Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers
Geyer
Chicago, IL
USA
1880-1973
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1895 Carl Geyer (1880-1973) is an apprentice instrument maker
in Markneukirchen, Germany
- 1903 Wunderlich advertises in a Leipzig newspaper looking for a brass repairman; Carl Geyer responds to ad
- 1904 Carl Geyer emigrates on April 13th, starts working for Wunderlich making French horns
- 1911 Earl Geyer, instrument maker, #1214 Blue Is. Ave., Carl is not listed in the city directory
- 1915 Geyer is naturalized a citizen
- 1918 Carl is the owner of a musical instrument making business at #218 S. Wabash Ave. (from WWI draft listing)
- 1922 The French Horn Co., #218 S. Wabash Ave.
- 1923 Carl Geyer is manager of the French Horn Co., #218 S. Wabash
- 1942 shop still at #218 S. Wabash; Kagan & Gains at #228
- 1950s Jaroslaw Lechnink joins Geyer repairing horns and doing engraving then later works for Schilke
- 1955 Geyer sells the business to a partnership of Frank Brouk, Jimmy Polacek & Joe Cali; Geyer continues to make horns
- 1963 a new Geyer French horn sells for $680; his shop is part of Kagan & Gaines Music store, #228 S. Wabash Ave.
- 1970 Geyer retires at 90; over 1,400 horns made
- 1973 Geyer dies on October 18th; his wife Sophie dies one month later; their home is at #392 South Cottage Hill in Elmhurst
- 1977 Steven W. Lewis Orchestral Horns is founded; Lewis trained under Lechnink until his death in 1976
- 1982 Kagan & Gaines is sold and moves to #7655 W. Roosevelt Rd in Forest Park, IL; bought by Joseph Cali, Sr. who worked for them starting in 1942 and was a partner in buying the Geyer business in the 1950s
- 2003 Steven Lewis incorporates the name ‘Carl Geyer Chicago Co.’ on June 27th in a move to stop the use of his name by other makers
He only made 1,400 horns with only a very small percentage of them being Bb horns.
