The Joseph W. Stern publishing house was founded by Joseph W. Stern (1870-1934), a composer who came to promience with lyricist Edward B. Marks. Although one of their earliest compositions, 'The Little Lost Child' (1894) became a huge hit for them, the song initially garnered no interest from publishers, so Stern set up his own publishing house at 14th Street, New York City. The pair had several more hits, including "My Mother was a Lady' (1895). Stern wrote very little after 1900, concentrating instead on his lucrative publishing activities.
