Presto

MUSICAL
TIMES
PRESTO
Established
1881
Established
1884
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
10 Cents a Copy
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1927
TO REPRESENT THE
STEINWAY IN CANADA
Ernest Urchs, Wholesale Manager for Stein-
way & Sons, Names Successors to Nord-
heimer Piano & Music Co.
The Xordhcimcr Piano & Music Co., which has
been Steinway representative in Toronto and west
of the point since 1859, will retire from the music
field on December 31, and the identity of the suc-
cessors to the desirable franchise have been an-
nounced by Ernest Urchs, wholesale department
manager. It is Paul Hahn, with whom will be asso-
ciated Freeman Wright and T. C. Wright. The
Xordheimer business has been sold to lleintzmann
& Co. It is the intention of Albert Nordheimer to
devote himself to his private interests and he also will
continue as consul for the Netherlands in Toronto.
The following dealers, formerly sub-dealers of the
Xordheimer Piano and Music Co., have also been
appointed.: Winnipeg Piano Co., Winnipeg; Child &
Grower Piano Co., Ltd., Regina; H. J. M. Gloeckler
Piano. House, Saskatoon; Henderson Music House,
Edmonton; the Matthews Music House, Ltd., Cal-
gary.
J. W. Kelly Piano Co., Ltd., of Vancouver, Fletcher
Rros., Ltd., of Victoria, and C. W. Lindsey, Ltd.,
of Montreal, Quebec and Ottawa, who have been
direct dealers of Steinway & Sons for a number of
years, will continue.
LIVELY TRADE REPORTS
FROM INDIANAPOLIS
Sales for Holidays to Create a Record—Other
News from Progressive City Denotes
Music Trade Activity.
John Pearson of the Pearson Piano Company,
Indianapolis, is more than pleased with the results of
the recent clearance sale of used instruments. Every
piano was marked down just half of the original
price in order to move them quickly, and practically
every used instrument has been sold. Mr. Pearson
reports the sales of some very high grade pianos in
the Period models, which he believes have come to
stay."
William Christena of the Christena-Teague Piano
Company, is very proud of the especially finished
Style 54 Checkering Ampico, which was just delivered
to one of the very finest homes in Indianapolis. The
instrument was finished to correspond with the wood-
work in the music room of the $600,000 home of L. L.
Goodman of the Real Silk Hosiery Mills and was
pronounced a perfect match for the interior wood
work.
To Represent Mathushek.
Swain & Swain, the up-otwn music store at Xo. 18
East Sixteenth street, has just received the first
Mathushek pianos which they will carry in stock,
having acquired the agency in this city. Mr. Swain
declares the instruments are the best ever, and
praised the Period model known as the Sheraton
Colibri. ''We have been having some very interest-
ing inquiries for the Period models," said Mr. Swain
and 1 now believe we have just what the public
demand in these exquisite instruments, which I con-
sider perfect in tone, workmanship and finish." Mr.
Swain says that the prospects for a good Christmas
business are very promising.
Ray Coverdill, manager for Kimball & Co., reports
the sale of one of the Kimball Studios to St. Mark's
Lutheran Church, which will be used in the Sunday
School room.
Jesse French Period Models.
The VVilking Music Company are having the first
official showing of the Jesse French & Sons Period
models. Several thousand engraved invitations were
sent to the music lovers of the city, and the exhibit
lias had an unusual good attendance, despite the
adverse weather. The instruments are arranged in
an unusual setting, of Period furniture and works of
art of the various periods in early history. One of
the attractions is a special style grand in the finest
of crotch walnut, not in the regular production, and
never to be duplicated. The instruments are not on
sale, and only can be sold with indefinite promise
of delivery.
If. Edgar French of Xew Castle. Ind., Jesse
French,, Jr., and Jesse French the Third spent Sat-
urday in Indianapolis, for the opening of the Period
show of Jesse French & Sons' new Period models.
II. G. Hook, manager of the Starr Piano Company,
is suffering with a badly lacerated hand caused while
cranking his machine. The leaders in the. thumb
have been entirely torn from the tip of the thumb
to the wrist, and described as very painful by Mr.
Hook.
C. J. HEPPE & SON TO
FEATURE WEBER PIANO
Progressive Philadelphia Music House Relinquishes
Other Lines to Promote Their Fine Instrument.
According to an announcement by C. J. Heppe &
Son, Philadelphia, changes have been made in the
piano representation by which this firm voluntarily
retires from handling some lines. The change is
occasioned by a new and far-reaching policy to cen-
tralize the firm's activities in the larger promotion of
the Weber piano, which is to be featured.
Since 1887, the House of Heppe has represented
The Aeolian Company, Xew York, and for thirty-
eight years has sold its productions. Appreciating
the growing and important place occupied by decora-
tive designs in cases of beautiful woods and crafts-
manship, the Heppe company will redouble its efforts
to feature the Weber piano for which the most beau-
tiful designs have been created. This will apply both
to the Weber piano proper, as well as the Weber
Duo-Art, and is a response to the public's indicative
trend toward pianos which reproduce actual playing
as the major foundation of success, as well as having
a line of pianos beautifully equipped, both by work-
manship and tradition, as a basis of manual piano
playing.
Weber pianos enjoy an honored name in Philadel-
phia where Albert Weber, in 1876, received highest
award gold medal at the great Centennial Exposition.
Plans are under way for the organization of a special
salon of Weber pianos, a beautifully decorated gallery
for the appropriate display of Weber instruments in
authentic designs of decorative art and standard
models of Grands and Uprights.
WALTER A. LUND DIES.
Walter A. Lund, who was connected with Kohler
Industries for twelve years past in the wholesale de-
partment, most of the time as traveler, died on
Sunday night of this week at the Swedish Covenant
Hospital, Chicago, aged 41 years. Mr. Lund was
assistant to Kenneth Curtis at Chicago for several
years. For the last two or three years he was in the
office of the Auto Pneumatic Action Company, Chi-
cago, but his health gave way, first through enlarge-
ment of the heart and this was complicated with
dropsy and carried him away. The funeral was held
Wednesday afternoon from Hursen's undertaking
chapel, 929 Belmont avenue, Chicago.
TUNERS PLAN CONVENTION.
At a recent meeting of the Toledo branch of the
Xational Association of Piano Tuners plans were
made for holding a regional convention in that city
in February. A. V. Minifie, vice-president of the
national association, who attended, said the purpose
of regional conventions was to keep alive the spirit
of the association in the interval between national
conventions. The region includes Cleveland, Detroit
and Toledo. The national association will hold its
annual convention in Cleveland in August.
THE OLDEST STRAUBE PIANO.
The Straube Piano Co., Hammond, Ind., is trying
to locate the oldest Straube-made pianos in the Calu-
met region. The first one sold in Hammond was
purchased in 1904 by Peter W. Meyn. He has since
traded it in on a new piano, so that one is out of the
competition.
$2 The Year
HOLIDAY SALES GOOD
IN BALTIMORE STORES
Merits of Conn Instruments Agreeably Proved
by Sousa's Band in Notable Series of
Concerts—Other News.
With Christmas drawing nearer business in musical
instruments is becoming more active in Baltimore, a
number of the dealers report, and the favor is for
everything from the smallest ukulele to the most
expensive piano. Business to date has been satisfac-
tory and dealers anticipate that by Christmas eve
the volume will increase considerably. Radios, par-
ticularly the new electric models, are proving to be
quite in demand at the exclusive musical instrument
stores and at the other stores carrying this line of
music store attractions.
The recent piano playing contest held under the
auspices of the Music Trades Association of Balti-
more proved very opportune. Being held near
Christmas time, it suggested to many that nothing
would be more appropriate than a piano for a Christ-
mas gift. Dealers trace some of their piano sales tq
this event. It created interest in music generally
and in that produced on the piano, particularly.
Penitentiary Trade Good.
The Maryland Penitentiary is proving to be a very
good market for musical instruments. Dealers in
band and orchestra instruments are enjoying a good
business at this penal institution, which boasts of
more than one hundred small orchestras and two
symphony orchestras. These two symphony orches-
tras have sixty and seventy members, respectively.
Violins, cornets, drums, flutes, oboes, cymbals, ban-
jos, saxophones and practically every instrument
made, are to be found in good numbers at the insti-
tution. Dealers of musical instruments regard the
penitentiary trade as particularly good. It is con-
servatively estimated that at least one thousand musi-
cal instruments are always in use at the institution.
Many, after their release, obtain employment in or-
chestras.
Use Conn Instruments.
John Philip Sousa, "The March King," and his
band, entirely equipped with Conn band instruments,
which the famous band leader has declared he has
found very essential to his band, appeared at the
Century Theater during the week, where thousands
of persons had the opportunity of seeing the famous
band leader swing his baton while directing his
equally famous baud. It is interesting that he should
pay Baltimore a visit during the months that mark
his golden jubilee as a conductor and composer.
During his week's stay the bandist was honored by
local civic, clubs at luncheons, musical associations,
local bands, and he appeared in the musical instru-
ment department of Hochschild, Kohn & Company,
where a number of his compositions were heard.
THE L GRUNEWALD CO., INC.
CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY
Great New Orleans Music House Has Represented
the Steinway for Sixty Years.
The L. Grunewold Co., Inc., New Orleans, re-
cently celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of its
founding in a little store on Magazine street in 1852
by Louis Grunewald, Sr. Several moves were made
before the firm occupied the present site on Canal
street on which it erected the commodious building.
For sixty years the company has been exclusive
agent for the Steinway piano in that section, and in
addition has handled the Vose, Brambach, Milton,
Gulbransen and other pianos for a long period of
years. The Victor and Brunswick lines of phono-
graphs, musical merchandise and sheet music are
also carried.
The founder, Louis Grunewald, remained president
of the company until his death in 1915, but his eldest
son, William N. Grunewald, has been in active
charge since 1881. The son became president at the
founder's death, but died himself two months later.
Management then fell upon his son, Benedict Moret
Grunewald, then thirty years old, who is still presi-
dent.
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