Antique metronome

I can't find when this was made and if it was made for the specific company and if so who made it you have any ideas please let me know thank you

Metronome by Jax Moving and Storage posted Apr 21, 2017 at 5:26 AM

Metronome by Jax Moving and Storage posted Apr 21, 2017 at 5:26 AM

Metronome by Jax Moving and Storage posted Apr 21, 2017 at 5:26 AM

Bottom by Jax Moving and Storage posted Apr 21, 2017 at 5:26 AM

 

At the moment I can't tell you who made it; however, might have help on dating it, 1910-mid 1930s. The Oliver Ditson Company carried this name from 1888 to around 1931 to 1937 when the company was sold and the doors closed. Oliver Ditson aquired full interest in this retail music company that sold sheet music and musical instruments in 1842. He changed the name to Oliver Ditson. In 1856 the name was changed to Oliver Ditson & Company. When he died in 1888 the company was reorganized and the name changed to Oliver Ditson Company. According to the following article from 1904 and 1910 the company labels listed Boston, New York and Philadelphia and from 1910 to the closing of the store the labels listed only Boston and New York because the Philadelphia store had closed.

"Labels which list all three Ditson outposts - Boston, New York, and Philadelphia - date from between 1904 and 1910. The Philadelphia branch was closed in 1910, so labels listing only Boston and New York and date from 1910 or later.
Scroll down the page to see different company labels. One like yours is pictured
https://www.bostondrumbuilders.com/ditson

Websites of the company history:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Ditson
Scroll down a little for the company history:
http://ditson-ukulele.com/

--- Susan

 

Hold on a moment. With S-T on the it, I bet it is a Seth Thomas Metronome. Following is a link to a an advertisement in a music publication of 1904 about Oliver Ditson Company selling Seth Thomas metronomes. The one pictured looks like yours.
https://books.google.com/books?id=CGBTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA241&lpg=PA241&dq=Oliver+Ditson's+Seth+Thomas+metronomes&source=bl&ots=0DfiXNB8bt&sig=-qu5rrKWbQzLMggQppB9PcsvXvk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9gYn_rrXTAhVm1oMKHc6iD9kQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=Oliver Ditson's Seth Thomas metronomes&f=false

BTW, the Oliver Ditson Company published the musical journal under the name The Musician from 1901-1919. Last paragraph under "History."
http://imslp.org/wiki/Ditson

--- Susan

 

I still can't find when I enter the company name that article is awesome. How much is this worth you think?

 

Not sure what you mean by entering "the company name?" Do you mean doing a Google search? When you say company do you mean Oliver Ditson Company who retailed the metronome or the Seth Thomas Company who probably made the metronome.

I don't sell so can't help you on value, worth.

--- Susan

Edit: Orrrr do you mean finding the company name on the metronome? The "S-T" at the bottom of the scale probably stands for Seth Thomas.

 

Orrr do you mean finding the company name, Seth Thomas, actually on the metronome? The "S-T" at the bottom of the scale stands for Seth Thomas. Just about all the Seth Thomas metronomes I've seen online have the same "S-T." Yours is missing the cover/door. The front of the doors have the Seth Thomas logo, name, etc... The missing door/cover will certainly devalue this metronome. Also yours seems to have damage to the case. Following are several ST metronomes that are now on eBay or were once on eBay and either sold or didn't. Note that just about all have the cover/door. There is at least one on the 1st page that seems to missing the cover, and it is only selling for $10.00.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Seth+Thomas+metronome&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=02188&_sargn=-1&saslc=1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&LH_Complete=1