August 13, 1927.
PRESTO-TIMES
who after having doubled in many pictures for
Douglas Fairbanks, taking the dangerous parts of
jumping off cliffs and mastheads, has assumed the
name of Richard Talmadge and is building a Tal-
madge studio and making Talmadge productions with
a view of diverting some of the Norma and Con-
stance Talmadge prestige to his assumed name.
An Alluring Program of Speeches and Enter-
Cecil Farney, that prince of good fellows, has made
tainments Will Hold the Interests of the a lasting impression by his pleasant visit to Los
Angeles during his western tour and has earned the
Michigan Metropolis During Third Annual
eternal gratitude of the employees at the Wurlitzer
Convention of State Music Merchants.
branch.
At a meeting of the employees of the Wurlitzer
company held recently Superintendent Farner in a
facetious speech offered a special prize to any gen-
tleman or lady salesman bringing in the largest
Piano Playing Contest, Civic Music Carnival and number of approved sales of pianos, organs or radios,
Piano Exhibits Will Be the Outstanding
a prize of $200 in gold and a round .trip ticket to the
Events.
DeKalb factory. Needless to say that this proposition
was
received with great applause and, judging from
Final preparations were completed this week for
the third Annual Convention of Michigan Music Mer- the great enthusiasm, will result in a large business
chants, Detroit, August 15 to 18, which promises to during the coming season.
In connection with the selection of the Wurlitzer
he one of the most spectacular events ever held in
that city. All Detroit is looking forward specially organ and Wurlitzer grand piano for exclusive use
to "The Second Annual Detroit Music Carnival," in the new $2,000,000 hotel recently opened in Holly-
which is to be held on the four blocks of Washing- wood, the Wurlitzer company say: "In congratulat-
ton boulevard, the Fifth Avenue of Detroit, on the ing the owners and management on the completion
evenings of August 16 and 17. This great feature oi the magnificent new Roosevelt Hotel, we are
is sponsored by Detroit and all the leading organiza- proud of having shared in this great achievement
tions. It is announced that the cast includes nearly through the installation of one of the finest organs
of its kind in the world. The same fine craftsman-
five thousand local talent.
ship in musical instruments is available to home own-
Opens with Luncheon.
ers through Wurlitzer pianos. Investigate these
The convention opens with a luncheon in the supreme instruments today."
Book-Cadillac Hotel, Monday noon, with the session
W. E. Hathaway, former manager of the sales
continuing during the afternoon. All sessions are department of the Southern California Music Com-
to be held in the afternoons of the first three days, pany, has resigned his position and has opened a
winding up with the final session Thursday morning, piano, organ and radio store at 1333 Wilshire boule-
in order to leave the delegates free to inspect the vard. Mr. Hathaway has been with this company
exhibits.
for twenty-five years, having commenced his career
A very strong list of speakers has been secured for as elevator man, and is know r n to all of the members
the meetings and arrangements made to secure local, of the trade in southern California. Through his
state and national publicity for the piano propaganda extraordinary ability he was rapidly advanced until
which "will be thus created. Leading lights of the he became manager of the piano department. He
industry and prominent local figures have been is considered one of the best salesmen in southern
secured, including the Mayor, the Governor, Judge California.
Frank Grannis, vice-president of the
Bartlett, who has a national reputation through put- Southern California Music Company, succeeds Mr.
ting speeders in jail, who will forcibly endorse the Hathaway as sales manager of the piano department.
piano playing contest as a "Crime Deterrent"; Frank
J. C. Monnig just returned from his vacation along
Cody, superintendent of Detroit public schools, who the west coast, making his headquarters at Hermosa
will speak on the "Piano in the School." Likewise, Beach, and is now at his desk as manager of the
Commissioner William P. Rutledge of the Detroit piano department of the Wiley B. Allen Piano
Police Department, will also give his impression of
Company.
the value of the Piano Sociologically. Fred Wardall,
E. Palmer Tusker expects to leave Saturday for a
a forceful speaker, known to every Detroiter as a well-earned vacation and will hibernate in the log
most successful business man and public spirited citi- cabin along the shores of the Upper Feather River,
zen, will talk on "Modern Installment Merchandis- seeking to allure the elusive trout from their shad-
ing," also upon the piano as a family benefit.
owy depths. Ere long we shall expect to hear a
Association Heads Present.
number of wonderful fish stories.
J. T. Fitzgerald sends word that he is having the
Among those listed in the industry are: President
C. J. Roberts of the merchants; W. E. Guylee of the time of his life, playing golf and fishing in the wilds
manufacturers; Herman Irion of the chamber; of the Northwest forests.
Charles S. Deutschmari of the tuners; C. H. Boyd
of the Ohio association; Anthony L. Maresh of the
NEW ERIE, PA, BRANCH.
Cleveland association, and Gordon Laughead of the
The W. F. Frederick Piano Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.,
Chicago Piano Club.
with a number of branches in western Pennsylvania,
C. M. Tremaine, Edward C. Boykin, A. M. Cut- has opened a new store at 21 East Eighth street.
sohn, Otto Meissner, Charles H. Yahrling and Roy Erie, Pa., where a line of pianos and musical mer-
A. Maypole, will give valuable information to the chandise is carried.
delegates with promotional ideas. Other prominent
members of the trade will be present and Frank J.
Bayley, to whom the Detroit Piano Playing Contest
owes a large part of its success, will take an active
part in the conclave.
Piano Playing Contest.
During the week just passed a contest was con-
ducted among the 430 school champions of the
Piano Playing Contest in the State theater to deter-
mine the Prince and Princess of Music for the great
Civic Music Carnival. This event received much
publicity, illustrated with several pictures.
On Monday evening, August 15, will be held the
grand finale of the Piano Playing Contest in the
Belle Island Symphony Shell.
P U N S COMPLETED
FOR DETROIT MEET
EXPECT BIG ATTENDANCE
BLUE RIBBON LINE
WINS ON ITS MERITS
Strong Showing of Tasteful Pianos of the
Hobart M. Cable Company Results
in Quick Sales.
Piano maufacturers who give distinctive names to
their instruments effectively aid in attracting the at-
tention of the piano buying public. And when the
distinctiveness is combined with the desirable quality
of suggestiveness the names have more power
to induce the prospective piano buyer to follow up
mere interest with inquiry that leads to sales.
The Hobart M. Cable Company, La Porte, Ind.,
realized the strength of a forceful title for the instru-.
ments in its Blue Ribbon line and give them names
that are suggestive of varieties of worthiness. People
interested in the purchase of a piano are influenced
by a suggestion of some characteristic in a piano
name. The Song Bird piano is promptly understood
to be the name of a little piano and a tuneful one.
A piano named the Conservatory at once suggests
its suitability to schools, colleges, public buildings or
homes with large rooms. The La Porte industry did
not stop at making a good line of pianos but it
named them in a way suitable to their character.
Toneful presentation by the Hobart M. Cable
Company, La Porte, Ind., added to admirable feat-
ures in its line of pianos, assure the active interest
of piano dealers everywhere. The reports of dealers
handling the line are convincing facts that tell of
the attractive qualities of the Hobart M. Cable in-
struments. A recent letter to the company from
Spear's Music House, Rome, N. Y., tells of the
irresistible force of the beauty of the Blue Ribbon
Song Bird.
This attractive piano sold itself twice in a three-
day showing in store windows, and the fact is quoted
as proof that small pianos could be sold in the
smaller towns. When Spear's Music House, in a'
town of some 27,000, placed a Sing Bird in their
window, they sold that and another like it within
three days. In addition, the company gained some
prospects possible to close later. It is a significant
fact that these Song Birds were sold to people this
dealer had previously tried to interest in ordinary
pianos, but without success.
The Blue Ribbon Line of the Hobart M. Cable
Company has the appeal that quickly changes the
prospect into an actual customer. The Patrician,
Aristocrat, Conservatory and Song Bird have in-
fluence on people unaffected by ordinary pianos.
They are instruments of class. The stunning new
finishes to harmonize with furnishings of fine homes
•—the new smartness of line—the personality of each
model—that is the combination which accounts for
the salability of Blue Ribbon pianos. That is the
reason this new line, with its background of twenty-
seven years of piano craft, has come to the fore so
rapidly.
Those dealers who control the exclusive agency
for the Blue Ribbon line find that they are selling
customers easily, who before could not even be in-
terested in ordinary pianos. People today want
something new in pianos—something^ distinctive—
pianos designed like line furniture.
STRENGTHENS SCHILLER LINE
NEWS OF THE TRADE
FROM LOS ANGELES
Interesting Items Concerning Piano Men and
Trade Conditions in Los Angeles and
Surrounding Communities.
Los Angeles itself seems to be flooded with impe-
cunious bankrupt music teachers and widows who
are selling at an immense sacrifice their family heir-
looms and grand pianos almost new, on account of
various disasters.
The piano stencil makers do not control the entire
stencil question as the Singer sewing machine has
lately appeared on the market which is a travestry
on the well-known Singer sewing machine. Now
comes a film moving picture stencil, Dick Machetti,
Another Addition to the
Line of Art Pianos An-
nounced to Music
Trade.
The announcement is mad6
by the Schiller Piano Co., 209
South State street, Chicago, of
the new Jacobean upright
model which has already been
favored by dealers who are
aware of the possibilities of
the small Period uprights in
the trade. This new creation
by the active Oregon, 111., in-
dustry is 4 feet 1 inch high
and is finished in mahogany
and walnut|.i,;|It is called Stylt!
M. Jacobean upright and th
cut shown is the Model M
the popular walnut highlight',
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/