Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
RENEW
fflJJIC TIRADE
VOL. XLVI. No. 4. Patushed Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 1 Madison AYC, New York, January 25,1908.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
$9.00 PER YEAR.
such as Australia, China, Japan, the East Indies,
South Africa and Eastern Russia. The attached
rooms would be for the purpose of receiving and
Pianos Bearing Certain Features of Certain Schools Are Often Misnamed—Examples of Some of
exhibiting samples of American products. The
the Leading Houses Worthy of the Highest Praise for Their Purity and Correctness of De-
agent would always be at his post to provide
sign—Some Plain Words That Are Meant to be Helpful and Enlightening.
channels for the outlet of American goods, and
This is distinctly the age of artistic desire and
to conform with the general details of the music the permanency of his residence would cause
people of all classes are showing wonderful dis- room. They are handsome pianos and are a him to be intimately acquainted with those in-
crimination regarding what may be described as credit to the case designer and manufacturer, terested in the exhibits. These offices could be
artistic and what is merely ornate. As has been but, with all that, they should not be called "art" made self-supporting by charging fees for space,
previously mentioned in these columns there are pianos. If they are looked upon as art pianos commission, etc. The success of such an estab-
few trades where the word "art" is used then the real "art" instrument should be ad- lishment would depend largely upon its being
with so little regard for its true meaning as ours. vanced a step beyond and given another name well brought to the notice of American exporters
What would several years ago have been de- that will denote that special class.
"Period and manufacturers who, I feel sure, would not
scribed as a mahogany upright, say "Style X," Piano" has been used before now, and if it could hesitate to make use of such means of intro-
is often to-day termed an "art" piano, if only a be confined to instruments whose cases were in ducing their goods, knowing that their samples,
no matter how valuable, would receive proper
little carving appears on the case. If the panels really true period treatments it seems as though
bear carving in the form of a wreath and are that term would suit as well as any other. If it attention and be returned if necessary.
decorated with flaming torches in brass, it is could not be made exclusive then a new title
an "Empire" style. Yes, it has Empire details, should be found. The general quality of various
maybe as many as two or three of them, but pianos is classed as, for instance, commercial,
how do they denote a period style? A coat with medium and high grades, so why not the cases?
a military cut in front and swallowtails would The class of people who buy "art" pianos of un- The Chamber of Commerce of Rochester, N. Y.,
Has Evolved a Clever Plan Whereby Check
not b'e called a dress coat owing to the latter certain decorative value do not influence the
Can be Kept on the Time Taken in Making
feature. The comparison may be a trifle broad, sales of profit-earning pianos to any extent, and
Shipments
by Railroads Which Will be
but the same principle is evident.
the class of purchasers who buy high grade
Turned Over to the Public Service Commis-
It must be admitted that many of the leading pianos know good decoration when they see it,
sion for Investigation and Action.
piano manufacturers have case designers, who so what's the use of extravagant assertions.
are thoroughly familiar with decorative treat- Those who are really deceived don't count any-
(Special to The Review.)
ments, and as a result they are able to produce way.
Rochester, N. Y., Jan. 20, 1908.
instruments true to the style represented. And
In closing it must ba understood that this dis-
A movement is under way in this city, under
it is really a most creditable feat. As has been cussion relates only to case decoration, the actual
pointed out before, the piano only began to de- quality of the instruments from a musical or the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce, for
the remedying of the delays to which shipments
velop during the latter half of the past century structural standpoint is not referred to.
leaving here are subjected by the different rail-
and attempts to make it conform with recog-
roads. The various manufacturers of the city, in-
nized period decorative forms have only been
OBSTACLES TO AMERICAN TRADE
cluding the leading piano firms, are heartily in-
greatly in evidence within the last decade. As
terested in the movement which is as follows:
the majority of the leading decorative periods
In Australia and the Orient Pointed Out by
Postal cards are furnished shippers, upon which
had come and gone a century and more before
Vice-Consul Foster of Newcastle.
is written the name of the consignor and con-
the piano of the present day made its appear-
ance, there was no recognized example of piano
signee and the date and time of shipment. The
(Special to The Review.)
decoration to follow. The designers of furni-
cards are to be inclosed with the invoice and
Washington, D. C, Jan. 13, 1908.
ture have the actual furniture of the periods by
upon arrival of the goods of their destination, the
Vice-Consul John K. Foster, of Newcastle, New
which to work out their designs and their ef-
consignee marks time of arrival and name of
South
Wales,
furnishes
the
following
informa-
forts are largely devoted to reproduction or the
firm on the cards which are then mailed to the
rearrangement of the details found in those ex- tion concerning the obstacles in the way of Amer- Chamber of Commerce.
amples. Not so with the piano case designer. ican trade in Australia, and the means by which
The cards, when a sufficient number have been
He must take the details apparent on furniture trade in the Orient can be increased:
collected, will be turned over to the Public Serv-
The causes of slow progress in introducing ice Commission, who have already been in the
of the lightest construction—and it must be re-
membered that during some of the decorative new lines of American goods in Australia are city investigating the matter and will be used
periods, that Louis XV., for instance, in an ef- easily found. (1) Through the general preju- as evidence in an endeavor to compel the rail-
fort to produce the most radical designs in the dice against anything American, the British and roads to improve their service. It is stated, toy
German article often being preferred. (2) The piano men, that thousands of dollars in sales
already extravagant rococo, the furniture was of
such frail appearance that its durability and large importing firms, agents and brokers in have been lost owing to the fact that special
practical value might well be questioned—and Australia have better and closer communication styles ordered from the Rochester factories have
must adapt them to the form and massiveness with British and German exporters, and the been so long on the road, that the prospective
of a piano, the case of which must for structural article or production itself is brought under the purchasers became impatient and bought pianos
reasons retain practically the same outline and eyes of the local business people, not, like Amer- from other dealers.
which may not be molded at the will of the ican goods, through the medium of catalogs,
decorator.
which is most unsatisfactory, as possible im-
LOCKE OPENS IN CLEVELAND.
But to get back to the original subject. There porters always look upon catalogs with doubt.
(3)
American
exporters
are
greatly
handicapped
are, as we have said, many pianos produced that
A. W. Locke, formerly of the Muehlhauser-
may properly be classed with some of the great- by the poor shipping arrangements to Australia,
Locke Piano Co., Cleveland, O., has opened ware-
whereas
Great
Britain
and
Germany,
in
partic-
est decorative triumphs of the time and are
rooms of his own on Franklin avenue, that city,
rightly entitled to the honor of being called art ular, are in close touch with all Australian ports,
where he is handling Kimball, Armstrong and
being
greatly
assisted
by
heavy
subsidies
from
pianos. But a line should be drawn between
other
makes of pianos, and is building up a nice
their respective governments.
the art piano and the "near art" product.
business.
Resident
asents
should
be
appointed,
with
of-
There are thousands of pianos produced in this
country that are artistic in every detail of case fice and rooms located near the consulates, in a
The Abrams-HiU Co. will shortly open a new
design and are well fitted to adorn the great ma- few of the most important cities of the different
jority of homes where a special case is desired countries far distant from the United States, music store in Gainesville, Fla.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN ART AND " NEAR ART" PIANOS.
LOOKING UP FREIGHT DELAYS.