Horn-u-Copia's Display of Makers

John Franklin Stratton (b West Swanzey, NH 9/14/1832 d Brooklyn, NY 10/23/1912) was a trombone violinist and conductor.

1846 He was trained as a machinist and worked in in North Chelmsford, MA

1849 He was the leader of Worcester Brass Band

1851 leader of Hartford Cornet Band (Robert E. Eliason, "Stratton, John F(ranklin)," in The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments)

1857 opened a music store in Hartford closed for financial reasons,

1859 Stratton moved to NYC to perform and conduct for the Staten Island Philharmonic Society and Stratton’s Palace Garden Orchestra. He opened his music store as a retailer, maker and importer. He started factory for rotary valve brass at the corner of Centre & White Streets

1861 moves to 105 E. 22nd St. (Civil War era drum is labeled 108 E. 23rd St.)

1864-65 starts Stratton & Foote with John Howard Foote (importer) at 31 Maiden Lane [John Howard Foote (b Canton, CT 11 Nov 1833; d New York 17 May 1896)]; they bought importing business of Rohe & Leavitte. Foote’s experience as an importer of music and instruments was helpful to Stratton, since the company was involved in both the manufacture and importation of brass instruments. During the Civil War, Stratton provided more than 60,000 field trumpets and bugles for the government. He employed nearly 200 workers making upwards of 100 instruments a day (Hazen and Hazen 1987, 135).

1865 receives patent #51,363 for mute in Dec, 31 Maiden Ln.

1866-67 split from Foote and moved to 735 Broadway and 118 West 27th St.; brother George starts store in Boston.

1867 store moves to 55 Maiden Lane

1866-8 started German factory at Markneukirchen, Germany and in 1868 transferred it to Leipzig (Waterhouse 1993, 389)

1870 Located at 63 Maiden Lane. He also started string instrument factory at Gohlis, Germany employing 300 workers. He traveled between Saxony and New York.

1971 Located at 55 Maiden Lane

1882 moves to 49 Maiden Lane (several conflicting years are given for this)

1883 sold German factories and returned full-time to NYC

1888 moves to 43 & 45 Walker St. between June & July

1889 he formed a partnership with his son, Frank, as Stratton & Son, located at 43 Walker St.. They made some brass instruments, and imported many brasses made by COURTOIS and M. Goulet.

1895 Frank now separate at 37 Howard St.; John F. Stratton Co. now at 811 E. 9th St. (earliest ad for 9th St. is Oct, 1894)

1897 Located at 62 Grand St.

1898 ads show both 62 Grand St. & 811-817 E. 9th St.

1903 ad shows only 62 Grand St.

1912 John continued in business until his death on October 23. (Robert E. Eliason ,"Stratton, John F(ranklin)," in The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments)

1914 bought by C. Bruno & Son in June.

Timeline constructed by Jon Patton