Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 52
Scan 52
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
16 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 30. See the scan on archive.org.
1In 1860 Mr. Ditson established John Church, a young man with him from boyhood, in Cincinnati and sold his interest to him in 1871. This is the now well-known John Church Company, "pre-eminent for high grade classical and standard music,"9 with four branches located in New York, Chicago, Leipzig and London. It is now owned by Theodore Presser Company of Philadelphia and has no branches.
3In 1864 the firm of Lyon & Healy was established in Chicago by Mr. Ditson. This company has been the Chicago agent of the Ditson Company ever since.
5The New York branch of Oliver Ditson & Co., Chas. H. Ditson & Co.,10 with Charles H. Ditson as its head was established in 1867 after the purchase of the music plates, stock and goodwill of Firth, Son and Company. By purchase two other catalogs and businesses were added, namely those of William Hall & Son of New York in 1875 and of J. L. Peters of New York in 1877. This branch was closed at the same time that the Oliver Ditson Company retail store on [address hidden], Boston was given up.
7The Philadelphia branch was started in 1875 with the purchase of the catalog of Lee & Walker. The stock of music and plates of G. André & Company were purchased in 1879 and the entire catalog, stock and music plates of F. A. North and Company in 1890. This branch, J. E. Ditson & Co., of which James Edward Ditson was in charge until his death in 1881, was discontinued in 1910.
9The Ditson store soon became the centre of Boston's musical life and Mecca of music lovers and professionals, especially before Mr. Ditson moved to an office upstairs. To music publishing and selling an instrumental department was added for the sale of pianofortes and all kinds of orchestral instruments. This began as the John C. Haynes Company, a separate business at a different address,11 and was amalgamated with Oliver Ditson & Co. around 1900. Generally speaking the instruments carried were made by other manufacturers.
11In 1930 the retail store of the Oliver Ditson Company at [address hidden] was closed out, while the catalog and publishing business was purchased by Theodore Presser Company of Philadelphia. This was in line with the trend toward consolidation of
139 American History and Encyclopedia of Music—The Music Trades p. 342.
1410 For locations see Fisher, William Arms. One Hundred and Fifty Years of Music Publishing in the United States p. 72.
1511 For addresses see p. 265. Name at start John C. Haynes & Company.
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