15
PRESTO-TIMES
June 11, 1927.
GREAT DISPLAY
OF MUSIC GOODS
Exhibits of Manufacturers of Pianos, Band In-
struments and Musical Merchandise Gen-
erally Made the Convention at the
Stevens Hotel of Unusual Value.
A STRONG SHOWING
The Period Models in Pianos and the Small Styles
in Grands and Uprights Added New Character
to Display.
The annual convention of the music trades in
Chicago last week had unusual importance and was
of peculiar attraction to the music goods dealer eager
to keep abreast of the latest developments in styles.
The show was really one of the newest presenta-
tions in musical goods of all kinds.
The attractions for the piano dealer were many,
and, in a great number of instances, surprising. The
exhibition at the Hotel Stevens was a marvelous array
of novelties in designs, measurements and finishes.
And the keenly observant piano dealer saw in the new
offerings potent aids to augment the public interest in
his line. A series of brief reviews of the shows at
the Stevens Hotel this week follows:
Shows New Werner Grand.
The Werner Piano Company, 711 Milwaukee ave-
nue, Chicago, featured its new Art finishes in the
three foot eight inch Campus models upright pianos
and playerpianos in an attractive exhibit. Also a new
design grand in highlight finish was shown. The
display was in charge of F. P. Bassett, with Otto
Schulz, Jr., H. D. Hewitt, A. P. Gustafson, O. M.
Heinzman, E. M. Prinz, Mark I. Mayer, W. H.
Thackery and A. C. Beckman in attendance.
Show Starr at Congress.
The interest expressed in the Starr line was testi-
fied to by the fact that the booth of the Starr Piano
Co., Richmond, Ind., was a busy one at the Congress
Hotel, a few doors north of Hotel Stevens. The com-
plete line, which included plain and period models,
straight and reproducing pianos in both grands and
uprights and also player models were prominently
displayed. Officers and technicians of the company
were on hand.
Features of H. C. Bay Exhibit.
The extensive line of the H. C. Bay Co., Blurrton.
Ind., with main offices at 209 South State street, Chi-
cago, was shown in seven rooms at the Stevens Hotel
during convention week. The display was made
more interesting by the new Scale 90 grand. Many
visitors showed interest in the H. C. Bay Co.'s period
models in grands and uprights. Different color
schemes were also prominently displayed.
A Starck Display.
The Starck Piano Co., 228 South Wabash avenue.
Chicago, had a display at the Hotel Stevens as well
as the prominent one at the store. The Starck suite
was well attended by dealers from all parts of the
country. P. A. Starck, president, and Will T. Brink-
erhoff, vice-president, met many of their friends in
the trade.
Dealers Visit Stemmer Plant.
A novel display of the Fuehr & Stemmer miniature
grand was arranged at the Stemmer factory at 1932
Wentworth avenue. As the place is only a short dis-
tance from the convention headquarters, many deal-
ers were induced to go there. The success of the
Fuehr & Stemmer miniature grand has already been
established and dealers who saw the latest piano inno-
vation were impressed with its performance.
Show Knabe Line.
The Win. Knabe & Co. exhibit at the Hotel
Stevens during the convention consisted of a show-
ing of period models of the Ampico and Knabe
grands. Six grands, including the Florentine and
Spanish art models, were featured.
Among the Knabe representatives who were pres-
ent at the Knabe suite at the headquarters hotel dur-
ing the week were R. K. Paynter, president of the
company; E. Fred Colber and S. J. Ailing.
Show Mason & Hamlin.
Mason & Hamlin grands and Ampico grands were
exhibited at the Cable Piano Co.'s warerooms, Wa-
bash avenue and Jackson boulevard, and many mer-
chants attending the music trade convention saw this
celebrated instrument on display. Attending the con-
vention were Henry L. Mason, Wm. P. Marsh and
George R. Whitier, all of whom were registered at
the Hotel Stevens.
Steinway at Lyon & Healy's.
Many of the visiting music merchants to the con-
vention took the opportunity to visit Lyon & Healy,
Inc., Wabash and Jackson, Chicago, and see the
Steinway display. A special display of the Steinway
was made by the Lyon & Healy window display
department, which has been active in the artistic ar-
rangement of the famous Steinway instrument in the
show windows.
In the Gulbransen Suite.
The wide and extensive Gulbransen line was the
center of much attention at Hotel Stevens this week.
The exhibit included uprights, small uprights, grands,
registering pianos, reproducing pianos and music
rolls. The heads of the various Gulbransen depart-
ments and Gulbransen traveling representatives were
present and met their many friends among the visit-
ing dealers.
Automatic Line Attracts.
One of the big attractions among -the exhibitors
was the "Derby Automatic," exhibited by the West-
ern Electric Piano Co., 832-850 Blackhawk street.
Chicago, which showed a line that embodies many
new features to visiting dealers. Messrs. Larsen and
Waters were in charge of the display.
Mehlin Period Line.
The Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, New York, showed
an impressive line of pianos, and visiting dealers ex-
pressed interest in the period models.
Show Settergren Grands.
During the convention week the B. K. Settergren
Piano Co., Bluffton, Ind., makers of baby grands
exclusively, presented a big line of plain and period
grands at Hotel Stevens. B. K. Settergren, president,
was in charge. William and Mary, Florentine, Italian
Renaissance, Louis XVI and Queen Anne models
were the periods shown.
Lester Pianos Attract.
The Lester Piano Co., Philadelphia, displayed the
leaders of its line at the convention and succeeded
in attracting many merchants, who expressed interest
in the exhibit. The new style Louis XVI Grand and
the Lester Reproducing Grand were featured;
Periods in Ludwig Line.
Ludwig grand and upright pianos in plain and
period designs were shown in an attractive display
at the Stevens Hotel this week. Two attractive
period art grands were the center of attraction. The
display was in charge of C. A. Errickson, president;
L. D. Perry, J. J. Ryan and R. E. Briggs.
Poole Grands and Uprights.
The Poole Piano Co., Boston, exhibited its fine line
of grands and uprights of the latest designs at the
Hotel Stevens this week. Room 1701 was an attrac-
tive place for hundreds of old friends of the Poole,
so long associated with fine tone and reliability.
Packard Models Shown.
The display of the Packard Piano Co., Ft. Wayne,
Ind., included period art grands, grands and upright
models, and was in charge of A. S. Bond, president;
R. W. E. Sperry, W. B. Marshall, A. A. Buenning.
J. J. Buttell, H. B. Harris, R. S. Hill and H. M.
Hulme. The extensive connection of the Packard
Piano Co. in the trade all over the country resulted
in numerous visitors to the suite.
At Story & Clark Warerooms.
The wide Story & Clark line was displayed at the
company's warerooms at 174 North Michigan avenue,
where every convenience was afforded the visiting
dealers. The display included the entire Story &
Clark line, and period art grands were especially
featured. F. F. Story, vice-president; E. M. Love,
(Continued on page 18.)
THE EXHIBIT OF
MUSIC DEALERS ADS.
Attractive Feature of Convention at Stevens
Hotel Showed the Fine Art of Piano
Publicity.
The Retail Merchants' Advertising Exhibit in con-
nection with the conventions of the associations of
the music trade at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago, from
June 6 to 9 was in itself a convincing showing of the
progress of the art of advertising. But it also showed
the relaxation by ambitious music houses of the fit-
ness of things in music goods publicity, the power of
the printed message to create the proper mental at-
titude in the music buying public. It may be that the
display was not as extensive as at previous conven-
tions, but besides achieving glory for the advertising
of several houses, it is available as an admirable
course in advertising for ambitious men in big and
little music houses all over the country.
The Houses Represented.
Three panels were filled with reproductions of ads
by the Fitzgerald Music Co., Los Angeles, whose
publicity is as tasteful as it is potent for influencing
the newspaper reading public. The Music Store of
the Hudson Co., Detroit, in three panels showed its
ability to properly present grands and the Ampico.
A collection of ads of the Parkinson Piano House,
Providence, R. I., not only showed the adaptability
of the rotogravure process to the requirements of
the piano advertiser, but showed the ability of the
advertisers to get the best out of that method of
printing.
The Steinway Displays.
The reproductions of displays by Steinway & Sons,
New York, printed in rotogravure sections of news-
papers were splendid representations of the artistic
in advertising art. Many of the reproduced ads had
the portraits of famous artists whose performances
are associated with the Steinway piano. The dis-
plays were distinctive and typical of the highest aims
of the advertising man.
Other fine displays were made of the ads of Lyon
& Healy, Chicago; the Aeolian Co., New York; Zit-
zers, Mansfield, O.; Otto Crau, Cincinnati, and Sher-
man, Clay & Co., San Francisco. In the newspaper
ads of the latter house the force of the strong sil-
houette in illustration is shown in a convincing way.
LITTLE WONDER GRAND
CONVENTION ATTRACTION
Weiser & Sons, Chicago, Exhibits 3 Ft. 8 In. Instru-
ment to Visiting Dealers.
;
One of the convention exhibits this week in which
music merchants showed an unusual amount of in-
terest was the Weiser & Sons, of Chicago.
The "Little Wonder" grand is well named in the
opinion of the trade, and many orders were recorded
by Mr. Weiser, who was elated for the success of
his achievement.
In a folder issued to the trade the following is said
about the little instrument: "Not a detail has been
overlooked in the completion of this little piano. Aside
from its wonderful tonal qualities, it is beautiful to
look at. It is symmetrical throughout, the legs, the
lyre and all else conform to the small case. Its
weight, of approximately 200 pounds, makes it just
as easy to move around as a piece of furniture."
NEW PORTLAND MANAGER.
E. J. Meyers, the new manager of the Corrri Port-
land store, Portland, Ore., has had seven years'
experience in the musical merchandise field in that
section. He first came to Portland in 1920 to take
charge of the small goods section for the Bush &
Lane Piano Co. "fir 1925 he went to Vancouver,
B. C, to open a Conn branch and has been identified
with Conn interests since that time.
PRESTO BUYERS' GUIDE
GOLDSMITH
Price 50 Cents
Players and Pianos
PRESTO PUBLISHING CO.
Have^Every Advantage in Quality and Results
to the Dealers
An Investigation Will Prove It
CHICAGO
GOLDSMITH PIANO COMPANY
1225-1227 MtHer Street, CHICAGO
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