Presto

PRESTO
Presto
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY.
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
C. A. DANIELL and FRANK D. ABBOTT -
• Editors
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 234
Private Phones to alt Departments. Cable Address (Com-
merclal Cable Co.'s Code), "PRESTO," Chicago.
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
Post Office, Chicago, Illinois, under Act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1; Foreign, $4.
Payable In advance. No extra charge in United States
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Hates for advertising on
application.
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if
of general interest to the music trade will be paid for
at space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen
in the smaller cities are the best occasional corre-
spondents, and their assistance is invited.
Forms close at noon every Thursday. News mat-
ter should be in not later than eleven o'clock on the
same day. Advertising copy should be in hand before
Tuesday, five p. m., to insure preferred position. Full
page display copy should be in hand by Monday noon
preceding publication day. Want advs. for current
week, to insure classification, must not be later than
Wednesday noon.
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
"SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1924.
THE PIANO PAPER
has been adopted by the music houses. There-
fore, radio manufacturers may use the adver-
tising space if they want to, at the regular
rates.
A trade paper is much like any other public
market place. If the grocer has his apples
displayed but is asked for potatoes he will
weigh the spuds and wrap them up. But he
wouldn't drive an apple cart around and cry
out "potatoes."
The piano needs more pushing just now
than before because, in the other things, in a
sense musical, it has greater competition. The
piano is the basis of whatever inspiration ra-
dio and the phonograph has for the public.
The piano makes the music and the other
things repeat, or reproduce, it. But in a hun-
dred ways the piano needs advertising, and
perhaps in its promotion it helps its rivals to
maintain a kind of demand which the piano
itself can never lose. Yes, Presto IS the piano
paper.
Song "Shoppe" Revues may get by as dis-
guised advertising by radio, but they are a
mile behind the plan of the Hearst Music
Publishers of Canada. That almost singularly
enterprising house is offering cash for sing-
ers' judgments as to which of a half-dozen
popular songs is the most attractive. The
big daily papers, as well as the trade papers,
present the plan in their advertising columns.
It's a new music publishing publicity stunt.
* * *
In every line of retail business, in every
city, there are music houses so organized and
conducted that they exercise an influence far
beyond the immediate interests for which they
are specially designed. In all cities there are
piano stores with such standing in the public
mind that they are quoted as possessing the
qualities which, in the best sense, represent
the valuable asset of good will.
* * *
It is probable that the income tax lists will
not be made so public in future years. The
custom is distasteful to many. Among the
New York industries that paid liberally last
year was the Janssen Piano Co., $1,358. The
W. P. Haines Company was one of the largest.
* * *
The thin, tinkling tones of the harpsichord
are still to be heard at fashionable freak con-
certs in New York. But the failure to arouse
public interest in the forerunner of the pianc
proves again that the world is not willing to
turn backward in its way of progress.
* * *
Great regret is expressed in the trade at the
prolonged illness of Mr. H. Paul Mehlin. All
who know him hope for a speedy return to
his former vigor of one of the most affable of
the New York piano manufacturers.
* * *
New York's Fifth Avenue is celebrating its
fiftieth anniversary. Who can tell the world
about the first music store on the famous
thoroughfare? Old dickering Hall was prob-
ably its first notable music temple.
November 22, 1924.
radio in its social associations. And the in-
strument most preferred and best adapted to
radio broadcasting is the piano. Interviews,
editorials and special articles, in the daily,
weekly and monthly publications have proved
that.
PRESTOLAFS AND PARAGRAFS
A Brooklyn newspaper told of a curio dealer of
that city who had accumulated a rare assortment of
antique pianofortes. And the first in the list was a
"Corl." That instrument was started in 1902 and died
a year later. Very modern "curio" as pianos go.
* * *
"What's the subject of your new song?"
"It's a song of travel—a far-country song."
"Descriptive, presumably ? '
''No, it's an income tax song, and I wanted a word
to rhyme with 'hunk,' so I had to use 'trunk' and
made it a travel song. The chorus runs: 'She went
en a tour with a traveling man; He told her a tale of
an old treasure trunk; He said he had found it and
then he began to say how he loved me—'twas hunk,
all bunk.' "
* * *
A Boston publisher has brought out a book on
"What Music Does to Us." A companion book
should follow called, "What We Do to Music." And
it would be enough.
* * *
Little things sometimes produce big troubles. A
popular piano man was in a small Missouri town.
The hotel clerk deciphered the name on the regis-
ter and spoke it aloud. That night a mob surrounded
the house and said the Titan of the K. K. K. was
there. Mere mention of the name of Hood was
enough and Frank made a speech and was liberated.
* * *
"What's the price of this piano?"
"What'll you give?"
"I think your price is too high!"
"But it's on easy terms."
"Oh, that's so! Here's the dollar."
Here's something a mid-west piano manu-
facturer said to a Presto representative one
day last week.
"I like your paper for several things, but
From the Files of Presto
most because it is a piano trade paper. It
doesn't pull the piano back by everlastingly
(November 22, 1894.)
pushing something else forward. Today it
The new Jacob Bros, factory on 39th street, New
isn't putting radio on the cover page and
York, is now in running order. The phenomenal
Jacobs have moved in. On 40th street is the Ma-
nearly every other page, including the edi-
thushek
factory. Connecting the two is a sort of
torial. And when the phonograph was going
s ; amese twin link. Through this link conies the mo-
tive power which moves the machinery of the Jacobs
mad Presto didn't drop the piano to play up
factory.
the talking machine. It has always remained
Mr. O. A. Kimball of the Emerson Piano Co., who
most unfortunately was taken ill in Chicago the -end
loyal to the piano."
of last week, recovered sufficiently to continue his
And we hope and believe that what the
trip to Cincinnati from whence he returns to Boston.
Mr. Payson, who accompanied on this trip, continues
piano maker said is true. The piano is not
his journey to the south.
a thing of passing novelty or temporary sen-
Messrs. Blasius & Sons have just secured of Mr.
sation. It has been an article of delight and
Ludwig Hupfeld, Leipsic, Germany, the sole agency
of his patented device for playing the piano auto-
education for more than two hundred years.
matically.
It will continue to be all of that for more than
Mr. E. V. Church leaves shortly for the East to
visit Boston and other cities, and will probably eat
two hundred years longer.
his Tranksgiving turkey at his old home.
So that Presto, with its forty years of life
The twelfth banquet of the Chicago Music Trade
Association was held at the Auditorium hotel last Sat-
and experience is still a pretty young thing.
urday, November 17th.
And it is still ready to wager its young life
Happy the wise piano man whose wares, all well
displayed, are chosen with an eye upon the coming
upon the winning qualities of the piano.
Xmas trade.
It would be folly to assert that Presto is
Mr. J. H. White, of the Wilcox & White Organ
Co., Meriden, Conn., is expected in the city this week.
indifferent to radio, or even to the phono-
Mr. Daniel Treacy, of Danveport & Treacy, is a
graph. Its editors have invested in both. But
Chicago visitor this week.
Fred Lohr was in town early in the week.
the piano presents greater interest and is a
Mr. N. J. Haines was in the city this week.
larger asset, in many ways, than both the ra-
dio and the phonograph. So that we believe
that the piano needs us more than the other
20 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
things that can, in fact, "speak for them-
selves."
There has been no effort to run cover page
(From Presto, November 24, 1904.)
This is the day of diversified ways to profits
The F. Radle pianos occupy a prominent position
displays of radio in Presto. Nor will there be, for the music dealer. Don't let the mail order
in the trade in many localities. The Radle factory in
unless it should sometime seem that a piano house in the far-away city get that business. New 7 York City is turning out attractive and merit-
trade paper is not needed. That time will Don't let the big town specialist in band in- able pianos. Several of the styles are rapid sellers.
The Radle piano is a dependable one for a dealer to
never come, so that Presto will remain what struments furnish the equipment for the band, handle as it is an instrument of sterling merit.
W. W. Kimball's condition is now very serious in-
it has been, is now and should ever be. Nor and don't let the pipe organ factories get the
No one is allowed to see him but the imme-
do we mean by this to make any such silly orders for the new church or lodge or Ihe deed.
diate members of his tamily and his doctor and nurse.
Col. E. S. Conway, secretary of the W. W. Kimball
declaration as that no radio publicity will ap- movie theater.
Company, called at the residence of his stricken chief
* * *
pear in this paper. Presto's advertising pages
Monday and was informed that the Governor was
are always open to responsible advertisers in
It has been shown by the great daily news- very weak. It is rumored that Mr. Kimball is uncon-
of the time but this report was not
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade scious
Museum much
(www.arcade-museum.com).
all departments
of the music trade. Radio papers that music is the chief interest in verified.
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
30 YEARS AGO IN THE TRADE
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/