Robert Washburn Shoemaker was a prolific roll artist in the 1910s and 1920s, recording and arranging for many different roll companies. One of nine children, his father John was a restaurant clerk.*

Robert's first known job is revealed in the 1910 census, where he is listed as a newspaper boy for the morning press*. By the 1920 census his father John has died and the family, now with his mother Anna as the head, have relocated to Newark, New Jersey. Robert is now listed as an 'Orchestra Musician'. By this time he'd already made his debut on piano roll - Shoemaker's WWI draft card lists his employer as Clinton A. White and his place of work as 6771 Goble St, Newark. White was one of the principles of Bennet & White Inc., who manufactured rolls under the Artempo label. My Artempo catalogue from October 1920 lists many rolls played by Shoemaker, including #73590, "My Gal - Fox Trot", #73140, "How Are You Goin' To Wet Your Whistle?", and #73975, "Bye-Lo - Fox Trot". Interestingly, he is credited on many of his Artempo performances as "Stub" Shoemaker. Considering his WWI draft card lists his height as 5'2", this may have been an appropriate nickname!

Shoemaker's name also appears on rolls produced by the smaller  Mignon company of Bridgeport, Conneticut around 1920 - one example being "The American Legion - March" by Vandersloot, composed in 1920. The roll was issued as #2432, played as a duet with Charley Kisco, who later became a well-known composer and bandleader.

However, by far Shoemaker's largest output was with Pianostyle. Roll historian Frank Himpsl asserts that B. G. Howard, another principle Pianostyle artist, was a Shoemaker pseudonym. He may also be behind the unlikely names of Vita Vestrizzio and Ladislas Zelnowsky.

Shoemaker has also been spotted on Ideal rolls, manufactured in his home state of Philadelphia by the Rose Valley Co. The one example I've seen is #0729, "Mississippi Ripples", a waltz published in 1922, however, there were plenty more - in May 1924, Shoemaker was responsible for their entire output, a staggering 19 titles being issued under his own name and his pseudonym of Bert Washburn (Washburn being his middle name).

In addition, he collaborated with another prolific and well-known roll arranger, J. Lawrence Cook, on several compositions in late 1923.
'Come Back And Get Your Bananas' (music by Cook, lyrics and arrangement by Shoemaker)
'The Consolation Blues' (music by Cook, lyrics by Shoemaker)
'If You Got What I Want, Sweet Papa, Why Don't You Make It Known' (music by Cook, lyrics by Shoemaker)
'Oh Garlic' (music by Shoemaker, lyrics by Cook)
These were published by Cook & Shoemaker Pub. Co., New York.

In 1922 he married Helen, a New York-born child of Welsh and English parents, and in about January 1926 their son Robert Jr. was born.

Shoemaker was still making rolls for Pianostyle in 1929 (#31134, "Chant of the Jungle" being one example). At some stage the company was acquired by QRS, and the 1930 census lists him as a "Musician - Piano", living with his wife and child at 31 Orchard Ave, Essex, New Jersey.

The next sign of Shoemaker in the official records comes with the April 1942 WW2 draft card. His address is now 124 Elwood Ave, Essex, New Jersey and his employer listed as the Chancellor Recreation Inc., 609 Chancellor Ave, Irvington NJ. His emergency contact is Miss Jane Shoemaker at the same address. This is presumably his sister Jane, born in 1888. The WW2 draft card also lists Shoemaker's physical detail - 5'3" and 125lb, hazel eyes, brown hair and a "light" complexion.

He remained active musically as late as the 1960s, copyrighting an 'E-Z Piano Method' in January 1960.

Shoemaker appears to have retired to Florida in 1974, and was married for a second time to Doris Bright at around the same time. After an illness of around a year, he died on 8 October 1978 at the Veteran's Hospital in Pinellas Park, Florida. He was survived by his son, Robert Weeden, four step-children, two brothers, and a sister. His obituary also lists him as a member of the Berwick Elks and Berwicks Moose lodges.

He is buried  in Pine Grove Cemetery, Berwick, Pennsylvania.

* - 1910 Census