Description: H. Ackerman's Music Store (ca. 1880) 138/140 S. Main Street (Present) Marion, Ohio This original, antique cabinet card measures 4 3/16" x 6 1/2". The photo is in nice condition with overall discoloration from age. The sign H. ACKERMAN on the building was cut from another photo and pasted onto this one. The card it's mounted to has some damage, as you can see in the images, that includes a section missing along the lower edge. The sign to the left of Ackerman's shop has the street number 28. Ackerman ran an advertisement for his shop in the Marion Star in 1881 that includes the address 30 S. Main Street. This is a match for that location. Unfortunately, the street numbers appear to have been changed at some point in time. When I turned to Google Street View, I found some buildings still standing in the 100 block of S. Main Street that have architectural features that match the photo of Ackerman's shop. I've uploaded some screen shots and a comparison. The building shown to the left in the antique photo appears to be 138 S. Main (Taste of Memphis BBQ). The round window above the tall, narrow windows are still there. The location of Ackerman's store appears to be a parking lot to the right of 138 S. Main, possibly once known as 140 S. Main. According to the Marion Star, Henry Ackerman started to run the piano and organ department of Shaffner's furniture store in 1880. In fact, the sign on the building that reads "H. ACKERMAN" is actually cut out of another photo and pasted onto this one. The existing sign appears to have been for Shaffner's furniture store. (The letters "FNER" may be seen to the right of Ackerman's name.) It's possible Ackerman took over the location and had this photo altered before he could hang his name above the door. (You can see a huge, wood chair displayed on the side of the building to the far right of the photo. This must have advertised Shaffner's furniture trade.) The sign on the post reads H. ACKERMAN - WHITE & DOMESTIC SEWING MACHINES. Lettering on the post reads PIANOS & ORGANS. There's also lettering in the left window above the pump organ that reads ESTEY. (Ackerman ran advertisements for Estey organs in the Marion Star between March 1880 and October 1890.) There are two men standing in front of the store, one leaning up against a pump organ and the other is standing behind a sewing machine. I would date this to 1880 when the local paper first mentioned Ackerman was involved in the piano and organ trade. His name is not yet over the door, something I imagine would have been resolved by the following year. This is based on my research which may not be completely accurate.
Price: 79.95 USD
Location: De Smet, South Dakota
End Time: 2024-10-19T05:16:25.000Z
Shipping Cost: 5.95 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Type: Photograph
Year of Production: ca. 1880
Image Color: Sepia
