Anton Mervar
Anton Mervar (* 1885 ; † July 21, 1942 ) was an American instrument maker of Slovenian origin.
Life
Anton Mervar was a harmonica maker . He completed his apprenticeship at Lubas & Sohn , presumably in Windischgrätz in Styria (today Slovenj Gradec in Slovenia ). There is a harmonica with a stamp, dated 1905: " Anton Merwar TRIFAIL Lower Styria Harmonica Producer Produced on September 6, 2005 ". In 1912 he emigrated from Styria to the USA and settled in Cleveland (Ohio). Mervar was proficient in English, German and Slovenian, which gave him some advantages.
In 1921 he moved into a new and larger workshop at 6921 St. Clair Avenue, his previous address was 1162 East 61 Street, as evidenced by a newspaper ad. He made diatonic accordions there . His instruments found buyers all over the USA and were also shipped overseas, mainly to Slovenia. Every two years, Anton Mervar went to Europe to buy components for his production. He mainly used German reed plates to build his instruments .
He expanded his business area to include trading in other musical instruments, records and the distribution of phonographs . Anton Mervar was hired as a consultant by the then well-known record labels such as Okeh Records , Columbia Records , Victor Talking Machine Company and Continental Records . Here he was asked specifically to evaluate the quality of tests for recording record pressing. His recommendations were also asked for when it came to record contracts for music artists of the Cleveland-Style Polka. Cleveland-Style Polka is a Slovenian-American style of polka. Some musicians like Matt Hoyer, Louis Spehek, Anton Strukelj or the Lausche-Udovich Duett owe their record deals to Anton Mervar.
Instruments from his production are still traded at top prices among collectors and enthusiasts to this day.
death
He and his wife died on July 21, 1942 in a serious traffic accident . His son, a diabetic , died of sugar shock immediately after hearing the news. His daughter Justine Reber, who inherited her father's company, sold the ordered and mostly unfinished accordions and production machines to former employees who were doing their training at Mervar. She continued to live in the building, and she earned her living selling and shipping records.
Web links
- Entry into the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame - English
- More pictures and videos from Mervar Harmonikas
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mervar, Anton |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American instrument maker |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1885 |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 21, 1942 |