Presto
Issue: 1925 2054 - Page 7
December 5, 1925.
PRESTO
DEVELOPMENT OF
THE STARR PIANO CO.
Interesting Story of Growth of Industry from
Single One-Story Building to Present
Great Plant Told in Newspaper.
Just a word or two of
information—a prof-
itable message to
music merchants.
Progressive dealers
everywhere have long
ago discovered the
unusual possibilities
of selling and oper-
ating automatic
pianos.
SEEBURG instru-
ments, they have ob-
served, are best suited
to this strenuous ser-
vice— simplicity, re-
liability and endur-
ance mean something
Piano construction
must vary according
to the purpose—long
years of experience
has taught which is
best.
The romance of piano history is comprised in the
story of the development of the Starr Piano Co. of
Richmond, Ind., printed in the Richmond Item.
From a single one-story building in which a mere
handful of men were employed, to the present huge
plant which houses a working force of 1,100, the
growth and development of the Starr Piano Co. has
been one of the factors which has had much to do
with the building of Richmond since the company's
incorporation in 1872. The story in the Item con-
tinues:
From its very beginning the Starr Piano Com-
pany has had back of it men who were skilled piano
makers. They knew the business as an art and
fully understood the fundamental principles under-
lying piano manufacture.
George M. Trayser, who was the father of the
piano industry in the Middle West, began his manu-
facturing career in Indianapolis in 1849. In 1869
he went to Ripley, Ohio, and organized a company
there. In 1871 he moved his plant to Hamilton, O.,
and the following year came to Richmond. The
business was incorporated with James M. Starr,
president; Richard Jackson, secretary and treasurer,
and Mr. Trayser, general manager.
This was the beginning of the industry which has
proved to be one of the greatest in the Middle West.
The company's products are known throughout the
world and are recognized as being unusually high
in the musical instrument field.
In 1893 John Lumsden and Henry Gennett of
Nashville, Term., visited the local factory. They had
been engaged in selling the- Starr product and were
so impressed with the possibilities and condition
of the trade that they offered to purchase a half
interest in the plant. Mr. Lumsden became presi-
dent, Mr. Gennett, vice-president, and James Starr,
secretary and treasurer.
Since that time Mr. Gennett and his sons have
had active control of the business. The father died
two years ago and the sons have carried on the
work with the same high ideals that characterized
the business in earlier years.
At present, Harry Gennett is president; Clarence
Gennett is treasurer, and Fred Gennett is secretary.
There are 35 acres in the company's grounds. The
plant has a dry kiln capacity of 2,000,000 feet of
lumber and 5,000,000 feet is kept on hand constantly
to meet the increasing demands of the business.
The company's 31 buildings have a floor space of
500,000 square feet.
In this modern factory every part of the Starr
pianos and Starr-made pianos is completed from
the basic material, including the player mechanism
in its entirety.
Distribution of the Starr products is in every part
of the world. In competitive exhibitions the local
products have won many honors, among them be-
ing awards at the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition
in 1880, the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, the Inter-
national Exposition in 1897, the St. Louis Exposi-
tion in 1904, the Seattle Exposition in 1909, the
Panama California Exposition in 1917 and many
others.
The long years of skilled manufacture have real-
ized their reward, for there are now more than 200,-
000 Starr pianos in the hands of satisfied purchasers.
The quality of the instruments, together with favor-
able results from their use, have given the company
a prestige which has been one of its greatest assets.
The annual output of the plant is 20,000 high
grade instruments.
In addition to the manufacture of pianos the com-
pany builds Starr phonographs and maintains a mod-
ern recording laboratory in which Gennett records
are made.
STEINWAY FOR MODEL HOME.
The Portland, Ore., model home, built and spon-
sored by the Lighting Electrical Committee of the
National Electrical Light Association to demonstrate
to the public proper home lighting and labor saving
devices, has been supplied a Steinway grand piano
in the Louis XVI period to match the handsome
furnishings in the spacious drawing room. Sherman,
Clay & Co. installed the piano.
MUSIC FOR FURNITURE SHOW.
The semi-annual furniture market will be held at
Evansville, Ind., early in the spring, it was announced
this week. Many musical instrument manufacturers
and jobbers are arranging to have exhibits at the
market, according to the management. The show
will be held by the Evansville Furniture Manufac-
turers' Association.
HARRY L. NOLDER OPTIMISTIC.
Harry L. Nolder, Pacific Coast manager for the
Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind., was a recent visitor
to the San Francisco office of the company. Mr.
Nolder, who had visited many Starr dealers in that
territory, was in a very optimistic mood over their
excellent possibilities this season. The business out-
look is brighter than for several seasons, he believes.
MASON & HAMLIN FOR CLUB
V^o-operation after all,
harmonizes the or-
ganized effort of
dealer and factory—
an outstanding fea-
ture of the SEE-
BURG selling plan.
. P. Seeburg
Piano Co.
"Leaders in the
Automatic Field 97
1508-10-12-16 Dayton St.
Chicago
Address Dept. "E"
The new Olympic Golf and Country Club at Lake-
side, Cal., is the last word in luxury and equipment.
For its handsome lounge room a Mason & Hamlin
Ampico Grand has just been ordered from the Wiley
B. Allen Co. of San Francisco, together with a com-
plete library of recordings.
The roster of the club includes the names of many
prominent music lovers, and the purchase of the
Ampico was inspired by the desire of the club com-
mittee to leave nothing undone for the convenience
and pleasure of its members. The illustration shows
the great lounge room where the Ampico has been
placed.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
PRESTO
DEVELOPMENT OF
THE STARR PIANO CO.
Interesting Story of Growth of Industry from
Single One-Story Building to Present
Great Plant Told in Newspaper.
Just a word or two of
information—a prof-
itable message to
music merchants.
Progressive dealers
everywhere have long
ago discovered the
unusual possibilities
of selling and oper-
ating automatic
pianos.
SEEBURG instru-
ments, they have ob-
served, are best suited
to this strenuous ser-
vice— simplicity, re-
liability and endur-
ance mean something
Piano construction
must vary according
to the purpose—long
years of experience
has taught which is
best.
The romance of piano history is comprised in the
story of the development of the Starr Piano Co. of
Richmond, Ind., printed in the Richmond Item.
From a single one-story building in which a mere
handful of men were employed, to the present huge
plant which houses a working force of 1,100, the
growth and development of the Starr Piano Co. has
been one of the factors which has had much to do
with the building of Richmond since the company's
incorporation in 1872. The story in the Item con-
tinues:
From its very beginning the Starr Piano Com-
pany has had back of it men who were skilled piano
makers. They knew the business as an art and
fully understood the fundamental principles under-
lying piano manufacture.
George M. Trayser, who was the father of the
piano industry in the Middle West, began his manu-
facturing career in Indianapolis in 1849. In 1869
he went to Ripley, Ohio, and organized a company
there. In 1871 he moved his plant to Hamilton, O.,
and the following year came to Richmond. The
business was incorporated with James M. Starr,
president; Richard Jackson, secretary and treasurer,
and Mr. Trayser, general manager.
This was the beginning of the industry which has
proved to be one of the greatest in the Middle West.
The company's products are known throughout the
world and are recognized as being unusually high
in the musical instrument field.
In 1893 John Lumsden and Henry Gennett of
Nashville, Term., visited the local factory. They had
been engaged in selling the- Starr product and were
so impressed with the possibilities and condition
of the trade that they offered to purchase a half
interest in the plant. Mr. Lumsden became presi-
dent, Mr. Gennett, vice-president, and James Starr,
secretary and treasurer.
Since that time Mr. Gennett and his sons have
had active control of the business. The father died
two years ago and the sons have carried on the
work with the same high ideals that characterized
the business in earlier years.
At present, Harry Gennett is president; Clarence
Gennett is treasurer, and Fred Gennett is secretary.
There are 35 acres in the company's grounds. The
plant has a dry kiln capacity of 2,000,000 feet of
lumber and 5,000,000 feet is kept on hand constantly
to meet the increasing demands of the business.
The company's 31 buildings have a floor space of
500,000 square feet.
In this modern factory every part of the Starr
pianos and Starr-made pianos is completed from
the basic material, including the player mechanism
in its entirety.
Distribution of the Starr products is in every part
of the world. In competitive exhibitions the local
products have won many honors, among them be-
ing awards at the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition
in 1880, the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, the Inter-
national Exposition in 1897, the St. Louis Exposi-
tion in 1904, the Seattle Exposition in 1909, the
Panama California Exposition in 1917 and many
others.
The long years of skilled manufacture have real-
ized their reward, for there are now more than 200,-
000 Starr pianos in the hands of satisfied purchasers.
The quality of the instruments, together with favor-
able results from their use, have given the company
a prestige which has been one of its greatest assets.
The annual output of the plant is 20,000 high
grade instruments.
In addition to the manufacture of pianos the com-
pany builds Starr phonographs and maintains a mod-
ern recording laboratory in which Gennett records
are made.
STEINWAY FOR MODEL HOME.
The Portland, Ore., model home, built and spon-
sored by the Lighting Electrical Committee of the
National Electrical Light Association to demonstrate
to the public proper home lighting and labor saving
devices, has been supplied a Steinway grand piano
in the Louis XVI period to match the handsome
furnishings in the spacious drawing room. Sherman,
Clay & Co. installed the piano.
MUSIC FOR FURNITURE SHOW.
The semi-annual furniture market will be held at
Evansville, Ind., early in the spring, it was announced
this week. Many musical instrument manufacturers
and jobbers are arranging to have exhibits at the
market, according to the management. The show
will be held by the Evansville Furniture Manufac-
turers' Association.
HARRY L. NOLDER OPTIMISTIC.
Harry L. Nolder, Pacific Coast manager for the
Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind., was a recent visitor
to the San Francisco office of the company. Mr.
Nolder, who had visited many Starr dealers in that
territory, was in a very optimistic mood over their
excellent possibilities this season. The business out-
look is brighter than for several seasons, he believes.
MASON & HAMLIN FOR CLUB
V^o-operation after all,
harmonizes the or-
ganized effort of
dealer and factory—
an outstanding fea-
ture of the SEE-
BURG selling plan.
. P. Seeburg
Piano Co.
"Leaders in the
Automatic Field 97
1508-10-12-16 Dayton St.
Chicago
Address Dept. "E"
The new Olympic Golf and Country Club at Lake-
side, Cal., is the last word in luxury and equipment.
For its handsome lounge room a Mason & Hamlin
Ampico Grand has just been ordered from the Wiley
B. Allen Co. of San Francisco, together with a com-
plete library of recordings.
The roster of the club includes the names of many
prominent music lovers, and the purchase of the
Ampico was inspired by the desire of the club com-
mittee to leave nothing undone for the convenience
and pleasure of its members. The illustration shows
the great lounge room where the Ampico has been
placed.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).