SUPPLEMENT.
PHILADELPHIA & BALTIMORE
TRADE.
WHAT OUR REPORTER SEES AND HEARS.
HE music trade in Philadelphia is in a somewhat curious condition. The
manufacturers, without exception, report trade exceedingly active, in
fact in two large concerns it was reported on excellent authority, that trade
was pushing to such an extent that they were obliged to keep their workmen
every night until ten o'clock ; that they were far behind in rilling their
orders, and, in short, that they could not possibly be busier than they were.
On the other hand, conversation with dealers in both cities reveals the
fact that with them, at least, business is by no means as active as they could
wish, and that the volume of trade for the months of October and November,
has been much less than for the months of July and August, a condition of
affairs which is the reverse of their usual experience in other years.
Local dealers, with few exceptions, are carrying large stocks of instru-
ments, and, it may be that they have in most cases given the manufacturers
they buy from in other cities, large orders in anticipation of a heavy fall
trade, and their anticipations have not been fully realized. Then it is reported
that the local manufacturers are selling more instruments at retail than ever
before, which would be a partial explanation of their activity. Another
solution may be found in the tendency on the part of the average manufact-
urer, when talking over the condition of trade with a representative of the
press, to exaggerate things, and through him to induce the public to believe
that, in their particular case, at least, the " blizzard " is perpetual. The
music trade, as a whole, is "indifferent honest," but in a few exceptionally
rare and isolated cases, there is a disposition to '' skirmish out on the edge of
truth." It would be to the advantage of the manufacturers, when making
statements to the MUSICAL CRITIC AND TKADE REVIEW, to bear in mind that its
representatives are men of at least average intelligence, and possess much
better facilities for getting at the facts than any single manufacturer or
dealer. As far as dealers and the public are concerned, they have become so
accustomed to this stale advertising dodge, that they always receive such
statements "cum grano salts."
T
One of the Philadelphia manufacturers visited by our reporter was the
firm of Albrecht & Co., No. 610 Arcli street. Tliis concern is on of the
oldest and best known in the country, and has an extensive factory at the
corner of Eleventh street and Ridge avenue in Philadelphia, where it pos-
sesses abundant manufacturing facilities and capacity for turning out good
work not excelled by any house in the country.
Mr. Charles Albrecht, the senior member of the firm, has had over forty
years' experience, and follows his business not only because he makes his
living by it, but because he loves it, and, as the poet says, " it is the heart
and not the brain which to the highest doth attain." Mr. Albrecht person-
ally supervises every detail of his business, and no instrument is allowed to
leave the factory without being carefully scrutinized by him. It is no doubt
owing to this careful supervision that the jaianos made by this house have
given such good satisfaction. Messrs. Albrecht & Co. possess testimonials
of the excellence of their instruments from such great artists as L. M. Gott-
schalk, Franz Abt, Gustav Salter, etc., and they received a diploma at the
Franklin Institute Fair, and a medal and diploma at the Contennial Expo-
sition.
Mr. E. Wolsieffer, the junior partner and business manager of the firm,
is well known to the trade as a good business man, and in musical circles as
a composer of merit.
The large list of names of purchasers of the Albrecht firm, which the
firm gives in its last catalogue, is the best possible evidence of the popularity
of its instruments.
December 5 th, ]88o.
large store is crowded with pianos and organs of nearly every reputable
maker ; among others the Edward McCammon, Albany piano, which is
surely working its way wherever good, solid work is appreciated. Mr.
Bellak is one of the oldest Philadelphia residents, and from small beginnings
has established a name second to none.
One of our pleasantest quarters of an hour was passed in the fine store
of Dutton & Son, 1115 Chesnut street. Mr. Win. H. Dutton and his son,
Wm. D. Dutton, are both pushing business men, and, at the same time, ex-
cellent pianists—two qualities exactly suited to the line of business they are
in. They handle a great many pianos and organs, among others Chickering
& Son's, Hardman, James & Holmstrom,Grovesteen, Dunham & Sons' pianos,
and the Peloubet, Packard, and Dutton & Sons' organs, the firm having the
exclusive Philadelphia agency for all the above instruments, and are doing
well with all of them.
TRADE CHAT.
MCTAMMANY.—An agency has lately been established on Chesnut street,
for the McTammany organette.
DUTTON & SON.—Dutton & Son are doing splendidly with the'' Hardman"
piano, but have great trouble in getting their orders filled, as Messrs. Hard-
man, Dowling & Peck are so far behindhand on account of the rush that they
can only furnish each customer with a small proportion of the pianos he
needs.
SCHOMACKER PIANO Co.—Mr. Bishop, of Boston, was in the Schomacker
Piano Co.'s store, on Nov. 23d, stirring Gray up about not sending him
enough pianos.
CONRAD MEYKR & SONS.—Messrs. Conrad Meyer & Sons, of 722 Arch
street, founders of the " American system of Piano Making," have hanging
on the walls of their store several ancient and honorable diplomas received
for their pianos, some of which date back nearly half a century.
W. H. BONER & Co.—W. H. Boner & Co.,of 1102 Chestnut street, always
have a store full of customers, and report business good. That show window
in the front of their store looks very well, but is a trifle crowded.
BALTIMORE TRADE.
T^HE music trade here is in what may be called a transition state ; the
X dealers and manufacturers have had an exceptionally good summer seas-
on, and have had all the benefit from the fall trade that they can now expect,
which, as far at least as the dealers are concerned, lias not come fully up
to their expectations. They are now making preparations for the holiday
season, and are confidently looking forward to a very busy season at that
time, with every indication of a prosperous business for the ensuing year.
Baltimore, by virtue of its position, should be the principal distributing
point for the Southern states; and as the South has had an exceptionally pros-
perous year, the cotton crop being the largest on record, and marketed at
very good prices, there should be a large surplus of money in the hands of
the southern people over and above what is needed for necessities, a large
portion of which will no doubt be expended for pianos and organs; and it
seems as if there would be a large trade done in low-priced musical instru-
ments, orguinettes, etc., among the colored population, whose musical inclin-
ations are well known.
r
The piano manufacturers, with the exception of Messrs. Knabe
complaining that the great influx of cheap pianos from the North has inter-
fered to a considerable extent with their country trade; they say that they
have about made up their minds to confine their operations to the local
trade, biding their time until the temporary rush for cheap pianos has sub-
sided, as they will not in any event lower their standard, and without doing
that they find it impossible to reduce prices to a lower point than at present.
The Schomacker Piano Company occupies a fine store in the centre of
The most conspicuous house among the manufacturers of pianos is the
the music-trade district, at 1103 Chesnut street. Its business interests are well-known one of Messrs. Knabe & Co. whose handsome store on West
well looked after by its able president, Mr. H. W. Gray, who had the busi- Baltimore street, is an ornameut to the city. They report a large and in-
ness sagacity to look quite through the foolish system adopted by the expert creasing demand for the Knabe piano from all sections of the country, and
judges at the Centennial Exposition in 1876. Foreseeing the impossibility that their resources are taxed to the utmost to fill their orders, the increase
of the public ever agreeing as to who received the highest award, he cut the in the demand for high-priced grands and uprights being particularly
" Gordian knot " and claimed 96 out of a possible 96. This bold claim is noticeable.
said to have been fully justified by the "true inwardness" of the judges'
secret sessions; at any rate, the claim, on being published, only met with a
The music business here pursues the even tenor of its way in the same
feeble protest from one of the judges, who was evidently afraid to have the good hands in which it has remained for so many years, very few attempts
muddy nature of these awards again stirred up.
having been made by outsiders to interfere with it, quite a contrast being
The Schomacker Piano Company own a patent for gold-covered piano presented in this respect with the northern and western cities, where the
strings, which have been exciting considerable interest both in this country changes are so frequent that a visitor has to make new trade acquaintances at
and abroad, and are said to improve the tone as well as the appearance of almost every visit.
the piaup. The claim of the patent is very simple, being for the use of piano
strings, coated with gold by the ordinary electro-plating process ; not, as
old friend Otto Sutro still maintains his position at the head of the
some of our enlightened English contemporaries think, for making the list, Our
and in his large store, at 207 West Baltimore street, there may be found,
strings themselves of gold. Whether it is the gold-string patent which is besides
a choice collection of sheet-music, a stock of over 170 pianos and
doing it, or some other feature in the pianos of the Schomacher Company, organs, in
which all the principal makers of these instruments are repre-
one thing is certain, that they are having a large business, and the branch sented, a large
portion of their southern trade passing through his hands.
warehouse, lately opened by them in Fourteenth street, this city, is prosper-
ing under the management of a Mr. Goldsmith, who is well known to the
music trades in general, and to Mr. F. G. Smith, the "Bradbury " piano
TRADE CHAT.
maker, in particular.
OTTO SUTRO.—Otto Sutro's store, on Baltimore street, is a very pleasant
place to spend a quarter of an hour in gossip about trade and music, and the
After the manufacturing establishments, in the natural order, come the back entrance is very convenient.
dealers in musical instruments and sheet-music, although, as far as the
SANDERS & STAYMAN.—Messrs. Sanders & Stayman, of 15 North Charles
magnitude of their average business is concerned, some of the Philadelphia street,
are having a great success with the Estey organ.
dealers surpass the Philadelphia manufacturers. This is a peculiar city as
far as the trade in musical instruments is concerned, and seems to be just
W. HEINEKAMP.—Mr. W. Heinekamp, of Baltimore street, is manu-
the place for an enterprising dealer with plenty of capital. Two-thirds of facturing parts of reed organs in the upper part of his store.
the population of the city is composed of well-to-do mechanics and their
BALTIMORE'S MUSIC BUSINESS.—According to the advance sheets of the
families ; most of them are thrifty and economical, and are permanently
located in the city or its suburbs. This is the class which the dealers look United States Census Bureau, just issued, there is now n arly a million of
to for the bulk of their business, and the great majority of the sales have, in dollars invested in the manufacture of musical instruments in Baltimore.
the nature of things, to be made on the instalment plan, requiring a large
SMITH-BRADBURY.—The " Smith-Bradbury " pianos do not appear to be
amount of money to carry it on successfully, but at the same time paying doing well in Baltimore, and time hangs heavily on the hands of the gentle-
good profits without much risk. One of the men who have followed this man in charge of the warerooms. We hear complaints of tue "Smith-Brad-
line of business with profit is Jas. Bellak, of 1129 Chesnut street, whose very bury " piano in Baltimore.