 |
| 1006 Olive Street from a 1909 Sanborn Map Company illustration of St Louis Image Credit: Library of Congress |
About
The Thiebes Piano Company was founded in St. Louis, Missouri by Arthur C. Thiebes in 1893. He had previously worked as a piano tuner for The Bollman-Drumeller Music Company and a year later he went into business with Frederick C. Stierlin and father-in-law Augustus Eichele. They then bought out Bollman-Drumeller and moved into their facilities at 1111 Olive Street.
They manufactured The Thiebes-Stierlin Piano, The Paragon Musical Instrument Strings, Rienzi mandolins, and Monogram brand guitars as well as supplying instruments to local conservatories. The firm continued to expand until the need for a new building was too great. In 1904 they commissioned Theodore C. Link to construct a new building at 1006 Olive Street and moved into it in 1905. A competitor, Balmer-Weber, moved in next door at 1004 Olive Street. This area would become known as "piano row" due to the concentration of stringed instrument manufacturers in the block. Thiebes-Stierlin often advertised that they were located "at the big blue Victor sign"
In 1909, Frederick Stierlin left to become president of the Koerber-Brenner Music Company and Arthur renamed the company back to the Thiebes Piano Company and advertised that their reputation will be "zealously guarded." [1][2] Thiebes continued to build his fortune on pianos and the new demand for player pianos
Rudolph Wurlitzer purchased Thiebes' company in 1919 and he left the music business to pursue an administrative career in oil [1].
The building is still standing and is the last of two buildings that remain of Music Row in St Louis.
Sources
[1] https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Thiebe-Stierlin%20Music%20Co.%20Bldg.pdf
[2] https://www.newspapers.com/image/571553341/?terms=thiebes-stierlin&match=1
No comments: