SS Stewart, named for Samuel Swain Stewart, originally built musical instruments from 1878 to 1904 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and during that period were considered one of the most important banjo manufacturers until AC Fairbanks invented the tone ring.
Samuel Steward died in 1898, and his sons ran the company until 1904 when the brand was bought out by B&J, Bugellsein & Jacobson. Over time, Steward models shifted to mostly guitars and some banjos made to order by other manufacturers like Chicago Musical Instruments (who also built brands like Harmony, Kay, Supertone and Silvertone). The Gibson and Martin companies also built some SS Stewart models in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Between the 1930s and 1960s many thousands of SS Stewart instruments were built by various manufacturers, and often sold via chain stores. Arched top and flat top steel string models were very popular during this time.
The SS Stewart name finally disappeared around 1960.
