Presto

PRESTO
PRIMA DONNA ENJOYS
GULBRANSEN GRAND
Illustration Printed Herewith Is Much Re-
duced Reproduction of One Used in Na-
tional Advertising for November.
The accompanying cut shows Mme. Elvira de
Hidalgo, Operatic prima donna, enjoying the playing
of the Gulbransen Registering Grand Piano, played
by hand and by roll. This is the illustration featured
in Gulbransen National Advertising for November,
appearing also in the All-Fiction group of sixteen
magazines, and in a large group of other periodi-
cals.
The heading of the ad reads, "Hidalgo's ear could
distinguish no difference." Mme. Hidalgo is a prima
donna of the Metropolitan Opera Co., of New York;
the Opera of Paris, France; the Ravinia Summer
Opera of Chicago, and the San Francisco Opera Com-
pany. This was printed in the Gulbransen ad:
"It is not alone the tonal beauty that has made
Gulbransen Registering Piano the marvel of musical
circles, but the fact that people without musical train-
ing can play it by roll with personal touch and
variety of tone volume, just like hand playing! You
can play piano solos with notes correctly sustained
and accented. You can play accompaniments as a
pianist would play them. You can play dance music
in perfect time and rhythm. You can play operatic
pieces, sacred hymns, ballads—whatever your fancy
craves. And people in the very same room cannot
tell without looking, whether you play by roll or by
hand."
TWO MORE HANDSOME NEW
WURLITZER BUILDINGS
Powerful Music House Will Erect Big Commercial
Palaces in Detroit, Mich., and Dayton, O.
Of interest to the musical world is the announce-
ment, made a few days ago by Rudolph Wurlitzer,
vice-president of the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co., that
two new buildings are to be erected by the concern,
one in Detroit and the other in Dayton, Ohio.
The Detroit building will be twelve stories in
height, while that in Dayton will be five. The top
floor of both buildings will probably be given over
to music studios.
Both new buildings are to be modeled after the
Wurlitzer Building in Los Angeles, a show place of
that city's downtown district. They will both be in
the Spanish renaissance style of architecture. This
style will be unique in both cities, as the Spanish
renaissance style is but little known in the Middle
West.
NEW INVENTIONS IN
THE MUSIC TRADE
Pianos, Players and Accessories for the Piano
and Organ Industry Included in
Latest.
1,545,251. Tuning fork. Edgar W. Gent, Morris-
town, N. J.
1,546,205. Harmonic damper for pianos. Georges
Cloetens, Brussels, Belgium.
1,546,223. Automatic musical instrument. Stanley
L. Fisher, Chester, Conn.
1,547,020. Pneumatic player action for musical in-
struments. Theodore P. Brown, Worcester, Mass.
1,548,738. Metronome. Miltiade C. Pappas, Chris-
tiania, Norway.
1,548,977. Container for music rolls and the like.
Charles S. Burton, Oak Park, 111.
1,548,982. Piano attachment. Henry A. Clausing,
Lima, Ohio.
1,549,336. Automatic electrical apparatus, winding
for springs, motors. Lloyd L. Squibb, Camden, N. J.
1,546,204. Wind musical instrument. George Cloe-
tens, Brussels, Belgium.
1,545,903. Playing clock. Oskar Junghans, Schram-
berg, Germany.
1,545,842. Musical checker board. Dorothy Miller,
Kansas City, Mo.
. .~,
1,546,258. Mute for wind instruments. George
Schleusselburg, Chicago, 111.
1,546,153. Clarinet. W. O. Upton; Placerville,
Calif.
1,546,615. Chime switch. Arthur S. Boehm, Balti-
more, Md.
1,546,804. Auxiliary tuning device for violins.
Murray A. Stover, Rialto, Calif.
1,547,560. Pick for stringed instruments. Aaron
Burdwise, Baltimore, Md.
1,547,900. Trumpet mute. Frank Chiafarelli, New
York, N. Y.
67,898. Design, stringed musical instrument. Steve
Makay, Cleveland, Ohio.
AND NOW THEY HAVE
MUSIC WHILE THEY BANK
Depositors of the First and Merchants National at
Middletown Enjoy Wurlitzer Display.
"Music while you dine" has been plentiful enough
for years. But to do your banking to music is a
new wrinkle which has been made possible by the
display of a grand piano in the lobby of the First
and Merchants National Bank at Middletown, O., by
the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company.
As musicians stroll into the bank and see the open
piano in the rear of the lobby, they may have a de-
sire to tickle the ivories a bit, and if they so desire no
one will object. The bank tellers like it, and the cus-
tomers, too, find it entertaining.
After working hours, Charles J. Stahl, cashier of
the bank and a good pianist, sits down for a while
and entertains the employes and visitors who chance
to come in. Mr. Stahl plays the piano for the Chris-
tian Science Church in the bank building. Daily
volunteer recitals will probably be the rule as long
as the exhibit continues.
MOVEMENTS OF MEN
OF THE TRADE NOTED
Brief Items Recording the Whereabouts of Promi*
nent Ones.
F. S. Spofford, Chicago manager for Hardman,
Peck & Company, of New York, returned on Mon-
day of this week from a trip to Sarasota, Fla., where
he owns considerable property. He sold some of
his Sarasota holdings recently at a good profit on his
original investment, which was made some years ago.
Edward A. Laveille, general manager of the freight
traffic bureau of the National Piano Manufacturers'
Association, 1673-76 Marquette Building, 140 South
Dearborn street, Chicago, was in St. Louis, Mo., on
Friday of last week on a business trip.
Columbus Healy, vice-president of Lyon & Healy,
Chicago, who spent a week or more at his country
place in Lake Forest, 111., was back at his desk in
Chicago last Friday morning. Like the other sons of
the late P. J. Healy, Columbus Healy is a man of
action. He was active overseas in the World War
and he has kept himself well-occupied since his return
from those gory fields of activity.
L. J. COLLINS DISAPPEARS.
L. J. Collins, known to many piano manufacturers
in his capacity of advertising salesman, has unac-
countably disappeared. Several months ago he went
from Chicago to Florida in search of boom wealth.
From there he went to New York on special business
and within three weeks disappeared, his mail, which
was forwarded to Florida being returned to the
writers. Of course, Mr. Collins is not authorized to
collect money on Presto's account, and his present
location is unknown but desired.
STILL GREAT THOUGH CHANGED.
When a man leaves a city for a few years or months
he must not feel disappointment to note many
changes upon his return. Where once were great
piano factories he may find something else. Over at
the old Bush & Gerts factory in Chicago one now
sees the building repainted in a solid color of red,
with a great sign running across its Dayton street
front, "The Patent Scaffolding Company"; and across
the Weed street front, "Safe Scaffolding and Lad-
ders for Every Purpose." And the former factory of
the Crown pianos in Chicago, on Sangamon street
and Washington boulevard, is and has been for sev-
eral years a coffin and casket works. These factory
properties are continuing to be great, although in
very different lines from those of yore.
FIRE AT LA SALLE, ILL.
H. F. Guy, manager of the John Church Compa-
ny's Chicago store, says the fire at the company's
La Salle, 111., branch store two weeks ago did a
damage of about $1,000. A heavy wind through the
chimney of the furnace blew hot coals from the door,
which set the floor afire. Most of the damage was
done by chemicals that were thrown upon the pianos.
A fire sale was successfully held, and some days later
all the damaged stock was reported sold; and now
the house is going along in the even tenor of its way.
November 28, 1925.
FINE ENTERPRISE
OF DOLL & SONS
Purchase of Famous Old Hallet & Davis, by-
New York Houses, Is Considered Master
Stroke with Far-Reaching Effects Upon
Both Manufacturers and Retailers.
BUSY NEW YORK FACTORIES
When Transaction Culminates with the New Year,
Unparalleled Activities Will Take Place in Doll
and Premier Grand Industries.
The importance of the transaction by which the dis-
tinguished Hallet & Davis pianos and others in the
line which has controlled that famous old instrument,
cannot be overestimated. It will mark a new turning
point in the already notable career of the house of
Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc., of New York.
For with the addition of the instruments of the
Hallet & Davis, Briggs, Norris & Hyde and others
of the old Boston line to the already popular Doll
line, the industry on Southern boulevard will become
almost unsurpassed power in the piano industry and
trade.
Starts with New Year.
As has been told in Presto, in connection with
other particulars of the important purchase of the
Hallet & Davis Co.'s interests, the actual transfer of
the Boston line takes place with the incoming of the
New Year. And arrangements for uninterrupted
continuation in the production—even its increase—
are already under way if not fully completed.
Aside from the effect of the change upon the Hallet
& Davis and others of the Boston line, it is impos-
sible not to realize the significance of the transaction
upon the old New York house of Doll. For, in the
acquisition of all of the Hallet & Davis or Conway
line, the Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc., will acquire a pro-
ductiveness almost impossible of estimation.
Vast Productiveness.
It brings to that industry a line of business so large
that every foot of the great New York factory's space
will be employed, as well as that of the large plant of
the Premier Grand Piano Corporation, where all of
the Grand pianos of the line will be produced. The
factory of the latter very progressive, even aggressive,
industry, at 510-532 West 23rd street, is also a giant
institution, capable of the production of many thou-
sands of grands annually. And the entire capacity
will no doubt be almost instantly utilized, for the
addition of the several lines of fine grands will repre-
sent a large output aside from the rapidly growing
demand for the Premier Grands themselves.
Augmented Activities.
There seems to be a general feeling that the com-
ing to New York of the group of famous Boston
pianos is a sign of an almost new prosperity and im-
petus for the industry of the metropolis. And, natu-
rally, the Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc., and the Premier
Grand Corporation, become conspicuous in the move-
ment by which that augmented activity is insured.
Still further the effect of the acquisition to New
York of the Hallet & Davis and other Boston instru-
ments is already to be seen—and perhaps, even more,
felt—in and about the two great New York factories
with which the famous old pianos will henceforth be
so closely associated. It is everywhere regarded as
a great purchase, on the part of the New York in-
dustries, and one which at once lifts the Doll indus-
try far in advance of its best days in the past. In
fact, the transaction lines up the Doll and Premier
Grand with the several other giant combination-con-
trol industries whose activities have brought about
important changes in all phases of the piano business
—greater activities, larger productiveness and more
powerful influences in both the industrial and finan-
cial meaning of the word.
A New Impetus.
And in it all the great drawing power which long
ago made Southern boulevard the very center of New
York's piano industrial activities returns, and the fac-
tory of Jacob Doll & Sons, Inc., will, in the aggre-
gate of its productiveness and its importance in the
business of the retailers everywhere, bring again the
visiting crowds of piano men which used to fill the
Bronx thoroughfare before so many of the old indus-
tries moved away or in other ways reduced the piano
output of New York's famous piano producing sec-
tion. The importance of the Hallet & Davis-Doll-
Premier Grand transaction could scarcely be overesti-
mated in its effect upon the piano trade everywhere.
CHEAPER RADIO.
Radio sets seem to be dropping fast in retail sell-
ing prices. At Buffalo the Robert L. Loud Music
Co. is advertising the "New Wizard for $37.50—five
tubes; terms, $3 monthly."
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