Music Trade Review

Issue: 1941 Vol. 100 N. 1

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JANUARY, 19 Ul
9
Genuine
Public Interest
is reflected in progress of Piano
Industry in 1940
HAT the piano is now back as an
essential in the estimation of the
public has been manifested by the
steadily increasing demand during the
entire year of 1940. That the console
piano is still the favorite is also disclosed
by production figures but it is interesting
to note that grand piano production has
remained approximately the same for the
past three years. Average retail price
T
sound and profitable footing. Many stores where other lines have been handled now come more noticeable.
devote their entire interests to pianos and
All in all the industry has made such
musical instruments.
progress in bringing home to the public
Many new styles have been introduced the importance of the piano as a
throughout the year and although there cultural instrument as well as one of en-
has been a tendency to manufacture more tertainment and necessity in the home that
consoles 40" or over in height there still it should look forward with the greatest
seems to be a spirited demand for the 36" confidence to the years to come.
type piano.
Production of grands and consoles is
levels have, however, been raised a little
and there has been a better demand for
the higher priced consoles. Furthermore
higher priced grand pianos have consti-
tuted a larger percentage of the total
sale of grands than any previous year for
a decade.
During the past year also there were
more new retail outlets established than
in any year since the piano really started
to show life again and there was also
more renovating and remodeling of old
stores. These two factors are a very vivid
reflection that the industry is again on a
Association work has shown much
progress and the National Piano Manufac-
turers Association, the National Piano
Travelers Association and the National
Association of Music Merchants are work-
ing in closer harmony than they ever have.
The Retail Piano Salesmen's Clinics which
were held throughout the country last
year proved so successful that they will be
held again this year, publicity on pianos
in newspapers and magazines as well as
use of piano illustrations in the advertise-
ments of large national advertisers out-
now back where it was in 1925. The in-
dustry perhaps can have only one regret.
That is, that the production of grands
which was 50,000 in 1925 was but 19,000
in 1940.
Following are some of the more im-
portant highlights in the industry during
1940:
JANUARY
Piano shipments for 1939 announced as
114,043.
Over two hundred dealers attend Re-
tail Sales Clinic held at the Hotel New
Yorker, New York.
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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
10
Willring Music Co., Indianapolis ap-
pointed Steinway representatives.
Lyon <& Healy Inc., Chicago, takes on
the Estey Organ line.
Estey Organ Co., Brattleboro, Vt., closes
Chicago Office.
Southern California Music Co., San
Diego appointed Orgatron representatives
by Everett Piano Co., South Haven, Mich.
H. O. Galloway, president of Posey &
Co., Hoquiam, Wash., passes away.
Pearson Co., Indianapolis, hid., ap-
pointed Mason & Hamlin representatives.
Edward H. Uhl, Los Angeles, passes
away.
Piano shipments for the month 9,862.
FEBRUARY
L. Bamberger & Co., Newark N. J.,
opens piano department with Clarence H.
Pettit, as manager.
R. H. Macy & Co., New York, opens
piano department in charge of David
Davis.
William D. Schultz joins Winter & Co.
organization in New York.
Winter & Co.. Musette agency, goes
to Sibley Lindsay & Curr, Rochester, N. Y.
George Mortimore is elected vice presi-
dent of Wm. Knabe & Co.
Piano shipments for the month 10,354.
MARCH
Successful sales clinics held in Kansas
City, Mo., Dallas Texas, Los Angeles and
San Francisco, Cal. and Seattle, Wash.
Laurens Hammond, president of the
Hammond Instrument Co., Chicago desig-
nated as one of America's Modern
Pioneers by the National Association of
Manufacturers.
Music Center Inc., appointed Steinway
representative in Boise, Idaho.
Alexander Altenburg brother of Otto
Altenburg, Elizabeth, N. J., passes away.
Earl Billings, Sr., joins Morgan Piano
Co., Miami, Fla.
Piano shipments for the month 10,233.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JANUARY, 19U
APRIL
Janssen piano used in first telecast in
New York.
Shoninger line taken on by Gimbel
Bros., New York
Straube Pianos Inc., acquires new plant
in Chicago Heights, HI.
Namm & Son department store opens
department in Brooklyn, N. Y.
Consolidated Industries Inc., Rockford,
111., including the Haddorff Piano Co.,
bought by Canadian and Los Angeles
interests.
C. B. Wikoff elected treasurer of the
Columbia Recording Corp., Bridgeport,
Conn.
Successful sales clinics held in Minne-
apolis, Minn., Atlanta, Ga. and Pittsburgh,
Pa.
Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind., pur-
chases action patterns and machinery of
Wessell Nickel & Gross, New York.
Robert N. Watlrin joins Brook Mays Co. in Dallas, Texas.
Piano shipments for the month 9,935.
Carl A. Droop of E. H. Droop & Sons,
Washington, D. C. passes away at the
age of 69.
Edward P. Mason, formerly president of
Mason & Hamlin passes away at the age
of 81.
Piano shipments for the month 7,266.
AUGUST
Harry J. Sohmer, Jr., enters the Sohmer
& Co. plant at Astoria, L. I. to learn the
business after graduating from Princeton.
Richard K. Paynter, 65, vice president
of Wm. Knabe & Co.. passes away sud-
denly in New York.
William J. Keeley, formerly president
of the Auto Pneumatic Action Co., passes
away at age 79 in New York.
RCA Victor Manufacturing Co., an-
nounces reduction in record prices.
National Association of Piano Tuners
hold annual convention in Grand Rapids,
Mich.
Snellenberg & Co., Philadelphia opens
piano department with J. P. Hartpence in
charge.
Brook Mays passes away in Dallas,
MAY
Texas,
C. B. Morgan in Miami and Adam
Steinert & Sons Co., Boston open new
Schneider
veteran treasurer of the Chicago
Stienert Hall in Springfield, Mass.
Piano
&
Organ
Association in Chicago.
Laurens Hammond awarded the John
Piano
shipments
for the month 10,773.
Price Witherell medal by Franklin Insti-
tute, Philadelphia, Pa.
SEPTMBER
W.
R.
Crippen.
Westport Point, Mass.,
JUNE
introduces the Crippen Interpretone a foot
R. C. Rolfing, vice president and gen- power player piano.
eral manager of the Rudolph Wurlitzer
Chicago Piano & Organ Association
Co., Cincinnati, O., elected president of elects Eugene E. Whalen of W. W. Kimball
the National Piano Manufacturers Asso- Co., treasurer.
ciation—new directors elected: G. Lau-
Harvy Newquist for many years with
rence Miller, president of the Lester the American Plate Co., Racine, Wis., be-
Piano Manufacturing Co., Philadelphia, comes vice president of the Standard
James A. Gould, president of Pratt Read Foundry and Furnace Co., DeKalb, 111.
& Co., Ivoryton, Conn, and Gardner C.
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., Cincinnati store
Cavanagh, president of the Aeolian Amer- appointed Steinway representatives for
ican Corp., East Rochester, N. Y.
that city.
Ohio Association of Music Merchants
George W. Allen, becomes eastern rep-
holds its annual convention at Cedar- resentative of the Aeolian American Corp.
Point-on-Lake-Erie — Leslie L. Stewart, relinquishing the middle western territory
Columbus, O., elected president.
to Stanley Harris.
Edwin R. Weeks, 72, of Weeks & Dickin-
Music Festival held in the Court of
son, Binghamton, N. Y. killed by lightning Peace at the New York World's Fair led
on the golf links.
by F. O. Wilking of Indianapolis during
Piano shipments for the month 7,498.
which over 100 Story & Clark pianos were
played.
JULY
Piano shipments for the month, 13,355.
The 39th annual convention of the Na-
OCTOBER
tional Association of Music Merchants has
largest attendance in a decade at Hotel
Haddorff Piano Co. purchased by C. G.
Stevens in Chicago. Paul S. Felder, presi- Conn Ltd., Elkhart, Ind.
dent of Phillip Werlein Ltd., New Orleans
Theodore Cassebeer long vice president
elected president. William H. Bowles, in charge of manufacturing of Steinway
eastern salesmanager of Story <& Clark & Sons, New York, retires and is suc-
Piano Co., elected president of the Na- ceeded by Col. Frederick A. Vietor. Paul
tional Piano Travelers Association; Joseph Bilhuber elected a director and made as-
L. Selzer of Winter & Co., elected presi- sistant factory manager.
dent of the Piano Advertising Managers
George J. Birkel passes away in Los
Club.
Angeles, Cal.
John Wirtz appointed eastern represent-
Gulbransen Co., Chicago, announces a
ative of the Magnavox Co., Fort Wayne,
concert grand piano.
Hammond Instrument Co., Chicago, in- Ind.
Roy E. Waite elected president of the
troduces the Solovox.
Chicago
Piano 6, Organ Association.
Louis Luberoff of Wyncotte, Pa., intro-
Piano shipments for the month, 16,524.
duces the Trio-Art piano which combines
piano, radio-phonograph and recorder.
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