Founded in Chicago in 1864 by George Washburn Lyon and Patrick J. Healy, Lyon & Healy built its first harp, Model 21 #501, in 1889. It was the sincere love of music and the enterprising nature of the young and ambitious Healy which drove the company to improve an instrument already thought to be perfect. It was Healy’s covenant which set the stage for decade after decade of groundbreaking innovation in engineering and craftsmanship. His words articulate Lyon & Healy’s most basic motivation: “Let us build a harp that will no longer worry its owner because of its liability to get out of order easily; let us build a harp that will go around the world without loosening a screw.”