Antique 15 Bar Silvertone Autoharp. Made By The Oscar Schmidt Co. 36–50 Ferry St Jersey City,NJ. The autoharp is in excellent condition but could use a tuning. Also two of the 15 bars are missing a spring on the right side of the board. But that is an easy fix. You just have to remove six screws three on each side and take out the key put in the spring replace the key and screw the bars back down. Also there is a chip in the veneer on the top left of the autoharp. Everything indicated in photographs. Thanks for taking a look!
OSCAR SCHMIDT COMPANY (1897 – c.1939)
Posted on December 13, 2018 by Charles Robinson
OSCAR SCHMIDT (1857 – 1929)
W. F. (Frederick) MENZENHAUER (1858 – 1937)
Oscar Schmidt portrait
The Oscar Schmidt company was founded in the late 1890’s and incorporated in 1911. They are best known for the Zithers they produced in the early 1900’s, and for their early guitars, particularly the Stella label, and their 12-string guitars, which are still favored and sought after by blues players today (see Footnote 1.).
Most of the information here deals with the early formation and evolution of the company and has been obtained primarily from old copies of the Music Trade Review (MTR) and Presto publications, both available online. (see Footnote 2). General information also comes from Neil Harpe’s book and website (See footnote 3.).
Oscar Schmidt’s fortune was built on another man’s invention.
Oscar Schmidt was born in Germany in 1857 and came to the US at an early age. He engaged in the publishing business in 1882, and continued therein until 1896, when he was involved in selling musical instruments in a small shop in the two-storey repair establishment of the North Hudson Street Railway Company on Palisade Avenue New Jersey. (Jersey City of To-Day, 1910)
During this time, he was buying guitar zithers from inventor and manufacturer, W.F. (Frederick) Menzenhauer, who had a factory in Ferry Street, Jersey City.
Menzenhauer was born in Germany in 1858 and came to America in 1882. By 1887 he was living in Jersey City, NJ, and was known as a maker of musical instruments. He was an inventor and developed and patented the fretless Menzenhauer guitar-zither. It was so successful demand outstripped production.
Frederick Menzenhauer realized he was more of an engineer than a businessman and needed a business partner. At the same time Oscar Schmidt obviously saw the potential of Menzenhauer’s invention, and from being his customer, he partnered with Frederick Menzenhauer in 1896 and they formed the firm Menzenhauer & Schmidt, with Oscar Schmidt as the junior partner. They expanded the factory and enjoyed immediate success: