Hartman was born in Germany but arrived in New York in 1882 and lived there until August 1902, when he appears to have moved to  London, England and then Toronto, Canada before returning to New York on the steamship 'Cedric' on 17 July 1911. On April 3rd 1914 he was in Port Huron, Michigan, applying for admission to the USA. He was with his Canadian-born wife Anna and 7 year old English-born daughter Doris Georgina, which demonstrates the wide extent of his travels. (His 1 year old son John Alois Hartman appears on the application register on April 24th, listed as Toronto-born). On this form Hartman lists his final destination as Chicago, Illinois where he soon found work with the Imperial Player Roll Company.

In a 1919 interview with the Music Trade Review, Hartman gives some information about his career:

"I have been in editing departments of player-piano roll companies
since May, 1898. Of course, in those days we didn't have
the hand-played rolls. The first rolls I ever helped put out were
the old fifty-nine note rolls produced by the Adek Mfg. Co., of
New York. It used to take us a week to turn out a single number,
which of course was arranged entirely by hand. When our catalog
numbered two hundred and fifteen selections we thought we.had
achieved a world success.

"In the early days it meant working night and day to get out
a dozen selections, and when a salesman sent in an order for, say,
four dozen we all wanted to murder him. The rolls at that time
were made of heavy paper with three coats of shellac, and were
used on the old 'mechanical' actions, not the pneumatic players.
After a time this company changed its name to Pianotist. In
1902 I went to England for this company and began arranging and
cutting rolls for self-playing banjo-reproducing machines. The
first months I worked with a nail, a hammer and a block of wood.
While I was there we began cutting the sixty-five note rolls for
pneumatic players.

I stayed with this company until May, 1914, when the Imperial
Player Roll Co., of Chicago, was formed, and during the five
years I have been with Imperial I have seen more changes in
the player roll game than in the sixteen years previous.

"Thomas Kavanaugh, the manager of the Imperial Co., has been
directly responsible for a great number of new methods now being
used in the player roll business. He is always thinking up new
ideas for new effects. My hobby has always been getting-up what
might be called 'unique' rolls. About the first instrumental effects
that were put on the market was an organ effect I originated, and
was in 'Sabbath Day Reflections', 'Thanksgiving Day Festival', etc.
It was accomplished by sustained chords and special tremolo in
the bass and also tremolo above the middle C. Mr. Kavanaugh
was the first to conceive the idea of putting words on hand-played
rolls.

"His success along that line started the ball rolling and put new
life into the player roll industry. The next step was a special
effect in the song that we recorded, called 'Croon Time', which
was a crooning effect. This particular roll suggested the ukulele,
and opened up a new field for the Imperial Co.'s endeavours, and
so we began to work up musical instrument effects, such as the
banjo, saxophone and others.
"Shortly before the banjo roll came the forerunner of the jazz.
This was first brought out in 'Glorious', the 'souse' song with the
saxophone groan, which proved to be the most sensational roll ever
produced."

In the 1920 census, Hartman, his wife Annie, and children Doris and John are living at 4803 North Paulina Street in Chicago, with Hartman's profession being given as 'Arranger - Music R.'

The 1930 census finds Hartman living in DeKalb, Illinois, and still listed as 'Arranger - Music Roll Co.'. His wife Anna and 17 year old son John (born in Canada) are also living at this address.

One final ship voyage appears in the official records for Hartman - now 67 years old, he departs Liverpool, England in a First Class cabin on the Ascania on 27 August 1948, arriving in Quebec, Canada on 3 September. His wife Annie is with him.

VOYAGES OF WILLIAM HARTMAN

8 July 1911:   Departs Liverpool, England on the Cedric.
17 July 1911: Arrives New York.

21 August 1931:  Departs Liverpool, England on the Duchess of Richmond.
27 August 1931: Arrives Quebec, Canada.