Maker/Dealer
Geyer
Chicago, IL
USA
1880 - 1973
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.
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