Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1920 1751

Page 8 Text:

PRESTO
8
ods of manufacture, the introduction of piano-making machinery and
other conditions on this side, serve as life preservers of the American
industry, even if other conditions, in finance and economic life, were
not so different. In our country the fine old pianos are often the
ones that display the greatest life and vigor. They are in such demand
that selling price has very little to do with the volume of output, which
is as great as factory facilities will permit. And, over here, so great
a name as that of Brinsmead is over there possesses a commercial
value as great as its influence in art. It could not be permitted to die
with no other reason than that of manufacturing cost.
Under this head it is interesting to recall that when the Decker
Bros, piano was withdrawn from the trade there were many offers for
the name and good will. Two of the offers were for $50,000 and
$60,000 respectively. And there are other famous pianos still active in
the trade, that have brought as much or even more for the great, if
intangible value of a good name.
There is no danger of any Brinsmead fate exterminating any
old American piano. But the condition by which the London in-
dustry is abandoned, nevertheless, is filled with suggestion. It may
not serve as any warning to labor—probably will not—but it should
in some degree silence the cry, sometimes heard even over here, about
what the piano manufacturers are doing to elevate the already high
prices. As a matter of fact, the prices are not too high, if high enough.
For they have always been too low.
PLAYER ROLL INNOVATION
In these quick-moving times, the makers of music trade history
have ample opportunities for the exercise of their initiative. And of
course the progress of the playerpiano presents the most interesting
phases of the changes in the trade, and in the introduction of new
things and new ideas of its development.
A booklet just put forth by a great playerpiano industry is sug-
gestive of what has just been said; in fact suggested the saying of it.
It is a book upon a new plan and presenting the subject of playerpiano
music in a new way. And the originators of the way are the publicity
directors in the industry of the Gulbransen-Dickinson Company. The
book itself was reviewed in a recent issue of this paper.
From time running far back of the oldest music dealer now living,
it has been customary to find catalogues of the various publications
for the piano. Every sheet music publisher has put them forth, and
at one time a giant volume came out in which the publications of all
the publishers were listed between two covers. Of course, too, since
the playerpiano came into popular use, the manufacturers of music
rolls have issued lists and catalogues of their productions.
But it has remained for the Gulbransen-Dickinson Company to
compile the first general classified and descriptive catalogue of
player rolls. And the compilation is doubly remarkable because of
its evident unconsciousness of anything like partiality to particular
lines of rolls, or other consideration than to supply a convenient help
and guide. From the standpoint of high-class promotion of the in-
strument itself, therefore, it would be difficult to point to any innova-
tion associated with the trade that is better, if equally as good.
It is, of course, the new things that attract attention and create
the impression. It is the helpful novelty that wins approval because
the public is always in neec of the kind of direction that can only come
of experience. To the average dealer and his customers, a list of titles
in a music catalogue means little except in the case of already famous
pieces. But a book containing an unbiased topical index, with enter-
taining comments upon the purposes and fitness of the music de-
scribed, can not fail of being helpful.
The Gulbransen booklet contains the names of thousands of
player rolls of different manufacturers—song rolls included. And the
variety and scope of the lists is a significant proof of the place already
gained by the playerpiano in the world of music. It is such evidence
of up-to-dateness and skill in the application of ideas to the needs of
the times that insures progress and compels respect for a growing
line of industry.
DAYLIQHT=SAVINQ FOR DEALERS
Several of the cities of the United States have taken action,
through the initiative of their chambers of commerce, providing for
daylight-saving plans; so it would not be surprising if Congress should
reconsider the question and re-establish national daylight saving.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company is considering the adoption of
the daylight-saving plan, which has been adopted by New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and other important cities, for the reason
February 12, 1920.
that it would be impracticable to provide train service based on two
standards of time.
More than 300 communities in New Jersey have gone on record
in favor of daylight-saving. Philadelphia, Hartford, Conn., and other
cities are effecting the change the last Sunday in March, and con-
tinuing until the last Sunday in October. Pittsburgh will hold to the
daylight-saving rule from the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday
in September. South Bend, Ind.; Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Joseph, Mich.,
and Erie, Pa., are among the cities that will adopt daylight-saving
as an all-summer rule.
Retail piano dealers and their salesmen, so far as a Presto repre-
sentative can learn after inquiring of several of them, favor the day-
light-saving plan. Many of the salesmen like the earlier quitting-
time in summer, as it gives them time to make garden, to play golf,
to go rowing or walking, to take a motor trip, or even to go far out
in the suburbs to see a customer whose remote residence had been a
cause of worry.
Trade press representatives in New York last week were amazed
at the activities of some mysterious individual whose name appeared
in the "flimsy" as "Mr. Blank." Sometimes the only method of
identification was in recognizing the speaker's style, and then, some-
times, Mr. Blank became some well known and fluent orator of the
convention. But the reporting was otherwise perfectly good and, in
the excitement of such a week, it could not have been expected that
accuracy would come first. It was a wonderful week and one that
all who participated in will never forget. And the trackless blizzard
must add to the remembrance of it.
*
:j;
*
It is cause for more than usual regret that a progressive piano
industry should be the victim of fire at this time, when the demand
is so great as to be impossible of fulfillment. Such was the fate of
the Chute & Butler Company's fine plant at Peru, Indiana, which
was destroyed on Saturday last. But the pluck of the Chute & Butler
management will soon overcome the disaster and the fine Chute &
Butler pianos and players will soon again be forthcoming. Presto
extends its sympathies to President R. A. Edwards and Vice-Presi-
dent-Manager R. H. Bouslog, upon whose shoulders will rest the
responsibility of the rehabilitation.
* * *
The number of genuinely artistic American pianos increases
with the passing of time. And the West is gradually contributing
to this satisfactory condition. Today the city of Rockford, 111., has
a standing musically because the Haddorff piano is manufactured
there. The Haddorff presents one of the illustrations of the influence
of a really fine piano upon the fame of even a good-sized city. And
the Haddorff piano is now recognized by the trade everywhere as a
representative instrument of the first class. It has passed its experi-
mental period.
* * *
Nothing in connection with the Convention was more elabo-
rately impressive than the week's program of the American Piano
Co. and the Ampico. From a great display at the Music Show to a
special play by the late Dr. Cyrus Townsend Brady, the scene of
which was laid in "an Ampico salesroom" to several fine concerts
and a banquet of many guests, the American Piano Co. filled large
space in the week's events.
* * *
The carillon, which rang in the Music Show, added zest to the
occasion. The idea of elaborate bell chimes was proposed by the
late John McTammany, of player contention fame, for the San Fran-
cisco Exposition. But the carillon and its solemn suggestiveness is
almost as old as religion and dates back almost to the casting of the
first bells.
* * *
Some of the fine exhibits at the Music Show are described in
another place this week. Last week others had attention. The enter-
prise of the Kohler Industries, and associate enterprises, was on so
large a scale as to amaze visiting piano men. With such support as
the large piano industries extended the Show could not have been
short of a great event.
*
*
*
We believe that it is fair to say without danger of being charged
with boastfulness, that Presto was the first trade paper to give an
account of the convention and music show in New York last week.
And the paper was not delayed a minute past its publication hour.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

Page 9 Text:

February 12, 1920.
RESTO
HALLET & DAVIS DINNER
AN ENJOYABLE AFFAIR
EXHIBITS IN A GREAT SHOW
Organization Officials and Dealers Foregath-
er, Listen to Interesting Trade Talks
and Partake of Good Things.
A Circuit of the Booths Discovers the Evidences of Energy and Achieve*
ments of Ambitious Manufacturers
One of the most pleasurable events of New
York Music Week was the annual dinner of the
Hallet & Davis Company and its dealers, held at
the Yale Club on the evening of February 5. About
half a hundred guests lined up about the big horse-
shoe table and partook of the good things of the
season, the "feast of reason and the flow of soul,"
all provided in abundance and excellent taste.
Trade subjects were discussed from many angles
by the various speakers in the course of the eve-
ning, and some most interesting matters were de-
veloped. K. Jaffa, of November & Jaffe, legal ex-
perts on collections and credits, urged upon the
dealers the wisdom of substantial first payments
and the folly of ever permitting themselves to re-
vert to the old practice of '"a dollar down and a
dollar after doomsday."
E. A. Widman, president of the Pathe Company,
gave some interesting recollections of his early re-
lations with the late Col. E. S. Conway, and dilated
upon the vast increase of the Pathe industry.
E. E. Conway, president of the Hallet & Davis
Company, told of the energetic work done to in-
crease production, not only through extensive en-
largements in various directions, but by econo-
mies in time and motion that were equivalent to
factory extensions. He cited the case of the Sim-
plex Player Action factory where from 300-a-month
three years ago they had jumped to 3,000-a-month
today. He declared that all Hallet & Davis plans
were made from the viewpoint of the dealer and
strongly urged the importance of co-operation.
C. C. Conway, vice-president of the Hallet &
Davis Company, spoke on the growth and progress
of the music trade organizations, the success of
the stamp plan, and the great musical uplift that
had been created by the activities of these organi-
zations. He concluded with a little talk to the
dealers, assuring them of the desire of the Hallet &
Davis Company to give them real service, that
would aid them in obtaining speedy turnovers and
adherence to sound retail business policies.
O. C. Stone, the veteran piano publicity man, gave
a talk on sound and sane advertising methods, urg-
ing the broad, liberal propaganda of music in the
home, as opposed to the old method of exploiting
special sales, fabulous terms, etc. He declared on
the authority of the leading manufacturers that the
trade would be short 65,000 to 70,000 pianos this
year, and in these conditions the merchants should
stand out firmly for short-time contracts.
Short talks were given by a number of Hallet &
Davis dealers and other guests.
STIEFF TREASURER DIES.
Jacob G. Schnepfe, treasurer and assistant gen-
eral manager of the firm of Charles M. Stieff, Inc.,
Baltimore, Md., and treasurer of the Music Dealers'
Association of Baltimore, died last week after a
brief illness of influenza and pneumonia. He was
connected with the piano firm for 10 years. Be-
sides acting in the capacity of treasurer and assist-
ant general manager he also was general auditor,
supervising several of the firm's branches in other
cities.
KENNETH CURTIS RETURNS.
Kenneth W. Curtis, western manager of the Koh-
ler & Campbell Industries, Chicago, returned to the
city on Sunday and is back on duty in the Kimball
Hall building. He said the convention was an active
one and the show attractively set out. The large
number of dealers who were sick with influenza
and colds, and the death of J. Harry Estey, cast a
gloom over the latter part of the week's activities.
Mr. Curtis himself suffered from a bad cold.
FIRST BACK FROM CONVENTION.
Frederick Ryder enjoys the distinction of being
the first Chicago man to return from the New York
conventions. Mr. Ryder took part in the New York
Music Show, and he went also to Boston on this
trip. He had work in New York in connection with
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Ryder is
one of the best known of the Cable Piano Company's
retail salesmen at the Chicago store of that great
house.
CINCINNATI STEINWAY VISITOR.
S. B. Holmes, Charleston, W. Va., representative
of the Steinway piano, was a visitor at the Cincin-
nati office last week. During his stay in Cincinnati
Mr. Holmes was the guest of E. B. Wells, manager
of the Cincinnati office.
In the course of a couple of days the movie fan
in every city, town and village in the country will
be enabled to see what a big music show looks like.
The management has aided the efforts of a mov-
ing picture film company to get a reel of interesting
scenes in the big exposition at Grand Central Pal-
ace, New York. Vistas, action and close-ups have
been "shot at 1 ' by an expert with a moving picture
camera. So in the course of a few weeks the spir-
ited events in booth and hall will be presented to the
show-goers far and wide. The close-ups, which
show many of the prominent ones in the trade, will
be of particular interest to piano dealers.
-
In the A. B. Chase Booth.
"If for nothing else, the Music Show was valuable
for the opportunity it afforded for the exchange of
greetings with old customers,'' said B. S. Oakley,
who, with other members of the official and sales
staffs, did the gracious thing in Booth 32 where the
exhibit of the A. B. Chase Piano Co. was set forth.
"But the show is of great value, that cannot be
reckoned in exact figures by manufacturer or dealer.
People in charge of exhibits can fairly well gauge
the possibilities in the way of publicity of a dis-
play."
Of course Booth 32 was the first place the dealer
who is proud of the A. B. Chase piano as leader, re-
paired on entering the show. These were many,
too, for the A. B. Chase has been made the leader
by quite a good sized army of piano dealers since
the first appearance of the instrument in 1885. In
the fine display in Booth 32 last week every A. B.
Chase dealer saw the justification of his original
choice. The A. B. Chase display was the presenta-
tion of the newest ideas, with a background of
forty-five years of musical tradition.
The Packard Display.
It looked as if the whole Packard factory family
had been transported to the Packard Piano Co.'s
display at the Music Show in Grand Central Palace
last week. Walking about the display was like a
ramble through the departments in the big plant
at Fort Wayne, Ind. One met the whole pleasant
bunch of glad-handers.
Of course A. S. Bond, president of the Packard
Piano Co., conspicuous by his inches and his smile,
came early and stayed late. H. W. Bond and Mrs.
Bond and their daughter shared with Mr. Bond in
the pleasureable duties of receiving old friends of
the house.
In the line of duty, too, the visitors encountered
A. A. Mahan, B. R. Brassfield, E. N. Paulding, Al
Buenning, Bert Hulme, H. B. Harris, Earl Achen-
bach, O. W. Williams, Albert Passino, James Jen-
nings and John Anderson.
The possibilities of the Packard Piano Co.'s prod-
uct in the domestic and export trade were shown in
an easily understandable way. Anyway if the visitor
failed to see the obvious there were plenty of en-
gaging gentlemen to enlighten him. The Packard
Welte Mignon Interpreter and the Bond Welte Mig-
noii Interpreter provided two splendid opportuni-
ties for Henry Veatch to tell about the high grade
of the products of the Fort Wayne factory.
Filling Ampico Hall.
V. E. B. Fuller was in charge of the Ampico
Recital Hall, assisted by many travelers in for the
show. The demonstrations there were continuous
and of equal popularity with the big Ampico events
elsewhere in the city during the week.
Ampico Hall had a seating capacity of 300 to
400, and it was continuously taxed to accommo-
date the eager listeners. The events in Ampico
Hall were wonderfully effective publicity efforts.
Other Ampico events are reported elsewhere in this
paper.
One of the most enthusiastic of the occasional
demonstrators encountered in the Ampico exhibit
was B. F. Driver, who represents the American
Piano Co. in the South. Mr. Driver is scoring a
great success in sales in that section.
Auto Pneumatic Action Co.
Auto Pneumatic Action Co., New York, had a won-
derful exhibit in Booths 7 and 8, main floor. The Auto
Pneumatic Action Co. is so well and favorably known
in the piano world that it needed no processes of in-
troduction to dealers at Grand Central ; Palace.
Many visitors, including great pianists, came each
day to see the marvel in the piano industry—the
auto-pneumatic action. W. C. Heaton, with his
always approachable manner and bigness of heart,
greeted his friends and customers in one of the
largest spaces, and perhaps the most expensively
furnished in the show. On the floor were the most
expensive oriental rugs, and the paintings on the
walls provided an exhibit distinct from the main
purpose of the company.
The Auto-Pneumatic Action Co. believed that
the average piano man has the instinct of art and
that a collection of fine pictures would find appre-
ciation. Many of these great paintings came from
the most exclusive homes in New York City, and
were loaned to Mr. Heaton for this exhibit. The
insurance covering the pictures was over $50,000.
That was only a small part of the cost of handling
this exhibit. Mr. Heaton's thought was to furnish
a beautiful visiting place for his many friends rather
than a music shop only. This exhibit will be long
remembered by the many who had the opportu-
nity to visit there.
Simplex Action Display.
On Booth 70, Mezzanine Floor, the Simplex Player
Action Co., Worcester, Mass., had one of the most
interesting exhibits in the Music Show. This was
proven by the attendance and apparent great in-
terest taken by many visitors to this booth. Mr.
Swanson performed a joyous task of meeting vis-
itors and extending the Simplex enthusiasm.
Dealers and tuners delighted to linger in the ex-
hibit of the Simplex Player Action Co. The tuners
viewed the Action from the repairman's standpoint
and recognized an action that has no seeds of trouble.
But Mr. Swanson told visitors other things about
the action besides the simplicity that gives it its
name. He pointed out the surety of satisfaction
which is the creator of good will for the piano or
player.
The Premier Grand Piano.
The Premier Grand Piano Co., New York, had its
exhibit in Booth 219, second floor. It was an at-
tractive exhibit from many viewpoints.
The Premier Grand had a position on an elevated
platform with an arched stairway leading thereto.
A charming lady pianist gave demonstrations. Also
Premier Baby Grand, 4 ft. 10 in. Walter C. Hep-
perla, the president, was full of smiles and good
cheer at the evident success of the demonstrations.
It would make any piano manufacturer feel good
to create 40 to 50 new agencies in one week. The
company states it has opened 39 agencies through
the show.
Steinway at Show.
The exhibit of Steinway & Sons, New York, was
in Booth 22, main floor. As everybody knows or
should know, of this great firm of piano makers
and its products, it was not particularly necessary to
make a display of its present-day products, although
they were there. A great interest was shown by the
visitors in some of the styles made many years ago
in comparison with models of 1920. A dramatic
touch was given to the exhibit by the work-bench,
hammer and plane of Henry Engelhardt Steinway,
the founder of this great house. There they were
just as he had used them way back in 1853. Messrs.
Chas. F. M. Steinway and F. O. Vieton, Collins, Bal-
len, Cole, Palmer and Akin were entertaining cus-
tomers and friends.
At Bacon Piano Co. Exhibit.
Among the historic pianos at the Music Show was
one imported from England by John Jacob Astor in
1789. Astor was the original piano retailer in Amer-
ica. Near the piano was a copy of the New York
Daily Advertiser dated 1789, where could be seen
the advertisement of Astor setting forth the wares
and products he had to sell—pianos and furs.
This piano was loaned to the show by William
Post Hawes Bacon, president of the Bacon Piano
Co., in whose family this historic piano has been for
three generations.
Conn Band Instruments.
C. G. Conn, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind., had its band in-
strument exhibit in Booths 117 to 120, Mezzanine
Floor. The Music Show could not have been com-
plete without this wonderful and striking exhibit.
As you entered, right before you was about the big-
gest pile of musical instruments, and most artisti-
cally arranged, you ever saw.
M. Steinert & Sons.
M. Steinert & Sons, Boston, Mass., exhibited in
Booth 215, second floor. Here was another busy
booth, with the sign, "If You Do Not See or Hear
What You Want, Ask Mr. Steinert." You really did
not have to ask, but listen.
The Jewett piano should satisfy, but if you wanted
more you could listen again. The Drumola ("It beats
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/

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