at 88 Court Street in Boston and many of the volumes of sheet music and instrumental instruction that the company produced bear that address. Archival photos of the Scollay Square area of Boston dating from the 1880s often show the "Howe's Music" sign silhouetted against the sky above the buildings at the end of Court Street. The Company after Howe's death Although company letterhead states that the firm was founded in 1840 (when Elias Howe, Jr. first published his fiddle tune collection), it was not formally incorporated until 1898, three years after the death of its founder. The principals at that time were Elias's sons Willam H. and Edward F. Howe, who served as president and treasurer, respectively. Their sister Harriet Howe was the company bookkeeper. The company expanded its operations considerably and became a full-service music store, offering several different types of musical instrument, parts for instruments, and, of course, an extensive catalog of musical publications. It has not been proven whether the company made their own instruments or contracted with local companies to build them. Whether they made the instruments or not, they did handle tonewood and were described as a large importer of the wood. The company later relocated to 8 Bosworth Street in Boston, a few blocks from its earlier Court Street address. From the Bosworth Street location, the Elias Howe Company issued an extensively illustrated 97-page catalog. Although most of the goods for offer were related to violin-family instruments, the catalog also includes lines of guitars and mandolins. Of particular note are the Howe-Orme guitars and mandolins. These were highly innovative instruments that as early as 1897 incorporated novel features that eventually found their way into the designs of American instruments that followed. The mandolins featured an elaborate "E H Co" monogram inlaid in ivory-colored plastic into the instruments' tortoise pick guards. That logo may be among the most enduring visual reminders of the company. Ironically, it did not appear until two years after Elias Howe's death. The Elias Howe Company closed its doors in the 1930s. Many of the music collections and instruments the company supplied to the nation remain in active use and are valued to this day. Howe-Orme brand The Howe-Orme name arises from the association of the younger Howes (William H. and Edward F. Howe) of Boston with George L. Orme of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. A May 1896 newspaper article announced