January 10, 1925.
61
PRESTO
street, a location easily reached from all parts of the
city. No matter what choice of hotel the visiting
piano man may make, the conveniences for getting
to the Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co.'s plant are at
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co., Big New York hand.
It can be reached by the Lexington avenue subway,
Hardware House, Shows the Old Progres-
the Broadway subway, the Third avenue "L," the
siveness That Assures Further Growth.
Broadway surface cars, the Third avenue surface
One important thing automatically performed in cars and the Fourteenth street crosstown cars. The
1924 by Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co., Fourth ave- Fourth avenue surface cars pass the door and there
nue and Thirteenth street, New York, was the com- is a Hudson tube station at Fourteenth street and
pletion of its seventy-sixth year in business. The Sixth avenue while the Grand Central terminal and
great industry, known to piano manufacturers in the Pennsylvania terminal are only a few minutes' ride
United States and Canada and to many abroad, and with the express train. In fact the building can be
reached in fifteen minutes from any central point
within a radius of several miles.
Somebody with a genius for figures said there are
over 100,000 different items in the entire business.
But the piano manufacturer, the piano repair man
and the piano tuner are aware of a big list of mate-
rials and tools that concern them. Pianoplayer and
reproducing piano hardware, felt, tools and rub-
berized player fabrics in themselves make a long and
interesting list for the piano man.
The head of the great business is William F.
Schlemmer, who animates the progressive organiza-
tion. Particular stress should be laid upon Mr.
Schlemmer's training, which makes him familiar with
the slightest detail in the system which controls every
department. He knows the requirements of every
position in the company. Due to the personal con-
tact gained in having worked his way up, he has a
comprehensive knowledge of the human end of the
FOURTH AVENUE VIEW TAKEN PROM THIR-
Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co. family. This ex-
TEENTH STREET, MANY YEARS AGO.
perience has given him a full understanding of what
whose extensive stock of piano materials and tools is necessary to make the hardware business success-
is appreciated by the army of tuners and repair men, ful. It is amplified by the rapid strides which the
business has made, which can only be attributed to
opened at 221 Bowery in 1848.
The date is a long think "back. It was when the a keen, alert and far-sighted guidance.
The Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co.'s reputation
rush for the gold fields of California began. Then
many of the now populous states of the West were for thoroughness in providing the piano man with a
territories or parts of territories. Alaska was foreign great range of supplies and tools and the prompti-
soil and the first crude sewing machine was a wonder tude in filling orders are qualities due to the vigilance
when the start was made over the counter at the of the head of the house.
little store in the Bowery. The year 1848 produces
the earliest existent record of Hammacher, Schlem-
Ingalls' Music Rooms, 60 Railroad street, St.
mer & Co., although it is known to have existed Johnsbury, Vt., were opened recently. The concern
before that time. No one knows exactly how much handles Emerson, Lindeman & Son, Weser and
earlier the birth of the business took place which other pianos, Victrolas, records, sheet music and radio
grew to the great house it is today.
sets and accessories.
A lot of old New York history is welded in the
period from the opening in the Bowery to the
removal of Hammacher, Schlemmer & Co to its
present quarters at Fourth avenue and Thirteenth
NOW 76 YEARS YOUNG
INVENTOR OF SAXOPHONE
Antoine Joseph Sax Produced and Patented
the Instrument in Paris in 1846.
Many people in the music trade who look with
wonder on the great demand for the saxophone, are
unaware of the fact that the invention and patenting
of the saxophone dates back to 1846. It is only a
comparatively short time since the vogue for the
saxophone became an insistent factor in musical
merchandise trade, and surprise is often expressed
that so many years elapsed between the appearance
of the saxophone and its warm acceptance as a
feature in band and orchestra.
Antoine Joseph Sax, the inventor of the saxophone,
was born in Dinant, Belgium, November 6, 1814.
His father was a celebrated instrument maker and
won fame on improvements made on clarinets and
other instruments. Antoine entered the Brussels Con-
servatoire de Musique as a youth and studied the
clarinet and flute, on which instruments he acquired
great skill. His love of mechanics, however, turned
him back to the work bench, where he devoted his
genius to the improvement of instruments.
In 1842 he went to Paris, where he met with great
success through the superiority of his instruments.
In 1843 he patented a new instrument, which he
termed the saxhorn, an improved form of bugle.
In 1846 the saxophone was invented and patented.
He first built a Bb soprano, Eb alto, Bb tenor and
Eb baritone, thus giving four new voices to the
music world.
The life of Antoine Sax was not a bed of roses,
for he experienced several serious reverses through
the intrigues of others who, through jealousy and
greed, endeavored to prevent him from obtaining due
credit for his inventions. It is regrettable to state
that his factory passed out of his hands under the
auctioneer's hammer.
Thus it chanced that the man to whom wind in-
strumentalists are so deeply indebted for improve-
ments and inventions died in Paris, in the eightieth
year of his life, almost penniless and well nigh for-
gotten.
Phillip W. Oetting, head of the supply house of
Phillip W. Oetting & Son, New York, died recently
after a long illness.
C. G. CONN, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind.
VIOLIN, CELLO AND DOUBLE
BASS WOUND STRINGS
OF SUPERIOR QUALITY
Guaranteed for thirty days after they are sold
SEND FOR CATALOG
C. D. GREENLEAF, Pres.
J. F. BOYER, Sec'y
World's largest manufacturers of High Grade Band and Orchestra Instruments. Employs 1,000
expert workmen.
AH of the most celebrated Artists use and endorse Conn Instruments.
Famous Bandmasters and Orchestra Directors highly endorse and recommend the use of the
Conn Instruments in their organizations.
Conn Instruments are noted for their ease of playing, light and reliable valve or key action;
quick response, rich tonal quality, perfect intonation, tone carrying quality, artisticness of design,
beautiful finish and reliable construction.
Conn Instruments are sent to any point in the U. S. subject to ten days free trial. Branch store
or agencies will be found in all large cities. Write for catalogues, prices, etc.
C. G. CONN, Ltd.
DEPT. MS.
ELKHART, IND.
S. SIMON
8106 Chappell Avenue,
CHICAGO, ILLS.
OTTO R. TREFZ, Jr.
SLINGERLAND
PIANO BASS STRINGS
PIANO REPAIR SUPPLIES
May Bell
2110 Fairmount Ave.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
The Piano Repair Shop
Pianos and Phonographs Rebuilt by
Expert Workmen
Player-actions installed. Instruments
refinished or remodeled and actions and
keys repaired. Work guaranteed. Prices
reasonable.
Our-of-town dealers' repair work solic-
ited. Write for details and terms.
THE PIANO REPAIR SHOP
339 South Wabash Ave.
Chicago
Slingerland Banjos
are sold the country over because
they are Highest quality and sold
at a reasonable price.
Over 40 Styles of Banjos, Banjo Mandolins, Tenor Banjos
and Banjo Ukuleles, to select from.
Write for Catalogue
SLINGERLAND BANJO CO.
1815 Orchard Street
CHICAGO
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/