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"Bings" K. & C. Upright
Still in Use in Spokane School
Probably one of the most cherished
school pianos in America is a vener-
able Kohler & Campbell upright at the
No museum piece, the fine old in-
strument still resists the daily pound-
ings of the pupils. Bing's niece, Cath-
erine Crosby, an honor student at the
nearby Holy Name's College, ably dem-
onstrates its musical qualities.
Catherine
Croby
Sits A t
Kohler &
Campbell
Upright
Once Owned
By
Bing Crosby's
Family
John R. Rogers High School, Spokane.
Wash. The reverence shown the piano
by the pupils does not, however, stem
altogether from their love of music;
the fact that it was owned by a local
family by the name of Crosby with a
young son called Bing who used to
play it has a lot to do with the re-
spect it is shown.
While no actual dates could be de-
termined, Bing Crosbys family left
Spokane some time during 1932-1933
and donated the piano to the school at
that time. For twenty years it has with
stood the hard use a school gives a
piano, not to mention what the Crosby
boys might have done to it.
Kemble Piano Houses Colony
of Bees on Australian Trip
sive territory and he felt quite well
repaid for having the exhibit at the
Convention.
The Kemble piano is claimed to be
the smallest spinet piano now being sold
in this country, 2 ft. 101/9 in. in height.
4 ft. 4 inches wide, and 1 ft. 8 ^ in.
deep. The grands which are being made
by the company are 4 ft. and 4 ft. 6 in.
in length.
Michael Kemble, head of Kemble &
Co.. London. England, who was present
at the Convention where the Kemble
piano was displayed by the Weser Piano
Co., New York, agents for the London
company, told an interesting story re-
garding the shipment of a Kemble pi-
ano from England to Australia.
It seems that when the piano arrived,
a colony of bees had deposited them-
selves inside the box in which the piano
was contained and the box as well as
the piano was elaborately decorated
with honeycomb and honey. However,
when the colony of bees was disposed of
and the honeycomb and honey removed,
Mr. Kemble said the piano was in as
good condition as it was when it left
London.
Mr. Kemble was very well satisfied
with the reception which the Kemble
pianos received at the Convention this
year, and John A. Weser, President of
the Weser Piano Co.. agents for the
piano, stated that many dealers had
arranged for the franchise and exclu-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, AUGUST, 1953
Phonograph Needle Mfg's. Assn
Formed During NAMM Convention
A Phonograph Needle Manufactur-
ers' Association was formed at the
Music Industry Trade Show and Con-
vention in the Palmer House on
Wednesday. July 15.
Morton Marcus, president of Tetrad
Co.. Yonkers, N. Y., was chosen presi-
dent of the new organization. M. A.
Miller, president of Miller Mfg. Co..
Libertyville. 111., was elected vice-pres-
ident. Secretary-treasurer is William
\l olcott, vice-president. Electro vox.
East Orange. N. J.
In addition to the companies repre-
sented by the officers, the following
companies joined in forming the as-
sociation: Permo. Inc., Chicago; Reco-
ton Co., New York; Duotone Co.,
Keyport, N. J., and L. Deen Mfg. Co.,
Chicago. Purpose of the new group is
to improve industry relations.
Unique Bench Catalog Issued
By Manual Arts Furniture Co.
The Manual Arts Furniture Co. of
Cincinnati, Ohio, has just issued a
catalogue known as Catalogue No. 49,
which shows in a very unique manner
approximately 160 different kinds of
benches and one chair. There is also
shown a sheet music cabinet known
as No. 201, 36 inches high, 16% inches
wide and ]2V£; inches deep. The height
of the drawers inside are 21/£> inches.
Not only are the various styles of
benches shown, but on each page there
is listed the piano manufacturer who
uses the style benches on that page.
For instance, three and one-half pages
show the benches used by the Aeolian
American Corp. Two and one-half
pages show those used by the Baldwin
Piano Co. Then comes the Conover
Cable Piano Co., Estey Piano Co..
Ivers & Pond Piano Co., National Piano
Co., W. W r . Kimball Co., Kohler &
Campbell, Inc., Krakauer Bros., Lester
Piano Mfg. Co., Paul G. Mehlin &
Son, Minshall-Estey Organ Co., Poole,
Sohmer, Steinway, Story & Clark and
\^ inter & Co.
At the bottom of each page there is
shown the number of the bench, top
style, top size, height, how shipped,
etc., while in a separate 8-page folder
the prices of all these benches are
included.
Seventy-Two Baldwin Pianos
& Two Organs (or Tanglewood
One of the largest shipments of pi-
anos ever sent to a music event was sent
to Tanglewood for the Berkshire Mu-
s'c Festival, according to John Ortiz,
artists' manager of Baldwin.
Seventy-two new pianos and two
Baldwin electronic organs were loaded
on a fleet of trucks which made the
790-mile run to Tanglewood, near Len-
ox. Mass., from the Cincinnati factory
of the Baldwin company which sup-
plies the instruments.
Included in the shipment were grand
pianos for the studios of Charles
Munch, director of the Boston Sym-
phony Orchestra; Leonard Bernstein
and Pierre Monteux guest conductors,
and Aaron Copland, noted composer
and member of the Berkshire Music
Center faculty.
Baldwin uprights and spinets were
sent for Center students.
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