Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE
50
REVIEW
BEAUTIFUL JIARP DISPLAY
A VIOLIN'S_VICISSITUDES.
Being Made in the Windows and Special Rooms
of Chas. H. Ditson & Co., New York City.
An Old-Time Story Comes to Light in Berlin in
Connection with an Article on Roderick
White, a Young American Violinist, Who
Has Been Appearing Recently in That City.
Charles H. Ditson & Co., 8 East Thirty-fourth
street, New York, are featuring this week in their
handsome show-window a comprehensive display
of harps, which includes all sizes and styles, rang-
ing from the popular baby harps at $75,. to the
costly Lyon & Healy and Washburn harps, retail-
ing at $2,500 and $3,000. Accompanying this in-
teresting exhibit are various suggestions as to
harp study and practise, which make a valuable ad-
dition to the selling force of the window display.
H. L. Hunt, manager of the Ditson musical mer-
chandise department has made a feature of the
harp trade introducing a number of innovations in
the retailing of these instruments, whkh have
proven of considerable assistance in closing harp
sales. There is no doubt but that the proper pre-
sentation of these costly harps calls for special
and detailed study, as these instruments naturally
attract a distinctly different clientele than that at-
tracted by mandolins, guitars and band instruments.
It was in recognition of this important fact that
C. H. Ditson & Co. recently constructed a num-
ber of special rooms on the third floor to be de-
voted particularly to the demonstration of harps.
These rooms are tastefully furnished and deco-
rated in perfect harmony with the musical pres-
tige and standing of the harp. Since the construc-
tion of these rooms, the Ditson harp business has
increased to a marked degree,
TIETGEN'S IMPORTANT PATENT.
Develops Treatment of Wood Whereby He Is
Able to Produce Violins Whose Tone Re-
sembles That of the Stradivarius Type.
SECURES PATENTON TUNING PEG.
(Special to The Review.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, January 20.—Ewald Glaes-
sel, Markneukirchen, Germany, has just been
granted Patent No. 1,083,736 for a Tuning Peg for
Musical String Instruments, and relates to the
means by which the axle (around which the
string is to be wound) and the cog wheel of a
screw and wheel gear can be connected or discon-
nected by moving or shifting a tap in or out of a
recess of the cog wheel. The disconnection of the
cog wheel and axle enables the axle to be turned
without the screw and gear. This is of great ad-
vantage in case a string is to be renewed, as it
would be tiresome to wind the string all the way
by the gear.
The devious career through which a famous
violin may pass is described in a Berlin newspaper
in an article on Roderick White, a young Amer-
ican violinist, who has been appearing there. Mr.
White, says the article, is the fortunate possessor
of two genuine Stradivari violins, one being the
famous "Bott" instrument, whose mysterious dis-
appearance in 1894 hastened the death of its heart-
broken owner, Jean Joseph Bott. The "Bott"
Strad., as it has since been known, was made by
Antonio Stradivari in Cremona about 1723. It
was a favorite in the collection of the late Duke of
WEYMANN & SON
Cambridge, who willed it to his friend, Moritz
Incorporated
Hausmann, of Hanover. Bott, who was a pupil
Manufacturers 01
in harmony of Hausmann, purchased the instru-
The Famous
ment after the death of his master, 1876, for
Weymann Mandolutes and
12,000 florins. At the suggestion of the late Theo-
dore Thomas, Bott sailed for New York in 1884.
"Keystone State" Instruments
1010 Cbwtaut St., Philadelphia, Pa.
The year 1894 still found him giving lessons, but
so reduced were his funds that he was obliged to
offer his beloved instrument for sale. Through
Some dealers may say that they cost more than
the agency of a well-known violin dealer, the hus-
others.
band of Adelina Patti, Signor Nicolini, was intro-
Excelsior drums cost more because they are
more. Cost more to make.
duced as a prospective purchaser. The certified worth
We could make them cost ICBS by using- cheaper
check of his wife for $4,500 was offered Bott by material, use less care in making* them, and dis-
with the new patented improvements.
Nicolini, who, with Mme. Patti, was to leave for pense
If we did, however, Excelsior Drums would
be the Standard as they are to-day. Write for
Europe within a few hours. The banks were not
catalogue.
closed, and Bott was suspicious of large checks,
EXCELSIOR DRUM WORKS
so the deal fell through.
A. O. SOISTMAN, Vice-Pres. and Gen. Manager,
CAUDEN, N. J.
A few days later a stranger called to see Prof. Tenth and Market Streets,
EXCELSIOR DRUMS S £ STANDARD
Bott during his absence and said he would await
his return. When Bott finally came home, the
WHOLESAL
stranger had disappeared, and with him the famous
(Special to The Review.)
Strad. After months of vain searching in every
PRICES
WASHINGTON, D. C, January 19.—A Violin and
pawnshop and second-hand store in the city, Bott,
FURNISHED
AND
OUR CATALOGS
Process of Making the Same is the invention of
who was not to be consoled, died April 30, 1895, "WILL
SAFELY
ON REQUEST
Hans Tietgen, New York, the patent number of
of a broken heart. In the meantime the case had
GUIDE Y O U
WITH SPECIAL
ALL FREE
which is 1,083,510, and which has for its object the attracted widespread interest, and the police were
INDUCEMENTS
proper treatment of wood for the purpose of util- finally moved to take active steps in running down
lAUG.GEMI INDERSiSONS
izing the same in the production of violins and all the thief, who, according to the evidence accumu- I 4 2 EAST 23 ST.
NEW YORK
other instruments which have sounding boards lated, was a violin dealer. He was arrested and
made of wood. By means of this treatment the convicted, and sentenced to one year's imprison-
inventor claims that he is able to produce instru- ment by the Court of General Sessions. Just be-
ments whose tone resembles that of the Stradi- fore the Court of Appeals could render a final de-
varius type of violin. One reason for this result cision in the case, a violin alleged by the convicted
is to be found in the application of gum elemi to dealer to have been found by him in a Brooklyn
top, and not the sides and back oi the in- tailor shop was brought into court and there iden-
strument, so that the top is rendered hard and the tified by Mme. Bott as the lost Strad. The case
remainder of the body soft, thus obtaining from against the dealer was dismissed, and he was ex-
the former the deep, broad tones and from the onerated, although several witnesses who had seen
latter the light, clear tones which, in combination, the tailor's violin declared it was not the one pro-
produce the unique effect which is characteristic of
duced in court. The next owners of the "Bott"
the Stradivarius type of violin. Another reason is
Strad. were Lyon & Healy, Chicago, who sold it
to-be found in the use of nitric acid, which clears later to Archibald Mitchell, of Norwich, Conn.,
the wood and removes albumins and resins, thus from whom it was purchased by Mr. White.
enabling the production of uniform and clear tones,
and together with the gum of my first solution,
WANT HONEST ADVERTISING.
forms a hard, ivory-like surface which not only
protects the wood but assists in keeping the same
An "honest advertising" ordinance is to be intro-
in shape. The purpose of the first coating with the
duced in the Kansas City Council, thanks to the
gum mastic solution is to soften the wood and to
New Brunswick, N. J .
efforts of the Kansas Ad Club, which has been ac-
protect the wood, the glue and the purfling against
tively advocating such a measure for the protec-
the action of the nitric acid thereafter applied.
tion of the public from unscrupulous advertisers.
"our
VIOLINS
Black Diamond
Strings
THE WORLD'S BEST
Rational Musical Siring Co.
OLIVER DITSON COMPANY
BOSTON, MASS.
E s t a b l i s h e d
183
4
Manufacturers, Importers, Publishers.
Largest and most complete stock of Musi-
cal Merchandise and accessories in the
trade. Modern Service, Attractive Special-
ties. Our 1D13 Catalogue will be sent upon
application.
AUGUST
J. HEBERLEIN
/ 'CELLOS
La Prima and Clarion Accordions
A Satisfied Customer
is our best advertisement and musi-
cians using YORK instruments are
•—satisfied. YORK instruments have
been tested in the grind of experience,
with the fire of a public musical onin-
lon, and have not been found wanting.
This test has covered a period of 30
years and each year has made YORK
a greater success. Does this mean
anything to you? If you are on the
anxious seat we want you to
"KFT US PROVE IT"
by sending our catalogue and dealers' proposition. Do
it to-day or some live one may do you out of your
chance.
J. W. York & Sons, Grand Rapids, Mich.
MUSICAL
Merchandise
Cincinnati
Chicago