Capehart-Farnsworth timeline: 400 series Cabinets

Here you have the overview about the different main parts that form a series 400 model. In fact this comprises also series 300, 200 and 100, the so called DeLuxe models with turn-over mechanism. This family of all "400 series" started in 1931 and was stopped in 1950.

The intention is to show different threads for cabinets, Escutcheons/scales/knobs, record changers, tuner chassis and amplifier chassis, loudspeakers and pick-ups. For more or other information there is the general thread Capehart Radio-Phonographs for the 1930s and 1940s.

Capehart-Farnsworth timeline:
400 series Cabinets

The series started for the season 1931/32 without "season suffix" and followed with A, B, etc. After WW2 there were only two prolonged seasons, N and P, for the turn-over record changers. You overlook here the full lifetime of them inclusive the radios only with the same chassis.

Suffixes after the season suffix:
Single digit number = amplifier chassis if several were offered.
R = with remote control
LC = perhaps "Less Control" - we don't really know.

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First saison: 1931/32 - no suffix

Early series 100 with probably Amperion changer, like 101, Cosmopolitan 103 and Cosmopolitan 104.

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A = 1932/33

 

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B = 1933/34

The 300 series were started. New is also the 1600 series "Plain Cabinet" for concealed installation.

 

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C = 1934/35

 

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D = 1935/36

A series of radio only consoles was started with the chassis of 300 series and an other with the chassis 400 series was started - each with two different cabinets. This new type lasted only for two seasons (two different chassis).

 

 

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E = 1936/37

500 series were started (no picture)

200 series were started

203E Georgian - not in Book Baumbach. (no picture)

George Epple:
It is believed that the Orinoco Furniture Company may have manufactured the cabinets for Capehart.

 

 

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F = 1937/38

 

 

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G = 1938/39

The first series 100 (only with 110G) was called Panamuse. From about season K, the drop type changer was introduced for (2 digit name) Panamuse and the models with the turn-over changer became the suffix "DeLuxe".

 

 

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H = 1939/40

In March 1939 Capehart went into bankrupty and parts of it were bought by Farnsworth Television & Radio Corp. In that year Farnsworth also started its own production. For some products the brand Capehart was kept.

 

 

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K = 1940/41 (there is no I or J)

 

 

 

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M = 1941/42 (there is no L)

 

 

 

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N = 1945-48

There are two YouTube videos, 400N and 400N1 but we believe it is only meant the series 400N and with the cabinets there sould be other numbers. We hope to be able to clear this later.

 

 

 

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P = 1948-50 - last series (there is no O)

 

 

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In 1951 Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation was purchased by International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT).
 

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On the cabinets of 400 series models there can be found printings or labels of either a distributor and/or cabinet manufacturer. By listing the known distributors we can decide what the inscription is ...

Cabinet manufacturer for Capehart consoles of the 400 series

Lyon & Healy, Chicago, Illinois
In 2012 it still exists and on its web page "lyonhealy.com" we are informed: "Founded in Chicago in 1864 by George Washburn Lyon and Patrick J. Healy, Lyon & Healy built its first harp, Model 21 #501, in 1889. ...  In the early 1900s, mechanically reproduced music and musical instruments began to leave an impression on the music business. Edison’s first gramophone, hand-wound, with wax cylindrical records, sang some of its first songs at Lyon & Healy.
By the turn of the century, Lyon & Healy was the largest music house in the world; there was sheet music in its files from every recognized publisher; a diversified line of fine pianos and organs; bands marched to the rhythm of music played on Lyon & Healy built instruments; celebrated violinists purchased rare old instruments from its treasure-house; the gold-crowned Lyon & Healy harp stood in every symphony and operatic orchestra from Chicago to Tokyo and Victrolas were fast becoming music necessities of the home."

Now "Lyon & Healy Harps Inc." is concentrating on excellent harps. In their history they don't mention Capehart cabinets or other music instruments being made by them. But at least George W. Lyon patented a cottage upright piano in 1878 and it was sold under the Lyon and Healy name. Lyon retired in 1889; Healy died in 1905. For 1913 there is a Lyon & Healy piano catalog where they state themselves as "makers" and show a big manufacture building for Lyon & Healy pianos. In Wabash avenue they had "the world's greatest music house".

 

Distributors for Capehart-Farnsworth

In the "Record Retailing Yearbook" 1946 there is the following information on page 398:

Farnsworth Television & Radio Corporation
3702 E. Pontiac, Ft. Wayne 1, IN, USA

President: E.A. Nicholas
Sales Manager: E.H. McCarthy
Secretary: E.M. Martin
Treasurer: J.P. Rogers

Products manufactured: Radio and television receivers and transmitters, television tubes, Phonograph-radio.

Trade Names: Farnsworth, Capehart, Panamuse.

Distributors:
American Dist. Inc.; New Haven, Conn.
Bargelt Supply,; Portland, Ore.
Bigelow & Dowse Co.; Boston, Mass.
Paul Blackwell Co.; Dallas 1, Texas
The Burden-Bryant Co.; Springfield 3, Mass.
Harry W. Cameron, Inc.; Chattanooga 2, Tenn.
F. O. Carpenter & Son; Columbus, Ohio
Charleston Electrical Supply Co.; Charleston 29, W.Va.
Cloud Bros,; South Bend 11, Ind.
Consolidated Gas & Equipment Co.; Plainview, Texas
P. F. Crenshaw, Jr.; Memphis 2, Tenn.
Cross & Rogers; Little Rock, Arkansas
Crouch Appliance Co.; El Paso, Texas
B. T. Crump Co. Inc.; Richmond 13, Va.
Frank Edwards Co. Inc.; San Francisco 9, California
Electric Constructors Inc.;Birmingham, Alabama
The Emery Waterhouse Co.; Portland 6, Me.
Fargo Glass & Paint Co.; Fargo, N. Dakota
Farnsworth Television & Radio Corp.; Chicago 11, Illinois
Foster Supply Co.; Buffalo 8, New York
E. Garnich & Sons Hdwe. Co.; Ashland, Wisconsin
General Heating Products Co.; Minneapolis 14, Minneapolis
J. S. George Supply Co., Burlington, Vermont
Graybar Electric Co. Inc.; Kansas City 8, Mo.
Graybar Electric Co. Inc.; Omaha 2, Nebraska
Graybar Electric Co. Inc.; Wichita 1, Kan.
Graybar Electric Co. Inc.; Pittsburgh 2, Pa.
Harper & McIntire Co.; Ottumwa, Iowa
Harper & McIntire Co.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Horrocks-Ibbotson Co.; Utica 2, New York
Independent Dist. Inc.; Grand Rapids, Mich.
Interstate Electric Co.; New Orleans 7, La.
Jackson Dist. Co.; Salt Lake City 1, Utah
Kentworth Corp.; Louisvill2, Ky.
L. &. K. Electric Co.; Binghamton, New York
Lappin Electric Co.; Milwaukee 3, Wisconsin
LeValley, McLeod, KinKaid Co. Inc.; Schenectady 1, New York
Lincoln Sales Corp.; Baltimore 2, Md.
A. Y. McDonald Mfg. Co.; Sioux City, Iowa
A. Y. McDonald Mfg. Co.; Sioux Falls, S.Dak.
D. W. May Corp; New York 7, NY
Midland Electric Co.; Cleveland 14, Ohio
Muntz & Lea Co.; Rockford, Illinois
National Mill Supply Co.; Fort Wayne 2, Indiana
Neyshart's Inc.; Williamsport 3, Pa.
Northwest Appliance Dist.; Seattle 4, Washington
Northwest Appliance Dist.; Spokane 8, Washington
Packard Manufacturing Corp.; Indianapolis 7, Ind.
Palmetto Electric Supply Co.; Columbia, S.Car.
Paul-Jeffrey Co.; Syracuse 2, New York
Providence Electric Co. Inc.; Providence 3, R.I.
Rapid Wholesale & Dist. Co.; Rapid City, S. Dak.
Raybro Electric Supplies Inc.; Tampa 1, Fla.
Raybro Eletric Supplies Inc.; Jacksonville, Fla.
Raybro Electric Supplies Inc.; Miami, Fla.
Republic Supply Corp.; Detroit 26, Mich.
Rice & Miller Co.; Bangor, Me.
The Sacks Electrical Supply Co.; Akron 11, Ohio
W.T. Shackleford Co.; Atlanta3, Ga.
Sheppler & Lowes Radio & Appliance Co., Peoria 2, Illinois
Sherman-Swenson & Assoc.; Los Angeles 21, California
Standard Dist. Co.; San Antonio 6, Texas
Standard Equipment Co.; Phoenix, Arizona
Stanley Dist. Co.; St. Louis 8, Mo.
Sterling Appliance Co., Inc.; Reno, Nevada
Straus-Bodenheimer Co.; Houston 2, Texas
Superior Dist. Co.; Oklahoma City 3,  Okla.
B. K. Sweeney Electrical Co.; Denver 17, Colorado
Taylor Dist. Co.; Billings, Montana
Trilling & Montague; Philadelphia 3, Pa.
Tri-State Appliance Dist.; Erie 2, Pa.
Turners Inc.; Springfield, Mo.
Twin States Dist. Co.; Charlotte 2, North Carolina
The Walding, Kinnan & Marvin Co.; Toledo 3, Ohio
Washington Wholesalers; Washington 9, D.C.
West Central Dist.; Rochester 7, New York
Williams & Co; Amarillo, Texas
The York Supply Co.; Cincinnati 14, Ohio
The York Supply Co.; Dayton 2, Ohio

The Robert Baumbach book tells us:
At least for Capehart 400N series, Steinway & Sons designed and manufactured 50 custom Steinway cabinets, at least one with Japanese decorations.

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Through "THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW", October 1940, we learn that Capehart dealers sent 62 service men, representing 53 Capehart dealers to a three-day school and convention at Marion, Ind. where the Farnsworth factory was situated and Fort Wayne, Ind. where the general office and research laboratory was situated.
At that time, E.H. Vogel was vice president of the company.
On part of Farnsworth attended: J. P. Rogers, Vice President; C. R. Jenkins, General Superintendent;
F.B. Ostman, Service Manager; J. H. Pressley, Chief Engineer;
H. L. Naylor, S. E. Benson, Win Campbell, Vernal Layton, H. J. Beck, H. D. Rundell, engineers;
Glen Eckley, Chief Inspector; C. F. Jeffrey. Traffic Manager;
Dick James, Cabinet Refinishing Department; John S. Garceau, Advertising Manager;
M. Cawein, engineer in charge of television receiver design.

Distributor attendants were:
E. W. Avery, Avery Radio Electric, Missoula. Mont.; S. Baldwin, Baltimore; W. Barrow, Jr., Barrow Music Shop, Great Neck, L. I.; J. Belika. Donen Music Shop, Rye, N. Y.; R. A. Bell, Halle Bros., Canton, O.; F. Boehm, J. B. Bradford Co., Milwaukee; R. Borden and W. H. Henson, Bueschers Music Co.. Cleveland; S. Borden, Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., Cincinnati; D. Briggs, Birkel-Richardson, Los Angeles; E. Brunk, Brunk's Radio Service, Shelby. O. R. Caswell, Steinway & Sons, New York; J. E. Conklin, L. Bamberger & Company, Newark, N. J.; E. J. Coupal, Lyon & Healy, Chicago; M. Daniel, Walter D. Moses & Co., Richmond, Va.; A. R. Davidson and H. A. Peterson, The Winter Company, Erie, Pa.; D. D. Dean, Forbes-Meaher. Madison, Wis.; D. W. Dolloff and C. Gunn, Miami Sales & Rental Co., Miami Beach, Fla.; M. Duckworth, Foy Radio, Jackson, Mich. J. Fenton, RCA Victor Co., Ltd., Montreal, Can.; E. Forbes, Billy Harmon, J. Harmon, E. E. Forbes & Sons, Birmingham, Ala.; L. H. Gaylord, Earl B. Worden Co., Utica, N. Y.; C. Gerdes, Aeolian Company, New York; J. P. Graham, Lyon & Healy, Columbus, O.; R. Greenbaum, G. Fox Company, Hartford, Conn.; R. Grosser and T. Peyser, Trinity Talking Machine Co.. New York. E. Holsel and M. B. Hepner, Kaufman Department Stores. Pittsburgh; J. Konen. Rabson Music Co.. New York; M. E. Kopf, Brownie's Radio Service, Cleveland; A. Lucas, Halle Bros.. Cleveland; L.G. Merrill, Barker Bros., Hollywood, California; M. D. Norton, Cable Piano Company, Atlanta, Ga.; L. Oebbecke, Shryock Radio Salon, Philadelphia; V.R. Olson, Grinnell Bros., Grand Rapids, Mich.; P. Pillows and B. Steinmetz, Clarkton, Mo.; H. Ramm, Wolf & Dessauer, Fort Wayne. Ind.; W. Rimersberger, Byerly Bros. Music Co., Peoria, Ill.; C. Schwengel, Chackleton Piano Co., Lousville, Ky.; B. Singer, The Record Shop, Philadelphia; F. E. Spehar, Grinnell Bros., Detroit; D. Stevenson and William Tolle, Anderson Piano Co.. Dayton. O.; M. J. Storholm, P. A. Schmitt Company. Minneapolis; J. Strei and E. Waltermann, Aeolian Company of St. Louis, Mo.; A. Stuart, The Standard Co., Fall River, Mass.; J. J. Sullivan, M. Steinert Co., Boston. William Tessin, C. W. Homeyer Co., Boston; G. Throngard, Bissell-Weisert, Chicago; R. E. Wagner, Pearson Co., Indianapolis; L. W. Wagner, Clarks Music Co., Syracuse, N. Y.; H. Walle, M. Doyle Marks Co., Elmira, N. Y.; T. Wilson. McGowan Radio, St. Paul and F. Wood, M. O'Neil Co., Akron, O.
 

 

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Stephan Masek has photographed the inscription on the cabinet, reading "Sherman, Clay & Co."
I have used his picture for his particular model Capehart-Panamuse Chippendale 21M2FM.
When possible, it would be great if members load up also the different name plates and/or stickers.
We also have to try to distinguish between cabinet manufacturer and sales organization. Some other words so that we find: seller, agent, dealer, wholesaler, shop, distributor, retail locations, etc.

By the way: Sherman, Clay & Co. is listed by Wikipedia as piano brand. It operates still today and calls itself "Since 8170, America's leading piano dealer". The founder, Leander Sherman went to San Francisco's Barbary Coast where the gold rush was dragging people away where he got a post at age 14 as apprentice in a clock shop. He later became a clock repairman including European music boxes. Later he became a post as general clerk for A. A. Rosenberg's music store. 1970 he could offer to buy out Rosenberg with borrowed captal. A retired Army major, C.C. Clay purchased partner (since 1871) F.A. Hyde's interest and the company was renamed Sherman Clay & Company. "Sherman Clay continued throughout the fifties under the management of the founder's descendants until 1960, when the Company was purchased by Parker Pace Corporation (Bern Schwartz). At the time of purchase, there were twenty-one stores in the Sherman Clay chain, and the electronic organ, invented in 1934, was gathering popularity." Sherman & Clay was and is at least one of the biggest piano sellers.

 

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