Music Trade Review
Issue: 1913 Vol. 56 N. 5 - Page 12
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Music
12
TF^AD£
CONNORIZED ROLLS SCIENTIFICALLY MANUFACTURED.
Splendid Facilities in Factory of Company in New York—Quick Service Through Distributing
Points—How the Business Was Started—Personnel of the Company and Its Representatives.
One of the most progressive music roll establish-
ments in this country is that of the Connorized
Music Co., Austin place and 144th street, New
York, where the Connorized Concert Phrased
Music Rolls are manufactured. The plant, which
comprises several thousand square feet of floor
space, is up to date in every feature and is splen-
didly equipped with the latest and most efficient
machinery for the accurate cutting and phrasing
of music rolls. Besides the headquarters in New
York, the company has established two distributing
points for the benefit of its many customers, one
at 209 South State street, Chicago, and another at
1234 Olive street, St. Louis. In this way it has
equipped itself for taking care of the trade with
the greatest speed.
At tli2 head of the company are men who have
the company was having manufactured for it paper
music rolls for the banjo, but having difficulty in
getting them, decided to manufacture them. It
happened that the Farrand Co. also was having a
hafd time to get rolls and appealed to iVxr. O'Con-
nor to make rolls for them. This was primarily the
way the Connorized music roll business was start-
ed. It was in 1900 and the name of the company
was changed to the Connorized Music Co. soon
after, when Arthur Conrow, the present general
manager of the company, became associated with
Mr. O'Connor.
Mr. Conrow was before that time in the United
States Government service in the customs house
and was well known in customs circles as a man
of integrity and sound business sense. The *first
factory was at 227 Bleecker street, but in 190G
the company had prospered
to the extent that the new
factory, the one occupied at
present, was built and
equipped with every facil-
ity for turning out music
rolls accurately and rapidly.
On this page are shown
two views of the plant,
which have hitherto never
been published. The plant,
as will be observed, is
prominently located on a
corner and can be seen
from the railroad and the
car line from Southern
Boulevard.
Five stories high, it is
well lighted by an abun-
dance of windows, which
are unobstructed.
It is
equipped with machinery
carefully constructed for
Front View. the manufacture of music
Large Factory of the Connorized Music Co., New York.
sound business judgment earned by years of ex- rolls, and over one hundred expert men and
perience. James O'Connor, president of the com- women are working each day striving to meet the
pany, is well known throughout the trade as an demand for Connorized rolls, which is ever on
inventor of note, having patented many devices the increase. The rolls are worked out on a
which are now in universal use in the construction scientific basis. The company guarantees the
of player-pianos. Among these is the automatic paper of which they are
tracking device used on many players familiarly m a d e a g a i n s t climatic
known as the "O'Connor patent." Mr. O'Connor's changes. It is specially
career in the piano industry dates back many years prepared and manufactured
when as a young man he and several others he was for the company, and owing
associated with in Wall street took up the manu- to its adaptability to all
facturing of an automatic banjo which was oper- climatic conditions, t h e
company claims that when
ated by electricity.
Connorized music rolls are
This did not prove as successful as expected, and
used an automatic track.ng
device is unnecessary.
large export trade and ships many thousand rolls to
tropical countries during the year. Here they have
been tested more thoroughly by severe heat and
dampness than in any other climes, and have proved
most successful. They are sent to South Africa
in quantities and have a large following in Europe,
while large shipments are sent to Mexico, where
James O'Connor, President and Treasurer of
the Connorized Music Co.
they have become universally popular, and to South
America.
The cutting of the rolls is also d«nc by the latest
and most approved methods. Special attention is
given those rolls which are concert phrased, so
that the operator may get the correct interpreta-
tion of the music as played by the artist. The
business last year increased in a healthy manner.
The establishing of the St. Louis branch has been
a good investment and has assured dealers in that
part of the country good service, besides having
increased the business of the company in that lo-
cality - r )0 per cent. In charge of this office is
In order to get a paper
which would resist heat and
dampness ali:
before the desired formula
was acquired. This formu-
la is now in possession of
the company and is used by
it exclusively for man-
ufacturing all the paper
from which Connorized
music rolls are cut. Great
Side View of Connorized Music Co. Factory, New York.
study was also put on
the cutting of the rolls, this being a most important
George E. Eldridge, while the Chicago branch is
step in the manufacture. It was found that by a supervised by George A. Baker. Fred G. Coryell
represents the company on the road and is well
certain process of trimming the paper on either
side there was greater assurance that the rolls known from coast to coast.
Mr. Coryell was in New York this week, having
would track properly. This is done to every Con-
norized roll, and the perforations are also cut come direct from Pittsburgh. Before that he had
larger than the average roll, thus making another been making short trips from Chicago, and stated
that the music roll business is in a most promising
aid to perfect tracking.
Arthur Conrow, General Manager of the Con-
condition
all over the Middle West.
norized Music Co.
It is on account of these exclusive features that
Mr. O'Connor turned his attention to the study the Connorized Music Co. is in a position to guar-
Arnold Somlyo, 366 Fifth avenue, New York,
of pneumatics. The American Automatic Banjo antee the perfect tracking of its rolls as well as wholesale representative of the Ba.'dwin Co., spent
Co. was the name of the firm which finally mar- to warrant them against climatic conditions. These
this week at the executive offices of the company,
keted the automatic banjo, pneumatically played, guarantees are always stamped on the rolls. It is Cincinnati, Ohio, attending the annual stockhold-
after Mr. O'Connor had perfected it. At that time because of these features that the company has a ers' meeting of the company.
Music
12
TF^AD£
CONNORIZED ROLLS SCIENTIFICALLY MANUFACTURED.
Splendid Facilities in Factory of Company in New York—Quick Service Through Distributing
Points—How the Business Was Started—Personnel of the Company and Its Representatives.
One of the most progressive music roll establish-
ments in this country is that of the Connorized
Music Co., Austin place and 144th street, New
York, where the Connorized Concert Phrased
Music Rolls are manufactured. The plant, which
comprises several thousand square feet of floor
space, is up to date in every feature and is splen-
didly equipped with the latest and most efficient
machinery for the accurate cutting and phrasing
of music rolls. Besides the headquarters in New
York, the company has established two distributing
points for the benefit of its many customers, one
at 209 South State street, Chicago, and another at
1234 Olive street, St. Louis. In this way it has
equipped itself for taking care of the trade with
the greatest speed.
At tli2 head of the company are men who have
the company was having manufactured for it paper
music rolls for the banjo, but having difficulty in
getting them, decided to manufacture them. It
happened that the Farrand Co. also was having a
hafd time to get rolls and appealed to iVxr. O'Con-
nor to make rolls for them. This was primarily the
way the Connorized music roll business was start-
ed. It was in 1900 and the name of the company
was changed to the Connorized Music Co. soon
after, when Arthur Conrow, the present general
manager of the company, became associated with
Mr. O'Connor.
Mr. Conrow was before that time in the United
States Government service in the customs house
and was well known in customs circles as a man
of integrity and sound business sense. The *first
factory was at 227 Bleecker street, but in 190G
the company had prospered
to the extent that the new
factory, the one occupied at
present, was built and
equipped with every facil-
ity for turning out music
rolls accurately and rapidly.
On this page are shown
two views of the plant,
which have hitherto never
been published. The plant,
as will be observed, is
prominently located on a
corner and can be seen
from the railroad and the
car line from Southern
Boulevard.
Five stories high, it is
well lighted by an abun-
dance of windows, which
are unobstructed.
It is
equipped with machinery
carefully constructed for
Front View. the manufacture of music
Large Factory of the Connorized Music Co., New York.
sound business judgment earned by years of ex- rolls, and over one hundred expert men and
perience. James O'Connor, president of the com- women are working each day striving to meet the
pany, is well known throughout the trade as an demand for Connorized rolls, which is ever on
inventor of note, having patented many devices the increase. The rolls are worked out on a
which are now in universal use in the construction scientific basis. The company guarantees the
of player-pianos. Among these is the automatic paper of which they are
tracking device used on many players familiarly m a d e a g a i n s t climatic
known as the "O'Connor patent." Mr. O'Connor's changes. It is specially
career in the piano industry dates back many years prepared and manufactured
when as a young man he and several others he was for the company, and owing
associated with in Wall street took up the manu- to its adaptability to all
facturing of an automatic banjo which was oper- climatic conditions, t h e
company claims that when
ated by electricity.
Connorized music rolls are
This did not prove as successful as expected, and
used an automatic track.ng
device is unnecessary.
large export trade and ships many thousand rolls to
tropical countries during the year. Here they have
been tested more thoroughly by severe heat and
dampness than in any other climes, and have proved
most successful. They are sent to South Africa
in quantities and have a large following in Europe,
while large shipments are sent to Mexico, where
James O'Connor, President and Treasurer of
the Connorized Music Co.
they have become universally popular, and to South
America.
The cutting of the rolls is also d«nc by the latest
and most approved methods. Special attention is
given those rolls which are concert phrased, so
that the operator may get the correct interpreta-
tion of the music as played by the artist. The
business last year increased in a healthy manner.
The establishing of the St. Louis branch has been
a good investment and has assured dealers in that
part of the country good service, besides having
increased the business of the company in that lo-
cality - r )0 per cent. In charge of this office is
In order to get a paper
which would resist heat and
dampness ali:
before the desired formula
was acquired. This formu-
la is now in possession of
the company and is used by
it exclusively for man-
ufacturing all the paper
from which Connorized
music rolls are cut. Great
Side View of Connorized Music Co. Factory, New York.
study was also put on
the cutting of the rolls, this being a most important
George E. Eldridge, while the Chicago branch is
step in the manufacture. It was found that by a supervised by George A. Baker. Fred G. Coryell
represents the company on the road and is well
certain process of trimming the paper on either
side there was greater assurance that the rolls known from coast to coast.
Mr. Coryell was in New York this week, having
would track properly. This is done to every Con-
norized roll, and the perforations are also cut come direct from Pittsburgh. Before that he had
larger than the average roll, thus making another been making short trips from Chicago, and stated
that the music roll business is in a most promising
aid to perfect tracking.
Arthur Conrow, General Manager of the Con-
condition
all over the Middle West.
norized Music Co.
It is on account of these exclusive features that
Mr. O'Connor turned his attention to the study the Connorized Music Co. is in a position to guar-
Arnold Somlyo, 366 Fifth avenue, New York,
of pneumatics. The American Automatic Banjo antee the perfect tracking of its rolls as well as wholesale representative of the Ba.'dwin Co., spent
Co. was the name of the firm which finally mar- to warrant them against climatic conditions. These
this week at the executive offices of the company,
keted the automatic banjo, pneumatically played, guarantees are always stamped on the rolls. It is Cincinnati, Ohio, attending the annual stockhold-
after Mr. O'Connor had perfected it. At that time because of these features that the company has a ers' meeting of the company.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).