Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 1

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ST. LOUIS DEALERS FACITNEW YEAR WITH SMALL STOCK
Holiday Trade Practically Cleaned Out Every Retail Wareroom of Pianos and Players—Local
Civic Music Association Planning Activities—Christmas Bonuses Please Employes
"ST. LOUIS, MO., December 30.—Holiday business,
wnen all is said and done, ended up pretty well,
but to the talking machines be all the honor and
the glory. If dealers had depended upon pianos
they would be whistling a different tune to-day.
Practically all of the dealers say that although
the number.of sales was not as great for this
holiday season as it was last year, the volume
w*is i s great or' greater, but they add that
pianos did not achieve this result. Piano sales,
as has been stated before, began falling off in the
early part of November and kept it up to the
last, although there were exceptions here and
there. The talking machine business was con-
sistently strong throughout and was only lim-
ited by the number of machines that could be
obtained. All of the dealers came down to
Christmas eve with stocks of pianos almost ex-
hausted. If the piano business had kept up they
would not have been able to supply the instru-
ments, so it would not have made a great deal
of difference if the demand had kept up. The
disquieting consideration, however, is that the
outlook is not bright for pianos when the stocks
are replenished. One thing that held down the
piano sales was the inability in many cases to
supply the particular makes or styles of instru-
ments desired. All of the dealers had to turn
down sales on this account.
As soon as the holidays have passed the work
of putting the Civic Music Association of St.
Louis into shape to realize the aims for which
it was organized will be pushed. The committee
on classification will classify and group all of
the organizations which are affiliated or should
be affiliated, after which those that are still
out will be brought into line. The next step
will be for each organization to line up its indi-
vidual members. The individual membership
fee is only $1 a year and it is expected that
Service Is the Direct Result of
Modern Facilities
The steady growth for over forty years of the
organization which now comprises the Astoria
Mahogany Company, Inc., may be attributed
to the constant application of modern methods
and facilities for the production, manufacture
and distribution of
Mahogany Lumber and Veneers
Modern facilities make a high degree of service
possible, and service produces a degree of satis-
faction that results in growth.
Astoria Mahogany Company, Inc.
347 Madison Avenue, New York
Successors to
Huddleston-Marsh Mahogany Co.
Astoria Veneer Mills and Dock Co.
F. W. Kirch, Inc.
Mills and Yards, Long Island City, Neiv York
.44 North Market Avenue
Grand Rapids, Mich.
2256 Lumber Street
Chicago, 111.
JANUARY 3,
1920
thousands of members will be enrolled. When
these details have been disposed of the asso-
ciation will take up the different steps of its
program.
P. E. Conroy, president of the Conroy Piano
Co., was unable to make his arrangements to
attend the meeting of the executive committee
of the Music Industries Chamber of Commerce
in New York.
The national convention, to be held in New
York in February, is being discussed by St.
Louis piano men and the indications are that
there will be a good representation. It is
not the intention of the Music Merchants' As-
sociation to appoint delegates. Dealers will
go as individuals, but it is probable that a party
will be made up.
Russell Mead, thirty-four years pld, a sales-
man for the Field-Lippman Piano Co., is in St.
Luke's Hospital with a fractured skull and a
fractured right arm and is in a paralyzed con-
dition from a fall at his home, 6113 Waterman
avenue, Tuesday night. His condition is seri-
ous.
Most of the St. Louis piano houses gave
Christmas remembrances to employes. The Con-
roy Piano Co. distributed several thousand dol-
lars on the basis of merit. A substantial bonus
was given to each employe of the music de-
partment of the Famous & Barr Co., based on
length of service. Gifts of gold were given
by some of the houses. V. P. Springate, who
was recently discharged from military service,
has taken a position with the P. A. Starck Piano
Co. He was formerly with the Grinnell Piano
Co., at Detroit.
Theodore Maettiu and Charles Mueller, of the
Kieselhorst Piano Co., spent Christmas and the
ensuing week-end shooting (at) wild turkeys in
the Ozarks.
A. E. Whitaker, who has an upstairs piano
store in the Holland Building, will move short-
ly to the third floor of the new Arcade Build-
ing at Eighth and Oliver streets.
M. A. Murray, representing the G. Schirmer
Music Stores, Inc., passed through St. Louis
just before Christmas on his way to the Pa-
cific Coast.
Referee in Bankruptcy Coles has approved a
proposed compromise of the suit against the
Hamilton Investment Co.
A USEFUL HOLIDAY SOUVENIR
Weaver Piano Co. Remember Trade Friends
With Most Attractive Gift
YORK, PA., December 26.—The Weaver Piano
Co. of this city have forwarded to their many
friends in the trade a particularly attractive
brass novelty for the desk. Covered space is
provided with compartments for pins, pens, etc.,
and on the reverse of this cover is a calendar
for the ensuing year, which is brought to view
when the cover is raised. This novelty also
includes a holder for pens and pencils. " The
attractiveness and usefulness of this article are
assurance that it will be found upon the desk
of the executives of the many piano houses
throughout the country for years to come. Ac-
companying this gift was a letter with a wish for
the new year that is worthy of repetition:
"That God may guide us to as speedy a vic-
tory over the internal enemies of our govern-
ment as He did over Germany, is our greeting
in wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year."
ORGAN FOR PLAYING COLOR MUSIC
The relation of color to music and the in-
terpretation of music through color has come
in for a good deal of attention among musicians
and artists at various times. It is now said
that Mary Hallock Grennewalt, of Philadelphia,
has perfected an organ, operated by pedals, by
which- color expression can be controlled at
will. This silent instrument makes possible an
almost unlimited number of color combinations
which express musical harmonies.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
JANUARY 3, 1920
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
9
LOS ANGELES DEALERS WELL PLEASED WITH BUSINESS
Christmas Trade Proves Well Up to Expectations—Sales Totals for Year Will Compare Favor-
ably With All Previous Records—School Music Memory Contest a Great Success
Los ANGELES, CAL., December 26.—Reports re-
garding dealers' stocks of pianos vary. While
some declare that sales are being passed up
daily through inability to supply the instru-
ments wanted, others express themselves as in
much better shape than they had anticipated,
and that they are having no difficulty in record-
ing a very satisfactory aggregate of sales on
their daily reports. The great shortage of
white paper has compelled the newspapers
to limit the amount of advertising space
to their patrons, but fresh supplies at intervals
have enabled piano men, and particularly one
house, to make this a music Christmas. The
music memory contest for the schools inaugu-
rated by the National Bureau for the Advance-
ment of Music has been carried out successfully
and brought forth noticeable results. A num-
ber of Los Angeles music houses contributed
prizes for successful school children in the
contest.
Fitzgerald Music Co. Use Larger Space
The Anipico has been featured very heavily
this season by the Fitzgerald Music Co. Full
pages with artistic and attractive borders have
appeared day after day with occasional double-
page advertisements thrown in. General Man-
ager Braden and Sales Manager Yuncker ex-
press themselves as well pleased with the re-
sults and the latter remarked that in addition to
numerous other sales for various amounts the
purchase by customers of grands with the Ani-
pico at prices of $3,000 and over were of daily
occurrence.
Starr Piano Co.'s Business Good
Manager Nolden, of the Starr Piano Co., de-
clares that business has been particularly good
with them during the last few weeks. Shortage
of stock has been felt, but overcome as far as
possible through co-operation of the sales force.
Fred S. Gallagher in Business for Himself
A new music store, known as the Broadway
Music Co., was opened in December at 627
South Broadway by Fred S. Gallagher. J. F.
Montgomery, of Los Angeles, and Thomas J.
Quinn, of Detroit, capitalists, have associated
themselves with him in this new enterprise. Mr.
Gallagher was with the Platt Music Co. for
nearly six years. On leaving them President
Platt presented him with a solid gold watch and
the employes of the company, in token of their
esteem, tendered him a gold-mounted bill fold.
New Treasurer for Barnes Music Co.
Wm. C. Strachley, a well-known Cincinnati
capitalist, has taken up his new duties of treas-
urer of the Barnes Music Co. Sales are very
good and stocks of pianos holding out in splen-
did shape, due to the excellent forethought of
President George H. Barnes, who prevailed on
his new treasurer to try out his ability as pur-
chasing agent while he was East and before his
return to Los Angeles. Treasurer Strachley at
Chicago and other points was very successful
FOTOPLAYER
for the finest
Motion Picture
Theatres
AMERICAN PHOTO
PLAYER CO.
San Francisco
New York
Chicago
in his new role, as is evidenced in the ware-
rooms of the Barnes Music Co.
Valuable Prizes for School Children
Xine hundred dollars' worth of musical mer-
chandise was contributed by the following music
dealers of Los Angeles for the music memory
contest held in the public schools: Barnes Music
Co., So. Calif. Music Co., Wiley B. Allen Co.,
Geo. J. Birkel Co., Platt Music Co., Remick
Song & Gift Shop, Barker Bros., Zellner Piano
Co., Bartlett Music Co., Richardson's, Inc., Fitz-
gerald Music Co. and Starr Piano Co. In addi-
tion a well-known Los Angeles lady donated
three $100 scholarships and the National Bu-
rtau for the Advancement of Music sent a gen-
erous check, with which a valuable clarinet
was purchased for presentation. Miss Kathryn
Stone, supervisor of music in Los Angeles, to-
gether with her aides, Mrs. J. E. Warren and
the Misses Abbott, Goodrich, Thomson and
Truslow, deserves great credit for successfully
conducting this music memory contest, in which
20,000 children from eighty-five Los Angeles
schools entered. The memorizing of thirty-six
selections of the best kind of music by such
a large number of children, whose families were,
of course, influenced at the same time, consti-
tutes the highest acme and most productive
form of musical education.
Baseball Manager Essick Sells Pianos
The Platt Music Co. has a most popular and
at the same time musically accomplished sales-
man in "Bill" Essick, well-known manager for
the Vernon Baseball Club, which under "Fatty"
Arbuckle's "rootsmanship" had a most success-
ful season this year. "Bill" is a musical col-
lege graduate and shows as much aptitude for
the "ivories" as he does for bat and ball.
Victrola XVII, $300
Victrola XVII, electric, $365
Mahogany or oak
Other styles $25 to $950
Victor
Supremacy
INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY PREDICTED
Chamber of Commerce of the United States
Finds Manufacturers Hopeful Generally
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 30.—Sustained in-
dustrial activity is the prediction of the Com-
mittee on Statistics of the Chamber of Com-
merce of the United States, which to-day issued
its regular end-of-thc-year review of business
and crop conditions.
The committee emphasizes the hopefulness of
the manufacturing industry generally, which,
although encountering constant labor troubles
and shortage of fuel and materials, has orders
in excess of its capacity for production within
any reasonable time.
"Among the vast numbers of retail dealers,"
says the report, "there seems to be a confi-
dence in the continuation, at least until another
harvest, of the present great demand for com-
modities of all kinds, because of the unexampled
strength of the agricultural situation.
"On the whole, the farming communities are
prosperous, because of the high prices of their
products, and their liberal spending is the back-
bone and sustaining power of the present vol-
ume of business in much the greater part of
the country. The farmer is buying liberally and
intelligently. He is buying more automobiles,
more tractors, more poultry, more blooded cat-
tle, more farm implements and machinery, more
gasoline engines and electric lighting plants for
his dwelling house and buildings. He is paying
cash mostly and also paying off what compara-
tively few mortgages remain."
MUSIC DEALER MADE SECRETARY
William L. Luce, Belfast, Me., who recently
opened a music store in that city, has been
elected secretary of the Belfast Chamber of
Commerce at the annual meeting. It was also
decided to change the name of the organization
from the Belfast Board of Trade to the Belfast
Chamber of Commerce.
Supreme as a musical
instrument, the Victrola
naturally stands supreme
as a business proposition.
The success of Victor
retailers follows Victor
supremacy as a matter of
course.
" V i c t r o l a " ; s the Registered Trade mark of
the Victor Talking Machine Company designating
the products of this Company only.
W a r n i n g : The use of the word Victrola
upon or in the promotion or sale of any other
Talking Machine or Phonograph products is mis-
leading and illegal.
Important N o t i c e . Victor Records and
Victor Machines are scientifically co-ordinated
and synchronized in the processes of manufacture,
and should be used together to secure a perfect
reproduction.
Victor Talking Machine Co.
Camden, N. J., U.S.A.

Download Page 8: PDF File | Image

Download Page 9 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.