Pressed into service by the government during World War II, the band instrument factory completely retooled in order to manufacture compasses, altimeters, gyro-horizon indicators, and other related items for the war effort. No musical instruments were produced for civilian use after August 1942, although the company did fulfill orders for the military bands, "practically by hand," according to Carl Greenleaf's recollections. While Conn was for all practical purposes out of the instrument business from the fall of 1942 to 1946, many of its dealers turned to smaller instrument companies, which were allowed to continue producing instruments on a limited basis, to fulfill their orders. This, coupled with a 110-day strike by the factory's U.A.W.-C.I.O Union, October 1946-February 1947, which delayed the reconversion of the Conn factory to peace time production, hurt the company's business. As a result, C. G. Conn Ltd. never totally regained its pre-war status as the world's leading band instrument manufacturer.
The Conn factory was surrounded by a chain-link fence when the plant ceased manufacturing musical instruments in 1942 and was retooled for the production of products for use by the military during World War II. From the Postcard Collection of Margaret Downie Banks. © 1997-2009 by Margaret Downie Banks.
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