The Starmer Brothers

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The Starmer Brothers , consisting of William Starmer (March (?) 1872 as William Austin Starmer in Leeds , England ; † unknown) and Frederick Starmer (born September 2, 1878 in Leeds, England; † unknown), was an American Sheet music duo , who appeared repeatedly between 1910 and 1940 as draftsmen of various Hawaiian covers. Not much is known about the Starmer Brothers as they were no longer registered in the US or anywhere after 1930.

Life

Childhood and youth

The Starmer Brothers Immigration Certificate on Ellis Island

The Starmer Brothers were born in Leeds, England to James and Ann E. Starmer. They also had an older brother, Erwin J. Starmer, about whom nothing is known. William Starmer learned a shoemaker, nothing is known about Frederick Starmer's profession.

Immigration to the USA

Before the two brothers emigrated to the United States in 1898 , they were already known as local musicians in England. After William returned to England in 1900 and married Julitta M. Dawson there, her parents followed them to the USA in 1904. They lived in Long Island , New York , according to the US Census Bureau . The two Starmer Brothers were again local musicians who earned their living with it. William probably had a son (William J. Starmer), but he does not appear in any records. Since 1910 they have appeared repeatedly as sheet music artists, their signature can be found on the covers of There's A Garden In Hawaii , Mo Na Lu , My Honolulu Ukulele Baby and Bimini Bay , among others . William Starmer's wife Julitta died in 1922. The Starmer Brothers emerged as artists until the 1940s.

Testimonies

There's A Garden In Hawaii ; Cover drawn by the Starmer Brothers

Nothing is known of the Starmer Brothers since the early 1930s, except that William Starmer remarried. Frederick Starmer wasn't even registered with the United States Census Bureau . Therefore, the brothers' death dates are also unknown. There are no pictures of the Starmer Brothers or they are unknown. After music collector Mike Montgomery did some research, it was only after the Starmer Brothers became known that something hitherto unknown came to light.

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