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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Blasius & Sons, Philadelphia's Oldest
Piano Merchants, Closing Out Business
Many Philadelphia Houses Exhibit at Eastern Music Supervisors' Conference—Miessner Pianos to
• i
Be Handled by Weymann & Sons—Greniger Takes the Estey Line
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. ( March 23—While here
the instruction of music in the nation's schools,
and there are reports of fair activities in the
has been acquired by H. A. Weymann & Sons,
piano stores, the majority of the dealers are lin-
1108 Chestnut street. The Miessner Piano Co.,
gering along waiting the arrival of the post-
of Milwaukee, heretofore has handled its locaj
Easter days when business usually assumes a
business entirely through a special represeirfa-
more normal trend. Whatever business is to be
tive, selling direct to the schools. Under the
had in the piano trade is that garnered from
latest innovation the piano department of the
special sales drives now being made to promote
Weymann company, of which A. C. Weymann,
an interest in the various makes of the popular-
of the firm, is manager, will feature this instru-
priced instruments or in the higher grade types
ment with exclusive sales rights for Philadelphia
which are always movable stocks at any season
county,
of the year.
Steinway Mechanism Displayed
Closing Out Blasius & Sons Business
The inner works and mechanism of the Stein-
When the accounts of the oldest of Philadel-
way grand piano, which were used by William
phia's piano houses are settled there will dis-
Braid White, Technical Editor of The Review,
appear from the trade its landmark of the pio-
to demonstrate the construction of the mechani-
neer days of piano manufacturing—the house of
cal arrangement of a piano at the recent meet-
Blasius & Sons, now located at 40 South Six-
ing of the American Society of Mechanical En-
teenth street. Since the first of the year all pianos
gineers in this city under the auspices of the
have been removed from the floor and the offices
Wood Industries Division, have been featured
have been concerned with cleaning up the ac-
in special window trim by N. Stetson & Co.,
counts so as to wind up the business.
The
1111 Chestnut street, the Quaker City distribu-
house of Blasius & Sons dates back to 1855,
tors of the Steinway. The display was so ar-
when the firm was one of the leading piano
ranged in the window that the entire inner con-
manufacturers in this part of the country, pro-
struction was visible to the pedestrians on
ducing its own make of instruments. The Phila-
Chestnut street and it attracted many interested
delphia headquarters at that time were located
spectators.
at 1101-1119 Chestnut street, in the heart of
Morsback Exends Lines
Piano Row. The factory, sold in 1918 to the
Louis P. Morsback, head of the stores bearing
Belber Bag & Trunk Co., was located in Wood-
bury, N. J.
Blasius & Sons was founded by Charles
Blasius and the business is now handled by two
of the old-time employes, Charles Keat, for
thirty years with the firm, and George Baker,
Brunswick Shop, of Holyoke, Mass., Wins
for thirty-five years associated with its business.
Plaudits at Demonstration Unique in Its
Both have been active in winding up the com-
Scope
pany's affairs.
Exhibit at Supervisors' Conference
A remarkably successful demonstration of the
Various dealers specializing in or handling
Brunswick Panatrope was given recently by the
musical instruments and publications adapted
Brunswick Shop, of Holyoke, Mass., in con-
for the education of the youth of the nation in
nection with a home talent show which was
public or private schools and colleges were rep-
resented at the Eastern Music Supervisors' Con-
ference held in Atlantic City last week. Among
those who made the Ambassador Hotel, where
the Conference was held, their headquarters
with displays featured while the meetings were
in course were the Victor Talking Machine Co.,
Camden, N. J.; the Oliver Ditson Co., Boston,
Mass.; Ginn & Co., Boston; New York Music
Bureau, New York; C. C. Birchard, Boston;
Aeolian Co., New York; Carl Fischer, New
York; Charles H. Ditson & Co., New York; the
Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind., and the Edu-
cational Bureau, Chicago, 111., which repre-
sented several of the larger publishers and
manufacturers of the country.
Panatrope Demonstrated
Before Audience of 1600
Elaborate Starr Co. Display
From the Philadelphia headquarters of the
Starr Piano Co., the Witlin Musical Instrument
Co., 904 Walnut street, there were shipped to
the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City during
the recent Eastern Music Supervisors' Confer-"
ence several of the Starr pianos and the Starr
school phonograph.
The Starr Co. occupied
the sun porch of the Ambassador for its exhi-
bition and demonstration. President Ben Wit-
lin, of the company, motored down to the shore
to personally supervise and direct the exhibit.
Among the instruments shown were the Starr
grand and miniature upright pianos and the
especially made school Starr phonograph. Upon
his return trip to the city President Witlin im-
mediately left for Washington, D. C, where he
is to close a big deal with one of the leading
music houses of the Capital City for the sale of
the Starr instruments, announcement to be
made of firm involved at a later date.
Miessner Pianos for Weymann & Sons
Sole Philadelphia distribution of the well-
known Miessner pianos, used extensively for
MARCH 27, 1926
his name at Broad street and Snyder avenue and
Sixteenth street and Snyder avenue, who has
been sojourning in Florida resorts for several
weeks, is back at his desk ready for the Spring
drive for the various instruments which the firm
carries. The firm now has pianos in addition to
the Victor talking machines, formerly handled
exclusively in the Snyder avenue and Broad
street store. There also is carried a complete
assortment of string and band instruments, in-
cluding the Buescher and other well-known
makes.
Rihl Bros., 424 East Girard avenue, has passed
into the hands of the remaining associates of
Albert Rihl, whose death occurred last January,
following a brief illness from pneumonia. The
present owners of the business are Harry Rihl
and his widow, Mrs. Albert Rihl, who will con-
tinue to conduct the business along the same
lines as formerly and plan to extend the sheet
music department. The firm now handles the
Q R S and Imperial music rolls, with a line of
string instruments and the recently added
Atwater Kent and Radiola lines.
Takes on Estey
The Estey pianos have been added to the lines
of Curtis E. Greniger, 6014 Haverford avenue,
who has acquired the music store of Arthur
W. Davidson, at this address, which featured the
Victor exclusively. Since acquiring the busi-
ness Mr. Greniger has extended the lines to the
Estey pianos and piano floor lamps.
While
Mr. Greniger is a newcomer to the music trade,
he has back of him to guide his business the
advice of his son, Charles E. Greniger, long
identified with the industry as manager of the
Linton Store, in South Fifty-second street.
The audience was exceptionally
enthusiastic
over the instrument, as well as in the short talk
describing its features given by H. Emerson
Yorke, special Chicago representative of the
phonograph division of the Brunswick-Balke-
Collender Co.
Havre Piano Go. Opens
HAVRE, MONT., March 19.—The new music store
of the Havre Piano Co. has been opened in the
Joseph Valedon Building, this city, with Miss E.
Panatrope
Demonstrated
Before. 1600 in
Holyoke, Mass.,
by Brunswick
Shop
attended by more than 1,600 persons. Henry
Pueschel, proprietor of the local Brunswick
Shop, spared neither effort nor expense to make
the affair a success, and as a result many hun-
dreds were turned away, due to the limited
capacity of the hall.
A carefully planned program included vocal
selections by Viora M. Dubray, soprano; Nor-
man Dash, baritone, with Marjorie Malcom
Shaw as accompanist. As an interesting variety
the pupils of Miss Hilberger, dancing instructor,
gave several beautiful interpretive dances. The
Brunswick Panatrope opened and closed the
program with a group of well-chosen records.
H. Farmer in charge. The concern will feature
a complete line of Baldwin pianos, as well as
phonographs, music rolls and records.
Miss
Fanner will be assisted by R. Konopatzke, who
will divide his time as tuner and outside sales-
Orpheus Shop Chartered
The Orpheus Music Shop, New York, has
been granted a charter of incorporation recently
with a capital stock of $30,000. The proprietors
of the business are F. Schildkraut, S. Kanarek
and M. M. Barrett.