Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1923 1927

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform Book-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Music
Industries.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1923
HADDORFF PASSES THE 100,000 MARK
Twenty=Two Years of Progress Recorded by the Haddorff
Piano Company in Passing a High Water Mark in
Productiveness of an Instrument Which Has
Attained to Artistic Success
Haddorff piano No. 100,000 was sent out from the
Haddorff Piano Co. factory at Rockford, 111., on
Thursclay : June 28.
Twenty-two years ago, in 1901, the first Haddorff
piano was designed and created by C. A. Haddorff.
Today, the Haddorff Piano Co. represents an invest-
ment of more than $1,000,000, its line of instruments
is represented by one of the largest and most desir-
able aggregations of dealers in the country; and the
great plant at Rockford, stretching over eight acres
of factory space, has this week turned out the one
hundred thousandth Haddorff piano to be built in
the twenty-two years since the industry was
established.
The career of the Haddorff has been gradual and
progressive through the years. The prestige to
C. A. HADDORFF.
which it has attained in only two decades is evidence
of its merits and quality. The Haddorff piano is rec-
ognized in the art-world as a model of piano artistry.
Its scale is most finely shaded, the sounding board
is scientifically constructed: so as to obtain the great-
est resonance without interfering with the clarity and
quality of tone, and in every detail the instrument
is one of the recognized leaders in the representative
piano houses of this country.
Creator of the Haddorff.
Charles A. Haddorff, who created the instrument
which bears his name, is active as vice-president of
the firm and superintendent of the factories at Rock-
ford. He has devoted his life to the creation and
development of his piano, and ranks among the
foremost piano makers in the country. Mr. Haddorff
was educated in music in his boyhood and acquired
unusual proficiency as a pianist. But, possessing
also the inventive turn of mind, he determined to
apply himself to the creative branches of the art,
and learned to build pianos before coming to this
country, in 1892, at the age of 18. And he has been
at it ever since; having been under the tutelage of a
great American piano maker also, he in time became
a past-master in the art himself.
But it was on Mr. Haddorff's being called to the
entirely new industry of the Haddorff Piano Co., in
1901, that he found the opportunity to develop his
ideas of tone production and to lind expression for
the genius that had made him both musician and
manufacturer.
Years before the late Alfred Dolge passed away,
that expert piano man and student, gave expression
to his estimate of the Haddorff piano and its creator,
in one of his books on pianos and their makers. An
extract may best outline the causes of the success
of the industry at Rockford:
An Expert Judgment.
The opportunity had come for Haddorff to vitalize
ideas of his own. His work attracted the attention
of that great organizer, P. A. Peterson, of Rockford,
111., and on January 28, 1902, the Haddorff Piano
Company began business. Backed by ample capital,
Haddorff was given carte blanche to build as good
a piano as he knew how. A good factory manager,
his greatest strength manifested itself soon as an
artist in designing and constructing.
Profiting by reading and thoroughly digesting the
works of Helmholtz, Tyndall, and other scientists
and theoretical acousticians, he studied Siegfried
Hansing with the greatest care, especially in regard
to sound board construction according to applicable
scientific laws and practical observations known at
this time. Extremely quiet in demeanor and modest
of character, it was not in Haddorff to seek mainly
for volume of tone; he cared not for noise. His aim
was to produce a pure, sweet tone of sustaining
quality, a soothing, restful tone similar to a Millet
picture. After years and years of patient study and
work, Haddorff succeeded admirably and his grand
pianos proved a revelation to connoisseurs of quality
of tone and tone color. His scales reveal the exact-
ness of the painstaking artist in design and avoid
all bizarre notions. It is, however, in the construc-
tion of his sound board, in the thoughtful placing of
bridges and bars in relation to their influence on the
tonal quality, where we admire the earnest student
Haddorff most. He had sketched his picture in
drawing the scale, and now uses his palette in work-
ing out his sound board construction to bring into
full light the beauty and strength of his scale con-
ception.
Aside from his efforts in scientific-artistic piano
building, Haddorff has also contributed a valuable
improvement to the strict constructional develop-
ment of the piano, by designing a string plate, with
a shoulder resting against the pin block, for which
patents have been granted to him in 1903 and 1912.
The Haddorff Piano Company has been eminently
successful. Employing a capital of over one million
dollars and pursuing under the able management of
its secretary, A. E. Johnson, a liberal and aggressive
policy, moderated by strict adherence to ethical prin-
ciples, the company is continually widening its sphere
of activity and has of late successfully introduced
the Haddorff grand pianos on the concert platform,
where they are regularly used by prominent virtuosos
of the day. •
The Haddorff Forces.
One hundred thousand is a large figure in the pro-
duction of a fine piano. It is such a figure as to sug-
gest not, only a response to the demand of people
capable of recognizing merit in a piano, and no less
of an organization competent to respond to that
demand, and to expand a good beginning into a large
activity and distribution. Most of the larger effort
to expand the demand for Haddorff pianos has been
of late, naturally—after the instrument had been
thoroughly tried and found equal to all demands of
critical nature.
The heads of the Rockford industry have been
named in this article. The men whose work it has
been to see that the trade has full knowledge of what
had been done, and would be done in their interests,
no less than those of the Haddorff Piano Co., must
possess the force of their convictions and the energy
of their acquired knowledge of the business. In the
East W. B. Williams has looked after the Haddorff
trade throughout a wide and exacting territory. He
has been successful in accordance with Haddorff
strength and merit. In the Middle West, the general
sales manager is E. W. Furbush, than whom there
is no other man in the piano business better
informed, more widely known or respected for his
helpfulness and his active and resourceful interest in
the Haddorff and its retail representatives.
So that, aside from the general offices and giant
factories at Rockford, New York, Chicago and San
Francisco are the headquarters of the Haddorff
Piano Co.'s interests, and the spreading fame of these
instruments radiates from the three great centers in
all directions, and every dealer, in whatever city or
town, has the cooperation and stimulation of branch
headquarters at all times.
The Haddorff Piano- Co. today ranks as one of the
most extensive and energetic of the American piano
industries.
The Haddorff grands, reproducing
grands, uprights and playerpianos have attained an
immovable place in the world of art, so that the name
of Haddorff has come to be a symbol of musical
attainment.
LYON & HEALY PICNIC
WILL BE GREAT EVENT
Thousand Persons Expected to Attend Annual Out-
ing at Dellwood Park, August 4.
• More than one thousand employes of Lyon &
Healy, Chicago, and their friends and families, are
expected to attend the annual picnic of the Lyon &
Healy Men's Social Club, which will be held at Dell-
wood Park, Joliet, HI., on August 4.
Games, races and dancing will make up part of the
program. Supper will be furnished for the multitude
free of charge by Lyon & Healy, Inc. A ten-piece
band will furnish the music during the day, and an
eight-piece orchestra will play for the dancing in the
evening. An indoor baseball game between the men
and the girl employes is also scheduled.
Final arrangements were made at a meeting of the
committee in charge of the picnic June 27. The Lyon
& Healy Men's Social Club is an organization of the
men employes of the Lyon & Healy store and the
factory. The picnic is an annual event.
STRAUBE PIANO CO. PICNIC.
About 250 employes of the Straube Piano Co.,
Hammond, Ind., together with their families and
friends, went picnicing Saturday, June 23rd, at St.
John, Ind. The occasion was the first outing spon-
sored by the company and was such a success that it
has been decided to make the picnic an annual affair.
Baseball, races, and a grand raffle were the features
of the day. Dancing was enjoyed throughout the
afternoon. Before the crowd dispersed three rousing
cheers were given for President E. R. Jacobson.
PIONEER ORGAN MAN DIES.
Henry J. Kriebel, Allentown, Pa., pioneer organ
manufacturer of eastern Pennsylvania, died at a hos-
pital in Allentown last week, following an operation.
He was born at Kraussdale and helped to make one
of the first pipe organs ever turned out in Pennsyl-
vania.
He followed that occupation until a few
weeks ago.
NOW WITH BUSH & LANE.
Richard A. Buttell, one of the experienced piano
travelers, has joined the forces of the Bush & Lane
Piano Co., of Holland, Mich. Mr. Buttell has been
with another old established industry for a long time.
He has started on his first trip for the Bush & Lane
line, in which he is enthusiastic, and with reason.
OUT OF BUSINESS.
The Deterling Mfg. Co., of Muncie, Ind., is out of
business, and has been succeeded by the makers of
davenport suites. Mr. Deterling has gone to Florida
to rest up for a while.
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/
PRESTO
FEATURING U. S. MUSIC ROLLS
June 30, 1923
EXPORTS OF U. S.
PIANOS INCREASE
Low Production Costs and Decline of German
Piano Trade Makes Opportunities for
American Instruments Greater
Than Ever Before.
The accompanying cut shows an attractive window
display of player music rolls of the United States
Music Co., Chicago, recently made in the store of
Branta-Richlicz Furniture Company, Milwaukee,
which conducts a very complete music department
under the management of Walter J. Przybylski. The
Branta-Richlicz Furniture Company is a large and
progressive institution in Milwaukee, occupying quar-
ters in an outlying district, although the building and
display would do credit to the central district of any
large city.
This progressive institution realizes the importance
of giving the piano department prominent main floor
space and the success the company is having with
the sale of playerpianos and music rolls has demon-
strated the wisdom of its judgment.
The achievement of the Branta-Richlicz Furniture
Company, located in an outlying district in Milwau-
kee, a city of approximately 500,000 people, in cre-
ating an establishment of a progressive and high
class character, conclusively proves what enterprise
and hard work will do. It should encourage other
dealers throughout the country in their efforts to cre-
ate something like this, although they may not be lo-
cated in an exceedingly large city or in a downtown
district.
BUSH & GERTS PIANO CO.'S
LINE FOR PHONOGRAPH FIRM
sical merchandise; $50,000; A. L. Maresh, John P.
Kalina, P. J. Mulligan, John J. Babka and William
J. Esch.
Reynolds & Smith, Inc., Cliften Forge, Va.; to sell
music goods; $50,000; Robert Smith and others.
Burgmau-Hemmer Co., Brooklyn, N. Y.; phono-
graphs; $35,000; Frank Hemmer, M. Burgman and
William Wheatley.
Piano Rental Co., New York City; $50,000; L. S.
Roemer and W. A. Nagle.
Rialto Recording Laboratory, New York City;
Benjamin Smith, John L. Gorman and Louis J.
Shrameck.
Noisy Bee Music Stores Corporation, Brooklyn,
N. Y.; $6,000; G. Levinson, J. Brecher and W.*F.
A. Connolly.
O'Loughlin Music Company, Salt Lake City, Ex-
pands and Adds Pianos and Players.
The line of pianos, playerpianos and reproducing
pianos of the Bush & Gerts Piano Co., Chicago,
has been installed by the O'Loughlin Music Co., Salt
Lake City, Utah. The news that the widely known
talking machine house had decided to expand and
include pianos became known a few weeks ago but
the name of the line was withheld. The house is
one of the most active in that section and has acquired
a fine clientele in sheet music and small goods as
well as talking machines.
Now the enterprising Salt Lake City firm proposes
to serve a wider trade with its piano, playerpiano and
reproducing piano offerings. The entire second floor
of the company's store is being allotted to the new
line and main warerooms and special demonstration
rooms are planned.
The pianos and playerpianos of the Bush & Gerts
Piano Co. are already well and favorably known in
that section of the west and the grands of the com-
pany are held in high estimation by the foremost of
Utah's musicians. The instruments will be properly
featured by the O'Loughlin Music House and the
prospective piano buyers will be made more familiar
with the slogan of the Bush & Gerts Piano Co.: "One
Name, One Trade-mark, One Price, One Quality."
NEW INCORPORATIONS
IN MUSIC GOODS TRADE
New and Old Concerns Secure Charters in Various
Places.
Ideal Cabinet Co., St. Louis, Mo., $12,500. To deal
in phonographs and manufacture cabinets; Morris
Laskey, Joseph Laskey and Lewis Nachman.
Corson Music Co., Salem, Ore.; C. J. Corson, F.
B. McCard and E. O. Stadler.
Standard Solophone Mfg. Co., New York; musical
instruments; $10,000; R. Sugarman, G. Mull and L.
I. Marcus.
The A. L. Maresh Piano Co., Cleveland, O.; to
make, buy and sell pianos, talking machines and mu-
R. N. WATKINS APPRECIATIVE.
In thanking Mrs. Wynne, editor of the music de-
partment of the Dallas, Tex., Dispatch, for the grate-
ful manner in which she reported his recent election
to the presidency of the National Association of
Music Merchants, Robert N. Watkin said: "I very
greatly appreciate this compliment, and feel that
recognition of this character is a compliment to the
work done for the cause of music by leading musical
people, by yourself and the co-operation given by
the press."
MIESSNER AN ESSAY PRIZE,
One of the most exciting and interesting events in
the Music Week recently held in Berkeley, Cal., was
the essay contest in which the prize was a Miessner
piano, "The Little Piano With the Big Tone," made
by the Miessner Piano Co., Milwaukee, Wis. The
essay on a music topic which won the prize was by
Curtis Ball, a student of the Willard Junior High
School. Last week the winner was presented with
the Miessner piano by Kohler & Chase, San Fran-
cisco.
GULBRANSEN MEN IN CHICAGO.
Two travelers of the Gulbransen-Dickenson Com-
pany of Chicago, H. C. Dinmore, Gulbransen repre-
sentative in New York and the New England states,
and C. W. Ruby, representative in the southeast, vis-
ited Gulbransen headquarters at Chicago avenue and
Kedzie avenue. They stayed in Chicago for a few
days only, and returned to their respective territories
again this week.
Exports of American-made pianos and phonographs
to the foreign trade, especially to South America and
Australia, are increasing steadily, according to reports
from United States Consuls and Trade Commission-
ers stationed in various foreign countries.
In Australia, and in the Republic of Argentina
American playerpianos and phonographs already lead
the field, and in all the South and Central American
countries the United States is one of the biggest
sources of musical instrument supplies.
The exportation of music in sheet and book form
is also growing rapidly. In the nine months ending
March 31, reports from the Department of Commerce
show, the United States exported $254,847 worth of
music, compared to $231,644 worth of music exports
for the nine corresponding months of last year.
Production Cost Low.
The causes for the growth of the American musi-
cal exports are many. Perhaps the greatest is the
comparatively low cost of production in the United
States. American piano manufacturers are able to
build instruments at such a cost that they are able
to ship them to a foreign country, pay transportation
and import expenses, and yet compete with the piahos
built in that foreign country.
This is especially true in Australia. For example,
Trade Commissioner Sanger stationed at Melbourne
reports that the owner of one of the leading player-
piano stores of Melbourne, stated that he can sell low-
priced American playerpianos for $500, and that Aus-
tralian made players of the same grade cost him from
$700 to $800. This in spite of the fact that the Ameri-
can instrument must pay not only transportation
costs, but also a 45 per cent import duty.
The same thing is true in the small goods line.
E. F. Hurt, of Wilson Bros. Mfg. Co., Chicago, told
a representative of Presto that the Australian firm
handling Wilson drums can pay all the importing
costs and still sell the Wilson drums at a substantially
lower figure than Australian drums of the same
quality.
German Trade Declining.
Another cause for the rising prestige of American
instruments abroad is the decline of the German piano
trade. Since December, 1922, the German export
business in the piano industry has shown a marked
downward tendency, says U. S. Consul Stewart, lo-
cated at Bremen, Germany, in his report to the De-
partment of Commerce.
The falling off of the German piano trade is due to
the inability of the German industries to compete with
the prices of other piano manufacturing countries,
especially America.
The depreciation of the mark and lack of capital
invested has made it difficult and almost prohibitively
expensive to import the necessary raw materials, and
so the supply of veneers and lumber has not always
been sufficient. In fact, some of the German piano
makers have been unable to procure any supplies from
abroad whatsoever.
Poor transportation facilities in Germany also
handicap the German piano makers. Delays of three
or four weeks in the shipment of goods are not un-
usual.
American Prize Winners.
The result is that the foreign dealers are looking
more and more to America for their pianos, players
and phonographs, although Germany and Austria still
produce a great part of the band and string instru-
ments bought by the South American countries.
The awarding of the grand prize at the Brazilian
World's Exposition to American pianos will do much
to augment the prestige of the American piano in the
South American markets. The exhibit of the Ameri-
can Piano Co. scored the brilliant record of having
awards conferred upon all the instruments which it
exhibited at the Exposition.
In South America, in Australia, in South Africa, in
Japan, and even in Ireland (yes, there are music
stores in Iceland) the opportunity for American-
made instruments is greater than ever before. Some
piano and small goods manufacturers are taking ad-
vantage of this opportunity, and it would well repay
the other concerns also to investigate the possibilities
of the foreign markets.
A voluntary petition in bankruptcy was recently
filed by Blue Music House, Montgomery, Ala., of
which W. M. and M. J. Blue were partners. The
total liabilities of the firm were given as $18,266.97
and the assets as $16,115. The amount of the stock
was given at $1,530.39.
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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