Gustav Schönstein

Villingen, Baden (Black Forest), Germany

Pipework for Orchestrions

Hupfeld, Lösche, Philipps, Popper, Pierre Eich, and possibly others, bought most, if not all, of their superbly crafted pipework from Gustav Schönstein, in Villingen, Baden, Germany. This author believes that this German company has been out of business for a long time.

Gustav Schonstein 1920 advertisement.As of this writing, information on Gustav Schönstein and his company is scant, and so any information regarding this able man and his work is welcome. An advertisement for Schönstein displayed in the December 1920 issue of Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau is shown at right. Roughly translated, from top to bottom, it reads:

* D.R.G.M. signifies "Deutsche Reich Gebraumeister" and is a design or use patent somewhat similar to a "Registered" mark that provides an initial three years protection extendable for another three years to six maximum. These were first issued starting in 1891 and were discontinued after WW II. 

** D.R.P. signifies "Deutsche Reich Patent," an original and full patent with up to 15 years protection. These were first issued starting June 1877 and continue today.

Schönstein Family Liniage

Leo Schönstein (b. 1811, d. July 12, 1874) and his wife Rosa Constanzer (b. Mar 6, 1816, d. Aug 10, 1899) had 17 children:

  1. Lukas Paul Schönstein (b. Jan 24, 1836, d. Mar 19, 1921)
  2. Karl Schönstein (b. Jan 28, 1839, d. Feb 1, 1911)
  3. Agatha Schönstein (b. Dec 19, 1839, d. Dec 28, 1839)
  4. Maria Francisca Schönstein (b. Feb 2, 1841, d. Dec 19, 1841)
  5. John Baptist Schönstein (b. March 25, 1842, d. May 25, 1842)
  6. Herman Schönstein (b. Sept 7, 1843, d. July 19, 1844)
  7. Ferdinand Bertold Schönstein (b. Oct 19, 1844, d. Dec 16, 1929)
  8. Erwin Schönstein (b. Dec 22, 1845, d. Dec 27, 1920)
  9. Franz Herman Schönstein(b. Sept 26, 1847, d. Oct 12, 1847)
  10. Fridolin Felix Schönstein (b. Feb 24, 1849, d. Mar 29, 1936)
  11. Rosina Schönstein (b. Mar 10, 1850, d. Dec 12, 1932)
  12. Xavier Schönstein(b. Sept 30, 1852, d. Aug 27, 1854)
  13. Louise Schönstein (b. Nov 12, 1853, d. Sept 4, 1854)
  14. Bertha Schönstein (b. May 12, 1855, d. Oct 19, 1933)
  15. Paulina Schönstein (b. Jun 4, 1856, d. Feb 4, 1915)
  16. Louise Schönstein (b. May 4, 1862, d. Aug 19, 1865)
  17. Wilhelmina Schönstein (b. May 4, 1862, d. Aug 23, 1865)

The first and oldest child, Lukas, and his wife (Anna Maria Flaig, b. Apr 27, 1840, d. May 26, 1917) had 7 children; the sixth being Gustav Karl Schönstein (b. May 8, 1874, d. Jun 12, 1954). Gustav is the German born entrepreneur to whom this web page is dedicated.

The 10th child, Fridolin Felix (aka Felix F.) and his wife (Magdelena Hofmann, b. Jun 14, 1857, d. Jun 18, 1931) had 10 children; the fifth being Louis Joseph Schoenstein, the author of the book “Memoirs of a San Francisco Organ Builder.” Louis was Gustav’s cousin. Felix was Gustav’s uncle. Felix wrote a family history as an appendix in Louis’s book. The above family information is primarily from Louis Schoenstein, who not only wrote the Memoirs book but did a great deal of work on his
family tree, and who Frank D. Schnorbus (who contacted the Mechanical Music Press in Feburary of 2019) had the great pleasure of meeting in 1977, shortly before Louis's passing.

The 14th child, Bertha, is the great great grandmotheer of Frank D. Schnorbus, the gentlemen who so graciously provideed the majority of the information on this page.

Fridolin Felix Schönstein in America

Gustav's uncle, Fridolin Felix Schönstein, immigrated to America in 1868, representing his father and brothers, In America he was known as Felix F. Schönstein. By the year 1877 he establishced an independent pipe organ firm in San Francisco; see Schoenstein & Company for more details.  The American company also made barrel orchestrions similar to those manufactured by Welte, including some fairly large ones. The current owner of Schoenstein & Co., Organ Builders, is Jack Bethards, who is interested in the company's orchestrion-building history. The company, as of this writing in January of 2012, still has some parts, including a large barrel for one of their orchestrions. Mr. Bethards owns an extensive library of dance band scores from the late 1890s through the 1950s, and often puts on concerts with a dance band and theatre organ.

Credits:

Frank D. Schnorbus, and Art Reblitz

Graphics:

Terry Hathaway (graphics and composition).

References (courtesy of Frank D. Schnorbus):

Schoenstein, Louis J., Memoirs of a San Francisco Organ Builder, San Francisco, Cue Publications, © 1977, Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number #77-99221.

Schoenstein & Company