How was tuning a piano done 50 or 60 years ago? (no apps back then)

[symbolipoint]

I am curious about this and tried a web search but most what I find seems not to say specifically:
How were pianos put in tune some five or six decades ago? No mobile apps were available that far back. Tune one single string with all the others damped , using a tuning fork? Then what? Do two strings struck at once and listen for beatings and make adjustment? Then would the technician have needed six or seven or eight different tuning forks? Once those few strings are tuned, get the rest in tune using octaves or unisons and listen for the reduction in beatings as a string is adjusted?

 

[Hornbein]

One tuning fork. Tune an octave around the cycle of fifths (up fifths, down fourths). The fifths have a known number of beats per second to get tempered tuning. Once you've got an octave then tune all the other octaves. A tricky part is that the high notes should be somewhat sharp.

Strobe tuners were available.

 

[symbolipoint]

Strobe tuners were available.

Was that type of electronics device available in early 20th century?

The rest of your description would seem difficult. The technician listened to some known number of beats per second?

 

[symbolipoint]

One tuning fork. Tune an octave around the cycle of fifths (up fifths, down fourths). The fifths have a known number of beats per second to get tempered tuning. Once you've got an octave then tune all the other octaves. A tricky part is that the high notes should be somewhat sharp.

Strobe tuners were available.

Let me push this further. When Alex Scriabin or Sergei Rachmaninoff needed their pianos tuned, just how did the tuning technician accomplish this? No apps. No strobe tuner (I am assuming).

 

[Hornbein]

Let me push this further. When Alex Scriabin or Sergei Rachmaninoff needed their pianos tuned, just how did the tuning technician accomplish this? No apps. No strobe tuner (I am assuming).

I already told you. If you don't believe me, this is pretty common knowledge. You could find it somewhere.

The difficulties lie in that piano pegs are crude. They tend to stick or twist.

 

[symbolipoint]

I already told you. The difficulties lie in that piano pegs are crude. They tend to stick or twist.

I cannot imagine how that works. Octaves; and then up by a fifth? Then no way to listen for beatings while the coupled notes are played. Did the technician just decide if the two note chord sounded right; and then continue upward and downward?