late in his life. After having built a harpsichord kit by Wolfgang Zuckermann in the late 1960s, Way wrote the "Appendix—By a Harpsichord Kit Builder" for Zuckermann's book The Modern Harpsichord, which was published in 1969 by Way's own company, October House Inc. When Zuckermann prepared to leave the United States soon afterwards, Way sensed a career change, purchased Zuckermann Harpsichords Inc and moved its premises from New York City to the historic seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut.
Beginning his evolution of new harpsichord designs based on more historic principles of construction, Way visited European museums and engaged William Hyman—one of the highly regarded American harpsichord makers in Zuckermann's book—as consultant and teacher. The rapid development of the historic harpsichord in this decade was fuelled by the popularity of the harpsichord kit, produced by several companies including Zuckermann and the Boston-based Hubbard Harpsichords Inc.
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