Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > April 2010 > 2010.04.03 > 01Prev  Next


Gulbransen Player Piano Factory
By Julie Johnson

Thanks, Ed.  Here is some added information on the Gulbransen tie-in
with me.

When "Hard Times" came to the Gulbransens in the Depression, and they
had to sell the factory, one of the family, "Cape", had to leave the
piano business.  He went to work in 1936 for Lester Perry of Perry Graf.
My father joined that company in 1940, and sometime around then, Cape
started his own company making identical products, named "Graphic
Calculator", down on printers row in Chicago.  Perry Graf was in
Maywood, Illinois.

Ultimately Cape and the company moved to Barrington, Illinois, and his
son, Cape Gulbransen Jr., took over.  Cape, the younger, died just a
few years ago, and since I knew him and had a business relationship
with him, I attended his funeral.  Graphic Calculator ceased doing
slide chart business then, and I bought the customer lists, equipment,
etc., which became part of American Slide Chart / Perrygraf.

I also had succeeded my father as owner of American Slide Chart when he
died 22 years ago, and at that time had bought the Perrygraf operation.
My father had left Perrygraf in the late 1960s and started American
Slide Chart.

One of the things I saw at the time of Cape's death was a great 1920s
era photo of him sitting on his mother's knee at a Gulbransen upright
player, rolls stacked on the top.

So, to some extent, my business has a succession link to one of the
principals of the Gulbransens.

Julie Johnson
Carol Stream, Illinois

 [ Several vintage Perrygraf slide rules are pictured at
 [ http://www.gizmology.net/sliderules_perrygrafs.htm  -- Robbie


(Message sent Sat 3 Apr 2010, 11:11:53 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Factory, Gulbransen, Piano, Player

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page