..  the famous minstrel banjoist, designed the instruments he advertised as the “Hall Banjo “ and although he always stressed the fact that these banjos were “his own make” , they were made for him first by James W Clarke (who was responsible for building Hall’s famous banjos known as “Ironside” and “Thunderer”)  and then on the death of Clarke in 1880, probably by Buckbee.  In 1881 he toured England with a minstrel show.

In 1893 EM Hall “the tall banjoist” as he was known, started teaching in a studio in Chicago, from which he advertised the “New EM Hall Banjo”  made for him by JB Schall who had a flourishing banjos business and factory in Chicago at that time.  Within a year Hall had given up teaching and was touring with a minstrel show.

Hall lost his life along with 600 other people when the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago burned down on 30th December 1903.