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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
BLOCKADE ON FOIT'OLD" VIOLINS.
Makers of 1915 Editions of Stradivarius Have
Difficulty in Getting Their Usual Supply.
As the unjust, right along with the just, are
being inconvenienced by details like blockades, the
unjust maker of "Guarnieri" violins and the unjust
pawnbroker, who disposes of these 1915 editions
,of master violins, are alike beginning to write odes
to the good old days of plenty, when, between
them, they supplied the farms of America with
"priceless," and high-priced, treasures, says the
New York Evening Post.
This lucrative business, which is now being so
sadly hampered, did not come about by the slow
evolution of guilds. It arrived, by rapid Burbank
methods, in a single night, when seventy-five years
ago the great French violin maker, Vuillaume,
said :
"If a Stradivari violin will bring ten times what
the best Vuillaume will, why do T waste my beau-
ties on this unappreciative generation?"
So Vuillaume learned the art of simulating age
in violins, and the "profession" became stabilized.
The favorite victim for new "old violins" is the
farmer who wishes to take a present home from
the city to his son who fiddles for the neighbors
on Saturday nights. In the window of a pawn-
shop he sees a battered violin. He goes in and
buys a "master violin."
A generation passes and legends begin to grow
round the "genuine antique," which, of course, has
a most impressive label in Italian for legend to
cling to. - It comes to represent the bulwark be-
tween the farm and the world—so when the crops
fail, and the mortgage is imminent, the violin is
brought to New York, and the owner discorert
that it is worth just three dollars.
"They seem to think that all that a violin needs
is to be old," said a well-known expert in the city.
"Ten years ago I sold one to a man for twenty-
five dollars. Yesterday he came in to me with the
same instrument.
" 'T will sell you this for thirty-five dollars,'
said he.
"'Will you? 1 guess not,' said I, 'that is more
than you paid me for it.'
" 'But, don't you understand,' he replied, respect-
fully touching his violin, 'I have been playing on
it for ten years, and that makes it an antique.'
"I am so handicapped," sighed the expert. "A
pawnbroker can sell his imitation antiques, and
get away with it, with a 'You were done. Too
bad, so was I.' But me—Ah! If I sell a violin
that is not genuine, they can sue me and get back
every cent of money they paid."
51
been appearing in vaudeville for the past few
years, and many new entrants to this field have
achieved considerable popularity in their appear-
ances throughout ti.
THE TRADE IN HARMONICAS.
D. R. Martinez Says War Offers Big Chance for
Domestic Makers of Harmonicas—Musical
Instrument Fields of Austria and Germany
Left Vacant by Great Conflict.
D. R. Martinez, export manager of Kohler &
Campbell, New York, was quoted by the New
York Sun on Sunday last in regard to export
conditions in which he said that there is an ex-
Evidence Heaps Up in AM Parts of the Country
cellent opportunity open for the piano and mu-
—Popular Now Where It Was Heretofore
sical instrument trades of America to capture
Unknown—A Most Successful Season.
the business lost to Germany and Austria because
"There has been quite a demand for harpists of the war. Germany, he said, in 1D12 exported
in pianos and musical instruments a total of
this season, especially for participation in church
concerts," remarked II. L. Hunt, manager of the about $19,497,000, and Austria exported about
musical merchandise department of Charles H. $1,357,500.
Mr. Martinez says that in the business of manu-
Ditson & Co., 8 East Thirty-fourth street, New
York.
"We find that the churches in the facturing and exporting harmonicas, popularly
metropolitan districts made unusually elaborate termed mouth organs, an industry that manufac-
plans for suitable music for the recent Easter turers of the United States have given little
season, and it is evident that the beauty of the thought to cultivating, the G.-rmans did a trade
harp has created a very favorable impression for of $1,500,000, their principal market being the
United States, with $439,500; the British colonies,
use at these special concerts.
"The popularity of the harp is becoming more second; England, third ; Russia, fourth, and Mexi-
general week by week, and tliis is particularly true co next, with the not unimportant total of $63,-
m the smaller lowns, where harpists were prac- .'00.
In concertinas, he says, the amount stands at
ticaliy unknown a comparatively short while ago.
This may be attributed in part to the high standard $1,430,000, and any manufacturer equipped to make
of quality maintained by the leading harp manu- harmonicas could easily turn out the concertinas.
facturers, who liave determined to place quality
LEADERS A L W A Y S T A V A I L A B L E .
paramount to all considerations and who are not
influenced by any desire to attain a large produc-
Some Frenchman noticed recently that the lead-
tion totarl by sacri'icing their standards of con- ers of the bands of the French artillery and
struction.
engineering corps were not going to the front. He
"Judging from the reports we have recently re- asked the reason why, and was informed that they
ceived, there is at present a greater demand for
were being held in reserve in order to fill vacancies
harpists for the vaudeville stage than there is an occasioned by the killing or wounding of the music
available supply of artiste. This season has been
leaders in the infantry, all of whom have gone to
a very successful one for those harpists who have the front.
THE HARP GROWS IN FAVOR.
Bell Brand Harmonicas
"Made in America"
Have won a national reputation because of their remarkable and durable
qualities. They are not the best merely because they are American made,
and the only harmonicas made in this country, but they stand competition
with the products of the world, embodying the very best musical qualities
and workmanship.
BELL BRAND HARMONICAS
CAN BE PROCURED FROM THE FOLLOWING WHOLESALE HOUSES
C. BRUNO & SON, New York City, N. Y.
BUEGELEISEN & JACOBSON, New York City, N. Y.
OLIVER DITSON CO., Boston, Mass.
C. H. DITSON & CO., New York City.
W. J. DYER & BRO., St. Paul, Minn.
J. W. JENKINS SONS' MUSIC CO., Kansas City, Mo.
THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER CO., Cincinnati, O.
KOERBER-BRENNER MUSIC CO., St. Louis, Mo.
LYON & HEALY, Chicago, III.
C. MEISEL, New York City, N. Y.
SHERMAN, CLAY & CO., San Francisco, Cal.
TONK BROS. CO., Chicago, 111.
THE RUDOLPH WURLITZER CO., Chicago, 111.
THE ELIAS HOWE CO., 8 Bosworth St., Boston, Mass.
The National Musical String Co
New BrunswicK
New
Jersey