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I am
Peter John Sloan, John's son and a college art professor for more than twelve years, teaching multiple disciplines of visual
art that include drawing, sculpture, jewelry making, design, painting, and most recently digital art. In August of 2003, my father, having just turned 80 years of age, asked me for my help
in selling off the remaining instruments made by him and still in his stock. This amounted to probably no more than 35 banjos
that he had never sold, though some of them dated back to the 1960s. I was familiar with Ebay, but had never used it to sell
or buy anything. I never dreamed, upon placing that first banjo up for auction, that my life was about to change. My first couple of auctions were looked at by several hundred people each, and it seems
like the majority of them decided to drop me a line! I received wonderful emails from all over the globe, and soon realized
that selling something on Ebay can become a full time job. There were so many requests for more photos and further information.
These were all great people, informed, witty, fun to correspond with.
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My dad, John Augustus Omar Sloan, in his
banjo shop circa 1973.
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I found
myself writing great, long letters late into the night. It hit me right then that I needed to build my dad a website that
could provide an introduction to J. A. Sloan Banjos, answer peoples' questions and perhaps reduce the number of photo uploads
I would have to perform until the day came that my dad's instruments were all sold. Well, I began to realize that a funny thing was happening to me. I was more into these banjos than I had ever been
into any other task in my life. Something was happening to my dad, too. Having not made a new banjo since the 1980s, I watched
him fill with a new sense of purpose as he realized that people all over the world were interested in his creations. Plans
were drawn up to get some of the old machines and tools out of mothballs and to begin tooling up for the first new J. A. Sloan
Banjos in decades, this time with me sharing in the creative process. I
quit teaching a few semesters later and have now dedicated my days to this family legacy. I bring many years of expertise
in metalsmithing and jewelry making with me, along with the wood working skills passed on to me by my father. Finally, Dad
and I have just moved into a new, larger, lighter and, thank God, air conditioned workshop on Interstate 45 in New Waverly,
Texas. Now we have a place nice enough to invite the public. So if you're ever in the neighborhood, stop on by!
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Once again, you can reach us at: J. A. Sloan &
Son, 2620 Interstate 45 South, Bldg. B, New Waverly, Texas 77358. Telephone: 281-733-9797 or Send
us an email.
Thank you very much for looking at our website!
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Letter to John A. Sloan from Walter Kaye Bauer, 1973
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