Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MAY
12, 1923
13
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
WILEY B. ALLEN CO. OPENS NEW BRANCH IN OAKLAND
Piano Warerooms Give Opportunity to Display Instruments Under Conditions as They Will
Appear in Homes—Kohler & Chase Warerooms Remodeled—Robert-Morton Organ Praised
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., May 4.—Superlatives seem
ihe natural mode of expression when writing of
tlie new Wiley .13. Allen branch in Oakland,
which was formally opened yesterday. It is at
Washington and Fourteenth streets, in the heart
of the shopping district. The firm has been
waiting for some years to secure the ideal loca-
tion and, having obtained it, has spared neither
labor nor money to make the branch a fitting
home for high-class pianos and other musical
goods. Arthur Laurilliard, Oakland manager,
co-operated with Frank Anrys, general manager
of the Wiley B. Allen Co., and George Hughes,
secretary, in arranging the branch. A well-
known firm of Oakland decorators has lavished
all the care on the store that it is in the
habit of bestowing upon the homes of wealthy
residents of Oakland, for the idea has been to
show pianos in exactly the kind of surround-
ings that they will have when purchased for
beautiful homes.
Entering from busy Washington street there
are wide, attractive windows on either hand.
The downstairs store is finished in old ivory
color, with a touch of gilt and Nile blue. There
are ten handsome demonstration rooms for pho-
nographs on this floor, as well as two large
phonograph salesrooms, Victor and Brunswick
being the line^ carried, as in the other stores
of the Wiley B. Allen Co. The mezzanine floor,
also handsomely finished, has phonograph sales-
rooms, a room where customers can try out
piano rolls undisturbed, a well-equipped small
goods department and a department for the sale
of piano benches, lamps and piano scarfs. Wm.
Belrose has charge of this department, which
carries Couturier band instruments. The front
of this floor is occupied by the executive offices.
It is the third floor of the Oakland branch of
the Wiley B. Allen Co., however, that elicits ex-
clamations of surprise and admiration from vis-
itors. In addition to light and handsomely
equipped showrooms for upright and for player-
pianos, there is a section of this floor devoted to
large and beautifully furnished rooms, such as
one sees in homes of wealth and taste. Soft
carpets cover the floors, the hangings and the
communicating doors being swatched in apricot-
colored silk. A period phonograph stands in
each room and there is just enough handsome
furniture to give the impression of a home, with-
out there being anything cumbersome to detract
from the interest centering around the beautiful
grand piano that stands in each room. The
Mason & Hamlin is featured in most of the
rooms. One is devoted to a Ludwig grand and
another to a Cable piano and in every room the
background is skilfully arranged to harmonize
with the piano.
The third floor has some almost sound-proof
studios at the front. These are to satisfy a long-
felt need among some of the leading teachers
of Oakland. The greater part of this floor is
devoted to a large recital hall. Facing the west,
at the rear of the floor, are the shops, which
have very ample light, both from windows and
skylights. Arthur Laurilliard is head of the
piano department, as well as store manager.
Harry Williams also has charge of the piano
and player department.
Remodeling Kohler & Chase Quarters
Workmen are busy on the San Francisco store
of Kohler & Chase. Some of the floors in the
big building are almost dismantled, but work is
progressing rapidly and it is stated that results,
as planned, will well justify all the cost and the
upset. George Q. Chase is taking keen personal
interest in the alterations, both in the main San
Francisco store and in those in progress at the
Oakland branch of Kohler & Chase. It is under-
stood that the Ampico and the Knabe will have
very special quarters at both stores.
Praise for Robert-Morton Organ
Jack Levy, of the American Photo Player Co.,
was found in a state of satisfaction at two let-
ters he had just received, eulogizing the Robert-
Morton organ, at the University of Southern
California. One letter was from Bonnet, the
famous French organist, and the other was
from Harold Gleason, head of the organ de-
partment of the Eastman School, Rochester,
\. Y. Air. Bonnet said, in part: "1 liked espe-
cially the beautiful tones of the strings and
the splendid effect of that pedal organ. 1 con-
gratulate you on avoiding the borrowing and
the extension of stops and on putting mutation
i.nd mixtures stops on each manual." Harold
Gleason, in his letter, congratulated Mr. Levy
on "the veiy complete factory and the remark-
able organization of men, who, with their tech-
nical knowledge, enthusiasm and progressive-
ness, will carry the Robert-Morton organ on to
a grand future."
Visitors From the East
Charles H. Tracy, of the Estey Piano Co., re-
cently appointed to represfcht that firm on the
Pacific Coast, has arrived here. He has not yet
decided where he will make his home.
Frank Edgar, of the Aeolian Co., is expected
here by Sherman, Clay & Co. This is stated to
be his first visit to the Pacific Coast.
The Princeton Joint Union High Schools are
giving a Northern Sacramento Valley Music
Festival on Friday, May 4. Six high school
bands have entered the contests that are a fea-
ture of the affair. Sherman, Clay & Co. have
a very full line of Conn band instruments on
display at the festival.
BAMBERGER TAKES THE CHICKER1NG
The piano department of L. Bamberger &
Co., Newark's largest department store, which
has taken over the sale of the Ampico in the
Chickering, reports good progress with these
instruments.
The results for the past two or three weeks
show Newark to possess a goodly number of
citizens who can afford to spend three thousand
dollars or more on a piano, and the prospect-
file is growing accordingly.
Consult the universal Want Directory of
The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
free of charge for men who desire positions.
LOPEZ PASSES ON AMPICO RECORDS
Prominent Orchestra Leader Acts as Advisory
Expert on All Dance Recordings—Uses the
Ampico in Connection With Orchestra Work
Vincent Lopez, director of the Lopez Hotel
Pennsylvania Orchestra, one of the most popu-
lar dance orchestras in the East, has signed a
Vincent Lopez
contract to act as advisory expert on all dance
recordings made for the Ampico and has already
executed two recordings of his own for that in-
strument.
Mr. Lopez has expressed himself as being
highly pleased with the performance of the Am-
pico, as well as with his recordings. He uses
an Ampico concert grand in all the appearances
of his orchestra in the furnishing of dance music
and has a thorough understanding of the possi-
bilities of that instrument.
The Lopez Orchestra, incidentally, has been
making a number of successful appearances in
vaudeville over the Keith Circuit, appearing at
the Palace and Colonial Theatres, in New York,
and other playhouses. The orchestra is made
up of ten men, all men of high calibre, and
to-day is one of the leading organizations play-
mg dance music in the country.
Ludwig—The Only Complete Line of Small
Artistic Grands, Uprights and Players
The advent of the small grand, upright and player has been wel-
comed by dwellers in homes of limited space and has thus created
a large new field of buyers. But those who purchased these little
instruments have not been content with the commercial piano of
unknown parentage; they demand pianos of reputation, known
quality, artistic pianos.
The Petite Ludwig Pianos fulfill these requirements to the utmost;
a soft, mellow, string-like tone, of striking similarity to the voices
of 'cello, violin and harp; models of classic beauty, shining with
dazzling polish, or the rich, dull mission finish—in mahogany, wal-
[i ludwigj
nut and oak—at a surprisingly moderate price.
P , '.7.—.Z~~ =^-
~"^^^^^^
1
,
Let us tell you how quickly these little artistic Ludwig Pianos
vanish from our dealers' floors. Write for full information.
Ludwig &
Willow Ave. and 136th St.
Co.
New York