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The Music Trade Review
APRIL 27, 1929
Meiklejohn Co, Secures Baldwin Piano
for the Entire State of Rhode Island
Prominent Music House to Feature the Baldwin Line as Its Leader in an Aggressive
"Campaign—Banquet Marks Close of Deal
ROVIDENCE, R. I., April 22.—One of the
most important deals consummated by the
Baldwin Piano Co. in the East for many
months has been the appointment of the Meik-
lejohn Co. of this city and with branches in
Pawtucket and Woonsocket as representative
for the Baldwin piano throughout the State of
Rhode Island. The Meiklejohn Co., established
in 1885, has built up a tremendous following
among the music profession and the music lov-
ers of this section, and has been particularly
successful in the selling of high-class instru-
ments.
Under the new arrangement, the Meiklejohn
Co. will devote an entire floor of its establish-
ment at 297 Weybosset street, this city, to the
display of the Baldwin instrument, which will
also be displayed prominently in the branch
stores of the company. The Baldwin will be
featured as the leader in the Meiklejohn line
presented in concert and recital frequently and
advertised generously. The reputation of that
instrument among both artists and laymen is
expected to prove of great value in this terri-
tory, particularly when coupled with the high
reputation of the Meiklejohn house itself, which
has in the past placed instruments in the ma-
jority of the leading educational institutions in
the State.
The acquirement of the Baldwin line by Meik-
On Friday evening the executives of the sales
staff of the Meiklejohn Co. were the guests of
the Baldwin Co. at an informal dinner held at
the Providence-Biltmore Hotel at which the
toastniastcr was Charles S. Onderdonk, Eastern
manager for the Baldwin Co. Those who at-
tended the dinner, in addition to the members
of the Meiklejohn Organization, included Har-
old S. Morse, Eastern wholesale manager; and
Charles F. Shaw, New England wholesale rep-
resentative of the Baldwin Co., and B. B. Wil-
son, editor of The Music Trade Review.
The dinner was held primarily for the purpose
of acquainting the Meiklejohn sales staff with
facts regarding the Baldwin line, the sales pol-
icies, and the publicity that was designed to
break down sales resistance. One of the prin-
cipal speakers was A. M. Hume, of the A. M.
Hume Music Co., Boston, Mass., a veteran
Baldwin dealer, who, in an interesting address,
told the Meiklejohn staff of the success he had
met with in handling the Baldwin line in his
city. He proved to be an enthusiast and gave
those assembled some valuable information. An-
other speaker was Walter Koons, manager of
the Artist Department of the Baldwin Co., who
told of the importance of having artists endorse
and use pianos as a. basis for sales arguments,
and outlined briefly the purpose of the Baldwin
radio broadcasting programs, which have beets
P
Justice of the Peace
Becomes Piano Dealer
R. O. Copsey, Justice of the Peace of Xenia,
()., purchased the stock and store furnishing
of the Sutten Music Store, this city, at the re-
ceiver's sale recently and will reopen the store
at the present location, 27 Green street. Squire
Copsey has been a music teacher and piano
tuner. He will move his Justice of the Peace
office to quarters over the store, and is ex-
pected to have no trouble in collecting on
delinquent accounts.
Strange Now Manager
PHILADF.LPHIA, PA., April 22.—The Philadelphia
branch store of the W. W. Kimball Co., the
Milner Piano Co., 3808 North Broad street, is
now under management of Gene Strange, who
succeeds F. N. Handley, former vice-president
of the Milner Co. The local store will be given
over to the Kimball piano sales while the Kim-
ball organs will be sold through the New York
headquarters where W. B. Milner is Eastern
agent.
I Above —Baldwin £
1 Co. Banquet to F
| Meiklejohn Staff |
|
at Providence. 1
I
At Right—A
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1
Corner of the
[
1 Baldwin Salon in =
1
1
the Meiklejohn ^
Store
1
lejohn was announced to the public of Provi-
dence and vicinity through the medium of full-
page advertisements in which was stressed the
fact that the Meiklejohn house had served the
public of Rhode Island for nearly 45 years and
was placing its reputation back of the new line.
J. W- Meiklejohn said to The Review, "We have
decided upon the Baldwin as our leader after
mature consideration and careful tests. These
tests have proven to our satisfaction that the
construction of the Baldwin piano is in every
respect of the finest, and, backed by its ac-
ceptance by prominent artists and musical or-
ganizations for their own use, we believe that
there is a real opportunity for placing the in-
struments in the finest homes and the most
representative educational institutions in the
State."
Coincident with the advertising by the Meik-
lejohn Co. of the acquisition of the Baldwin, the
advertising, by the way, featuring those artists
who use the instruments exclusively, there was
held at the Meiklejohn studio a series of daily
piano recitals by Hans Barth, the noted pianist,
who not only demonstrated the tonal qualities
of the Baldwin gra,nd, but also of the new
Baldwin quarter-tone piano with its two key
boards, of which he is such a firm advocate. In-
vitations to the daily concerts, held in the after-
noon, were sent to the leading music teachers
and authorities of the city with the result that
the recital hall was crowded each day. Mr.
Barth also gave several concerts outside of the
vvareroom during the week, the arrangement be-
ing made by the Meiklejohn Co.
so successful that they are being continued be-
yond the allotted time.
The final speaker was J. W. Meiklejohn, who
told of the careful consideration given to the
Baldwin line before it was finally accepted as
leader for the house and who pledged the ear-
nest efforts of the entire organization toward
putting that instrument in first pbsition among
the pianos in Rhode Island.
As already stated, the Meiklejohn Co. was es-
tablished in 1885, and the present officers are
Andrew J. Meiklejohn, president; J. W. Meikle-
john, vice-president, and William Meiklejohn,
secretary. Andrew and William are connected
with the Pawtucket branch, J. W. and J. Ron-
ald look after affairs in this city, while James
Meiklejohn is in charge of the Woonsocket
branch.
Tube Plant Now Operating
B. J. Grigsby, president of the Grigsby-Grun-
ow Co., makers of Majestic radio receivers, an-
nounces that the company's new tube plant is
now in operation and producing at the rate of
5,000 tubes per day. Within thirty days this
output will be increased to 40,000.
New Store in Riverhead
Smith & Lull, Riverhead, N. Y., opened a new
music store recently. The store will be under
the management of Park V. Arnold. The store
will carry a complete stock.