The Music Business

 Although we think of the Russell family running dry goods stores in Pittsburgh and Allegheny, they actually had a number of business interests over the years. One curiosity, which has been covered here before, is a music shop.

There is sheet music for a song The Evening Prayer. It clearly states it was published by J L Russell and Son.

This song and its history is covered in a post here:

https://jeromehistory.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-russells-music-publishing-business.html

We now know a bit more about this venture.

In 1872 J L Russell and Son were at 83 Fifth Avenue. They also owned or rented the property at number 85. For several months they attempted to get a tenant. For example, from the Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette for 28 May 1872:

The key point reads:

“This is a rare chance to get one of the best locations in the city. Inquire of J L RUSSELL & SON, No. 83 Fifth Avenue.”

This notice appeared for some weeks until the property was used by the Pittsburgh Music House, run by the Russells.

From The Pittsburgh Commercial for 11 September 1872:

“New music, music books, pianos, reed and pipe organs, drums, fifes and campaign songs, J L Russell and Son.”

Further advertisements from succeeding weeks (16 September, 4 October) gave the 85 Fifth Avenue address, but omitted the Russell name. You could also buy:

“Elegant Celeste organ(s) on easy terms, a square Grand piano at the lowest figure – or any popular ballad or Strauss Waltz...all the new music and instruction at lowest prices...”

They soon added music publishing to their range. From The Pittsburgh Post for 16 December 1872:

The full story of this music (along with the score for those who want to play it) can be found in the links given above.

The last reference as yet discovered to the Russell’s Music House enterprise involved another piece of sheet music. Now into 1873, from the Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette for 20 February 1873:

This music survives in the Library of Congress and you can download it complete if you so wish, although the surviving library copy only carries the names of publishers in Philadelphia and Boston.

The song was credited to JAMES GILES, but the lyrics were a poem that appeared as a filler in numerous newspapers between 1870-1883, usually anonymous but occasionally credited to JOSEPHINE POLLARD.

The opening line gives a flavor of the work:

‘Twas milking time and the cows came up from the meadow...”

It would seem that the music business didn’t flourish, and by 1885 the premises at 85 Fifth Avenue had turned into The Quaker Shirt Store, but still run by J L Russell and Son. The Russells continued expanding the dry goods business, and working in other areas like scrap metal, and probably most lucrative long-term, real estate.

But that is another story.