Melody Instrument Company

Image Credit: The Music Trades c.1941

The Harmony Musical Instrument Company was purchased by Sears, Roebuck & Co in 1916 while the factory was still located at 1750 N. Lawndale Avenue in Chicago. It continued operations there for nearly 30 years until December 21st, 1940 when The Harmony Company, under Sears Roebuck, ceased operations and reopened at 3631-3633 South Racine Avenue under the new, independent leadership of Jay Kraus. Kraus had been President of Harmony since 1925, left earlier that year, and then purchased a controlling stock in the company [1].

Kraus purchased the equipment, machinery, inventory, and good will of the old Harmony Company leaving Sears with an empty factory. Evidently this didn't concern them as a replacement company was formed in it's place entitled The Melody Instrument Company. It was headquartered at 3333 Arthington Street in the expansive Sears main offices. Joseph H. Graser, the newly appointed Purchasing Agent, put out the public statement that is pictured above [2]. A. A. Anderson handled the invoices for purchases made from the previous company. Its not entirely clear how that would be handled but the relationship between Sears and Harmony continued well into the 1960s so I suspect that Sears forwarded existing orders to the new Harmony company

I cannot find any evidence of instruments built by the Melody Instrument Company and their name doesn't appear again.

Sources

[1] https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/harmony-company/

[2] https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9MB-NL19?i=9&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AK4M8-BJN