... was born in Bromley Kent , he was one of the earliest of commercial makers in London and was also a teacher and dealer.. In the early 1870's he had a shop and studio at 2 Eccleston Street, Victoria, from which he sold his own make of unfretted banjos. He had various addresses near Victoria Station before the year when he moved to 122 Fleet Street, E.C. It is interesting to note that Will Mitchell (many years later to be in charge of the Clifford Essex workshops) was employed by Nice before he (Mitchell) went to the workshops of Richard Spencer . Nice ran a flourishing studio and shop in Fleet Street teaching all the fretted instruments and selling banjo and zither-banjos he had helped fashion in his workshop. His premises were the meeting place for many professionals of the day. When he died, Arthur Stanley (the elder) took over his business but did continue the manufacturing side. William Nice 1855 to 1901 Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

.. of Boston Mass. was a well known banjo soloist and composer in the 1890's and many of his solos were published by Carl Fischer. He designed the banjo bearinng his name which, with its patented hoop, "was constructed on entirely new and scientific principles" and patented the tone chamber under the rim. The pot of this banjo was made of bell metal with a fairly narrow outside hoop of wood which was rabbeted over the top to allow the velum to rest on it to promote "a most wonderful sound". Luscomb banjos were made in 4 grades as well as three grades of Banjeaurines and a Piccolo with a 8" rim. Models included The Luscomb and Artiste, and Silver Chime The instruments were made and sold by Thompson & Odell . Co. of 523 Washington Street, Boston, Mass. from about 1891 to the late 1920's. Gut strung Luscomb images courtesy of Lars Dahl John F Luscomb next maker

Performer, composer, arranger and teacher of the banjo, Joe (Joshua) Daniels (whose real name was Joseph Toledano) established a studio at 28 Bishopsgate Street, London, in 1870 and, after a few years, moved to 112 Leadenhall Street where he started to advertise himself as "Musical Instrument Maker" and teacher of the banjo, mandolin and guitar - in addition to stage dancing. In 1887 he took out a patent for a metal casing (or "sound box") round the banjo hoop and a spring device to keep down the pressure bar of the banjo tailpiece. Later he patented his ”Defiance” banjo which had a 9 in. vellum glued direct on to a 1/4in square bezel though which straining bolts passed to engage in a flange fixed to an all metal resonator-type back. The metal hoop had oval-shape vents cut into it at regular intervals all the way round its perimeter. The metal used in this unusual banjo was very thin aluminum (or some other lightweight alloy) and the instrument was extremely light to handle. It is doubtful whether Daniels actually made the instruments himself. The hoops were obviously spun and the conventional arm used could have been made in the workshops of John E. Dallas . It is possible that Daniels assembled the instruments so in effect he could rightly call himself an "instrument maker." The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) presented Daniels with a silver medallion inscribed with the Fleur de Lys and this was fixed to the peghead of the banjo Joe Daniels always played in his public performances. He died in March 1915, at the age of 73. Further information go to this Old Time Herald article by Lewis Stern Pictures courtesy of Brown Dog Banjos . Contrary to the one described above this instrument is heavy, probably made of brass and heavily nickel plated Joe Daniels .. 1842 to 1915 next maker

William Schmick next maker ... of 514 N 9th St., New Jersey took out a patent on September 23rd 1914 for his “Lyric” banjo, tenor-banjo, mandolin-banjo and guitar-banjo. Speaking of the instruments at the time “The Crescendo” said “While this new arrival resembles the English zither pattern, and indeed was modelled after that type, every essential feature represents a change from all previous forms of banjo production, the inventors object being to produce an instrument that would be effective with gut strings instead of wire. The head forms the lid of a wooden box and is self-contained; that is it is not fixed to the box as all but just rests there and acts like a second bridge for the strings. When the strings are removed this head, with its novel hoop for tightening, can be lifted out of the enclosure. It is not necessary to do this every time you wish to tighten the head, however, for special brackets are provided for that purpose, hidden from view but easily accessible around the top of the vellum. When a new head is needed one can be put on without disturbing the neck or the dowel piece, and the instrument re-strung and played at once for the vellum always remains at the same height, no matter how loose or tight it is.” This instrument had a hoop constructed on similar lines to that used in zither-banjos but in the upper perimeter were 22/24 sound holes. It apparently sold, far as late a 1925 Carl Fischer Inc. were selling them in their New York, Chicago and Boston shops according to their advertisements. images courtesy of M Beadles

When George Scarth abandoned his violin-importing business and took over the general music shop at 69 Charing Cross Road, London, in 1929 he was at first content to sell the occasional banjo which he would obtain from his usual wholesaler. However, in 1931 he decided to launch his own brand of banjo and the first Scarth banjos were designed and made for him by Robert ("Bob") Blake. When the demand for these high-class instruments increased, J. G. Abbott was called upon to also make for him. Scarth banjos ranged from an inexpensive model to a really high-class expensive instrument: the "Model B2" being a good copy of the American "Vegavox." None of the instruments the sold bear the name Scarth, but they can be identified by the old-English letter "S" (made of mother-of-pearl) inlaid in the pegheads. No Scarth banjos were made after 1936. when the demand was more for plectrum guitars. By this time the firm moved 55 Charing Cross Road. George Scarth Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

... was founded in 1926 in Chicagi Il., from the joining of two Boston firms--Nokes & Nicolai and JosephPacheco with the Liberty Rawhide Company-a major Chicago supplier of banjo and drum heads from 1920. Contemporary articles state that Liberty had purchased the "stock and good will" of the other two companies, and moved the stock in trade and equipment to new quarters in Chicago; each man was to have responsibility for his own end of the business, while John W. Placko, president of Liberty, was to supervise the manufacture of the drum and banjos heads. Within a year the new company had failed and was sold at auction, in August, 1927; since the factory and most of the machinery were new, there was great competition for the assets, which were finally purchased by Slingerland Liberty Music Company 1926-1927 Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

Thomas Bostock 1857 to 1941 next maker ... was born in Southwark and brought up in Clerkenwell, London. He first trained as a printer but by 1890 he was a musical instrument maker and he had his business at 23 Rosoman Street, Clerkenwell. He married Alice Maud Philips in 1882 and they had 6 childern. He was a wholesale maker of banjos and zither-banjos from about 1880 to the middle 1920's when nothing further is heard of him. The 1911 census has him listed as a Musical Instrument Maker and repairer. He is buried in Islington Cemetry. 5 sring courtesy of J A Turner. (originally fretless and replaced tail piece and tuners) Additional familly information courtesy of David & Carol Bostock

Dayton banjos were designed and patented in October 1920 by Charles B Rauch who established the Dayton String Instrument Company, in Dayton Ohio and was running a successful teaching business there and conducted the Dayton Mandolin Club. In addition to banjos Rauch made and sold most fretted instruments. In 1922 the Dayton range of banjos was improved by having hoops of curly and birds eye maple. Subsequently Rauch launched the “New Construction Dayton Banjos” which had 12" hoops and were fitted with a round metal perchpole and an extension fingerboard. The 5 string hoops were turned from 12 wood blocks glued in 3 layers. Instead of the normal banjo pegs they were fitted with machine heads as per the guitar. An advertisement of the time mentions a “fine line of tenor banjos, mandolin banjos, guitar banjos, cello banjos and ukulele banjos in this new construction". In 1925 Thomas J Armstrong wrote “Dayton banjos are high in favour” It is not known when the company ceased trading. For more information and pictures go to Tim Canuelle's site "Dayton String Instrument Co." Dayton next maker

.. was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire and started to learn to play the banjo at an early age and played in public when he was eleven. When he left school at the age 14 he was apprenticed to the firm of Windsor and Taylor and remained with them when he moved to York where for some years he ran a successful teaching connection In 1902 he left York and settled in Bournemouth where he worked in co-operation with A. de Vekey for about five years and for a short period he was a member of the Stavordale Quartet. In 1907, he "turned professional" and for some time toured with a minstel troupe and then appeared on the Music Hall stage with “The American Trio". In 1912 he was with the Palladium Ministrels for the successful run of this show. During World War I he worked as a civilian artificer for Kelvin's of Glasgow on submarines, and, later, as a scientific instrument maker for a firm at Brentford, Middlesex. After the war he set up as a “lone” maker of banjos mandolins and guitars with a workshop at Buer Road, Fulham, S.W. London, and was making high class banjos up to about 1935. He died on July 7,1955 from a cerebral thrombosis. "Charlie" Page 1857 to 1955 Do you have a pre 1940's banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

.. born in Leicester on June 5th 1898 and learned the craft of woodworking from his father. He started to make banjos in the 1910's until the 1920's although his main activity was teaching and conducting a successful music shop with emphasis on the fretted instruments. He concentrated on producing one grade of high-class banjo, although he was known to have produced a cheaper instrument of varying designs at different times during his banjo-making days. Since 1939, when he ceased to make banjos, he was concerned mainly with making -guitars. He died in 1967. Joseph Chamberlain 1898 to 1967 Do you have a banjo by this maker? can you supply us some images? next maker

Ebenezer Batelle started selling sheet music from his Boston Book Store in 1783. The book store changed hands several times and came into the ownership of Colonel Samuel H. Parker in 1811. In 1823 Parker employed a trainee called Oliver Ditson and the sheet music business was profitable enough to be separated to its own entity, in 1835, to include music publishing which was then being organized by Ditson. At this time the company became known as Parker & Ditson but following Parker's death in 1842 Ditson acquired the whole business which became known as Oliver Ditson. The expansion of the company proceeded at pace with the acquisition of the publishing catalogues of, amongst others, William Hall & Son and John Firth & Son and with musical instrument production following the establishment of Lyon & Healy in Chicago in 1864 and John Church Company of Cincinnati Ohio in 1860. When John C Haynes joined the business in 1857 as a partner it became Oliver Ditson & Co. Ditson ensure tight control of the business by installing familly members in the main offices in New York and Philadelphia. On his death in the company changed its name to Oliver Ditson Company and continued trading until 1937 when the company was sold to Theodore Presser. Images courtesy of Steve Benson Oliver Ditson 1811 to 1888 next maker

Around about 1870 James Morrison, of 670 Sixth Avenue, New York City, formed a company for making banjos and in October 1875 the "Morrison Patented Steel Hoop Banjo" was being offered for sale by Jas. Morrison & Co., of that address. It was claimed this instrument was "different from other banjos principally in the hoop which is supported by pins driven into the wood rim over which the head is stretched" and was used and recommended by Brooks & Denton, the Dora Bros., Vess L. Ossman, Gregory & Farmer, Grant Brower, F. Wilbur Hill, Thomas E. Glynn, Sam Devere, Billy Carter, etc. etc. in the same advertisement it was said that all these players also sold the Morrison banjo. By 1903 Morrison was located at 157, E, 67th Street, New York City, from where he advertised that his instruments were "guaranteed to be the finest-toned in the world, for stage and club use". For a great many years it is true that the Morrison banjo was considered in America to be the acme of perfection in tone and durability. When Brooks and Denton formed their partnership in 1885 they claimed to be the sole selling agents in New York for the Morrison banjo. They were still selling them in 1912. Pictures courtesy of Bill Neff James Morrison next maker