Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
E.tabu.hej 1884. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Trade Lists
Three Uniform B o o k -
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Music
Industries.
10 c en t. : $2.00 a rear
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1923
MASON & HAMLIN TO
AMERICAN PIANO CO.
"Most Costly Piano in the World" Affiliates
With the Already Strong Line of the Great
Organization Formed and Headed by
George G. Foster.
POLICIES UNCHANGED
A. M. Wright Will Remain and Frank Heffelfinger
Also Becomes Associated With the New Control
of the Famous Boston Piano.
The most important of recent changes in the piano
• industry was that of the affiliation of the Mason &
Hamlin Company with the American Piano Co., of
f New York. The famous instrument which has won
a distinctive place in the industry and trade, will con-
tinue to move along serenely as one of the most artis-
tic in the list of American musical instruments, and
the policies by which it has been made great will not
be changed.
First Announcement.
The first announcement of the transfer of control
of the old Boston industry to the New York com-
bination was made a week ago, when the dispatches
from the east gave the mere facts. Later the follow-
ing brief item appeared in the New York Times:
Announcement of the affiliation of Mason & Ham-
lin Co., of Boston, with the American Piano Com-
pany, was made last night by George D. Foster, presi-
dent of the affiliated companies. Dr. Frank Heffel-
finger, president of Mason & Hamlin, will retain his
; connection with that firm as Chairman of the Board
of Directors. He also will join the directorate of
the American Piano Company.
The directors of the American Piano Company at
the annual meeting last Wednesday, declared an extra
Christmas dividend of 2 per cent, in addition to the
usual \ l /i per cent paid on common stock. The com-
panies now composing the American Piano Company
are: William Knabe & Co., Chickering & Sons,
Haines Bros., J. & C. Fisher, Marshall & Wendell,
Franklin Piano Company and Mason & Hamlin.
Some Interviews.
Last Monday, the Chicago Evening Post pub-
lished the following article, which left very little of
news nature for'the trade papers:
With the beginning of the new year, or shortly
thereafter, the Mason & Hamlin piano, one of the
leading art instruments of the United States and of
the world, will pass into the hands of the American
Piano company, one of the big business corporations
of the musical field.
This was announced today by Arthur Bissell, head
of the firm of Bissell & Weissert, 26 South Michigan
avenue, local representatives of the American Piano
company, and by officials of the Cable Piano Com-
pany, wrich has represented the Mason & Hamlin
interests here in the past.
Said to Be Merger.
"It is not so much in the nature of a purchase as
it is a consolidation," said Mr. Bissell today. "It
probably will go into effect about the first of the
. year. T d o not believe there will be any material
1
change in the handling of the Mason & Hamlin in-
j] strument."
\
"The consolidation," said an official of the Cable
f. Company, "will become effective about the first of
February. We shall continue to handle the Mason &
Hamlin output as in the past, and I am not inclined
to think there will be any change in policy with re-
Is gard to that piano."
t
Some interesting sidelights, however, on the over-
' head costs of the piano industry—and, somewhat
more than incidentally, the expensive temperaments
of artists of the keyboard—were gleaned. It may
even be—tho there is no direct authority for this—
that the high cost of keeping an art piano on concert
tour under the costly fingers of such virtuosi as
Joseph Hofmann or Levitzsky has something to do
with the new arrangement.
"The .expense," explained one piano man, "not
merely of keeping a piano on tour, but of keeping it
fit—in perfect tone and responsive to the touch of
a master pianist—is no negligible item. In the first
place, of course, the instrument has to be transported
anywhere and everywhere, with no thought of ex-
pense. It is even sent by express, when necessary.
Then, in order to keep it in trim, we usually have to
send along a tuner and a mechanician.
"All this, of course, is in addition to the salary
paid the artist in cases where the piano company
manages the tour, as is frequently the case. Hof-
mann, for example, will not play for less than $1,800
a performance.
"These costs hardly can be eliminated or even re-
duced, and I do not believe there will be any attempt
made to change conditions, so far as the Mason &
Hamlin is concerned, under the new management.'"
A Great Acquisition.
While there is a good deal of what is politely
termed newspaper "bunk" in that discussion of the
cost of keeping a piano alive, it served the purpose
of informing the lay public about a mysterious phase
of their beloved art. The rest has been verified.
The securing of the Mason & Hamlin is one of the
important events associated with the trade. It means
that the American Piano Co., now controls three of
the foremost of the world's pianos—the Mason &
Hamlin, Chickering and Knabe. In addition, the
powerful institution has the Haines Bros., the J. & C.
Fischer and the Marshall & Wendell, not to mention
a string of lesser names, and some of the most ex-
tensive manufacturing plants devoted to a music in-
dustry.
It is understood that the factory which the Mason
& Hamlin Co. only recently acquired, in Boston, will
be continued and that the staff, by which the famous
instrument has been brought to its towefing place,
will be retained. A. M. Wright, by whose genius for
organization and promotion the Mason & Hamlin
has grown, and who gave it the now familiar designa-
tion of "the most costly piano in the world," will
continue to exercise a foremost influence in the
piano's future. Mr. Frank Heffelfinger, who has been
the chief owner of the Boston piano, will serve in an
official capacity. Thus the Mason & Hamlin Division
is full grown and continues in active operation as if
no transfer of control has been made.
A Unique Place.
The Mason & Hamlin occupies a somewhat unique
place in the industry and trade. When Mr. Wright
was induced to take hold of it, nearly twenty years
ago, the Boston industry was not in a satisfactory
condition. He at once began to bring public atten-
tion to the great merits of the instrument. He
coined the now familiar slogan, and he approached
the trade with the "highest priced piano in the
world."
Naturally he gained prompt attention, and soon
foremost dealers were negotiating for representation
of the Mason & Hamlin. Pianists of international
fame took an interest in it, and it was heard in the
great concert rooms. And the piano fulfilled the
best promises and satisfied the highest expectations.
Agencies Undisturbed.
Representatives of the Mason & Hamlin will con-
tinue to sell the famous instruments. The Cable
Company, which has long been headquarters for Chi-
cago and the Northwest, will remain in the same
relation as before. And there can be no doubt as to
what the Mason & Hamlin piano will do in the
future.
It is a good move on the part of the American
Piano Co., but just such a move as is not likely to
escape George G. Foster, the astute president of the
big New York combination which is made immensely
stronger by the acquisition of the famous Boston
instrument.
HARDMAN ON OPERA STAGE.
A Hardman concert grand was featured in the
opera "Fedora," presented in Philadelphia recently
by a traveling troupe from the Metropolitan Opera
Co. In the second act of this opera a piano solo is
part of the operatic story. A request for the piano
was made by the management of the opera company,
which endorses the Hardman piano. It is rare that
the action of an opera calls for the appearance of a
piano on the stage.
NEW BILL IN SENATE
INTERESTS MUSIC TRADE
Senator Fletcher of Florida Presents Measure De-
signed to Foster Music.
Senator Fletcher of Florida has presented a bill to
the Senate providing for the establishment of a Na-
tional Conservatory of Music, for the education of
pupils in music and all its branches, vocal and in-
strumental. The conservatory, under Mr. Fletcher's
bill, would be maintained by the Government and
would have branches in Florida, California, Washing-
ton, the District of Columbia and other sections as
needed.
The bill provides that the executive headquarters
of the general board of regents and the director
general would be located in Washington, but the
main conservatory would be located at any point de-
termined upon by the general board of regents. The
general board would consist of the President of the
Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
the chairman of the Committee on Education and
Labor of the Senate and House and a director gen-
eral and advisory board of directors.
The director general of the National Conservatory
is to be a professional musician and the advisory
board, to consist of fifteen members, includes five
professional musicians, five members from musical
organizations and five members who are eminent edu-
cators or other persons of high character and admin-
istrative capacity. The sum of $50,000 is appro-
priated for preliminary expenses.
OHIO ASSOCIATION
COMMITTEES APPOINTED
President Yahrling Names Men Who Will Direct
Details of Next Convention.
President Yahrling of the Music Merchants' Asso-
ciation of Ohio has named four committees for spe-
cial work in connection with the annual convention
of the association which will meet in Cleveland in
September, 1924. The committees and membership
are as follows:
Legislative—W. W. Crowe, Columbus; F. J. Volz,
Cincinnati, and D. E. Summey, Cincinnati.
Membership—A. B. Smith, Jr., Akron; T. M. Dolli-
son, Columbus; Otto Grau, Cincinnati; C. H. Ran-
dolph, Cleveland, and E. R. Laughead, Toledo.
Advertising—J. A. Jacober, Cincinnati; C. H.
Wilkin, Columbus; C. M. Alfred, Canton; Henry
Dreher, Cleveland, and O. E. Westerfield, Greenville.
Insurance—Otto Grau, Cincinnati; O. C. Baker,
Columbus, and A. B. Smith, Akron.
OLEN DAWSON HEADS KIWANIS.
New honors for Olen Dawson, manager of the
Davis, Burkham & Tyler music store, East Liverpool,
O., were received close enough to Christmas to be
considered a seasonable gift. He was elected presi-
dent of the East Liverpool Kiwanis Club for the
year 1924 at the annual election of officers held last
week. He will assume his duties as head of the
club January 3.
W. P. McCLELLAN IN EAST.
W. P. McClellan, secretary of the National Asso-
ciation of Piano Tuners, is in the east attending a
tuner's convention at Rochester, N. Y. Before re-
turning to his office in Chicago, at an early date in
January, Mr. McClellan will visit many prominent
cities. On his return trip he will stop in Cleveland
and Detroit.
AUSTRALIAN IS VISITOR.
One of the recent visitors at the Hallet & Davis
Piano Co.'s headquarters in Boston was W. H. Car-
negie, of the firm of Carnegie & Son, Sydney, New
South Wales. Mr. Carnegie handles the Angelus
at both his Sydney and Melbourne stores and also
carries the other reproducing instruments of this
this house. Mr. Carnegie was an interested visitor to
the factory at Neponset.
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