Description: Photograph of three children playing instruments outdoors in Canton, Ohio. The two girls on the left play marching drums, while the boy on the right pretends to play a flute with a stick. Superimposed in the sky above them, an illustration of three American Revolution drummers and flutists stand in the same poses. The image was submitted by photographer Cliff Haga of Canton, Ohio, in an unspecified category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B03F04_01_01
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Musical instruments;
Places: Canton (Ohio); Stark County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of musical instruments for sale at The F. & R. Lazarus Company, on the first floor of the South Front and West State Streets building, ca. 1958-1959. Between 1851 and 1965, the F & R Lazarus Company retail store dominated the trade and physical landscape of Columbus. The company rose from its early years as a men's clothier in a 20 x 40 foot room downtown, to its position by 1965 as a member of the largest department store chain, Federated Department Stores. Lazarus' growth reflects that of the capital city; from small beginnings through a "golden age" of downtown development, and eventually branching out into the surrounding countryside. In 2003, the Lazarus Company was incorporated with Macy's, a member of the Federated Department stores, and is no longer in existence. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04449
Subjects: Musical instruments; The F. & R. Lazarus Company (Columbus, Ohio); Ohio Economy--Economy--Business
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph taken for the Columbus Free Press showing a musical group called "Chaotic Good" performing during the opening of the HAADCO Global Store on October 20 (year unknown). The acoustic trio plays a guitar, bowed psaltery and percussion instruments. The Columbus Free Press began as a bi-weekly publication in Columbus, Ohio, in 1970. An underground newspaper, it replaced the Ohio State University publication The People, Yes. The earliest known issue of the newspaper appeared on January 4, 1971. The newspaper underwent a series of name changes over the decades, with titles including the Columbus Free Press & Cowtown Times (1972-1976), the Columbus Freepress (1976-1992) and The Free Press (1992-1995). The paper, which covered many liberal and progressive causes, was an alternative to mainstream news sources in central Ohio with the slogan “The Other Side of the News.” In 1995, the paper ceased publication briefly before reemerging as a website in early 1996, and returning as a print publication under the Free Press title in the form of a quarterly journal in 1998. Published under various frequencies during the first part of the 21st century, the Free Press again became a nonprofit monthly publication in 2017 with both a print and web presence, published by the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism and operated by a volunteer staff and board. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1301AV_B02F09_06
Subjects: Bands (Music)--Ohio; Musical instruments; Musicians; Performers; Arts and entertainment
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Group photograph identified as the Freedom Street Band wearing matching sweatshirts and posed with their instruments, taken for the Columbus Free Press. The Columbus Free Press began as a bi-weekly publication in Columbus, Ohio, in 1970. An underground newspaper, it replaced the Ohio State University publication The People, Yes. The earliest known issue of the newspaper appeared on January 4, 1971. The newspaper underwent a series of name changes over the decades, with titles including the Columbus Free Press & Cowtown Times (1972-1976), the Columbus Freepress (1976-1992) and The Free Press (1992-1995). The paper, which covered many liberal and progressive causes, was an alternative to mainstream news sources in central Ohio with the slogan “The Other Side of the News.” In 1995, the paper ceased publication briefly before reemerging as a website in early 1996, and returning as a print publication under the Free Press title in the form of a quarterly journal in 1998. Published under various frequencies during the first part of the 21st century, the Free Press again became a nonprofit monthly publication in 2017 with both a print and web presence, published by the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism and operated by a volunteer staff and board. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1301AV_B02F04_02
Subjects: Bands (Music)--Ohio; Musical instruments; Musicians; Performers;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing the Folk Music Center of Columbus, Ohio, from the Columbus Free Press Collection. A hand-painted sign advertises new and used instruments as well as folk and rock music lessons. This brick building is located at 2194 North High Street. The Columbus Free Press began as a bi-weekly publication in Columbus, Ohio, in 1970. An underground newspaper, it replaced the Ohio State University publication The People, Yes. The earliest known issue of the newspaper appeared on January 4, 1971. The newspaper underwent a series of name changes over the decades, with titles including the Columbus Free Press & Cowtown Times (1972-1976), the Columbus Freepress (1976-1992) and The Free Press (1992-1995). The paper, which covered many liberal and progressive causes, was an alternative to mainstream news sources in central Ohio with the slogan “The Other Side of the News.” In 1995, the paper ceased publication briefly before reemerging as a website in early 1996, and returning as a print publication under the Free Press title in the form of a quarterly journal in 1998. Published under various frequencies during the first part of the 21st century, the Free Press again became a nonprofit monthly publication in 2017 with both a print and web presence, published by the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism and operated by a volunteer staff and board. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1301AV_B02F04_03
Subjects: Musical instruments; Musicians; Folk music; Arts and entertainment
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Steubenville High School Band. Miller and Son 436 Market St., Steubenville, Ohio." This photograph shows the Steubenville High School marching band (ca. 1935-1940) standing on, presumably, the steps of the high school. Their are approximately 80 members of the band, who all wear uniforms and hold their instruments. There are two (possibly three) drum majors, and the director stands near the back. There are about 6 African-Americans in this band. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F06_026_001
Subjects: High schools--Ohio; Marching bands--United States; Steubenville (Ohio)--History--Pictorial works; Instruments; Bands (Music); Musicians--Ohio; Students; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Steubenville (Ohio); Jefferson County (Ohio)
 

Description: Members of the Women's Music Club of Columbus, Ohio, with string instruments, ca. 1930. Founded in 1881, the Women's Music Club is now known as "Women in Music – Columbus," and is the second oldest arts organization in Central Ohio. The group worked to bring leading musical performances to Columbus, and to allow a performance outlet for its own members. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05331
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio); Women--Societies and clubs--Ohio; Multicultural Ohio--Ohio Women; Music; Musical instruments; Musicians
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing the Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra on stage, from the Columbus Citizen-Journal newspaper. A handwritten caption on the reverse reads, "The orchestra plays Mozart's 'Jupiter' symphony. Absent are players of instruments (trombone, clarinet, oboe) not scored in this work." The photograph was likely taken at the Franklin County Memorial Hall and Auditorium, located on East Broad Street in Columbus, Ohio. The Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra was a professional symphony orchestra based in Columbus between 1941 and 1949. Under conductor Izler Solomon, the group performed at Franklin County Memorial Hall and featured full-time professional musicians. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P339_B03F05_09_01
Subjects: Musicians; Musical performances; Musical instruments; Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Arts and entertainment
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912, this photograph shows three young women and one young man posing with musical instruments in front of a staged backdrop, including two violas or violins, a banjo, and a cello. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection) received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_B18_F1241
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Musicians; Musical instruments
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: Dated to the 1930s or early 1940s, this is a photograph collage that shows different stages of piano manufacture at the Baldwin Piano Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Baldwin Piano Company was the largest United States-based manufacturer of keyboard instruments, most notably pianos. It remains a subsidiary of the Gibson Guitar Corporation, although it ceased domestic production of pianos in December 2008. Baldwin, like many other manufacturers, began building player pianos in the 1920s, and a piano factory was constructed in Cincinnati, Ohio. The models became unpopular by the end of the 1920s, which, coupled with the beginning of the Great Depression, could have spelled disaster for Baldwin. However, the company's president, Lucien Wulsin II, had created a large reserve fund for such situations, and Baldwin was able to ride out the market downturn. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B10F08_021_001
Subjects: Baldwin Piano Company; Musical instruments; Manufacturing industries--Ohio; Business and Labor; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows a man at a workbench, making a scale. This is most likely the Toledo Scale Company. Toledo Scale Company Factory was located at 3216 Monroe Street in Toledo, Ohio. It was originally founded as Toledo Computing Scale and Cash Register Company in 1901 by Henry Theobald and immediately began production of Allen DeVilbiss Jr’s computing scale invention, which was dubbed the Toledo Fan Scale. In 1906, the first Toledo Cylinder Scale was introduced, allowing for more computations and greater capacity. 1912 saw the introduction of the Toledo double pendulum industrial portable scale. Toledo Precision Devices, Inc, a subsidiary, began in 1929 in order to concentration on producing specialty items for a wide variety of force measuring applications. In 1931 Toledo Printweight scales were announced, where were a significant step forward over previous models. By the 1930s and 40s it was the world’s largest manufacturer of automatic scales and precision force-measuring instruments. In 1938, another subsidiary was added, this time in Defiance, Ohio. By 1939, new facilities were completed in Toledo 80 acres, allowing all the operations to be in the same location, with additions added between 1941 and 1943. In 1968, Toledo Scale was bought by Reliance Electric Company and eventually moved operations to Columbus, Ohio. Mettler bough Toledo Scale from Reliance Electric in 1989 and was renamed Mettler Toledo. The company continues to grow, using new technology and innovations to serve many different industries. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F03_013_001
Subjects: Industries--Ohio--Toledo; Scales; Scales (Weighing instruments)--United States--History; Toledo Scale (Firm); Theobald, H. S. (Henry Studdy), Sir, 1847-1934; Devilbiss family
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows the top portion of a scale, with the indicator needle, being assembled. This is most likely the Toledo Scale Company. Toledo Scale Company Factory was located at 3216 Monroe Street in Toledo, Ohio. It was originally founded as Toledo Computing Scale and Cash Register Company in 1901 by Henry Theobald and immediately began production of Allen DeVilbiss Jr’s computing scale invention, which was dubbed the Toledo Fan Scale. In 1906, the first Toledo Cylinder Scale was introduced, allowing for more computations and greater capacity. 1912 saw the introduction of the Toledo double pendulum industrial portable scale. Toledo Precision Devices, Inc, a subsidiary, began in 1929 in order to concentration on producing specialty items for a wide variety of force measuring applications. In 1931 Toledo Printweight scales were announced, where were a significant step forward over previous models. By the 1930s and 40s it was the world’s largest manufacturer of automatic scales and precision force-measuring instruments. In 1938, another subsidiary was added, this time in Defiance, Ohio. By 1939, new facilities were completed in Toledo 80 acres, allowing all the operations to be in the same location, with additions added between 1941 and 1943. In 1968, Toledo Scale was bought by Reliance Electric Company and eventually moved operations to Columbus, Ohio. Mettler bough Toledo Scale from Reliance Electric in 1989 and was renamed Mettler Toledo. The company continues to grow, using new technology and innovations to serve many different industries. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F03_016_001
Subjects: Industries--Ohio--Toledo; Scales; Scales (Weighing instruments)--United States--History; Toledo Scale (Firm); Theobald, H. S. (Henry Studdy), Sir, 1847-1934; Devilbiss family
Places: Toledo (Ohio); Lucas County (Ohio)