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| Ignore the three wooden clamps "Manufactured by The Chicago Music Co Platt P Gibbs. Pres 195 & 197 Wabash Ave. Cor Adams Chicago, Ill" |
This label appears inside a guitar that I was hired to work on, the neck was detached and I was to put the neck back on and adjust the angle so the instrument could play again. I had never heard of this firm before.
About
The Chicago Music Company was headed by Platt P Gibbs serving as the President, Treasurer, Manager, and Director (an extensive list of accolades) with M. E. Gibbs as the Vice-President and Director and Herbert P Gibbs as the Secretary and Director [1]. The earliest reference to the Chicago Music Co that I could find dates to 1878 advertising tickets to a preacher giving a lecture. Their address was 152 State Street [2].
An 1888 advertisement mentions the sale of Steinway pianos at their location at 148 and 150 Wabash Avenue.
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| Image Credit: Newspapers.com |
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| Image Credit: Google Books |
The first mention of guitars comes in 1897 where they are offering a closing sale before moving, the address listed does match the above guitar's label.
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| Image Credit: Newspapers.com |
Another advertisement from that same year
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| Image Credit: Newspapers.com |
Jumping forward a couple years, in 1902 an advertisement for discount musical instruments indicates that the Chicago Music Co had gone bankrupt and their assets sold to wholesalers at half price.
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| Image Credit: Newspapers.com |
However, a 1906 report by the Illinois. Office of Inspector of Factories and Workshops indicates that they are still operating at 251 Wabash Avenue and are a music store.
Guitars
I worked on one of these guitars and it had the tiniest neck joint I had ever seen. Unsurprisingly, the guitar came to me with the neck detached.
Sources
[1] https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/NWvZAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA89&dq=%22chicago+music+co%22
[2] https://www.newspapers.com/image/32582508/?match=1&terms=%22chicago%20music%20co%22%20%22platt%22
[3] https://www.newspapers.com/image/668140109/?match=1&terms=%22chicago%20music%20co%22%20%22platt%22
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