Presto

Issue: 1924 1963

PRESTO
March 8, 1924.
CHRISTMAN
The First Touch Tells
Two Types of Artistic
Successes
Reproducing
Grands and Uprights
CHRISTMAN
Studio Grand
Only 5 Feet Long
Has No Superior in
the High Class Trade
In any Store or Stock it Stands Forth
in Beauty, and in Tone Power and
Quality it presents the Highest Claims
to Popularity with discriminating
buyers.
These Artistic Instruments
Are favorites with dealers who sell fine
instruments. They are as Perfect in
Operation as can be made, and they
are the True Christman in Tone and
Construction.
We Will be Glad to Send Particulars, Prices
and Terms to Live Piano Merchants
"The First Touch Tells"
Re*. U S. Pat. Off.
Christman Piano Co.
597 East 137th St.
New York
this booklet gives a complete list of the manufac-
turers of pianos and playerpianos. The price of
Presto Trade Lists is 25 cents each and of Presto
Buyers' Guide, 50 cents. We are giving both of these
books as premiums to new subscribers to Presto,
The American Music Trade Weekly, the subscription
price to which is $2.00 per year.
* * *
SHEET MUSIC DEALERS.
Calgary, Alta., Can., February 26, 1924.
Editor Presto: I am interested in getting the
names and addresses of the sheet music dealers of the
U. S. Do your booklets or guides give such infor-
mation? If so, can I get a copy of it?
J O H N M. WILLIAMS.
A list of sheet music dealers in the United States
is now in process of compilation, but will not be out
until next Fall. We could, however, send you a
very complete list copied from our files at a consid-
erable cost. When our booklet appears its selling
price will be the same as our other Presto Trade
Lists—25 cents per copy.
We do not know of any other existing reliable list
of sheet music dealers in this country at this time.
* * *
WILL ADD FURNITURE.
Goldthwaite, Texas, February 27, 1924.
Editor Presto: Please send us the name of a
couple of firms that manufacture household furniture
in connection with piano benches and stools, as we
are contemplating on adding furniture to our piano
business.
GARTMAN BROS.
We know of no industry that is making both
pianos and household furniture; in fact, we have
never known such a concern in this country. Some
of the laTge piano bench and stool manufacturers
make small articles of decorative furniture, but no 1
piano makers are also furniture manufacturers, ac- -
cording to our knowledge.
Of course, we can send you the names of any num-
ber of furniture manufacturers, but suggest your
better way would be to secure your furniture from
specialists in that department of industry and buy
your pianos of established piano industries.
* * *
HOLTON BAND INSTRUMENTS.
Okmulgee, Oklahoma, February 26, 1924.
Editor Presto: Will you please send me the ad-
dress of the Holton Band Instrument Company;
also the address of the "Metronome" Publishing
Company?
C. J. SIMMONS.
The industry of Frank Holton & Co., manufac-
turers of band instruments, is at Elkhorn, Wis.
A music journal known as the "Metronome" was,
for many years, published in the East, either Boston
or New York, but it is our understanding it ceased
appearing several years ago. There is a new publi-
cation by the name put forth by a New York piano
maker, but it is only a circular.
* * *<
EMERSON RECORDS.
Galesburg, 111., February 29, 1924.
Editor Presto: Will you please tell me the" ad-
dress of the Emerson Record Co.?
FRANCIS PIANO CO.
It is our understanding that the concern named
ceased operations at the time of the failure of the
Emerson Phonograph Co., which took place several
years ago.
* * *
GOOD PIANO TRUCKS.
Taylorville, 111., February 29, 1924.
Editor Presto: Please send me the names of firms
who manufacture piano trucks. Also send Presto
Buyers' Guide for 1924, and renew my subscription
for one year for Presto.
R. C. McCAULEY.
Piano Loaders are made by the Bovven Piano
Loader Co., Winston-Salem, N. C, and the Piano
Movers Supplies Co., Lancaster, Pa. Smaller trucks
are manufactured by the Self Lifting Piano Truck
Co.. Findlay, Ohio.
All of the concerns named are reliable and they
will be glad to be of service to you.
* * *
PIANOS AND PHONOGRAPHS.
Loma Linda, Calif., February 28, 1924.
Editor Presto: I understand that there is some
piano manufacturer in Chicago who makes both the
phonograph and the piano. Now I am extremely
desirous of getting in touch with the company that
makes these goods.
O. J. GRAF.
Several large Chicago piano industries also make
phonographs. The P. A. Starck Piano Co., Steger
& Sons Piano Mfg. Co., Columbian Piano Mfg. Co.,
Goldsmith Piano Co., Starr Piano Co., W. W. Kim-
ball Co., Fuehr & Stemmer Piano Co.—all manufac-
ture good lines of phonographs.
If it's a combination piano and phonograph, the
one to which you allude as having been made in Chi-
cago was the creation of the late Melville Clark. His
factory is now owned by the Apollo Piano Co. of
RECENT NEWS FROM
PORTLAND, ORE., FIELD
Baldwin in Recital, Bush & Lane Interest in
Musical Genius, First Showing of Hard-
man and other Items.
A Baldwin concert grand was used through the
courtesy of the piano department of Lipman, Wolfe
& Co., Portland, Ore., distributors of the Baldwin,
for the concert of Josef Rosenblatt, cantor of the
First Hungarian Congregation, Ohab Zedek of New
York, who was presented in recital in the public audi-
torium by the Elwyn Concert bureau February 25.
Abraham Ellstein of New York, accompanist, piano
soloist and composer, presided at the instrument.
The Lions Club of Portland, Ore., recently pre-
sented Stephen Whitfield, boy pianist in recital. The
Bush & Lane Piano Co. is the musical member of the
local club and the company is taking a great interest
in the young talented musician which the club is
going to send east to continue his studies. Young
Whitfield two and a half years ago won the scholar-
ship offered by Louis Victor Saar of Chicago, who
held master classes in Portland at that time. Then
last November he won first place in the Oregon
Music Teachers' Association contest for advanced
students, and recently received first prize in the stu-
dents' professional contest under the auspices of the
Portland Civic Music Club.
H. G. Reed, president of the Reed, French Piano
Co. of Portland, Ore., is at present in the East. His
first stop on the trip was Chicago, where he called
upon the Smith Unit Organ Company, which the
Reed, French Piano Co. represents in Oregon and
Washington states. He was accompanied as far as
Chicago by Philip Goss, Western representative of
the Unit Organ Company. Mr. Reed planned a visit
to New York before returning to Portland. The firm
has just received their first shipment of Hardman
pianos and they have been placed on display on the
main floor of the establishment. The piano depart-
ment report excellent business in the Hallet & Davis
line, several grands and .uprights having recently been
placed in the homes of prominent Portland residents.
Alex MacDonald of the Sohmer Piano Co., New
York, was a recent Portland, Ore., visitor. Mr.
MacDonald is making his semi-annual visit to the
coast and will spend about six weeks in the Pacific
Northwest before returning to New York by the
Southern route. While in Portland he made his
headquarters at the Sherman, Clay & Co.'s store.
That company was recently appointed distributor of
the Sohmer for the Pacific Coast.
NEW MANAGER OF STARR RETAIL.
W. T. Johnson, an experienced music store man, is
the new manager of the retail department of the Starr
Piano Company's Chicago store at 423 South Wabash
avenue. Mr. Wiggin is general manager of the es-
tablishment. The store is well stocked and the sales-
men are contemplating a good trade during March.
De Kalb, 111., and we believe that the Apollophone
has been discontinued. The instruments did not
syncronize well and, therefore, did not make a good
combination.
* * *
THE "BRADFORD" PIANO.
Oconto, Wis., February 28, 1924.
Editor Presto: Will you please send me the name
and address of the firm making the Bradford piano?
W. L. LOYD.
The Bradford piano is the product of one of the
largest industries in the West, but inasmuch as the
instrument about which you ask is sold quite exten-
sively by an old Milwaukee retail house, we do not
feel we should give the name of its manufacturer
without the permission of the concern alluded to.
You can depend upon it, however, that the Brad-
ford is the product of a reputable industry and the
Milwaukee retail house of the Bradford is a respon-
sible one.
A "RITZHEIMER" PIANO.
New York, February 26, 1924.
Editor Presto: We have an inquirer who wishes
to purchase repair parts for a "Philip Ritzheimer"
piano. Will you please advise us if you have a
record of the manufacturer of this piano?
T H E REUBEN H. DONNELLY CORP.
There never was a piano industry bearing the name
of Philip Ritzheimer. Undoubtedly the instrument is
what is commonly known as a "stencil'' piano and
the only way by which to discover its origin is for
the owner to say from what dealer the piano was
purchased and, in turn, have the dealer say from
what manufacturer he bought it. There is no other
way by which to trace the instrument. If your in-
quirer can give us the number of the piano we can
come very nearly telling what factory it came from.
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
MAKER OF NORDLUND
AND COLUMBIAN GRANDS
Introducing the Man Who Has Successfully
Created Fast Growing Industry Devoted to
Instruments of Most Popular Kind With
the Trade.
ALEXANDER NORDLUND
Skilled Worker in Wood and Employer of Expert
Piano Makers, Has Created a Flourishing Industry.
There has developed of late a very widespread in-
terest in the Columbian Grand piano, which may now
be found in the warerooms of a large number of
active dealers throughout the country. Not many
March 8, 1924.
and installed a complete grand piano plant. He en-
gaged an expert piano maker and superintendent, to
conduct that important part of his business and de-
voted two floors of the great building—covering a
city block—to that branch of his industries.
The cabinet factory is one of the largest in the
west, and it is wholly separate from the piano fac-
tory. The Columbian Grand Piano Mfg. Co. has
grown rapidly until it is now the purpose to pro-
duce ten instruments daily.
Mr. Nordlund is comparatively a young man. He
began business after having been engaged in a wood-
working industry. His initial capital was small, but
his energy was boundless and he acquired capital of
his own and ample credit with which to conduct the
industry which he had established. The factory, at
400 West Erie street, Chicago, is a very busy place,
where a great many skilled employes are kept work-
ing the year 'round.
It is by foresight, and a correct estimate of the
demands of the piano trade, that Mr. Nordlund, him-
self an amateur pianist and lover of music, has built
up a large Grand piano business by creating the kind
of instrument the public likes to buy. The Nordlund
Grand piano is sold for just what it is—a durable,
full-toned, beautiful instrument, behind which is the
guarantee of a responsible manufacturer.
WILL CHICAGO'S PIANO ROW
MOVE TO MICHIGAN AVENUE?
ALEXANDER NORDLUND.
of the later piano industries have been promoted with
more vigor or with better results than that of the
industry referred to.
Naturally, as a consequence, there is very general
interest to know something about the manufacturer
by whose enterprise and persistency the Columbian
Grand has been brought to its present popularity.
And while the manufacturer of the Columbian and
Nordland Grands may not be so widely known per-
sonally as some of his contemporaries, he has, never-
theless, been one of the active developers in special
lines in Chicago's industrial life.
Alexander Nordlund is the controlling head of the
Columbia Cabinet Company, an industry which has
been in operation for a good many years and from
which have come a large proportion of the phono-
graph cabinets used by some of the foremost phono-
graph manufacturers. Several years ago Mr. Nord-
lund very considerably increased his factory space
QUALITY
in Name and in Fact
TONE, MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION,
WORKMANSHIP, DESIGN—all in ac-
cord with the broadest experience— are
the elements which give character to
Bush & Lane Products.
BUSH & LANE PIANOS
BUSH t LANE CECIUAN PLAYER PIANOS
take high place, therefore, in any com-
parison of high grade pianos because of
the individuality of character which dis-
tinguishes them in all essentials of merit
and value.
BUSH & LANE PIANO CO.
Holland, Mich
Meyer & Weber Head, Whose Store Is Moving, Be-
lieves He Is Leading the Way.
Meyer & Weber, piano dealers, are preparing to
move about the middle of March from 120 South
Wabash avenue, Chicago, where they have been
located for a great many years, to 174 North Michi-
gan avenue, Chicago.
In making the move to the North Michigan avenue
location, T. F. Weber, head of the company, says
that he feels that as pioneers in the piano line in that
locality his company is going to have greater success
from the start.
"We get away from the noise of the elevated and
into an environment better suited to selling pianos,"
he said. "The new locality is developing rapidly.
The Sinclair office building is to go up at the north-
east corner of Randolph street and Michigan avenue
to a height of 28 stories; there is to be a 22-story
building erected at Lake street and Wabash avenue,
and other buildings are promised. Eventually, I think
most of the piano stores will move over to Michigan
Cincinnati Factories of The Baldwin Piano Company
SUCCESS
is assured the dealer who takes advantage of
THE BALDWIN CO-OPERATION PLAN
which offers every opportunity to represent
under the most favorable conditions a com-
plete line of high grade pianos, players and
reproducers.
Fat Information wrllt
(Efje Palbtom $Dtano Company
CINCINNATI
INDIANAPOLIS
LOUISVILLE
Incorporated
CHICAGO
ST. LOUIS
DALLAS
NBW YOBK
DBNVBB
SAN FRANCISCO
The Heppe. Marcellus and Edouard Jules Piano
manufactured by the
HEPPE PIANO COMPANY
are the only pianos In the world with
Three Sounding Boards.
Patented In the United States, Great Brltattlf
France, Germany and Canada.
Liberal arrangements to responsible agents only*
Main Office. 1117 Chestnut St.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
PLANS OF SAN DIEGO FIRM.
The Gray-Maw Music Co., San Diego, Cal., will
soon take over the two-story store at 1054 Sixth
street as its future home. The remodeling plans now
in progress include a mezzanine balcony, a number
of demonstration booths for the record department,
and a large salesroom on the main floor to be used
for showing phonographs and pianos. The top story
of the building will be devoted to a concert hall,
another display room and several more demonstration
rooms. The Gray-Maw Music Co. has been in
existence about twelve years. Norman F. Maw is
president and general manager.
J. T. BRISTOL'S FATHER-IN-LAW DIES.
The Chicago Piano Club at its luncheon this week
adopted resolutions of sympathy for James J. Bris-
tol, a former president of the club, on account of the
death of his father-in-law, John McGillen, aged 62
years, a leader in Democratic politics in Cook
County, Illinois. He was a Chicago alderman for
eight years and mayor pro tern following the assas-
sination of the elder Carter Harrison. In the world's
fair days of 1893 Mr. McGillen was a partner in the
contracting firm of Agnew & Co., who built the man-
ufacturers' building, the largest in the exposition.
PIANO MAN WITH SIDE LINES.
Grand Piano
One of the old, reli-
able m a k e s . For
terms and territory
write.
Lester Piano Co.
1306 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia
.
John R. Spradling, piano man, has been located at
Doniphan, Mo., for two years and has been trying
the poultry business as a side line. He is now going
back on the road with the Hollenberg Piano Com-
pany, of Little Rock, Ark. Outside of the poultry
side line Mr. Spradling has a tourist resort on his
farm. He has a park and some boats on the Current
River, which is one of the beautiful Ozark streams.
OPENS STORE FOR USED PIANOS. .
Only second-hand instruments are shown in the
new store opened last week by the Darrow Music
Co., Denver, Colo. The company calls it the Denver
Piano Exchange which is located at 1428 Champa
street. The first showing in the exchange was a big
one and included taken-in trade instruments of all
ages. Most of the pianos and players are recondi-
tioned before being put on display.
When in doubt refer to
PRESTO BUYERS GUIDE
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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