Presto

Issue: 1925 2051

PRESTO
CHICAGO PIANO AND
ORGAN ASSOCIATION
Following Luncheon at Great Northern Hotel,
Annual Election Is Held and Vital
Trade Matters Discussed.
The annual members' meeting of the Chicago
Piano & Organ Association was held in the rural
room, on the mezzanine floor, of the Great Northern
Hotel, Thursday, November 12.
The annual election of officers was held at that time
and other matters presented for the consideration of
the membership, so a representative attendance added
to the importance of the occasion.
"Please let us have your co-operation," said F. P.
Whitmore, in the notice to members. "During
periods of calm the P. & O. aims to make minimum
requirements on your time so as not to interfere
either with your business or your social obligations,
but we must not be unmindful of the good that our
organization has stood ready to furnish so promptly
whenever a need arose that called for greater activity.
Such occasions will again occur, and, in the interval,
do not lose sight of the opportunity offered to keep
your contact fresh with your interested co-workers."
A shade of melancholy was cast upon the meeting
by the death of Jas. F. Bowers and appropriate action
was taken to commemorate the affection and esteem
for the late member, who had been active in the in-
terests of the association.
The following officers were elected to serve for one
year: President, Will T. Brinkerhoff, of the Brink-
erhoff Piano Company; first vice-president, C. M.
Reichardt, of the Reichardt Piano Company; second
vice-president, F. P. Whitmore, of the W. W. Kim-
ball Piano Company; secretary, Roger O'Connor, of
the Kranich & Bach house; treasurer, Adam
Schneider, of Julius Bauer & Company.
so trying that the hardest usage of children and ama-
teurs seems insignificant by comparison.
And afterward, when you are seated at one of the
many Steinway models in an utterly silent showroom
try the beautiful liquid treble, crystal
clear . . . sense the rolling sonority of the bass
. touch the middlue section and set the sing-
ing, golden mezzo-tones floating
Then, if you are a really careful and logical buyer,
you become the owner of a Steinway. And the pur-
chase of a piano is transformed into an investment
in the skill, knowledge and integrity of four genera-
tions of the Steinway family.
It is not" unnatural for people to think that this
piano of the masters of music is too costly to own.
This is not true.
The Steinway has always been sold, as a matter of
principle, at the lowest possible price and upon the
most convenient terms. Some one of the models de-
signed to fit the acoustics of every home may be
yours, easily and at once. And then begins the un-
failing return made by each Steinway to its owner;
full measure of pleasure and delight; a new appre-
ciation of music and a deeper insight into its signifi-
cance; year after year of satisfaction. And a tonal
beauty that will be an everlasting joy to you, to your
children, and even to your children's children. You
need never buy another piano.
NEW CHICKERINQ & SONS
WHOLESALE MANAGER
"The Steinart Pianoforte" is the title of a new
catalog just issued by M. Steinert & Sons, Boston.
Apart from the interesting description of the Steinert
pianos the book is of rare value as a handbook of
history. A reproduction of the Steinert antique col-
lection at Yale University, which comprises thirteen
pianos, some two hundred years old, is a feature of
the book.
The cover of the new book is an artistic bit of
printing in brown and buff and two uprights and
six grand pianos are pictured and described in the
pages that follow. Two pages are devoted to each
piano model. In a foreword this is said:
"Manufactured by three generations of musicians
and piano makers, designed expressly for the artistic
and discriminating public, the Steinert piano has
reached the highest place and represents a great
achievement in pianoforte construction."
Announcement is made from the New York offices
of Chickering & Sons that H. C. Spain has joined
that organization in the capacity of manager of whole-
sale sales.
Mr. Spain, who is the son of H. T. Spain, secretary
of Chickering & Sons, brings to his new work a wide
Jesse French for Technical High, Apollo for
New Theater, Baldwin for Auditorium,
with Trade Generally Picking Up.
The Metropolitan Music Co., Minneapolis, Minn.,
has been made representative for the Miessner piano,
made by the Miessner Piano Co., Milwaukee, and its
sphere of activity for the instrument will include
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth. In addition to
featuring the Miessner, in the characteristically effec-
tive way of the Metropolitan Music Co., the Melody
Way system of teaching the piano will be adopted by
the company.
Arrangements have been made by the company to
form classes in the simplified method perfected by
W. Otto Miessner, head of the Miessner Piano Co.,
and the new activity of the Metropolitan Music. Co.
has been placed under the direction of Agnes Moore
Fryberger, the well known music instructor.
H. C. SPAIN.
"You need never buy another piano" is the head-
line of a Steinway page in the Saturday Evening
Post of November 7. It is adorned with an artistic
pen drawing of Ignace Paderewski who uses the
Steinway exclusively in his recitals. The ad, which
bears the new address of Steinway & Sons—Stein-
way Hall, 109 West 57th street, New York—has this
interesting matter in type:
Particularly welcome at the establishment of any
Steinway dealer are those who are interested in the
facts about the Steinway piano; who seek an explana-
tion of its miraculous singing tone; who wish to know
the reasons for its durability, its beauty, and its long
established record of superiority.
For the bare recital of the truth about the Steinway
is utterly convincing. You will find, for instance, that
all the major improvements marking the progress of
the piano were originated and were brought to per-
fection, in the Steinway workshops. You will dis-
cover that five years and eleven months of painstak-
ing preparation and workmanship is required to build
a Steinway piano. You will find that literally scores
of the most famous pianists in the musical world not
only use the Steinway on the concert stage, but in
their homes; subjecting them, day after day and year
after year, to the most strenuous practice. Practice
Artistic Book Admirably Pictures and De-
scribes Uprights and Grands and Is Other-
wise an Interesting Publication.
INDIANAPOLIS SCHOOLS
SECURE GOOD PIANOS
Metropolitan Music Company Announces Ap-
pointment as Representative and Establishes
Melody Way System of Teaching Piano.
Why "You Need Never Buy Another Piano"
Explained to Prospective Buyers in Na-
tional Magazine Display.
NEW CATALOG TELLS
ABOUT STEINERT PIANOS
H. C. Spain, Son of H. T. Spain, Secretary of Chick-
ering & Sons, Chosen for Responsible Position.
MIESSNER PIANO FOR
BIG MINNEAPOLIS FIRM
CONVINCING FACTS
ABOUT STEINWAY PIANO
November 14, 1925.
experience and acquaintance in the trade. Since 1914,
when he entered the employ of Hallet & Davis, his
interests and activities have brought him in contact
with piano makers and piano merchants throughout
the country. Several years as general manager of the
National Piano Manufacturing Company have
equipped him for the position he now takes with the
time-honored house.
The Wilking Music Company reports some inter-
esting sales of the Jesse French pianos. Three style
A Jesse French uprights in walnut were sold to the
Indianapolis Technical High School. "We encoun-
tered some strong competition, but were fortunate
in placing the instruments," said Mr. Wilking.
Another sale of interest was a style G in mahogany
dull finish to school No. 70, at 46th and Central ave-
nue, a new school building, and the instrument was
purchased for the auditorium. Mr. Wilking is very
much pleased with some of the late arrivals in style
S G and G grands, with the Dulce Tone, and reports
one of these instruments sold to one of the city's
very prominent business men.
Another sale of interest was two Apollo pianos,
one reproducing and the other straight grand, to the
new Zehring Theater. The reproducing instrument
is to beu sed on the stage. Mr. Wilking is espe-
cially proud of this sale, as the Zehring Theater is
the last word in high grade design and architecture.
The Pearson Piano Company will conduct its 52nd
anniversary sale this week commencing on Saturday.
Mr. Stockdale reports some Christmas business and
reports more freedom in buying. Geo. C. Pearson,
senior member of the firm, will leave for California in
a few days, where he will spend the winter.
The Baldwin Piano Company reports the sale of a
style H Baldwin grand, in walnut, to school 76, to
be used in the auditorium. W. C. Heaton, president,
of the Auto-Pneumatic Action Co., will be in Indian-
apolis this week on his way to the West Coast.
Mr. Storer, retail sales manager of the Baldwin
Company in St. Louis, was in Indianapolis last Thurs-
day and attended a meeting of the retail salesmen
at the Indianapolis Athletic Club, after which a din-
ner was served. About 30 of the Baldwin salesmen
were present; co-operation matters and other inter-
esting subjects pertaining to matters between Bald-
win divisions were discussed.
MUSIC TRADE IN DRIVE.
ESTATE OF FRANK A. KNIGHT.
Frank A. Knight, owner of the Ampliphone Com-
pany, of Brazil, Ind., and Chicago, who was killed
in an automobile accident, as told in last week's
Presto, left an estate valued at about $90,000, accord-
ing to the records filed in the county court at Denver,
Colorado, by his daughter, Lola Knight Howard.
Mrs. Howard is his only heir and was sworn in as ad-
ministratrix by Judge George A. Luxford. The es-
tate consists principally of bonds of the Brazil Realty
Company.
GEO. P. BENT GOES WEST.
Transcontinental commuter Geo. P. Bent left Chi-
cago last Saturday for the Golden West. He stopped
at Omaha for a brief visit with relatives and, after a
few days in Frisco, he will be at his home in Los An-
geles for a while. It is understood that Mr. Bent
will help swell the orders, in the West, for the Schaef-
fer piano with the makers of which he is a stock-
holder.
Ray Ziegler last week held the formal opening of
his new store in Coalinga, Cal.
The music trade of New York City has been organ-
ized for the Ninth Annual Roll Call of the American
Red Cross, with John J. Glynn, of the James & Hol-
strom Piano Co., as head of the retail music group;
George W. Allen of Milton Piano Co., the piano
group, and E. C. Mills of the Music Publishers' Pro-
tective Association, the music publishers' group.
Allied groups are talking machines, under Lloyd L.
Spencer of the Silas E. Pearsall Co., and the radio
industry, under David Sarnoff of the Radio Corpora-
tion of America. The drive began on Armistice Day.
Each chairman will be assisted by a special com-
mittee of trade representatives and will co-operate
with the citizens' committee of 1,000, under the chair-
manship of Gen. James G. Harbord, president of the
Radio Corporation of America.
PLATT GIBBS DOING WELL.
Reports from St. Luke's Hospital, by Platt Gibbs
himself, are gratifying. The former champion of the
Gibbs Circus Grand escaped as the result of his
collision with a motor car at Van Buren and Wabash
avenue, Chicago, with a broken leg. "Otherwise," he
says, "I'm about all right."
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).
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November 14, 1925.
PRESTO
VALUE IN A GOOD
REGISTERED NAME
ust a word or two of
information—a prof-
itable message to
music merchants.
rogressive dealers
everywhere have long
ago discovered the
unusual possibilities
of selling and oper-
ating automatic
pianos.
SEEBURG instru-
ments, they have ob-
served, are best suited
to this strenuous ser-
vice— simplicity, re-
liability and endur-
ance mean something
"iano construction
must vary according
to the purpose -long
years of experience
has taught which is
best.
Co-operation after all,
harmonizes the or-
ganized effort of
dealer and factory—
an outstanding fea-
ture of the SEE-
BURG selling plan.
J. P. Seeburg
Piano Co.
"Leaders in the
Automatic Field"
1508-10-12-16 Dayton St.
Chicago
Address Dept. " E "
Often a Distinctive Firm or Commodity Title
or Phrase Suggestive of the Character of
the Goods Is as Important as the
Pictured Trade-Mark.
INSTANCES POINTED OUT
Many Successful Pianos and Other Musical Instru-
ments Are Indebted for Success to Wise
Selection of a Registered Name.
This is the concluding portion of the article on
registered names and phrases in the music business,
continued from week to week for the past six weeks.
The names and phrases set down and explained were
occasionally of a historical nature and always inter-
esting. The extent of the list was surprising, too,
and showed in a unique way the importance of the
industry.
century ago and that today marks the fulfillment of
the early ambition—to make only the best.
A Bush & Lane Stimulus.
"Quality in Name and Fact" is a statement effec-
tively used in its publicity by the Bush & Lane Piano
Co., Holland, Mich., and the effort to live up to the
phrase has been the stimulus actuating the company
since its formation in 1901. Bush & Lane and Victor
pianos, Cecilian players and Duo Vox phonographs
made by the company are all included in the effort
to keep quality an actual, continuous condition in
manufacture. To make the quality character easier
of fulfillment the company has provided a splendid
equipment and a force of expert workmen thoroughly
in accord with the ambition to produce instruments
of undoubted quality.
Pride of F. Radle, Inc.
"Radle Tone—The Musician's Delight" is a phrase
that F. Radle, Inc., New York, has used with pride
in its publicity for a great number of years. The
company is among the oldest in the American piano
industry, being established in 1850, and a collection
of testimonials from prominent pianists and critics is
a fact which justifies the well known phrase about
the F. Radle tone. It is a convincing statement for
causing satisfaction in the musician owner in the ac-
complishment of something of which to be proud.
The tone of a piano is the great test and that is why
the company elaborates the phrase by adding: "When-
ever you hear the name Radle you immediately think
of a wonderful tone quality, durability and design."
Apart from the names of instruments and devices
rendering them more valuable and desirable, there
A Hardman Claim in Line.
are certain well known phrases in use in the music
trade which are considered in the line of assets. Some
"The Hardman Line Is a Complete Line," is a
of these are patented and made exclusive property by printed slogan of Hardman, Peck & Co., New York,
law and others have been established in ownership by which conveys an important fact to the retail piano
usage.
The retail and wholesale advertising of house. It is suggestive of inquiry in the new music
many pianos and piano parts is distinguished by the dealer who considers making connections with a
repetition of a phrase which is full of meaning; one manufacturer and it is potent as an incentive to in-
that names or suggests a characteristic of an admir- quiry to the established man keen to know the piano
able kind.
market. The undoubted basis of fact makes the
phrase of greater value. Besides the Hardman-made
A Meaningful Phrase.
pianos, it includes the Hardman Reproducing Piano,
There is, for instance, the "Highest Grade—One the Hardman Autotone and the popular Playotone.
Grade Only," of Wessell, Nickel & Gross, New-
New Baldwin Slogan.
York, the manufacturers of famous piano actions. In
the few T meaningful words the character of the actions
"Choose Your Piano as the Artists Do" is the new
and the policy of the house are expressed. There is slogan of the Baldwin Piano Co., Cincinnati, by the
the anticipation of satisfaction in the phrase. One use of which the company realizes on the favor for
grade only, but that of the kind that satisfies the the Baldwin piano by a great many grand opera stars
most exacting anticipations. The words express a and other artists of prominence. The slogan was
condition, too, that the Wessell, Nickel & Gross first used in the Chicago branch of the company
action is a guarantee of the grade of the piano in and in that city it is particularly full of meaning.
which it is found.
The Baldwin is the official piano of the Chicago Civic
Opera Company and all of the stars have contrib-
A Steinway Slogan.
uted letters testifying to their appreciation of the
Dignity marks the magazine and newspaper adver- artistic qualities of the instrument.
tising of the Steinway piano and wherever a Steinway
A Vose Distinction.
display appears it reflects the character of the in-
strument. A proven Steinway quality is suggested
A valuable condition of distinctiveness may be
in a sentence used by Steinway & Sons in national realized by the advertiser by a unique manner of
advertising and by Steinway retail representatives in printing a firm name or a statement. An instance in
all places. "The Instrument of the Immortals," is a point is the admirably tasteful method of the Vose &
sentence fraught with meaning based upon the fact Sons Piano Co., Boston. A Vose advertisement is
that the piano is the choice of the world's great always suggestive of the Vose piano—an artistic
artists. It briefly says that the Steinway piano is so thing. It states a Vose fact simply, forcibly and with
perfectly constructed that it has become associated the dignity in keeping with the enviable position of
with the names of the perfect interpreters of the mas- the fine old house in the piano industry. Like Vose
terpieces of musical composition.
case designs, the Vose ads are artistic and always
display refinement and good taste.
A J. P. Seeburg Winner.
"Leaders in the Automatic Field" is a widely
known phrase of the J. P, Seeburg Piano Co., Chi-
cago, and one which proves an incentive to the com-
pany to retain a proud place in that particular phase
of musical instrument manufacture. The phrase,
which usage has identified with the Chicago company, W. L. Crocker, Head of Crocker Piano & Organ Co.,
is of particular value when the possibilities in the
Shows His Faith by Laying in Big Stock.
handling of automatic pianos are more clearly under-
stood than ever before. "Leaders in the Automatic
W. L. Crocker, head of the Crocker Piano & Organ
Field" assures experience in making the instruments Co., Franklin, Ky., expresses his confidence in a good
and simplicity, reliability and musical merit in every- season in the most convincing way by putting in a
thing in the Seeburg line.
big and varied stock. He knows the requirements of
his territory and provides for the particular wants of
The Roll of Honor.
his clientele.
The United States Music Co., Chicago, has a phrase
The Crocker Piano & Organ Company was
well known from usage. "The Roll of Honor," in first established years ago at Orlinda, and later re-
addition, has a color scheme in its advertisements moved to Franklin. W. L. Crocker, who for prac-
that brings the phrase to greater notice. The orange tically the whole of his life has handled musical in-
and blue of the U. S. Music Co.'s ads attract the struments, has probably sold more pianos and organs
eye of the reader of a trade paper and the type in than any other single dealer in Kentucky or Tennes-
the displays brings some vital fact that insures the see. Buying in large quantities, he has been enablad
IT. S. roll in the position of "The Roll of Honor." to secure the advantage of any reduction in price, and
The blue and orange messages constantly remind in dealing with customers it was his pleasure always
the dealers of the constructive influence of the U. S. to give them the advantage of any saving he was
roll on piano player merchandising. They make clear thus enabled to make.
the fact that they create player prospects by making
enthusiastic player owners.
KENTUCKY MUSIC DEALER
SURE OF GOOD SEASON
Suggests Proud History.
Adam Schaaf, Inc., Chicago, uses an eloquent
phrase which conveys the fact of reputable history
and its rewards: "Established Reputation and Qual-
ity Since 1873." It recalls the proud fact that the
house entered the piano manufacturing field half a
MAY LICENSE CANVASSERS.
After the first of the new year, house-to-house can-
vassers in Minneapolis, Minn., must secure permits
at the annual cost of $2 per year, if the proposed
ordinance ipsassed by the city council. The can-
vassers also will be required to wear a badge with a
permit number.
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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