1893 World’s Columbian Exposition
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:08 pm
Knowing that Schwarzer won the "Gold Medal of Progress" at the Vienna Exposition in 1873, I've been attempting to locate additional references to the zither at the various World's Fairs, particularly here in the US. At the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, Hartmann Bros. & Reinhard (225 Bowery, New York) was just one of numerous foreign and domestic zither manufacturers represented at the fair. For this event, the company printed a souvenir pamphlet for the occasion. This image shows the cover and a zither illustration from this publication. A description of their zither offerings was also included:
“We manufacture and sell everything belonging to this line. Finest silk and gut Strings; Best steel strings; Rings of every description, all instruction books and latest Zither Music, Music Stands, Zither Resonance Tables of any size and finish; Zither cases to fit any instrument, if outlines of Instrument are marked on a sheet of paper and sent to us; Zither bags of Felt, Canvas or Leather. Parts of Instruments, wood of any description to manufacture or for repairing Zithers; Pins, Patent Heads, Keys, etc., etc. Every order, large or small, will be promptly attended to. We ship to every part of the world.”
“We manufacture and sell everything belonging to this line. Finest silk and gut Strings; Best steel strings; Rings of every description, all instruction books and latest Zither Music, Music Stands, Zither Resonance Tables of any size and finish; Zither cases to fit any instrument, if outlines of Instrument are marked on a sheet of paper and sent to us; Zither bags of Felt, Canvas or Leather. Parts of Instruments, wood of any description to manufacture or for repairing Zithers; Pins, Patent Heads, Keys, etc., etc. Every order, large or small, will be promptly attended to. We ship to every part of the world.”