Category:Kramers Music House

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The history of Kramer's Music House began with Fredrick F. Kramer Sr., who was born in Allentown on April 17, 1863. Rather than go into his family's butchering business, called in his Morning Call 1937 obituary the oldest in Allentown, he took a job as a clerk in 1881 with the G C Aschbach music store, the leading musical instrument store in the city. In 1887 he opened a piano store of his own at 8 South Seventh Street, in Center Square.

In August 1892, Kramer had moved to the Weightman Building, 544 Hamilton St. On October 13, 1893, a huge fire struck which destroyed the building along with three others at the southeast corner of 6th and Hamilton. Kramer's building was burned to the ground. He was in Chicago at the time of the fire, and when he returned to Allentown, all that could be salvaged was a damaged banjo with strings and head intact. That relic was kept by the Kramer family at least until the buisness's demise in 1962. He moved nearby to 540 Hamilton for two years, reopening in 1895 at 544 to a newly built building that was to be the home of Kramer's Music House for the rest of its existence. In 1900 his brother John joined him in the business. At that time the store sold primarily square pianos, parlor organs, melodions and what were called Regina Music Boxes. Large metal disks were placed on them, and the music was played by contact with a comb bearing metal teeth.

Along with being a seller of pianos, the home entertainment centers of the day, Fredrick Kramer was a skilled pianist. Among the famous pianists of the day with whom he was friendly was Jan Paderewski, the Polish piano great and first prime minister of Poland after World War I, who Kramer persuaded to play at the Lyric Theater, now Miller Symphony Hall. His office wall was covered with autographed photos of the piano giants of his time he had brought to Allentown.

It is rumored that the first Edison phonograph was sold at Kramers, and also the first Edison recordings. Later, he sold 16 and 78 RPM records as the technology advanced. After World War II, 33 1/3d and 45 RPM records could be find at Kramers Music House, along with sheet music. After Kramer's death in 1937, at age 74, his son Frederick Jr. ran the business for many years. As sheet music and pianos gave way to records. In January 1957, the store moved to 1042 Hamilton Street when the store at 544 Hamilton became too small. The store expanded into selling large pianos, organs and other instruments. It closed in January, 1962 when Fred Kramer, Jr. retired.

Fred F. Kramer, Jr. passed in May, 1963.

Media in category "Kramers Music House"

The following 107 files are in this category, out of 107 total.

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