Straube Piano Company

Straube Piano Company was an American piano manufacturer active from 1895 until its bankruptcy and reorganization in 1937, after which Straube Pianos Inc. continued production until its acquisition by C.G. Conn, Ltd. in 1941. The company developed during the American piano industry's peak period, when the piano was a central form of home entertainment and domestic music-making. The business grew out of the partnership Van Matre & Straube, formed in February 1895 by Williard Naramore Van Matre Sr. and William Straube. The partners leased a factory near Downers Grove, Illinois, and completed their first piano in June of that year. Van Matre soon left the partnership, and Straube continued independently. The company was incorporated in Illinois in 1897. After a legal dispute in 1901, the company established a stronger manufacturing base in Hammond, Indiana, moving into a purpose-built factory in 1904. The facility was connected to two railways, had approximately 34,000 square feet of production space, and was designed for a workforce of about 200 people and annual output of roughly 3,000 finished pianos. Straube's strongest period was approximately 1904–1935. It became a substantial producer of conventional uprights and grands while also developing player-piano technology. Its first player piano appeared in 1909, and player models were sold both in the United States and abroad, particularly in Australia. The company marketed its higher-grade instruments under the Straube name and used Hammond, Gilmore, and Woodward for lower-priced products. Under president E.R. Jacobson and plant superintendent William G. Betz, the company expanded its engineering capabilities and participated actively in the piano trade. Betz was associated with numerous design innovations and patents. The company expanded its Hammond plant repeatedly. A major addition completed in 1925 added about 70,000 square feet and was intended in large part for grand and reproducing-grand production. Straube also entered radio manufacturing in 1929. These developments came as the broader piano market was weakening. Radio and automobiles competed with pianos for household spending, while installment purchasing and the economic collapse after 1929 intensified pressure on manufacturers. Straube sold its Hammond factory in 1931 and leased back part of the building. It entered a friendly receivership in 1934, reorganized in 1935, and was adjudicated bankrupt in January 1937. The remaining assets, including the name, goodwill, unfinished instruments, cases, materials, and parts, were sold in March 1937. Straube Pianos Inc. was incorporated later that month and resumed production in Hammond. The successor moved to Chicago Heights in 1940 and operated with a substantially smaller industrial footprint than the earlier company. C.G. Conn acquired Straube Pianos Inc. in October 1941. The brand therefore belongs to the generation of American piano makers whose businesses rose with the player-piano era and declined as newer forms of mass entertainment changed the home market.

Straube began in February 1895 as Van Matre & Straube, a partnership between Williard Naramore Van Matre Sr. and William Straube. The partners leased a factory near Downers Grove, Illinois, and completed their first piano in June. Van Matre soon sold his interest, leaving Straube to continue under his own name. The company was incorporated in Illinois in 1897. Later references disagree about the founding year, with dates ranging from 1878 to 1895 and even earlier claims; the company's own early public statements identified 1895. A 1901 dispute followed William Straube's departure. When he and associates attempted to establish another piano business using the Straube name, the existing company secured a Cook County injunction barring that use in piano manufacturing. Straube subsequently strengthened its industrial base by moving from the Chicago area to Hammond, Indiana, in 1904. Its new plant occupied five acres and was served by two railways. The facility's original production capacity was approximately 3,000 finished pianos annually, with a workforce of roughly 200 at full operation. Straube's principal growth period extended from the early 1900s into the mid-1930s. E.R. Jacobson, who joined the business in 1898 and became president in 1911, led the company with his brothers Charles and James Jacobson. William G. Betz, plant superintendent from 1917, was an important technical figure and was credited with numerous patents and innovations. The company produced uprights, grands, player pianos, and reproducing grands. The Straube name was used for the company's better instruments, while Hammond, Gilmore, and Woodward served lower-priced segments. Player models were distributed internationally, with Australia specifically identified as an important overseas market. The company expanded its Hammond plant several times. A large addition begun in 1925 and occupied in June of that year added approximately 70,000 square feet, including space intended for grand and reproducing-grand manufacture. Straube also began making radios in 1929. These initiatives unfolded against a deteriorating market. Radio offered a new form of home entertainment, automobiles competed for similar household budgets, and the piano industry experienced a sustained decline beginning in the 1920s. The Wall Street Crash and Great Depression placed further pressure on sales and financing. Straube sold its Hammond factory in 1931 to J.L. Metz Furniture Company and leased back much of the building. In May 1934 it entered a friendly receivership. The company reorganized during 1935, but senior officers and longtime technical personnel departed, including Jacobson, C.H. Thorby, and William Betz. The original company was adjudicated bankrupt on January 19, 1937. In March, its remaining assets—including the name, goodwill, unfinished pianos, cases, materials, and manufacturing parts—were sold. Straube Pianos Inc. was formed on March 27, 1937, and resumed production in the leased Hammond premises. The successor moved to Chicago Heights in May 1940. Its management included Walter E. Schrage, Charles H. Bartholomee, Penfield E. Mason, and other figures connected with the wider American piano trade. C.G. Conn had already been linked to Straube through its Continental Music subsidiary, which represented the brand. In October 1941, C.G. Conn acquired Straube Pianos Inc. The available reference material establishes the acquisition and the company's wartime production constraints but does not document a complete later product history. Straube is therefore best understood as a defunct American piano brand whose historical importance rests on its substantial Hammond manufacturing operation and its role in the player-piano era.

• 1941

  Acquired by C.G. Conn

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  C.G. Conn, Ltd. acquired Straube Pianos Inc.

• 1937

  Bankruptcy and reorganization

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The original company was adjudicated bankrupt, and Straube Pianos Inc. was formed to continue the business.

• 1934

  Friendly receivership

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The original company entered receivership amid financial distress.

• 1929

  Radio production began

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Straube diversified into radio manufacturing as piano demand declined.

• 1925

  Grand-piano expansion completed

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A major factory addition created additional capacity for grands and reproducing grands.

• 1911

  E.R. Jacobson became president

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Ernfrid Reinholdt Jacobson acquired the remaining ownership interest and assumed the presidency.

• 1909

  Player piano introduced

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Straube launched its first player piano.

• 1904

  Hammond factory opened

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Manufacturing and executive offices moved to a purpose-built plant in Hammond, Indiana.

• 1897

  Company incorporated in Illinois

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  William Straube incorporated Straube Piano Company as an Illinois business.

• 1895

  Van Matre & Straube established

  [1]Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org

  William Straube and Williard Naramore Van Matre Sr. formalized their partnership, and the first Straube piano was completed later that year.

Straube positioned its namesake instruments toward the higher-quality segment of the American piano market while using Hammond, Gilmore, and Woodward as lower-priced brand names. Its differentiation increasingly depended on player-piano engineering, reproducing mechanisms, factory scale, and the technical work of its design and production staff.

• Upright pianos · 1895

  Straube upright pianos

  The company's upright pianos formed a core part of its American production. Straube used its namesake for higher-quality instruments and also produced lower-priced uprights under Hammond, Gilmore, and Woodward branding. These instruments were made during the period when acoustic pianos were common household entertainment products.

• Grand pianos

  Straube grand pianos

  Straube developed and manufactured grand pianos, with production receiving a major expansion after the 1925 addition to the Hammond plant. The enlarged facility was designed to support a dedicated grand-piano operation and increase output under the Straube name.

• Player pianos · 1909

  Straube player pianos

  Straube entered the player-piano business in November 1909 and made it a significant part of the company's identity. Player instruments were sold throughout the United States and internationally, particularly in Australia, during the period when self-playing pianos were a major consumer category.

• Reproducing grand pianos · 1925

  Straube reproducing grands

  Reproducing grands combined grand-piano construction with mechanisms intended to reproduce recorded performances. Straube devoted much of its 1925 factory expansion to these instruments and related grand-piano production.

• Radio receivers · 1929

  Straube radios

  Straube began producing radios in 1929 as a diversification measure. The move responded to the changing home-entertainment market, although the available reference material does not identify specific radio models or describe the duration of this line.

• 1941

  Acquisition by C.G. ConnM&A

  Background

  C.G. Conn's Continental Music subsidiary had represented Straube for approximately two years before the transaction.

  Action taken

  C.G. Conn, Ltd. acquired Straube Pianos Inc.

  Aftermath

  Straube became part of the C.G. Conn corporate structure; the supplied material does not document the complete subsequent fate of the brand.

  Source

• 1937

  Reorganize as Straube Pianos Inc.M&A

  Background

  The original company was adjudicated bankrupt and its remaining assets were offered for sale.

  Action taken

  A new Indiana corporation acquired the Straube name, goodwill, unfinished instruments, materials, and related assets and resumed production.

  Aftermath

  Production continued under the successor company until its acquisition by C.G. Conn in 1941.

  Source

• 1929

  Diversify into radiosStrategy

  Background

  Radio was becoming a powerful alternative to the piano as a source of home entertainment.

  Action taken

  Straube began producing radios.

  Aftermath

  The diversification did not prevent the company from experiencing financial difficulties during the Depression.

  Source

• 1925

  Expand grand and reproducing-grand productionStrategy

  Background

  Straube sought additional capacity for higher-end grand products while its engineering staff developed new designs.

  Action taken

  The company added approximately 70,000 square feet to its Hammond plant and created space intended largely for grands and reproducing grands.

  Aftermath

  The expanded plant increased the company's manufacturing scale, but the broader piano market soon entered a prolonged decline.

  Source

• 1909

  Enter the player-piano marketProduct launch

  Background

  Player pianos were becoming an important part of the American piano industry and offered a way to broaden the company's product range.

  Action taken

  Straube introduced its first player piano and later distributed player models internationally.

  Aftermath

  Player instruments became a major part of Straube's business during its strongest period.

  Source

• 1904

  Move manufacturing to HammondStrategy

  Background

  The company needed a larger and more efficient industrial base as it expanded during the growth of the American piano market.

  Action taken

  Straube moved its factory and executive offices from the Chicago area to a purpose-built, rail-served plant in Hammond, Indiana.

  Aftermath

  The Hammond site became the company's principal manufacturing base and was expanded repeatedly over the following decades.

  Source

1. 1Straube Piano Companyen.wikipedia.org