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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FIFTH AVENUE THE GREAT MUSIC TRADE CENTER.
The Review Takes a Stroll Down New York's Great Thoroughfare — A Fine Array of Warerooms With
Bright, Aggressive Men at the Helm.
The recent opening of palatial warerooms
by Steinway & Sons in the Windsor Arcade
buiding on upper Fifth avenue once more
draws attention to the fact that Fifth avenue
and its immediate vicinity have become al-
most unanimously recognized by Eastern
and Western piano manufacturers as the
best possible location for retail trade among
piano purchasers of the most desirable class
in and near this city.
Within the past two or three years, nu-
merous additions have been made to- the
list of Fifth avenue warerooms, and not a
few changes and improvements have taken
place during that, period. Let us take a
little journey "down the line," starting at the
Windsor Arcade and proceeding southward
to Fourteenth street, where the business sec-
tion of Fifth avenue practically begins.
The Steinway retail warerooms are, with-
out doubt, the largest in the city. The plan
of decoration, although rich in general effect
and eminently fitting, is simple. The Stein-
way grand is the one great and conspicuous
feature. It is seen there in all its magnifi-
cence of design and artistic finish. Henry
J tinge, now in charge, has been quick to ap-
preciate the opportunity for a proper pres-
entation of the firm's products. The result
of his keen judgment in this matter i^ plainly
perceptible on every hand.
At Forty-second street, on the northeast
corner of Fifth avenue, are the Adek ware-
rooms, where examples of the Pianotist pia-
no-playcr can be seen. Experts are always
at hand to demonstrate the possibilities of
this instrument, which, under Edwin D.
Ackerman's management, has achieved a
marked success in its field. The Adek ware-
rooms, although established on Fifth avenue
at a comparatively recent date, are much fre-
quented by interested visitors.
Francis Connor's warerooms are opposite
the Adek warerooms, but facing on Forty-
second street. Mr. Connor does not devote
a great deal of space to window or wareroom
display, but he has many friends who are pa-
trons—a number, in fact, sufficient to keep
him busy all the year round.
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The next stop to be made on the sduth-
ward journey is at the zEolian warerooms,
not actually on Fifth avenue, but only a door
or two to the westward. The iEolian ware-
rooms, in charge of Walter D. Moses, form
one of the sights of the city. The decorations
and fittings are elaborate and costly, yet al-
ways in excellent taste.
On the avenue proper we next see, at
Twenty-second street, the lofty and hand-'
some Sohmer buildings, the main floor and
lower floors being fully occupied by Soh-
mer & Co. as warerooms and offices. The
exhibit of Sohmer grands and uprights is
always large and always interesting. George
Reichmann, of the firm, is especially inter-
ested in the retail department. He it is who
usually receives visitors, although Hugo Soh-
mer, the head of the firm, and his nephew,
Frank Sohmer, are always close at hand.
Three doors below, at No. 164, are the
Wilcox & White warerooms, at which Wil-
liam J. Keeley, of the firm, is the presiding
genius. Mr. Keeley is never more at home
than when explaining the special features
of the Angelus piano-player, the Angelus
Orchestral, and the Symphony Orchestral.
The great success of the Wilcox & White
products in the past has been in no small
measure due to Mr. Keeley's talents and ad-
ministrative ability.
One block to the southward, on the east
side of the avenue, are the new Everett ware-
rooms, having, perhaps, the largest and most
easily available show windows along a thor-
oughfare famous for advantageous displays.
A. M. Wright, of the firm, is usually present
to receive callers, but the warerooms are in
charge of Emile Levy, who enjoys a high
reputation as a pianist among New York's
professional musicians.
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Next door to the Everett, at No. 139, is
the big establishment of Hamilton S. Gor-
don, who includes in his departments music,
musical merchandise and pianos. Mr. Gor-
don is at the head of an old-established firm
and, by vigorous personal supervision of all
departments, including retail piano sales, he
has built up a large and growing business.
Crossing the avenue again, at No. 154,
we find the Knabe warerooms—spacious,
lofty, well-lighted, elegantly fitted up and
well filled with Knabe instruments in all
woods. Ferdinand Mayer, of the firm,
among his numerous tasks, undertakes per-
sonal supervision of the warerooms. Mr.
Mayer does not deem a day's work complete
without assisting in several sales.
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Jacob Doll has retail warerooms at 146
Fifth avenue. They are in charge of Otto
Doll and by him are kept bright and attrac-
tive. The Pompadour grand is one of the
features of the Doll exhibit.
.
Freeborn G. Smith, who has made the
Bradbury piano famous, and has also won
for himself numerous laurel wreaths as a
successful manufacturer and manager, oc-
cupies handsome and lofty warerooms at
the northwest corner of Nineteenth street.
Under the management of L. R. Hall, whose
experience extends over a period of thirty
years, the retail business in Bradbury pianos
on Manhattan Island is likely to develop at
a healthy rate.
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On the opposite corner, also in the ad-
joining building to the south, are the ware-
rooms of Hardman, Peck & Co. One im-
mense room is devoted especially to Hard-
man grands. The headquarters' entrance is
at 138 Fifth avenue. The front of the Hard-
man warerooms has been much improved
lately by the substitution of a modern plate
glass window of larger size than the original.
The improvement was carried out under the
supervision of Alfred Peck, the junior mem-
ber of the firm.
The new Steck retail warerooms are next
door, at 136. Here, too, is a big display win-
dow. The interior is admirably arranged,
with plain but effective decorations. Rob't C.
Kammerer, of the firm, has his office in the
front of the warerooms and takes particular
interest in the development of the retail
trade. The exhibit of prevailing Steck styles
is as choice as it is varied.
At the warerooms of Horace Waters &
Co., No. 134, the Simplex piano-player is
on exhibition. Many visitors have displayed
more than usual interest in the Simplex,
which bids fair to get a full share of the lib-
eral patronage now being accorded on in-
struments of that class intended as piano-
playing auxiliaries.
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Chickering Hall now looms up directly
ahead. The whole of the main floor is oc-
cupied by the Steinertone Co., one part being
devoted to the exhibition of Steinertone
grands and uprights, another to Hazelton
and Wessell pianos, a third to an exhibit of
curious and ancient predecessors of the piano,
and a fourth to storage and repair. Alfred
Steinert is in charge of the Steinertone es-
tablishment in this city, and has, since the ad-
vent of the Steinertone in this city, made
numerous converts to the Steinert system.
Adjoining Chickering Hall on the Eigh-
teenth street side, is the Mason & Hamlin
building, containing, on the main floor, the
principal eastern exhibit of Mason & Ham-
lin pianos and organs. Wm. P. Daniels, of
the firm, has charge of the retail department
in this city. Under his judicious manage-
ment the department business has increased
materially and is still growing. The Mason
& Hamlin exhibit is one of the largest and
best in the city.
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Theodore Pfafflin's standard now floats
over the Apollo Building, No. 101 Fifth
avenue, on the east side, and here, at almost
any time, that affable and popular veteran
of the piano trade may be found, surrounded
by enthusiastic admirers, explaining in de-
tail many reasons why the Apollo stands in
the front rank of piano-players, and why its
Che Pianopbone
"Vou Don't Raw to Pump i f
Manufactured by
Cbc Pianophone Company,
ORANGE, N. J.
J\ Superior Quality
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Also
Manufacturers
Of
Perforated music
Rolls for tfte Piano-
PftOtie Hnd
Other Self-playing
Attachments.