Samuel Swaim Stewart
S. S. Stewart | |
|---|---|
Samuel Swaim Stewart in 1898 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Samuel Swaim Stewart |
| Born | January 8, 1855 |
| Died | April 6, 1898 (aged 43) |
| Genres | parlor music, classic-banjo instrumentals |
| Occupations | musical instrument manufacturer, composer, performer |
| Instruments | 5-string banjo, violin, piano, organ, flute |
| Years active | 1878-1898 |
Samuel Swaim Stewart (January 8, 1855—April 6, 1898), also known as S. S. Stewart, was a musician, composer, publisher, and manufacturer of banjos. He owned the S. S. Stewart Banjo Company, which was one of the largest banjo manufacturers in the 1890s, manufacturing tens-of-thousands of banjos annually. He also published the S. S. Stewart Banjo and Guitar Journal from 1882 to 1902. He is known today for his efforts to remake the banjo into an instrument of cultural sophistication and for his high-quality banjos. For Stewart, that sophistication included learning to properly sight-read music, so as to be able to play the "proper repertoire" for middle-class citizens.