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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HE development of the American music trade industry during the
past decade has been little short of marvelous, and with the related
inventions or by-products, such as piano players—piano making has
advanced in importance each year until to-day it takes high rank among
the special industries of America, last year there having been produced
265,000 pianos in these United States.
The demand for pianos during 1907 has been somewhat curtailed,
and while the year will probably surpass any other year in piano making,
save 1906, it will be as a whole disappointing to many who had looked
forward to an increase in output. But we cannot forever keep climbing
up the hill; the pendulum must swing backward as well as forward, and
this year on account of the financial depression which started in last
month, there has been a considerable contraction in music trade pur-
chases. The piano industry with others, of course, will suffer materially,
but the demands for Christmas and holiday products in the music trade
line will be large, because many people view the purchase of a piano as
a good investment; it does not show the shrinkage which is apparent in
many kinds of stocks, and it pays annual dividends of happiness to the
entire family.
Notwithstanding the big contraction which has taken place, there will
be an enormous distribution of pianos and musical instruments through-
out the land this year.
A good many supposedly well informed people predicted years ago
that piano making as an industry would cease before 1900. They figured
that all of the people would be supplied with instruments; just the same
as a lot of people predicted the watch factories would close, because in
the quantities in which they were being turned out, the entire world
would be supplied. A little while ago the same thing was said of sewing
machines, and still each industry has gone on growing bigger all the
time. It is the same with pianos, and we shall reach the time not very
far distant when a half million output will be the product of the American
factories.
We must understand that the annual growth in the population o" the
United States creates many new piano purchasers annually. Then the
piano players of the various types have been a means of stimulating new
interest in pianos. Thus the avenues of distribution are constantly
widening.
New York City has been the heart of the music trade industry for
many years, and it produces annually a greater number of pianos than
any other city in the world. As has been demonstrated by the event?
of the past few years, piano making does not belong exclusively to any
particular locality, yet it must be conceded that notwithstanding the vast
growth of the industry in the West, New York has well maintained its
supremacy as the greatest music trade center on earth.
The industry here is not young, in fact it dates back to colonial days.
Some of the great fortunes of New York had their origin in piano
selling; the old sign of John Jacob Astor bore the Inscription, "Purs
and Pianos," and Astor himself imported a good many pianos from
T
London. The profits on pianos helped him out in the fur business. Peter
Goelet, founder of the great Goelet Estate, as far back as 1757 was an
importer of musical instruments. For years after the Revolution piano
RTEINWAY HALL AND (JLI.MPSE OF 14TII STRKET.
selling was carried on in a number of very small shops, and the papers
of those days bore the advertisements of numbers of dealers in musical
instruments, showing that the traders believed in printer's ink.
Along in the early days of 1800 a few
workers from Europe began to arrive, and
with the growing wealth of the country,
musical instruments commenced to be in
growing demand. The work of American
mechanics began to compare favorably with
the artisans of Europe, and in 1830 the
Mechanics' Institute of New York established
a system of annual exhibitions. The com-
mittee set aside a gold medal at each of the
expositions; for the best "upright or cabi-
net piano;" another for the best "horizontal
or square," and a third for the best "grand
pianoforte." The first exhibition was held
in a building where "Castle Garden," now
the New York City Aquariam, a t present
stands. A number of piano makers exhibited
at this exposition, and the gold medalists
were: Wm. Geib, 170 Broadway, who exhibit-
ed an upright pianoforte; R. & W. Nunns
won the first premium for the best square.
Other exhibitors were Chas. Sackmeister and
Du Bois & Stodart. Among the official pap-
ers of this institute in 1836 appeared the
following directly relating to musical instru-
ments:
"There is no branch of the fine arts
more worthy of cultivation with us than
music. It will soften our asperities of char-
acter and render us more and more attached
to social intercourse and enjoyment.. In our
opinion this among all classes is the strong-
est 'temperance' measure that can be gotten
up. Now good music can only be cultivated
VIEW OF 14TH STREET FEOM UNION SQUARE TO F I F T H AVENUE.