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THE MUSIC TRADE
TRADE NEWS FROM BALTIMORE.
Improved Weather Helps Business—Those New
Knabe
Retail
Quarters—Many
Sales of
Knabes for Foreign Purchasers—Stieff Peo-
ple Getting Instruments Ready for James-
town Exposition—Other Items.
(Special to The Review.)
REVIEW
Organ Co., and who has long been a prominent
figure in the music trade industry, has under
consideration a number of plans whereby he will
be an active force in the trade at no distant
date. The rumors that he was suffering from
ill health have absolutely no foundation; in
fact, he never enjoyed better health than to-day,
much to the satisfaction of his many friends.
Baltimore, Md., March 18, 1907.
PEARSON'S PUBLICITY.
Springlike weather has had the effect of ma-
terially increasing the sales of pianos during the The Progressive Indianapolis Dealers Furnish
Proof of the Popularity of the Kurtzmann
week just ended. Shoppers have taken advan-
Piano in That Section of the Country.
tage of the balmy air and sunshine, and each
day the principal streets are thronged with
them. As the piano stores are right in the Pearson's Piano House, of Indianapolis, Ind.,
midst of the shopping district they have not have issued a very elaborate and handsomely
been overlooked. One of the features of the printed catalogue devoted almost exclusively to
week's sales has been several made to Euro- the Kurtzmann pianos, for which they are agents,
pean purchasers. The same applies to the fac- although some space is given to views and his-
tory work in many instances, as a number of torical data regarding the piano house which was
orders are now being hurried for buyers who founded by George C. Pearson in 1873, and later
absorbed several competitors. Three styles of
live across the Atlantic.
For the last few days there have been per- Kurtzmanns are illustrated—an upright, a grand
sistent reports that William Knabe & Co. intend and a player-piano, with a general description of
to purchase the old Baltimore Club as a site the Kurtzmann products and a list of several
for their new warerooms. It has been impossi- hundred people in Indianapolis and vicinity who
ble thus far to have the report definitely con- own pianos of that make. Single line arguments
firmed or denied. Charles Keidel, Jr., when in favor of the Kurtzmann appear at the bottom
seen in regard to the matter, would only say: of each page, and, as a whole, the entire cata-
"It is true that I have been looking at the old logue is an ambitious creation that reflects most
building, which, in my opinion, would make creditably upon its producers and the standing
excellent salesrooms; but its location is just a of the Kurtzmann piano which they represent.
bit too far uptown." The Baltimore Club is Included in the volume is a tribute recently paid
contemplating the purchase of the Abel prop- the Kurtzmann by The Music Trade Review.
erty, corner of Madison and Charles streets.
DEATH OF MRS. AUGUSTA B. HOFFELDT.
Those connected with the Knabe house say
that business has been exceedingly brisk. They
Mme. Augusta Bertha Hoffeldt (formerly
sold a Knabe-Angelus to Mr. Von Riesen, a
Erck),
the aged mother of John G. Erck, the
well-known Baltimorean, .while a Knabe grand
was sold to be- delivered to Brusse's, Belgium. well-known piano salesman, and Miss Clara Erck,
Another one of the same grade has been pur- died on March 12, 1907, at her son's home, 43
chased by Miss Scott, a sister of Thompson Eppirt street, East Orange, N. J. Mme. Hoffeldt,
Scott, the well-known banker. This piano will who was born in Beyreuth, Bavaria, was a dis-
tinguished musician and teacher, who was well-
go across the water to Sweden.
William Knabe came over from New York . known not only in Washington and Baltimore,
last week, and remained in the city for sev- but in Paris, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Dresden,
eral days. "I am greatly pleased with the con- Liverpool and other centers. Since her retire-
tinued rush in factory work," he said. "We are
stacked full of orders, which have been re-
ceived from all over the United States, while
a number have come in from various parts of
Europe."
At the Stieff factory they are busy getting
things in shape for the Jamestown Exposition.
Some of the 40 pianos which the firm will have
in the varicus amusement halls during the fair
have been shipped to Norfolk and, it is expected,
that the remainder of these that will compose
the exhibition will be sent away in a short
while. Manager Williams is about the busiest
man in the city. In addition to making the
necessary arrangements for the daily recitals
in the various halls While the fair is in progress,
he has just completed and had published neat
little pamphlets called, for the want of a better
name, "Heart Throbs." These books will be lib-
erally distributed to the visitors to the fair
grounds. The pamphlets contain testimonials
from the most important musical institutions in
the country, where the Stieff pianos are used.
They also give a brief history of the college,
and upon each page with the testimonials are il-
lustrations of the developments of pianos from
the first psaltery and psa.teriums up to the pres-
ent modern Stieff grands. The illustrations are
very elaborate.
Sanders & Stayman have shared with the
other dealers the improvement in trade since the
pleasant weather set in. Among the sales have
been those of a number of the handsome pianolas.
G. Wright Nicols is still sojourning in Atlantic
City.
The Kranz-Smith Co. have had a good week,
and are perfectly satisfied with existing trade
conditions.
ment she has been residing with her relatives.
She came of distinguished ancestry, her father
being professor of languages to the Court of
Bavaria, and was associated with famous people
in her time. Her first husband was Dr. D. E.
Erck, a Lutheran clergyman and teacher of
Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Sanscrit at the Univer-
sity of Jena. She numbered among her friends
such noted personalities as. Richard Wagner,
Professor Friedrich Wieck, Miss Clara Schu-
mann, Jennie Lind and other distinguished mu-
sicians.
WOLFF & CO. SECURE STEGER AGENCY.
D. E. Wolff & Co., who conduct a department
store at 89-93 Market street, Newark, N. J.,
opened their new piano warerooms last week.
They are handling the Steger pianos, of Chicago,
of which they have the state agency.
THE CHICKERING IS THEIR LEADER.
The Duffy-Mclnnerney Co., the large depart-
ment store of Rochester, N. Y., who also con-
duct a piano auxiliary in connection therewith,
are doing an excellent piano business. They
are handling the Chickering as cheir leader, and
the Foster-Armstrong and Smith & Nixon line^.
P. H. MUGFORD APPOINTED MANAGER.
P. H. Mugford has been appointed to the man-
agement of the Grinnell Bros, branch store at
73 North Saginaw street, Pontiac, Mich. Mr.
Mugford is a piano man of wide experience, hav-
ing been for many years connected with the C.
J. Whitney Co., and afterward in business for
himself.
MARTIN CO. BUY BARRY BROS.
The Martin Bro. Co., Springfield, Mo., have
purchased the business of Barry Bros., Fort
Smith, Ark., and will add it to their constantly
growing chain of stores in that section. The
Barry brothers will remain in charge of the
business as managers.
AN ARTISTIC PRICE & TEEPLE FAVORITE.
CHAS. H. PARSONS' PLANS.
Charles H. Parsons., who recently resigned
from the presidency of the Needham Piano &
STYLE 28.
Write Price & Teeple Piano Co., Chicago, for particulars.