Lyon & Healy factory tour, 1895

[Rick Turner]

Paul, was Joseph Zorzi the guy who designed the KayKraft two point instruments? That's tickling my brain...and that would have been in 1928 or 29...

[Rick Turner]

Just answered my own question.

Yes:

http://www.wadefx.com/ZorziPage.html

Thank you, Google...

[keef]

Lyon and Healy is doing exactly what it started out doing 116 years ago or so: they make harps.

And they are still at that same location. . . .[/img]

Maybe you did not imply this Paul, but Lyon & Healy did not start by making harps. Their first factory was located in downtown Chicago and opened around 1882. The first L&H harp was not introduced until 1889, in which year a new factory was opened at Randolph and Ogden Ave. As indicated in my earlier post, the current L&H factory and offices are in the same approximate location as the 1889 factory, but NOT in the original building. The original factory was demolished when the Ogden/Randolph street grid was restructured in the 1920s.

If I recall correctly it is claimed that Joseph Zorzi worked at L&H for over twenty years before joining Kay or its predecessor in 1927. For what it's worth, I have a 1916 list of all employees of Lyon & Healy who had been with the company for five years or more, and Zorzi is not on it.

Zorzi may nonetheless have been an employee at L&H, though he did not design the L&H Style A-C mandolins - that was the work of Walter Kirk, who was in charge of all instrument designs for L&H at the time.

The typical 'Zorzi' Kay archtop guitar has a body shape that looks like a variation on the 'reverse scroll' mandolins that Regal made - or rather, another incarnation of Kirk's two point Washburn Style A mandolin. Its bound soundhole and the gold leaf top designs were borrowed from the 1922 Washburn A Style guitar, also a design of Walter Kirk.

[keef]

Keef,
How is the history of Washburn/L+H book coming along?
Mick

Mick:
the book is mostly a description of all Washburn instrument styles made before 1940, but has a chapter on L&H's early history. The designer is working on it now, but I expect that it will take at least half a year before it comes out. My primary goal was to set the record straight in view of the many incorrect statements and popular assumptions about the Washburns and L&H. It's not going to be a glitzy coffee table affair, just a reference source for owners or collectors who are interested in information about their instruments.

I will not refer to the book any more here since I don't want to be accused of spamming.

[brunello97]

Well, Keef, don't worry about any spamming accusations coming from me. You've always seemed very generous with your knowledge, which seems to be the common attitude of sharing here at the MC. Please keep me (us) posted on the book progress, it sounds like a real wealth of useful information. Given L+H's many faceted role in instrument production in the states (and so many different tales that surround it) a comprehensive early history would be a great read and I'm sure well supported here. Particularly if it includes the individuals involved with instrument design and development.

I remember when Sherri Mignano's recent book came out she actually did some low level announcement here (I hope that was considered legit) and even offered MC members a small discount. (Not that I'm suggesting that to you....) Good luck getting through set up and publishing. I can't wait to get a copy.

Mick