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8
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
JUNE 4, 1921
LOS ANGELES PIANO TRADE CONTINUES UPWARD TREND
VITULLO & ULISSE START BUSINESS
High-Grade Instruments in Good Demand, and Sales Totals Assume Pleasing Proportions—Mason
& Hamlins for Prominent People—Birkel Representative Visiting Eastern Factories
Their New Music Shop in East Utica, N. Y., a
Handsome Structure on Busy Street
Los ANGELES, CAL., May 28.—Reports from the
various music stores in Los Angeles seem to
indicate that business has shown no decrease
and the sale of many of the highest-priced in-
struments continues to be an occurrence week
after week. The tendency among houses to
adopt, or at least lean towards, the one-price
system gains favor each year and it is pre-
dicted by many that all first-class firms will fall
into line before long. There is, however, the
ever-present bone of contention regarding the
.allowance to customers for trade-in pianos when
the purchase of a better and higher-priced in-
strument is made, and at the last general meeting
of the Music Trades Association of Southern
California the secretary was instructed to draw
up a schedule of allowances based on the old
New York schedule with a 50 per cent increase
added to the prices appearing thereon. It is
possible that a schedule of this kind will be
adopted, although many members declare that
any definite rule is impracticable.
Well-known Vocalist Buys Piano
Estelle Hart Dreyfus, the famous singer, re-
cently purchased a Mason & Hamlin grand from
the Wiley B. Allen Co. C. J. Houlette, man-
ager of the piano department of the company,
also reports sales to* two other well-known peo-
ple, namely, Doctor C. H. Marvin, of the Uni-
versity of Southern California, and Mrs. Francis
Pierson Brambaugh—this is Mrs. Brambaugh's
third Mason & Hamlin piano purchased from the
Wiley B. Allen Co. comparatively recently.
J. W. Boothe Back From Convention
J. W^ Boothe, general manager of the music
department of Barker Bros., returned on Mon-
day last from the Chicago convention. He de-
clared that it was, undoubtedly, the greatest and
most successful convention held and spoke en-
thusiastically of the benefits which all delegates
and visitors derived from the splendid programs
and addresses given. Mr. Boothe left for Fresno
on Thursday morning by auto in order that he
might visit the branch store in that city.
Young Piano Man Goes East
Robert I. Sommers, nephew of George J. Bir-
kel and a member of the firm of Geo. J. Birkel
Co , left for Chicago in time to attend the na-
tional convention, and then proceeded East to
visit the headquarters and factories of the Stein-
way, Aeolian, Estey, Sohmer and Kurtzmann
companies. This is Mr. Sommers' first Eastern
business trip and he expects to profit consider-
ably by his tour of inspection.
E. Humphrey Returns From North
Edward Humphrey, general manager of the
music department of Hamburgers, has returned
from a two or three weeks' business trip in
San Francisco and the North. He reports a
very large sales increase in the piano depart-
ment, which he recently reorganized and placed
under the sales management of John Hildner.
Mr. Humphrey will leave for an extended East-
ern business trip about July 1.
Piatt Music Co. Gives Recital
A very delightful program was given by the
Piatt Music Co. on Tuesday evening last, the
numbers including several songs and instru-
mental pieces. Walter Evans, who is the able
impresario on such occasions, delivered an in-
teresting and entertaining address on "Better
Music in the American Home." Arrangements
have been made for the holding of daily con-
certs at 2 p. m. during Music Week, May 29'
to June 5.
The Salak Bros., piano dealers, has just been
organized as a business by Charles and George
Salak in Racine, Wis., having recently opened
a store on Holmes avenue, that city.
UTICA, N. Y., May 30.—A new music store was
recently opened at 672-674 Bleecker street, East
Utica, by Vitullo & Ulisse, both well-known
Uticans. The establishment is decidedly one of
the most handsome and well-arranged business
structures in that busy part of town. All the
recognized lines of musical merchandise, such
as pianos, players, sheet music, player rolls, etc.,
are handled by this house, including the Victor
and Columbia lines of machines and records.
Three sound-proof booths for record and player
roll demonstration are installed in the new
shop.
The Noll Piano Co., which handles the Bush
& Lane and other lines, has arranged to erect
a new building at Muskejo avenue and Grand
street, Milwaukee, at a cost of approximately
$40,000.
WILCOX & WHITE AND SMITH LINES FEATURED IN SPAIN
In the accompanying illustration is shown the
piano wareroom of F. Sanchis, a prominent
dealer of Valencia, Spain. It is considered one
directly beneath the ceiling, while the walls are
artistically draped with tapestries. F. Sanchis is
the agent for the Angelus, Bradbury and Web-
Piano Warerooms of F. Sanchis, Valencia, Spain
of the most artistic warerooms in that part of
the country, the music art being impressively
featured by the names of the various world-
famed composers of all nationalities appearing
ster pianos and player-pianos manufactured by
the Wilcox & White Co. and F. G. Smith, Inc.,
New York, and has conducted active campaigns
exploiting the merits of these instruments.
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