January 29, 1920.
31
PRESTO
NORTHWESTERN PIANO MAN
WHO DRAWS CARTOONS
this paper gladly makes the correction in accord-
ance with Mr. McDonald's suggestion. The Sohmer
has many loyal agents, one of the most prominent
being J. O. Twichell, of Chicago.
TUNERS' PRESIDENT TELLS
HOW TO CARE FOR IT
J. A. Poppler, of Grand Forks, N. D., Whose Talent
Aids Sales.
SEBASTIAN ERARD AND .
QUEEN MARIfc ANTOINETTE
C. A. Deutschmann Gives Some Advice Which
Must Interest the Trade As Well As
Individual Owners of Pianos.
Part the Ill-fated Royal Lady Played in Encouraging
Piano Invention.
How the famous inventor, Sebastian Erard, ac-
quired possession of historic Chateau de la Muette
is one of the interesting events of French history.
It was there one day that Queen Marie Antoinette
gave audience to a little Alsatian, who craved per-
mission to submit to her an invention, destined to
supersede the old fashioned clavecin or spinet.
The inventor's name was Sebastian Erard, the
father of the instrument now known as the piano-
forte. It was thanks to her patronage that he was
able to achieve phenomenal success with his inven-
tion, and when at the outbreak of the revolution the
royal Chateau de la Muette and its grounds were
put up at auction, along with other crown property
confiscated by the republic, he had acquired suffi-
cient wealth to purchase part of it, with the inten-
tion of preserving it for the benefit of his ill-fated
benefactress.
The remainder was occupied for a number of
years by the great Talleyrand, and it was only later
on that old Erard was able to complete his purchase
of the entire property, which on the restoration he
lent to the royal Comte d'Artois, afterward Charles
X., who lived there for a time. As soon as possible,
however, Erard resumed possession of the place,
where he resided until his death.
President C. A. Deutschmann, of the National
Association of Piano Tuners, has sent out a cir-
cular letter of advice to piano owners. It is equally
interesting to most of the piano dealers, and so it is
here reproduced, as follows:
The care of the piano after it is sold and placed
in the home does more to establish and uphold its
reputation than the care bestowed upon it in the
course of its construction. For any who may doubt
this statement; suppose for an instant, that the
output of any factory were sold and placed in homes
and not one of these pianos were ever to be tuned
again; how long would this firm remain in business?
This should make it plain that when a merchant
sells a piano and neglects to inform the purchaser
as to its care, he is neglecting and hurting his busi-
ness.
It should be the duty of every salesman to in-
form the purchaser of the necessary service re-
quired to keep a piano in good condition.
We laugh and smile at the ignorance of the piano
owner regarding his piano; we snicker at the foolish
remarks of some of our patrons and think them
comical, when in reality this ignorance is not a
comedy but the tragedy of our business.
For the enlightenment and education of the public
regarding the piano and its care, the National Asso-
ciation of Piano Tuners suggests to the Musical
Industries Chamber of Commerce the following:
Inaugurate a system of talks, lectures and addresses
to be given in the various institutions such as music
schools, high schools, women's clubs, etc.; illustrat-
ing the construction of a piano, what it is made
of explaining and demonstrating the effect the
different states of the atmosphere (heat, cold, damp-
ness), have upon its various parts, impressing upon
them, on account of these atmospheric changes,
the absolute necessity of having their pianos regu-
larly taken care of. Through this method the mer-
chant will rid himself of many annoying complaints.
Purchasers will no more condemn a piano because
an ivory is cracked or a key sticks, or a pedal
squeaks. And when we have again made musical
instruments out of the great number of pianos that,
through the lack of proper care, have ceased to be
musical, oh! what a boost it will be to the music-
in-the-home proposition.
C. A. DEUTSCHMANN.
J. A. Poppler, who styles himself "Si" Poppler,
Baldwin dealer at Grand Forks, N. D., was in Chi-
cago on Friday. Mr. Poppler is a clever artist, who
could be matched with Bud Fisher. Presto's art
critic saw some of his work at the Baldwin desk in
Chicago on Friday, and pronounces Mr. Poppler a
member of the cartoonists' brotherhood. He has
popularized his store at Grand Forks by drawing
humorous pictures and putting them in his windows.
Mr. Poppler bought out the Stone Piano Co.'s
Grand Forks store, which gave him a prominent
start.
ALL=EMBRACING INFLUENCE
OF NEW YORK MUSIC WEEK
Paul B. Klugh Gives Emphasis to a Point for Con-
sideration of AH Music Dealers.
President Paul B. Klugh gives expression to a
succinct estimate of what the Music Week in New
York really means to the trade and music loving
public generally. Following is what Mr. Klugh
says:
Plans for the convention and celebration of Music
Week in New York City from February 1st to 7th
are now complete, and it is certain that this won-
derful propaganda for music in the home will be
of far-reaching influence and value to every dealer
in music throughout this country.
Please note the term "Music Week and Music
Show," and observe that this term embraces every
musical factor and is not confined to pianos, phono-
graphs or other specified lines. Music is the word
emphasized and music is the thought this wonder-
ful week is to implant in the hearts and homes of
everyone. A great attendance is expected from all
ocer the country and New York manufacturers and
dealers extend a hearty welcome to all visitors.
NO CIRCUS GRAND TOURS.
It will be learned with regret that Platt P. Gibbs
decided not to run a special Circus Grand Excur-
sion from Chicago to the New York convention.
Mr. Gibbs has not missed a convention from the
first, and his voice has been loudly and humorously
heard at many of them. His tours, from Chicago
to New York, have been famous, and he has often
boasted that "no piano man has ever occupied an
upper berth" in any of his Pullman specials. This
year the railroad administration is not such as to
encourage Mr. Gibbs' famous Circus Grand Piano
Parties to the convention. Hense, it is "all off."
E. H. STORY GOES EAST.
E. H. Story, president of the Story & Clark
Piano Company, Chicago, who had been in Chicago
for a week, left on Friday for a trip into the East.
Mr. Story does not intend to attend the piano con-
ventions in New York. The Story & Clark Piano .
Co. have booth 60 in the Grand Central Palace dur-
ing the Music Show, so that representatives of the
Chicago industry, and other dealers also, of course,
will have opportunity of examining the line during
convention week.
The Starr phonograph is well and favorably
known throughout the South where it is handled
by branches of the Starr Piano Co., in Nashville,
Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tenn.; Birmingham
and Montgomery, Ala., and Pensacola and Tampa,
Fla.
ANDERSON PIANO COMPANY'S
BALDWIN DISPLAY AT FARGO, N. D.
FINE OLD SOHMER PIANO
PROSPERS AS NEVER BEFORE
Its Trade Is, By a Very Large Majority, Not Con-
fined to New York City.
The statement recently appeared in Presto that
the Sohmer piano sale is "chiefly a New York re-
tail business." To that statement Alex McDonald,
Director of Publicity for Sohmer & Co., takes ex-
ception in these words:
The Sohmer wholesale business was never in so
flourishing a condition as at the present time. We
have on hand at this time more orders for monthly
shipment throughout the period of 1920 than at any
time in the history of the house.
It must be a satisfaction to all interested in good
pianos to know that the Sohmer is prosperous.
But that its "chief business" is in New York doesn't
seem a hurtful statement, but to the contrary in
view of the general understanding that the piano
founded by Hugo Sohmer has been a New York
favorite from its first appearance. Nevertheless,
The Anderson Piano Company, W. J. Anderson,
president, Fargo, N. D., is displaying prominently in
its windows the Baldwin line of grand and upright
pianos and the Manualo line of playerpianos. The
accompanying picture shows the Anderson Piano
Company's display as viewed in its store this week.
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