A cabinet maker by trade,
Charles A. Stromberg immigrated in 1886 to the United States from Sweden. By 1891 he came to be employed at Boston's
Thompson & Odell where he would eventually serve as foreman in their banjo, mandolin and guitar factory. Following the 1905 bankruptcy of Thompson & Odell, Stromberg briefly partnered with William Parker Ware at 767 Washington Street before setting up his own shop at 61 Hanover Street where he would remain until 1912. The example seen here dates from February 15, 1908.
Weathered but completely intact, the drum features a well-preserved makers label with a handwritten number and date. The drum has no badge as the practice was not adopted by Stromberg until the mid 1910s.
Stromberg filed for and was granted two patents pertaining to snare drum construction: (Snare-tightening device for drums.
US Patent 756,730 filed for July 20, 1903, and issued April 5, 1904, and Drum.
US Patent 754,101 filed for July 20, 1903, and issued March 8, 1904.) The snare mechanism present on this example is a slightly evolved version of Stormberg's patented design.
Do you have a drum made by Charles A. Stromberg? I would love to hear about it! Feel free to drop Lee an email at
lee@vinson.net. And for more on the early 20th century snare drum makers of Boston, Massachusetts please visit
BostonDrumBuilders.com or follow
@old_boston_drums on instagram.
