Musical Instrument Factory

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 2133 MIF
Held at	: Salvation Army International Heritage Centre   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/heritage ›
Full title	: Musical Instrument Factory
Date(s)	: 1893-1972
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 2 boxes
Name of creator(s)	: Salvation Army Musical Instrument Factory

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Salvation Army's Musical Instrument Factory began at the Trade Headquarters, 56 Southwark Street, in 1889, with a staff of 2 men and a boy, and moved with the Trade Headquarters to 98-102 Clerkenwell Road in 1890. For the first three years, the factory only assembled cornets and did repairs. The factory began making valves and manufacturing all brass band instruments c1893. The first full set of instruments was made for Luton 2 corps in 1894 and the first plated set for Derby 2 (or Oldham 2) band in 1896. In 1897, the factory again moved with the Trade Department to 79-91 Fortess Road, Kentish Town, but in 1901 the instrument factory moved with the printing works to St Albans. The factory won Gold Medals at exhibitions in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1906 and 1907 and at the Franco-British Exhibition in London in 1908. The lease of the factory transferred with 8 employees to Boosey and Hawkes Ltd on 24 February 1972.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

These papers are the surviving records of the Musical Instrument Factory (MIF) 1893-1972.

The factory began making and repairing instruments for Salvation Army bands in 1889, and continued until the lease was transferred to Boosey and Hawkes Ltd in 1972.

No original order is evident, so the arrangement represents a logical grouping of the factory registers, catalogues and other administrative papers.

The arrangement of the records is as follows:

MIF 1: Administrative papers, 1893-1972

MIF 2: Registers, 1925-1972

MIF 3: Catalogues

MIF 4: Photographs

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

See Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

Open for research. The reading room of The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre is open Tue-Fri 9.30-4.00. It is advisable to make an appointment. Tel: 0207 326 7800; email: heritage@salvationarmy.org.uk.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Contact the Archive for further information.

Finding aids:

Contact the Archive for further information.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Contact the Archive for further information.

Allied Materials

Related material:

'Army Instruments in the Making', series in The Bandsman, Local Officer and Songster, March 1920 (p35), April 1920 (p57), May 1920 (p73), June 1920 (p91) and July 1920 (p105); 'The Making of Army Instruments', series in The Bandsman and Songster, 22 February 1930 (p59), 1 March 1930 (p69), 8 March 1930 (p76), 15 March 1930 (p87), 22 March 1930 (p94), 29 March 1930 (p101); The Slide Trombone, by F G Hawkes (Salvationist Publishing and Supplies Ltd, 1929).

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Catalogued by Gordon Taylor, September-October 2008

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
EAD into AIM25 October 2014