Presto

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform Book-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Muaic
Industries.
/• c«.«, SIM . i w
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1923
OHIO CONVENTION
WAS A GOOD ONE
Large Gathering of Piano Merchants in Cin-
cinnati This Week Proved Enthusiastic
Event at Which Some Bright Talks
Were Made and Ideas Presented.
A. B. SMITH'S SURPRISE
Akron Piano Dealer Declared that Pianos in the
People's Homes Are Replaced Every
Ten Years.
There was a large and enthusiastic attendance at
the Ohio Piano Merchants' Association convention
at the Hotel Gibson, Cincinnati, on Tuesday and
Wednesday of this week. There were some notable
talks, and when the convention got under way, on
Tuesday, the first business session was followed by
a luncheon at the Chamber of Commerce, where
W. C. Culkins, executive secretary, formally wel-
comed the delegates to the Queen City.
The brief first session of one hour was devoted to
the reading of reports by the various officers and
committee chairmen. At 3 o'clock the session was
adjourned and the delegates were taken to Cody's
farm, on the Lexington pike, across the Ohio River
in Kentucky, where, in the evening, they were given
a dinner and entertainment.
On Wednesday election of officers and choice of
the next convention city occupied attention, as well
as the reading of several papers, which were highly
beneficial to the delegates.
Wednesday night the. annual dinner of the associa-
tion was held at the Hotel Gibson.
There was
speech-making and an imported orchestra helped to
keep things lively.
A. B. Smith's Good Talk.
The principal speaker of the convention was A. B.
Smith, of Akron, who was the retiring association
president. Mr. Smith said that great strides have
been made by the musician's art in Ohio within the
last few years that there is scarcely one home in a
thousand without music in some form.
"Our business is prosperous now," continued Mr.
Smith, "because of the wave of musical art now
sweeping the state as it is sweeping over the nation.
When you consider that a musical instrument is re-
placed in the home on an average of every 10 years,
and then consider the kind and number of instru-
ments in the state, you may arrive at some concep-
tion of the volume of the business now being done
by Ohio music merchants.
Something Even Greater.
"But there is something greater than the satisfac-
tion we get out of the monetary success of our busi-
ness: There is the satisfaction of knowing that we
are spreading harmony throughout the homes in the
state; that the greater grows the volume of our busi-
ness the greater also grows the composite amount of
happiness among our fellow-Ohioans."
In Ohio, Mr. Smith said, music has come down out
of the clouds, where it dwelt in ages past, and has
made its abode among the common run of men. So
that there is no home so poor but that it can, and
usually does, boast some form of instrument for the
making of musical harmony.
In fact, Ohio is distinctive in its many music-loving
citizens, in the opinion of the Akron piano dealer. In
probably no other state in the union, he stated, could
there be found an aggregation of citizens in the hearts
of whom the art of music is so firmly imbedded.
Farmers Good Prospects.
"In the farm houses, where once only dreary
monotony came to relieve the deadening drudgery of
the day, now comes music at the end of the daily
toll to rest the weary spirits and make the tired limbs
seem less tired. In the homes of the miners, music
waits the coming of the breadwinners, sore and
fatigued, to lull them to restful sleep. And in the
homes of the wealthy, there is some form of popular
musical instrument used at the end of day, to soothe
the throbbing nerves tortured by busy days at desks.
In Ohio, as everywhere else in this broad land, a
popular musical instrument has come to mean a sort
of shrine worshipped by every member of every kind
of family."
Two Great Names.
The speaker cited cases—he recalled the names of
Edison, a product of Ohio, who invented the phono-
graph. Linked with the name of Edison in Ohio's
musical scroll of fame is that of John McTammany,
of Akron, who is credited with having originated the
principle of the playerpiano, one of the very popular
musical instruments of this modern day. Mr. Smith
said that, while McTammany received no wealth for
his idea,, he got the satisfaction of the artist in the
creation and dissemination of his art.
One of the papers read was "What Trade Asso-
ciations Mean," by Daniel F. Summey, of Cincinnati.
James R. Frew, vice-president of the Euclid Musjc
Company, Cleveland, read a paper on "Advantages of
Maintaining a Musical Merchandise Department."
"The Legal Side of the Music Business" was ex-
pounded in a paper read before the delegates at the
session Wednesday morning by Sccretarj r Hyre,
Cleveland.
Officers Elected.
The annual dinner of the Association was given at
the Hotel Gibson Wednesday night. It was esti-
mated that more than 400 delegates and their friends
participated. Speakers dwelt on the present pros-
perity of the music business in state and nation.
Officers were elected at the closing session on
Wednesday. Cleveland was named as the conven-
tion city for 1924. The new officers are:
President, Charles Yahrling, of Youngstown; vice-
president, Otto Grau, Cincinnati; treasurer, George
M. Ott, Cleveland: secretary, Rexford C. Hyrc,
Cleveland.
TELLS OF FIRST VISIT TO
LYON & HEALY IN 1864
Veteran Dealer, of Rochelle, 111., Relates an Interest-
ing Violin Incident of Long Ago.
One of the oldest customers of Lyon & Healy,
Charles Pratt, of Rochelle, 111., visited them last
Saturday. Mr. Pratt was passing through Chicago
after having attended the G. A. R. convention in
Milwaukee. He told of his first visit to the store,
in 1864, when he purchased a glass violin, bow and
case.
At the time of the glass violin purchase Mr. Pratt
did not ask to have the instrument played, but ac-
cepted the word of the salesman that it was a good
one. On arriving home he found that the recommen-
dation of the salesman was true and has never re-
gretted the purchase.
The violin is still in his possession, and to use his
own words: "When the spirit moves me I saw on it
for awhile, as I never knew really how to play well."
Despite his age of 82, Mr. Pratt appears to be in the
best of health and very active.
NEWMAN BROS. REPRODUCING
PIANO INCREASING IN FAVOR
Orders For This Instrument Have Put It Far in
the Lead in Sales.
The Newman Bros, reproducing grand has made
rapid strides in the favor of dealers, who have been
placing many orders for this instrument. The fac-
tory, at 815 North Dix street, Chicago, has had a
very successful year thus far. The company has
adopted a policy which should interest any dealer
who desires to do business with a straight-forward,
reliable industry.
There is never a rush in the construction of any
instrument. The Newman Bros, piano gets the same
careful attention at all times—the more the orders the
greater the desire to put the best into every piano.
The Reproducing Grand has taken the lead in
orders and is expected to attract many new dealers in
the next few months—as it doubtless will.
A. G. GULBRANSEN TELLS
OF GOTHENBERG EXHIBIT
Head of Big Chicago Industry Made a Thor-
ough Study of the Various Instruments,
with View to Comparison.
SOME INTERESTING
FEATURES
Swedish and Norwegian Pianos Presented Some In-
teresting Features as Compared With American
Instruments.
A. G. Gulbransen, president of the Gulbransen-
Dickinson Co., Chicago, recently returned from a six
weeks' trip to Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Mr.
Gulbransen visited many cities in the Scandinavian
countries, including Christiania, Stockholm and
Gothenberg. The visit to Gothenberg was particu-
larly interesting, as the tercentennial jubilee exposi-
tion, which began May 8th and will last until Sep-
tember 30th, was in progress. This event had con-
siderable attraction to piano manufacturers, and visi-
tors from nearly every part of the globe were present.
At the Gothenberg exposition there were exhibits
of Swedish and Norwegian pianos. It was these ex-
hibits that drew special attention from Mr. Gulbran-
sen, who was naturally concerned with the construc-
tion and the different designs of foreign instruments.
Although the pianos exhibited had exclusive fea-
tures that were new to the American manufacturers,
they were below the American standard of produc-
tion, according to Mr. Gulbransen's point of view,
as explained to a Presto man in Chicago last week.
The woodwork of these pianos, however, was very
beautiful and gave the instruments a most effective
appearance. The skill of the Swedish woodworkers
surpasses that of any other European people, so it
was not surprising, to the piano men of the United
States, to find the cases unusually attractive.
During his visit to Christiana, Norway, Mr. Gul-
bransen was surprised to find a piano of his own
make in a location of which he had no knowledge.
The instrument had been bought from a dealer in
Christiania, who had ordered a number of Gulbran-
sen players, and had distributed them to other dealers
in order to get the people more familiar with the
American instrument.
While in Christiania Mr. Gulbransen paid a visit
to a piano factory that he had previously visited,
before the war. This factory is the largest of its
kind in Norway. During his first visit the factory's
output was 600 instruments per year, and now the
output is only 100 per year.
This dropping off is due to the fact that Norway
is experiencing serious labor difficulties, and skilled
piano makers are few and far between. When skilled
workmen can be had at all they demand such wages
that the manufacturers can seldom afford to employ
them. The foundation of the labor trouble is the
social distinction existing between the different classes
of people, which is a serious handicap to piano
manufacturers.
A foundry in Christiania wanted to make radiators
and made extensive preparations, such as painting
signs and advertising in other forms. But when the
time came to start work, the workmen flatly refused
to budge, saying they did not care for such monot-
onous toil. The same applies to other industries, and
hits pianos just as hard.
Mr. Gulbransen enjoyed his tour abroad immensely
and was not bothered with undesirable weather either
way. However, he was glad to be back in Chicago
and resumed his duties as the president of a great
piano company with his accustomed enthusiasm.
NEW SCHUMANN STORE.
The Schumann Piano Co., of Rockford, has opened
a branch store in Belvidere, 111., at 429 South State
street. Earl Coppinger will have charge and pianos
of the Schumann and other makes will be carried in
stock. Concerts were given every evening on open-
ing week. Belvidere is very near Rockford, and the
new store is practically a factory wareroom.
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/