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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FROM PENNSYLVANIA'S MUSICAL CENTER.
October Making a Splendid Record—Many Estey Pipe Organs Being Placed—Lit Bros.' Line—
Ludwig Grand Sales—Herzberg Returns—Paying Attention to Window Dressing—The Kim-
ball Lines—The Philadelphia Piano Trade Association.
(Special to The Review.)
Philadelphia, Pa., October 11, 1905.
October has started in with a rush, more pianos
have been moved the first week in October than
have been sold in any corresponding month in
the history of the Philadelphia trade. Pianos
are arriving in this city very rapidly, and the
stores are stocked as they never have been be-
fore at this time of the year. The rapid strides
that the manufacturers are making both in case
workmanship and tone is very remarkable in the
instruments that are coming in. A number of
very beautiful art pianos have arrived. One of
the most striking of these is a mission design
which the Millers have placed in their window as
showing what magnificence they can turn out at
their factory.
The Bstey Co. have just won out in one of the
most spirited competitions in which they were
ever engaged. A very fine training school, known
as the Northeast Manual Training School, was
recently completed, and they asked for bids for
a pipe organ to be erected in the building. Sixteen
manufacturers responded, but among all these the
Estey was favored. This school will be the only
one in Philadelphia with a large pipe organ. The
Estey Co. have also taken orders this week for a
pipe organ to be built in the Zion Lutheran
Church of Glen Rock, Pa., also the Mt. Pisgah
Church, of 40th and Locust streets.
The Estey Co. have been making a number of
improvements in the upper floors of their ware-
rooms. They have moved their repair and ship-
ping departments to 1114-1116 Sansom street. The
repair rooms are well lighted and commodious.
This removal gives the firm additional room in
their building, which they have fitted up in a
special room for the Estey grands, a special room
for the double bank pedal organs and a special
room for the Estey player piano, which the firm
will have on the market in the course of a few
weeks. Henry S. Fry presided at the organ at
LAUTER
Ask us the secret of the beauti-
ful Lautei" quality, and we will
answer as we answered a visitor
lately: W O R K .
We have worked long and hard
upon this piano because it has been
a pleasure to do it. The appreci-
ation of the discerning trade is our
reward.
This may sound cheap, if you so
read it. But read it earnestly, for
it is so meant. It is true.
Particulars on request.
LAUTER CO.
NIWAKK , NtWJERSEV
three installations the past week, in the West-
minster Presbyterian Church of Wilkesbarre, the
First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth, Pa., and
St. Elizabeth's Church, Philadelphia.
Ben Janssen, the jovial piano man, was here
this week, and was given his usual cordial wel-
come.
Lit Brothers have a complete stock of the
Mathushek, which they are exhibiting in a spe-
cial parlor arranged for their occupancy, and the
Lit trade admire them very much. The Hazel-
ton is also selling well at this store, and the
Hobart M. Cable, the Melville Clark and the Win-
throp, are also coming in for a full share of the
prosperity. The Lit Brothers have added consid-
erable novelty to their stock. The Piolian, the
agency for which they possess, are growing rap-
idly in popularity. They are made by the Choate
& Butler Co., of Marion, Ind. They are also ex-
hibiting some pretty little folding organs, made
by the A. L. White Co., of Chicago. When folded
they are not larger than the average dress-suit
case, and are three octaves in length, with a
tremendous volume of tone for their size.
W. D. Dutton paid Philadelphia a visit this
week.
James Bellak's Sons report a very much in-
creased business over the early fall of last year.
They are doing excellently with the Hardman
autophone, which is as good as any of the player
pianos of the city, and usually gets into compe-
tition with all of them, and wins out about as
often as any of the competitors.
The Ludwig grand is a big winner in Philadel-
phia, but they can't keep them in stock. One ar-
rived at the end of last week, and was not in the
store twenty-four hours until it was sold to Mr.
R. C. Morgner, who presented it to his accom-
plished daughters, who are skilful musicians on
the piano, violin and cornet, frequently appear-
ing here in public.
One day this week Mr. Hillebrand, in charge
of the department of players at Heppe's, sold
Uiree of his $1,800 orchestrelles.
Gustave Herzberg is looking the picture of
health since he has arrived back from Europe.
There are almost daily shipments arriving at the
Herzberg store of the Kranich & Bach and the
Mehlin pianos. Every shipment of these instru-
ments seems to be more beautiful, and if these
two firms don't know the art of making pianos, no
one else in the country has the right to make
such a claim.
Gimbel Brothers are beginning to receive the
Sohmer Cecilians, and are much delighted at the
satisfaction they are giving. Every one who
has examined the instrument has pronounced
it a most worthy instrument, and one that will
stand up against all tests. The Gimbel house
had disposed of a number of these instruments
subject to their arrival, and as they cannot as
yet keep them in stock, they have not advertised
them, but Mr. Owen, in charge of the department,
feels confident that he will be able to get a suf-
ficient number for the firm's fall and holiday
trade.
Blasius & Sons are doing all they can to push
the Mason & Hamlin, and not have it subservient
to their own manufacture, but are treating it as
a member of their official family, and there are
probably more Mason & Hamlin pianos sold in
Philadelphia to-day than there have been since
William G. Fischer went out of business. The
Mason & Hamlin grands for very many years
have been recognized as being in the very first
class of grands, and an unusual number have
gone into schools and conservatories this fall,
as well as in private studios of our native
artists.
There seems a tendency this fall to pay more
attention to window decoration of the stores than
has been the case for the past few years. This has
been due to the amount of criticism that has been
made against the careless manner in which the
piano merchants dress their windows. The piano
13
stores are in the "shop" section of the city, and
all of their neighbors are great believers in fancy
window displays. There was a time not very
long ago when the piano men were also alert in
this respect. But they have grown careless—
very careless—some of the windows not having'
been changed for at least six months, and on!
some of the fine pianos is to be seen. dust suf£>
ficiently deep to write your name. An excuse iS 1
made that the placing of fine pianos, particular-
ly art pianop, in the window spoils them, and
that it is much more wise and profitable to have
them under a rubber cover in the warerooms.
This argument is undoubtedly true, but there are 1
many ways that the piano men could decorate
their windows and make them attractive.
Charles H. Fischer is receiving large ship-
ments of the different makes of the Kimball
house. He is devoting particular attention to
the Kimball player-pianos and the Kimball pipe
organs, and he expects to get his full share of
the latter trade, as already he has quite a num-
ber of contracts for the Kimball pipe organ, and-
has pigeon-holea a lot of prospects.
•!
James Bellak's Sons, who have been doing si
very large business this fall, are still further im-
proving the upper floors of their Chestnui street
store, putting in additional archways connecting
the upper floors. They have set aside one of
the finest rooms for the Hardman self-player,
upon which they are giving much of their at-
tention.
For some unaccountable reason the Philadel-
phia Piano Dealers' Association is in a very
lethargic state at present. There has not been
a meeting of the association or its officers since
the Put-in-Bay convention, and although quite a
campaign of work was laid out at the last an-
nual meeting of the association in April, at>.
which time a new set of officers were elected, yetj
nothing has been done. If you ask a member of
the association why they don't meet, his reply in-:
variably is that there is nothing to be done just
now. It would be a God's blessing if this were-
true—that there is nothing in the piano trade
that could be improved. But you talk with one
of these very merchants and he will find fault
with most everything. True, much of this fault-
finding is groundless, and would be too trivial to,
be taken up by the association, but after the
meeting last spring it was promised that the
Philadelphia dealers, in a short time, would have
no worries as to commissions, that stencil pianos
were to be driven out of the market, that the
newspapers were to be stopped if they printed
"gyp" advertisements, or made personal attacks
on any house by the management of another
house.
A number of minor things were also to be
eliminated from the trade. Nothing has been
done, but the trade undoubtedly could get to-
gether at least once a month and accomplish
some good, if nothing more, get better acquainted
with one another. D. E. Woolley is very aggres-
sive, and it is up to him to start the ball a-roll-
ing. All the other officers and members say they
are waiting on Mr. Woolley, and Mr. Woolley
says that he cannot find an evening suitable for
all to attend, and there you are.
RUDOLF
PIANOS
are conscientiously made, good
instruments; in other words the
sweetest things out.
RUDOLF PIANO CO.
468 E. 144tli Street,
NEW YORK.