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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
37O
LYON & HEALY.
SOME ACCOUNT OF THEIR COMPREHENSIVE AND
MAGNIFICENT NEW CATALOGUE.
T
HE marvelous progress, the exalted standing and
the present wondrous resources of the great
music house of Lyori & Healy, of Chicago, 111.,
are matters upon which musical mankind in general
have some approximately accurate notion. It is gen-
erally and correctly understood that, in regard to this
celebrated firm, probity has been rewarded with profit,
energy has been productive of esteem, and ability has
resulted in reputation and riches. They are great in
honor, in magnitude, in public estimation, in productive
capacity, executive ability, and progressiveness.
In order that a sufficiently comprehensive idea of the
" operations of Lyon & Healy may be arrived at, two
things are necessary. First, a visit to their factory,
warerooms, and counting houses ; secondly, a perusal
of their recently-issued catalogue of musical merchan-
dise.
This new catalogue is probably the greatest work of
its kind ever published. Those who are responsible for
its preparation and appearance have proved themselves
to be possessed of essentially orderly minds, and of
abundant qualifications so far as mastery of detail, taste,
neatness, and clearness are concerned.
The book, which consists of close upon three hundred
pages, is descriptive and illustrative of the immense
variety of instruments, with their furpishings, made and
imported by Lyon & Healy. The descriptions are con-
cise, yet full ; the illustrations, executed byW. H.Tyler
& Co., of Chicago, are beautiful examples of the wood-
engraver's art. Upwards of three hundred and fifty
items go to make up the table of contents, which, with
the exceptions of the organ and pianoforte,contains the
name of every instrument in use in the United States,
and of every part of each. The lines of pianos and
organs dealt in by Lyon & Healy are, of course, de-
scribed in a separate catalogue.
Conceive of any contrivance whereby musical sounds
can be produced, small or large, cheap or expensive, and
you will find it described, priced, and illustrated in this
wonderful volume, a fair idea of which may be arrived
at by a reference to the heading " Violins." Following
tbts general head in the table of contents we observe no
less than twenty-six sub-heads, viz.: small sizes, bows,
small sizes of bows, frogs, hair, rosin, screws, bridges
casts, furnishings, chin rests, end pins, finger boards,
mutes, necks, nuts, patent heads, pegs, polish, sound
post setters, strings, assortment of strings, strings in
sets, tail pieces, gut for tail pieces, wood. Each of these
details is, in the catalogue itself, described with a
minuteness and a completeness which leave nothing to
be desired, and in regard to which the very highest
praise is due to the compilers, whose patience, thorough-
ness, and accuracy have been simply astonishing. The
same general comment applies to every division and sub-
division of the catalogue, the most important divisions
being those which relate to accordions, autoharps, bag-
pipes, ballad horns, band lamps, bandonions, banjos,
bassoons, batons, bird organs, boat horns, bones, bugles,
bow zithers, band instruments, castanets, clarionets,
concertinas, cuckoos, cymbals, double bass viols, drums,
dulcimers, fifes, French horns, flageolets, flutes, flutinas,
guitars, harmonicas, hand bells, hand organs, harps,
hautbois, Kinder symphony instruments, mandolins,
metronomes, musettes, music folios, papers, pens, racks,
stands, musical toys, ocarinas, orchestrions, Pandean
pipes, parlor bells, piano covers, insulators, stools, pic-
colos, post horns, pomade, saxophones, statuettes, street
organs, tambourines, triangles, tuning forks, violins,
violas, violoncellos, xylophones, zithers, zitherns, and the
thousand and one other musical devices whereby the
weary are s«o,thed, the sorrowful made glad, the happy
kept buoyant, and the ills to which flesh and spirit are
heirs annihilated. All are the subjects of beautiful
illustrations; each is described concisely and completely.
Truly this catalogue is an amazing work. Its usefulness
to the music dealer cannot be exaggerated. Mention
should also be made of the lists of statuettes and busts
of musicians.
In addition t o ^ e absolutely complete lists of musi-
cal instruments, their parts, trimmings, receptacles,
etc., valuable information is given as to package ex-
press rates from Chicago to all points in the states
and territories; mailing and expressing of articles ;
and the care of metal and wooden instruments. There
is also a schedule of fifteen other catalogues and
wori«*of reference published by Lyon & Healy, and
relating specially to band instruments (particularly the
celebrated Higham (English) band instruments); piano
and organ repairing materials ; stools, covers, lambre-
quins and canterburys ; instruction books ; vocal music ;
music for piano and organ ; music books, engravings'
literature, etc.; automatic instruments ; band uniforms,
etc.
In order that our readers may form some idea as to
the extent of Lyon & Healy's establishment, we may
mention that it is divided into five departments, cover-
ing over a hundred thousand square feet of space, and
•requiring the employment of upwards of three hundred
men. Department A of the immense series of build-
ings on State and Munroe streets is devoted to the
display of grand, square and upright pianos and all
kinds of organs ; Department C contains scores of tons
of sheet music and books ; Department D embraces the
small instruments and musical merchandise section ;
Department E is the spacious repairing house, and
Department B is the great manufacturing branch in
Canal street, where are turned out, in avalanche-like
volume and rapidity and without cessation, the world-
famous Lyon & Healy guitars, mandolins, zithers, ban-
jos, drums, organs, etc. The value of stock now in
hand in all the departments and in process of manufac-
ture is not less than $650,000 ; the business of the
firm involves the turning over of millions of dollars
annually.
Since the publication of their former catalogue, the
general stock of the house has been largely increased^
both by importations from European markets and on
account of the greater number of styles of instruments
made in their own factory. The new catalogue is of
itself an unerring indication of the greatness of the firm
whose wares are so ably and fully described in it. A
copy of it should be upon the table of every musician,
and at the elbow of every dealer in musical instruments
and merchandise. Any dealer or musician failing to
possess himself of this remarkable and extraordinarily
useful work will by such failure prove, most signally
and incontrovertibly, that he is altogether behind the
age.
NOTES FROM NASHVILLE, TENN.
DORMAN & CO.; ROBERT L. LOUD; D. II. BALDWIN & CO.;
THE JESSE FRENCH TIANO & OKGAN CO. AND THEIR
PROJECTED NEW BUILDING; THE RIANO, ORGAN,
SHEET MUSIC AND MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
TRADE OF THE TENNESSEAN CAPITAL;
NASHVILLE'S GALAXY OF VOCAL
AND INSTRUMENTAL ARTISTS;
THE JUNE FESTIVAL.
A Nashville (Tenn.) correspondent sends the follow-
ing:—
R. DORMAN & Co. are settled in their remodeled
building, which is without doubt one of the finest
music stores in the South. They carry a very fine stock
of pianos and enjoy a good trade. Mr. Dorman has
been in the music business in Nashville since 1865. He
is the oldest dealer here and has a fully established
reputation for selling reliable goods.
ROBT. L. LOUD, the youngest piano dealer in Nash-
ville, has a nice city trade. He is not only a good
salesman, but a very fair pianist. Had he the time to
go abroad and study he would make an excellent one.
His compositions are popular here.
D. H. BALDWIN & Co's branch here has a fair trade.
Their principal business is in the country.
ton and Miss Becy Levy have voices that, with proper
cultivation, would make for those charming ladies a
world-wide reputation. They have studied to some
extent in New York and Paris, but need further instruc-
tion and cultivation. Our pianists are Mrs. Blonder,
Miss Cora Cox and Miss Mary Weber. Miss Weber
has had more advantages than the others and is the
leading pianist and teacher of the city. Her technique
is very nearly perfect. Her pupils are fine musical
technicists, and probably the finest amateur performers
in middle Tennessee. Besides, Miss Weber's personal
charms and qualities have won for her the admiration
and affection of all who know her.
THE sheet music and musical merchandise trade of
Nashville is controlled by R. Dorman and Mr. Henry
French. Both carry fine stocks. Mr. Henry French pub-
lishes some very popular pieces. His trade operations
extend over the southern and western states. He re-
ports that his trade is increasing each year. His last
year's business was over $15,000 cash, and if his trade
keeps up as it has done during the past few months,
it will reach $20,000 this year.
EMMA JUCH, Jules Perotti and Fraulein Adele Aus Der
Ohe will appear in Nashville at the June Festival.
Prof. Clarence Marshall, late of Boston, is at present
conducting the chorus of over two hundred selected
voices.
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
CUSTOM HOUSE. BOSTON, MASS.,
)
Collector's Office, April 20, 1889. )
Exportations of Musical Instruments from this port
month ending March 30th, 1889:
To England:
Four hundred and sixty-four (464)
-
- $24,826
To Scotland:
Six (6) organs
$192
To Nova Scotia.
Four (4) pianos
All other and parts of,
-
116
Total,
To Br. Poss. in Australasia:
Twenty-seven (27) organs
C o m b i n e d total,
$1,390
-
$27,393
I m p o r t a t i o n s of Musical I n s t r u m e n t s , m o n t h of M a r c h ,
1889.
From:
Value.
France,
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
$^,080
Germany,
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2,644
England,
286
Total,
5,010
FOR SHIPPERS' BENEFIT.
M
R. RICHARD J. MURPHY, the projector of
the new enterprise of transferring freight at
Chicago without the expense of cartage, has
located in this city at 338 Broadway. He comes to
Gotham as general agent of the U. S. Warehouse Co.,
Chicago, and is here to explain (o New York shippers
THE JESSE FRENCH PIANO & ORGAN CO. have pur-
how they can save money in the matter of handling
chased lots, measuring fifty feet front and one hundred their business in the West. This should be of especial
feet deep, on Summer street, opposite their present store. interest to shippers of pianos and organs. The com-
They will pull down the old building and erect a new pany which Mr. Murphy represents have a commodious
five-story one, to be used for pianos and organs. Be- warehouse on the Belt Railway, which connects with all
fore commencing the new edifice, Mr. Jesse French will roads entering Chicago. Cars enter the house at Chi-
visit the East for the purpose of inspecting the chief cago rates from all points, and all property is handled
piano warerooms in New York, the best points of which under cover. The storage rate:: are low and there are
he will adopt in the erection of the new structure, to- no charges for cartage. By this arrangement all dam-
gether with improvements of his own initiation. The age incidental to the repeated handling of freight is
building will contain a hall, with seats for about eight avoided. Those piano and organ makers who desire
hundred persons, warerooms, offices, repairing shops reasonable rates of transfer and storage, and to whom
and storage rooms. When completed it will be the the delivery of their wares in sound condition is an
largest of its kind in the South, and of a style commen- object, will find it to their interest to communicate with
surate with its position as the head-quarters of the the representative of this company in New York.
company, whose business is enormously on the increase
Probably they buy more pianos and organs than any
other company in the United States.
IT is pleasant to record the perpetuation of a right-
IT is doubtful if any city of the population of Nash- eous race. Therefore we note with satisfaction that a
ville contains as many good musicians. The climate daughter has been born to that eminent citizen and
seems to be adapted to the voiqe. Our sopranos are very distinguised music dealer of St. Paul, Minn., Mr. S. W.
fine. Miss Dorman, Miss Armstrong, Miss Mamie Mel- Raudenbush.