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THE
10
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Music Merchants of St. Louis Report
!
Fair Volume of Sales for Time of Year
i
Aeolian Co. of Missouri Opens Radio Department—Piano and Talking Machine Department of
Union Housefumishing Co. Formally Opened—Visitors to the Local Trade
C T . LOUIS, MO., March 11.—The retail piano
*"* business in this section is frankly not up
to par and, though a very good volume of busi-
ness is being done, retailers could handle many
more sales without straining their resources.
Among the things held to be responsible for
the slow business is listed the radio and there
is no question but that radio has obtained a firm
grip on local citizens, a grip sufficient to side-
track spending money that might otherwise find
its way into the coffers of the music stores.
The result is that several local houses have in-
stalled, or at least considered, radio lines.
The Aeolian Co. of Missouri last week entered
the radio lists, closing a deal for handling the
output of the Radio Corp. of America, both at
wholesale and retail, and placing a large initial
order. There will be no abatement of piano
zeal at the Aeolian store, but the Radiola will
at the same time be pushed with appreciation
of its excellence and the public interest in it.
Union Co. Opens
When the remodeled piano and talking ma-
chine department of the Union House Furnish-
ing Co., formerly the store of the Field-Lipp-
man Piano Co., was formally opened last week
with a sale of the Field-Lippman stock it was
revealed as something different, on both the
main and second floors, from the usual plan
of a piano and talking machine salesroom. The
effect striven for and accomplished was the
home sweet home atmosphere, with easy chairs
and other lounging furniture and lamps and
rugs tastefully scattered among the musical in-
struments. Harry Mount, manager of the de-
partment, reported a very good week's business.
His piano lines are Hallet & Davis, Conway,
Lexington, Dekalb and H. C. Bay, and the Vic-
tor talking machine. He is assisted by Lessing
Alch, son of E. M. Alch, a well-known piano
salesman, now with the Thiebes Piano Co.
E. P. Johnson, president of the E. P. Johnson
Piano Co., with factories at Elgin, 111., and
Ottawa, 111., where the P. C. Weaver and Seebold
pianos are made, was here Saturday, following a
visit to Springfield, 111. He said business has
been a little slow from the factory point of view,
because dealers had overloaded somewhat before
the holidays, but conditions seemed to be im-
proving. He returned to Elgin from here.
Robert Cone, formerly with the Aeolian Co.
here, has become manager of the piano depart-
ment of the D. H. Holmes Co., New Orleans.
Will L. Lindhorst, with the Baldwin Piano
Co., is a prestidigitator of prominence who is
pictured and printed about in a page advertise-
ment of the St. Louis Times.
Fred Lehman, of East St. Louis, formerly
head of the Lehman Music House, has been
elected exalted ruler of the East St. Louis Elks'
Lodge.
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 10.—The growing
popularity of syncopated music in Birmingham,
England, is extending the market for American
musical instruments. Phonographs and phono-
graph records of American manufacture are pre-
ferred to all other makes on the market, accord-
ing to a report to the Department of Commerce
from Vice-Consul Alan T. Hurd, Birmingham.
Foreign manufacturers have resorted to price-
cutting to win favor for their product, but the
superiority of American phonographs and rec-
ords recommends them in preference to the
cheaper and inferior makes.
There is a fair market in Birmingham for
reed and string instruments which at present
is being supplied from British sources. It is
believed, however, that American manufacturers
might develop a profitable market for their
products, particularly for the newer types.
The prevailing high prices of pianos tend
to restrict sales at the present time. British
manufacturers dominate the existing market, but
the German pianos are held in high regard.
Player-pianos have attained a degree of popu-
larity. American music rolls are in demand at
the several subscription lending libraries.
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AMPHION^CTIONS
-Your
Weil-Known American Pianist to Record Ex-
clusively
for That
Instrument—Widely
Known Artist of High Achievement
Harriete Cady, a well-known pianist, has
signed a contract to record exclusively for the
Welte-Mignon (Licensee) piano, and hereafter
her recordings will be available in the De Luxe
Reproducing Roll Corp. for this instrument.
This new agreement is in line with the policy of
the De Luxe Corp. to maintain the library of
rolls for that instrument at the highest standard
possible.
Harriete Cady is a native of New York, but
she is as well known in Vienna, Dresden, Paris
and London as in her own country. Not the
least of her achievements were performances
Popularity of Syncopated Music Has Created a
Very Substantial Demand in That Section of
England for American Instruments
The highest class player
actions in the world
(
Harriete Gady Joins
Welte (Licensee) Artists
Birmingham as Market for
American Musical Goods
^
SYRACUSE
MARCH 15, 1924
Guarantee
)
NEW YORK
v
•
Harriete Cady
before crowned heads of Europe, as well as an
appearance at the White House in Washington,
D. C. Miss Cady is a pupil of Leschetizky,
William Mason and Max Pinner. Well known
for her compositions, she has also gained dis-
tinction for her pioneer work in the field of old
music written for the spinet and harpsichord
She has attracted attention particularly through
her predilection for the music of Russia, which
she has championed consistently for a great
many years. She was one of the very first pian-
ists to conceive the historical recital idea and
has put it into effect with remarkable success
with her audiences.
After her annual piano matinee at the Prin-
cess Theatre in New York, the New York
Times' music critic said of her: "Her perform-
ance was like a season's showing by the
independent painters, all new works, some
ultra-modern styles, made a record probably
in playing not one hackneyed piece in sixteen
numbers. . . . Miss Cady's interpretations,
sincere, refined, were as the firm, continuing
frame in which an artist exhibits and tries out
manv canvases."
Wendell Hall Record Hanger
The Victor Talking Machine Co. has issued a
special hanger devoted to the three records thus
far made by Wendell Hall, "The Red Headed
Music Maker" of Chicago, and which have
proven so very successful, particularly his first
record bearing his classic "It Ain't Goin' to
Rain No Mo'." Mr. Hall is particularly popular
with radio audiences, having broadcasted his
songs from the majority of the larger stations
of the country.