Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 22,
1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Milwaukee Music Dealers Report March
Showing Marked Increase Over February
Reproducing Pianos Showing Largest Volume of Sales—Smith Piano Co. Expands—Local Mer-
chants Advertise Co-operatively—Music Advancement Work Being Carried On
\/l
ILWAUKEE, WIS., March 18.—March
business in the local music trades is show-
ing a marked improvement over February, ac T
cording to reports of Milwaukee merchants, and
prospects for the year are very encouraging.
The reproducing lines show the largest sales,
although pianos are reported to be very active
and the radio business is taking an important
place in local trade.
Edward Herzog, sales manager for the Ed-
mund Gram Music House, which features the
Steinway and the A. B. Chase with the Celco
reproducing medium, states that March business
is starting out very well, while February showed
a good increase over the sales of a year ago.
Mr. Herzog stated that the past year was one
of the biggest ever experienced by the estab-
lishment and that the present outlook was very
encouraging. "We have sold a lot of the Celco
reproducing mediums and have made a number
of good Steinway sales. Our radio department
is starting out very well and the outlook in this
line is good," he stated. Gram's are holding
the semi-annual sale of used pianos, players and
phonographs, which has started out very suc-
cessfully.
An improvement of March business over
February is reported by H. M. Holmes, sales
manager for the J. B. Bradford Piano Co.,
dealer in the Mason & Hamlin and Duo-Art.
Business is picking up, especially in the Duo-
Arts and the higher-priced goods. Hugh W.
Randall, president of the company, is in Day-
tona, Fla., where he is spending a two months'
vacation.
Smith Piano Co. Expands
The Smith Piano Co., which handles the
Smith & Barnes, Strohber, Hoffmann, Willard
and Lessing pianos, has doubled the display
space on the second floor of the establishment
by the addition of rooms in the adjoining build-
ing. The new section will be used as a display
room for player-pianos, which constitute the
largest sales of the company. The addition was
necessary in order to prevent the grand and
reproducing departments from becoming too
congested. Old quarters of the company at 274
West Water street are being redecorated. Ac-
cording to Manager John Stenger, these changes
are in line with the company's policy for con-
tinual expansion,
Charles Nodine, sales manager for the Mil-
waukee Piano Mfg. Co., who has been confined
to his home by illness for the past week, is
expected back at work within the next few
days.
The Luebtow Music Co., which recently
opened its new quarters at 3807 North avenue,
is promoting the sales of United State Music
Rolls by featuring recent popular songs in both
instrumental and word rolls. They state that
they will carry a complete line of these rolls
at the new store.
Doing Co-operative Advertising
The Smith Piano Co., Seidel Bros. Music
Shop, Thiery Piano & Phonograph Co., Gether
Piano Co. and Flanner-Hafsoos Co. have com-
bined forces in an advertising p-lan which
promotes the sale of a variety of musical instru-
ments. These concerns are advocating the pur-
chase of instruments to make up a family
orchestra in order to brighten the home and to
develop latent musical talent.
Pianos, player-pianos, grands, reproducing
pianos and talking machines are included in the
removal sale which is being held by the Gether
Piano Co. The company plans to move from
its present quarters at 625 Grand avenue into a
new store at 631 Grand avenue about April 1,
and has made this the occasion for the sale.
J. Roussellot, president of the Lyric Music
Co., arranged a program broadcasted from Sta-
tion WIAO, the Milwaukee School of Engineer-
ing, including numbers by the Castle Beach
Orchestra as well as several vocal selections.
New Sound Box for Orchestra
A unique experiment of having an entire or-
chestra seated over a mammoth violin sound
box while playing will be tested when the Wis-
consin Theatre of Milwaukee is completed. Al-
though other cities have tested the practicability
of having single players seated upon an individ-
ual sound box, it remains for Milwaukee to
prove the advisability of having the entire
orchestra over a single sound box which is being
constructed in the new building.
$5,000 Damage From Fire
Fire swept the basement of the six-story
Joys Building, occupied by the Dalion Mfg.
Co., formerly the Milwaukee Talking Ma-
chine Co., and for a time threatened the entire
structure. Damage was estimated at $5,000.
Organization of bands for municipal purposes,
under plans suggested by Charles Lemke, a Mil-
waukee man, are being considered by a number
of small cities and villages of Wisconsin. The
plan is to have chambers of commerce or other
municipal organizations back the band and apply
to Mr. Lemke, who will undertake to establish
the band and outline a course of instruction
which will cover about four months.
Music Advancement Activities
The appointment of ten additional supervisors
of music in Milwaukee schools was provided for
in a resolution presented to the school board
as part of a campaign to increase attention
paid to teaching music in public schools. The
resolution has been referred to a committee.
Principal B. L. Daugherty has been appointed
chairman of the Spring music festival, which is
to be given by Milwaukee public schools. He
succeeds H. E. Coblentz, resigned.
The University of Wisconsin is planning for
a music contest between high school students
of the State which will be held in Madison,
May 8 and 9. The contest is an extension of
the plan for interscholastic meets for high
school students, and competition between
groups, individuals, girls' glee clubs, mixed
choruses, orchestras and bands, as well as solo
competitions in voice, piano and violin, will
be included in the program.
The automobile of Kenneth Mondschein, son
of Stephen Mondschein, vice-president of the
Edmund Gram Piano Co., caused a good deal
of excitement when it crashed into the doorway
of the American Radiator Co., 1801 St. Paul
avenue.
Flag Pole for Every Merchant
Music dealers of Madison, Wis., have co-
operated with other retailers in the installation
of 200 flag sockets in the sidewalks of the city
as a part of the new system of decoration.
Under the new plan each store owns its own
flag and pole in order that the city may be
uniformly decorated on appropriate occasions.
The Association of Commerce formerly dec-
orated the city, but it was decided that the
expense would be less if retailers adopted the
new system.
The Graul Music Shop, of Green Bay, Wis.,
has been incorporated for $50,000, with 500
shares at $100 par. D. M. Graul, Robert R.
Lauer and Alma L. Graul are incorporators of
the new concern.
Waggerner Opens Store
DiNUBA, CAL., March 19.—A new music store has
recently been opened in the Strand Theatre
building by B. F. Waggerner. Mr. Waggerner
has had many years of experience in the music
field, his last store on South L street having
been discontinued last June,
Victrola No. 330
Mahogany, $350; electric, $390
Walnut, $415; electric, $455
Victor supremacy
is the supremacy
of performance
T h e s u c c e s s of t h e
Victrola is the greatest ever
achieved by any musical in-
strument. It extends over
a period of a quarter-cen-
tury and is shared in by
every d e a l e r in V i c t o r
products.
Victrola No. 405
$250
Electric, $290
Walnut
Other styles $25 to $1500
"HIS MASTER'S VOICE"
Victrola
REG-U.S. PAT OFF
Look under the lid and on the labels
for these Victor trade -marks
Victor Talking
Machine Co.
Camden, N.J.