Orville H. Gibson research and biography

[travellerbytrade]

Hello All. I recognize a few usernames here. The rest of you frighten me ;-) . I've recently completed a biography of sorts on Orville Gibson. It is about 250 pages with a 40 page "scrapbook" section. I only cover the company insofar as it existed during his lifetime.

I know what you're all probably thinking, what could I have to offer that you don't already know. If I may be so bold, please visit my blog at joycebrumbaugh dot com for the answer to that.

Before I say anything more I'm going to take cover...

Joyce

[MikeEdgerton]

Hi Joyce. I don't know if you've seen Roger Siminoff's Orville page (you probably have). It's here if you haven't. It's a good overview. I can also suggest you speak with with David Nichols at Custom Pearl Inlay in Malone, NY. Dave is not only located in the town that Orville is buried in but might also have some interesting information regarding Orville's passing. Good luck on getting your blog filled in.

[travellerbytrade]

Hi Jim. Yes, thank you, many people have contributed to my research. Roger allowed me to publish his Orville photos. Among others that have made important contributions are Walter Carter, Lynn Wheelwright, and Arian Sheets. In the process of my research I have spoken with David Nichols and others.

[travellerbytrade]

OK, I think I'm ready to expand on my research. While I have to save the best research for the book, I can tell you that Orville invented and played his own unique guitars long before his patent application. Also that while Gibson company serial numbers may have began with #2500, the chances that they began in 1902 are slim to none. And that Orville was indeed a carpenter, a baritone, and a choreographer.

My book includes expanded bios of the five founding company members along with the early numbers (as in $) on the company.

There is also contextual info. For example, I can tell you why the east half of the factory on Exchange Place had large windows out front...trivial, but interesting.

[MikeEdgerton]

I gotta get that Jim Garber quote out of my signature line.

[travellerbytrade]

Rut Ro...sorry about that Mike. Where is the 'embarrassed' icon when I need it.

[dhbailey]

I hope you will let us all know when your biography of Gibson is published.

[travellerbytrade]

I hope you will let us all know when your biography of Gibson is published.

I certainly will. The members on this website helped me write a better book. At one point, I scoured the forums and made notes about the questions members were asking about Orville and his work. I then focused on finding the answers. For example, the way I presented the research/evidence about when the company actually began production was based on the conversations here and the info presented on Mandolin Archive. I wanted to present my findings in a way that was meaningful to readers.

This may be a good time to say that everything is well documented (in a way that will make the academic community happy). I don't expect anyone to just take my word for things.

Thank you for your post.

Joyce

[allenhopkins]

I dunno, Joyce, your authoritative biography may make it harder for posers like myself to throw questionable "facts" around as blithely as we do.

I had no idea Gibson was buried in Malone, where (or near where) they captured/killed the two escaped murderers, whose escapades were filling up cable news for the last few weeks. It's also the home town of Laura Jean:



Things you learn on the way to learning other things...

[MikeEdgerton]

I have visited that grave.

[brunello97]

Hello All. I recognize a few usernames here. The rest of you frighten me ;-) . I've recently completed a biography of sorts on Orville Gibson. It is about 250 pages with a 40 page "scrapbook" section. I only cover the company insofar as it existed during his lifetime.

I know what you're all probably thinking, what could I have to offer that you don't already know. If I may be so bold, please visit my blog at joycebrumbaugh dot com for the answer to that.

Before I say anything more I'm going to take cover...

Joyce

One of the stranger introductions I've come across here. Kind of frightening, actually.

What I'm actually thinking is (did you know this?) that I look forward to reading something. The blog seems pretty light right now. Hopefully more substantial things to come.

Mick

[travellerbytrade]

I have to say that I was scared to make my first post here because I didn't know how I would be received. All I can tell you is that my guitar is brown and has six strings. All kidding aside, I learned a lot about Orville's construction but I am still no expert.

I will definitely keep adding to the blog. The next addition will be what I call the "Orville and probably Lovell" photo taken around 1873.

I've kept in touch with my sources in and around Malone and they were terrified during recent events. I've driven through Dannemora and that area is far too beautiful to have a prison on their main street.

[Timbofood]

Lots of bark here but not too much vicious bite, an occasional nibble but rarely blood letting!
I am interested in the project as well! Living in Kalamazoo makes one think about Orville's work a little differently than some other places.
OK, I'll bite, why are the windows set up the way they are!?

[travellerbytrade]

Hi Tim. Benjamin Witwer (the baker that rented 114 Exchange Place to the Gibson Company) built the east addition (technically 116 Exchange Place) in 1905 specifically for the Flexner Bros. clothing and dry goods store. The windows were for displays. For unknown reasons, at the last minute, Flexner's took a larger retail building up on Main Street. Gibson took it over sometime in 1906.

It was a big deal that the new addition had indoor toilets and a freight elevator. Although the elevator was probably more like an oversized dumb waiter, I don't think it was a 'people' elevator.

I just love talking shop.
Joyce

[Timbofood]

Interesting, that area has not been much of a "trade zone" for decades, there is an elementary school across the street and now, mostly wasteland around the whole three or four blocks surrounding the old building. At least someone finally decided that the smokestack was worth NOT removing. I have not heard any more on that score for a few months, I must contact my friend with the historical building group and see what the next phase will be.
Joyce, I get the enjoyment of "talking shop" too! I have spent hour upon hour talking about the building, the company, the mandolins, banjos, guitars and chronometer cases that came out of that building!
I could just babble about this stuff til the cows go out again!

[travellerbytrade]

I will do whatever I can to save the smokestack at the old Parsons St. building In fact, if I had the resources I would restore the original building and turn it into an Orville Gibson museum...that is except the areas that Heritage Guitar are using. That building is too cool and too important to just let it keep deteriorating. I found the original newspaper article from the 1940s where the stack was hit by lightening.

Speaking of the Parsons St. factory, a former Gibson employee spoke to me about the ghost stories surrounding the building. Since I love a good ghost story, I asked him if any of the spirits had a name or revealed their name. He said for some reason he felt that one of them was named Victor. Later in my research I discovered that an employee named Victor died suddenly (sounds like a heart attack to me) at the factory in the 1930s.

[Timbofood]

One of my wife's relatives worked there in the late teens.
This is something he built for his wife, my wife's grandmother, I think.

So, where is home, Joyce?

[travellerbytrade]

I updated my profile. I'm still getting use to all the settings here.

That instrument is beautiful.

I have the names of most all the employees from 1902 to 1918. We need to talk offline so I can ask you some questions, if that's OK.

Joyce

[JeffD]

I have to say that I was scared to make my first post here because I didn't know how I would be received..

That is regrettable, and I am glad you made it through.

I find the rest of the internet a much scarier more dangerous place to play. This is an oasis of relative sanity.

I want to encourage you on your biography. I would love to read it. Could you share with us what got your interest in Orville, what started the fire?

[Timbofood]

Anytime!
I may not get back immediately but, I do my best.
On vacation next week and may have spotty connections at best but, I will respond when possible.
Good question Jeff!
And the follow up....
What was the "H" for? I have heard Hilburt, Herbert, and a host of others but, never a positive.
I asked Roger Siminoff and he said he had the information in a box somewhere but it's been quite some time and if his filing system is anything like mine, it could be years before it comes to the surface!
I have found stories about Orville quite interesting, all of them!

[travellerbytrade]

Hi Jeff. This all started as a term paper for one of my classes at Western Michigan University. I graduated in 2011 at the age of 50-something. In my profile here, I added the URL for my blog for the more detailed story.

I don't have any definitive evidence on what the 'H' stands for. But in my best educated researcher's guess - I'd put my money on Horace.

I have another epigraph for the book. "If you don't leave any paint on the wall, you aren't racing hard enough - Richard Petty" I think he said this about racing at Darlington.

[MikeEdgerton]

The great Orville's middle name quest....

http://blog.mlive.com/kalamazoo_gaze...stand_for.html

When you figure that out we can start on why a harp guitar is a model U.

[Timbofood]

And why do we see no series "B", "C", "D" or "E" instruments? And of course where did Orville get the "interesting"suit?

Orville_costume.jpg.


B6102056-9EE8-4B17-8CB4-5FCFCF609291
Can't get to get it to attach, but, it's one from Roger Siminoff's site.
Surely it was a costume for an interesting production of something.

[k0k0peli]

The great Orville's middle name quest....

http://blog.mlive.com/kalamazoo_gaze...stand_for.html

Did he sign his name Orville H. Gibson (with a period) or Orville H Gibson (no period)? I ask because my father and uncle, born in the early 1920s to West Virginia Quaker farmers, had middle initials but no middle names. The initials honored ancestors without burdening the kids with their anachronistic biblical names. Thus my dad's middle name is the initial J (for Jehosophat) and his brother's is the initial L (for Leviticus). Was Orville H Gibson's name so bestowed? Did he have a progenitor named Hezekial or Hieronymous?

[MikeEdgerton]

Did he have a progenitor named Hezekial or Hieronymous?

I looked on ancestry.com for Orville's parents and grandparent's to see if they had a name that started with an H, either first or last. I didn't find much beyond his parents. I'll be honest, I wasn't driven too dig deeper.