10
PRESTO
manufacture. It is not unnatural that those who had
been frequent visitors to the markets of Italy should
seize the opportunity of securing her fading manu-
factures. The timber was coming from Russia. South
Germany had already, in the sixteenth century, a
flourishing metal trade. Nuremberg is said to have
one of the first wire-drawing mills, and
How Victory of Turks in 1453 Influenced the possessed
hence we are not surprised to find the manufacture
Music Industry Told in Interesting Way
of musical instruments transferred to Central Europe.
Moreover, the financial center of Europe had shifted
by Lecturer.
in the same direction. The house of Fugars is repre-
sentative of the large scale enterprise which was grow-
Few people would connect the fall of Constanti- ing up. This house made a phenomenal fortune in
nople in 1453 with the manufacture of a grand piano two generations, and was the great hidden force be-
in London five hundred years later. But A. L. Flight, hind European politics. Consequently, manufacturers
a lecturer in the Music Trades School of London, in settled in German towns. The growth of German
a recent article in the London Music Trades Review, industry at the expense of Italian suggests an explana-
tion of the fact that Germany and Italy had rival
shows that the paths of history often lead from one
event to another and easily traces the connection be- claimants for being the inventor of the pianoforte.
Antwerp was now the western port of European
tween the events named.
commerce. All the big financial firms of Germany
It is significant that the honor of inventing each of
and England had branches there. The people were
the early types of instrument, such as the clavichord, largely Protestant, and would naturally offer hospi-
spinet, and harpsichord, is claimed by the Italians. tality to their co-religionists. The names of Hans and
Until the end of the Fifteenth Century Italy was the Andre Ruckers of Antwerp are sufficient to recall the
center of civilization so far as the modern world was manufacture of harpsichords in that district. In Eng-
concerned, writes Mr. Flight.
land the Tudor sovereigns were genuinely interested
Suddenly there came a great disaster to the Italians. in the development of native industries, and, in addi-
The horde of Turks traveling westward captured Ihe tion, were not blind to the possibilities of increased
Black Sea ports, and then settled in Asia Minor, thus prestige for England by inviting Continental work-
obstructing the trade to the ports of Africa and the men to leave their homes and settle in this country
eastern Mediterranean. As these routes became under royal protection. Many came here, bringing
closed, every country sought for a fresh avenue lead- with them considerable skill and technique.
ing to the lands of spices. This gave rise to the
London and Antwerp had been rivals for commer-
adventures of Vasco da Gama and other explorers.
cial supremacy, so that the fall of Antwerp, histori-
Thus did Italy become isolated, rapidly losing her
cally alluded to as the "Sack of Antwerp" in 1594,
commercial status, and with it her power to finance meant the rise of London. London took Antwerp's
industries for her neighbors.
place in the commercial organization of the world,
But what was to happen to her own industries?
and with its increased opportunities developed the in-
Italy had been the home of the musical instrument
dustries which had flourished in the Low Countries.
One of the Flemings who had been directly con-
nected with Ruckers was a clever craftsman named
Tabel. He was, of course, a harpsichord maker.
His two foremen, Tchudi and Kirckmann, were
THE
among the early migrants to England. They started
business as harpsichord makers, but when they saw
the possibilities of the newly-invented pianoforte,
they were not slow to develop this instrument also.
By the middle of the Eighteenth Century the industry
was firmly established in London, and the names of
PIANOS
these early makers are still to be seen on old square
pianos in the salesrooms and markets all over the
country.
HISTORICAL EPISODE
AFFECTED PIANO MAKING
W. P. HAINES & COMPANY
April 19, 1924.
ARRESTED ON CHARGE
OF EMBEZZLEMENT
Active Branch House of Baldwin Piano Company
Stops Salesman Who Misapplied Funds.
Don L. Taylor was arrested on state warrant by
the Baldwin Piano Company, the defendant being
charged with embezzlement. The following is an
extract of a letter which the company sent to W. A.
Smith, at Aurora, 111.
''This is to advise you that this office has arrested
on state warrant one Don L. Taylor, charging the de-
fendant with embezzlement from the Baldwin Piano
Company."
The case is rather remarkable because, of the many
hundreds of salesmen working out of the Baldwin
retail branches, it is very rarely that a case similar
to that of Taylor develops. The Aurora agency is
a live one and is controlled by the Chicago house of
the Baldwin Piano Ox, of Cincinnati.
T. M. Matthews is owner of the Vcrbeck Musical
Sales Co., formerly opened recently at 42 Central
avenue, Hartford, Conn.
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Manufacturers
SOME VERY LATE OPENINGS
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A Few of the New Ventures in the Best Business in
the World.
James A. Fagan has bought the furniture store of
John L. Slocum, Bath, N. Y.
R. W. Dilley has opened a music store at 817 Mont-
rose avenue, Montrose, Cal.
The Glendale Music Co. is erecting a new building
at 118 Southern boulevard, Glendale, Cal.
The Ritz Music Shop was recently opened at 1661
Broadway, New York City, by Joseph Reinborn.
The Davis, Burkham & Tyler Music Co., Wheeling,
W. Va., is offering free lessons in piano instruction
under competent instructors.
Ginsberg & Son, furniture dealers, 413-415 West
Walnut stret, Des Moines, la., has added a piano
department.
The Belknap Piano Co., Napa, la., opened a branch
in Vinton, la., last week.
The Foster Piano Co. has moved to a new store in
Greenville, S. C.
The Davis, Burkham & Tyler Co., Cambridge, O.,
has opened a branch at Caldwell, O.
Weser Bros., Inc.
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