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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Coming of August Brings Improvement
With the Philadelphia Music Dealers
New Cable Company Electric Grand Proves Popular—Estey Piano Co. Making Big Sales Drive
—Many Demands Received by Starr Representation for Agency for Line
PHILADELPHIA, PA., August 11.—Although
*• mid-Summer conditions prevail generally in
the retail music trade here, there has been
some improvement with the coming of August,
and the dealers have been very active in getting
their various lines into proper shape in antici-
pation of an active Fall. Clearance sales that
have been held during the Summer have moved
much used stock, and music houses are now
in a position to go ahead and restock with new
goods, which have already been ordered.
Store Near Ball Park Brings Trade
Since acquiring the large display and factory
building adjacent to the Philly's Ball Grounds,
at Twenty-first street and Lehigh avenue, the
Whitmore Piano Co. has been making an ex-
tensive display of the line of instruments which
it manufactures for its own distribution. The
throngs of visitors to the ball park and the
proximity of the Whitmore Co. to that famous
diamond, particularly this year, when the Phil-
lies have been the leaders in the National League,
are sources of numerous sales for pianos, par-
ticularly the Welte Mignon (licensee) Repro-
ducers that have been extensively exploited by
the company within recent months. The newly
reconstructed building, which is of the fire-
proof type, erected at a cost of $200,000, pro-
vides the firm with a modern display room and
factory facilities and here the Whitmore Co.,
of which, W. A. Whitmore is head, has en-
joyed the largest business in the fifteen years
of its history.
New Electric Grand Popular
The new electric grand piano, which the Cable
Company of Chicago is now marketing, is be-
ing displayed at the local retail distributors,
the firm of James Bellak's Sons, 1129 Chestnut
street. The electric grand is finished in ma-
hogany and is a little larger than a baby grand
and has been favorably received by those in
search of this type of Inner-player. The Cable
Midget has been a most active seller for Sum-
mer resorts and the season's demand in the
local seashore and inland and mountain resorts
has been a record one. Louis Stauss, manager
of the Bellak Store, is now on a two weeks'
vacation sojourn in Wildwood.
Successful Estey Campaign
During the quieter days of the Summertime
the Estey Piano Co. has been preparing for
the activities of Fall. Under the direction of a
special factory representative, L. L. Covington,
who has made Philadelphia headquarters at
Seventeenth and Walnut street his working
grounds during the past four months, there has
been a continuous drive on for the sales of
the Welte pianos and the Welte Philharmonic
organs, made by the Estey Co. As a result of
this concentrated effort the Estey will this Fall
install in a number of schools, colleges, hotels,
clubs and private homes the Welte reproducers
and the organs. With the advent of Fall the
Estey will resume its demonstration concerts in
conjunction with the personal appearance of
vocal and instrumental artists in the schools,
clubs, private homes and other group gather-
ings. There will be on display at the Estey
Philadelphia branch this month the new period
models of pianos, including the William and
Mary, Louis XV and XVI, Queen Anne, Hep-
plewhite and Adams periods. These six styles
are the newest of Esteys for the Fall season.
Vincent's Trip to India Postponed
Because of illness and confinement to his
home in Atlantic City, Howard Vincent, head
Highest
Quality
of the piano house bearing his name, at 838
North Sixth street, has been obliged to post-
pone his trip to India. The Vincent Co. has
disposed of four carloads of pianos in Cal-
cutta and other India centers, and will ship in-
struments to the Orient just as soon as the
head of the firm is able to be about and can
accompany the shipments to the Far Eastern
distribution centers. It was the intention of
Mr. Vincent to sail on August 1.
W. C. Schwamb on Vacation
A brief vacation is being enjoyed by President
W. C. Schwamb, of the Schomacker Piano Co.,
manufacturer of the Schomacker pianos dis-
tributed through the Wanamaker Stores. Pres-
ident Schwamb is now sojourning at the Jersey
seashore resort of Lavelette and will return
during the coming week.
Much Interest in Steinway Line
Since the local representatives of the Stein-
way placed on display the new Fall stocks,
now entirely installed in the warehouses of
N. Stetson & Co., 1111 Chestnut street, many
out-of-town retailers have called to look over
the instruments and to place their advance or-
ders for the Fall season. There are now on
display the five models of the Steinway along
with the Schumann pianos, which the Stetson
company also distributes in the local field. Va-
cation days have lured many of the organiza-
tion to the seashore and those who now are
summering at Jersey seashore resorts are John
E. Schreiber, with his family at Wildwood;
Clifford Povey, who is in Ocean City for a fort-
night, and Ernest Voltz, just returned from a
two weeks' rest at Wildwood. Miss Katherin
Bowman, who supervises the office, is in New-
town, Pa., for a two weeks' visit.
Planning for New Stocks
The Fall supply of Kranich & Bach pianos
AUGUST 15,
1925
and new stocks of Mehlin pianos will be pur-
chased by the local distributors, (i. Herzhcrg
& Son, Twentieth and Chestnut streets, in late
August or early September, when Harry Herz-
berg, head of the firm, will visit the Metropol-
itan headquarters on a buying trip.
Demand for Starr Agencies
The numerous inquiries that have come from
adjacent Pennsylvania cities and other State
centers for distribution of the Starr pianos in
the retail field have been responsible for the
delay in the proposed visit to the factory of the
Starr Piano Co., in Richmond, Ind., which Ben
Witlin, head of the Witlin musical Instrument
Co., was to undertake on August 1. Calls and
inquiries from retailers in Hanover, Harrisburg,
York and Lancaster and other points need the
attention of President Witlin who takes care of
the wholesale end of the Starr Piano Co. in
this territory and he is now making the rounds
of that trade and will go to the Western manu-
facturing headquarters later in the month to
discuss the Fall business plans and to look over
and ship the new models of the Starr line.
New Mohawk Radio Products
The Mohawk Electric Corp., Chicago, an-
nounces that it now has ready for the trade
the Mohawk Gang Condenser, also with coils
in a kit designed to make any radio frequency
set a one-dial control receiver. The company
is also marketing a special knockdown set with
cabinet and with which is included full instruc-
tions for assembling.
Convention of Travelers
Various members of the National Piano Trav-
elers' Association plan to take an active part
in the annual convention of the National Coun-
cil of Traveling Salesmen's Association to be
held at the Hotel Pennsylvania on September
1, 2 and 3. Albert Behning, secretary of the
National Piano Travelers' Association, has been
nominated for first vice-president of the Na-
tional Council.
Gable-Nelson at the Wisconsin Saengerfest
CABLE NELSON
PIANOS
^pHE Cable-Nelson piano was the center of
•*• interest in the great Wisconsin Saenger-
fest, held in Merrill, Wis., last month. The
Cable-Nelson was selected for the use of the
orchestra at the great Saengerfest and was fur-
nished by the Gruett Drug Co., of Merrill,
which has two stores in that city and sells
pianos, phonographs and sheet music as well
as drugs. There were 400 voices in the chorus
and the picture shows these singers in a stage
setting provided by nature itself in a natural
amphitheater in one of Merrill's beautiful
parks. Singers from all over Wisconsin par-
ticipated in the Saengerfest, including a choir
of ninety-five voices from the Milwaukee Lie-
derkranz which will tour Europe next year.
The Cable-Nelson created much favorable com-
ment among the singers participating and the
thousands of people in the audience owing to
its beauty of tone and its power.
Highest
Quality