Lyon & Healy has been a staple business in the Chicago music scene since 1864 when they forged their beginning by selling sheet music. They then evolved, building and selling an array of instruments and, in 1889, built their own harps that would not only withstand the Midwestern humidity but were durable enough to travel across the country. During the 1970s, they chose to focus on this specialty and remain one of the most respected instrument-makers in the world. Their hundred and fifty-plus years in business have led to a rich history and a resulting depth of historically significant pieces that Prints Unlimited has had the pleasure of framing.
Keri Armendariz, Lyon & Healy’s Marketing Director, recalls first working with our business thirteen years ago when they redesigned their West Loop showroom. It was at that time they decided to reframe their artwork to create a more polished look to display pieces of their company history. After more than a decade of partnership, we were charged with framing several newly acquired pieces, including souvenir postcards dating around the early 1900s and antique miniature instruments dating from the late 1800s that were used as samples for traveling salesmen.
Jill at Prints Unlimited advised on Keri’s project, helping them match molding to pieces we had previously framed for them. It was Keri who made the special request to have the miniature instruments displayed against a mirror, which required in-house custom glass cutting, drilling, and finally creative mounting by our fitting team to assure the instruments would stay in place over time. “When I talked to Jill, I asked about the idea of having a mirror behind the instruments so we could see the detail of the backside of the instruments. She worked with me to get that done.”
Lyon & Healy are featuring the new art in their fifth-floor office and showroom. “I am really happy with how great everything has turned out. As we add things, it’s nice to go back and have the framing be cohesive.”