Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1928 2182

Page 7 Text:

May 26, 1928
PREST 0-T I M E S
SOCIAL EVENTS OF
THE CONVENTION
Joyous Interludes to the Business Periods of
the Big Meeting at the Hotel Commodore
and Elsewhere Have Been Provided
and List Is Long.
In compliance with the well-understood rule that "all
work and no play makes Tom, Dick or Harry a dull
boy," the observant and alert promoters will provide
the necessary joyous distractions. They remind
prospective visitors to Xew York of the fun in store
for them at the 27th annual convention of the Na-
tional Association of Music Merchants, to be held at
the Hotel Commodore. New York City, during the
week of June 4, 1928.
"Golf, yes sir! Bring along your sticks and if
there is any question as to where you will play and
when, just ask 'Art' Wessell or 'Herb' Hill or "Billy'
Heaton or 'Jack' Bliss or any of the other 'pros.'
They will make arrangements," is the printed advice,
freely distributed by means of special slips.
"There are p'enty of good beaches not too far from
the Commodore," is another suggestive reminder.
Luncheons.
There will be one big get-together luncheon Mon-
day, June 4, and possibly others during the week.
At the get-together luncheon of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce, at the Commodore, Monday,
June 4, the guest of honor and principal speaker will
be Professor John Erskine, president of the Juilliard
School of Music, New York, well-known educator.
The Merchants' Banquet.
On Thursday evening, June 7, there will be a repast
served in the Commodore's best style in the big
ball room at the convention hotel, to which every
man, woman and child attending the convention will
be welcome. The guest of honor and principal
speaker will be Governor Albert C. Ritchie of Mary-
land, who as Maryland's "'Favorite Son" is in line for
nomination for president of the United States.
The dinner entertainment will include an extraordi-
nary musical entertainment, and afterwards there will
be dancing.
In addition to the regularly scheduled functions
there are some very remarkable dinners, breakfasts
and suppers* planned, not to mention other most de-
sirab'e features.
The Seeburg Dinner.
The J. I'. Seeburg Piano Co. of Chicago will en-
tertain the dealers at dinner, Wednesday evening,
June 6, at the Commodore Hotel, New York, an an-
nual feature which contributes to the pleasure of
every convention week.
Steinway & Sons' Dinner.
Steinway & Sons, New York, has invited all its
dealers to attend a dinner at the Lotus Club, on West
57th street, New- York, Tuesday, June 5, of con-
vention week.
American Piano Co. Function.
The American Piano Co. will give a theater party,
supper and dance a the evening of Tuesday of con-
vention week. It is an invitation affair. The sup-
per and dance, after the theater, will be held in the
ballroom of the Hotel Riltmore.
The Cable Breakfast.
That annual convention function, the "Cable Break-
fast," at which The Cable Company, of Chicago, is
host, will be held on Wednesday, June 6, at the Hotel
liiltmore. At this invitat'on affair the guests will be
Cable dealers, their families and friends, as well as
other old friends of the company. President George
J. Dowling will preside.
The Gulbransen Banquet.
The Gulbransen Golden Jubilee breakfast will be
held Wednesday morning, June 6, at the Hotel Bel-
mont. New York. This will also be the national
report meeting, at which a report will be made to the
Gulbransen dealers of the regional meetings held
since the first of the year at Dallas, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Portland, Atlanta, New York and Chicago.
A convention breakfast is an annual affair with the
Gulbransen Company. It will be given at the Hotel
Belmont inasmuch as that hostelry has been chosen
as the Gulbransen headquarters during the piano
conventions.
LANDAY BROS.' NEW BRANCH STORE.
Landay Bros., who recently closed the store branch
at 427 Fifth avenue, announce that the company has
signed a lease for a new store at 581-583 Fifth ave-
nue. New York. This new addition in the Landay
ilia'n will feature displays of the latest developments
in radios and phonographs and their combinations,
and of fine art cabinets. New York headquarters will
remain in Landay Hall, at Sixth avenue and 42d
street, and no change is contemplated in connection
with Landay auditorium, at the same address.
SPECIAL CONVENTION EXHIBITS
BIG ARRAY OF PIANOS
Verified List of Music Firms Holding Displays
in Rooms at the Convention Head-
quarters Including All Phases
of the Industry.
The following is a list of reservations for display
space at the Hotel Commodore for the week of the
convention beginning June 4:
Atwater Kent Manufacturing Company.
Auto Piano Company.
Auto Pneumatic Action Company.
Bacon Banjo Company.
Baldwin Piano Company.
Bankers Commercial Security Co.
Bay, H. C, Company.
Brambach Piano Company.
Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company.
Buescher Band Instrument Company.
Bush & Lane Piano Company.
Carryola Company of America.
Caswell Mfg. Company.
Conn, C. G., Ltd.
Everett Piano Company.
Epiphone Banjo Corporation.
Fischer, Carl, Inc.
Gibson, Inc.
Gretsch, The Fred, Mfg. Co.
Gretsch & Brenner.
Gotsch, Walter M., Company.
Harmony, The, Company.
Hazelton Brothers.
Holton, Frank & Company.
Ivers & Pond Piano Company.
Jacob Brothers.
Kohler & Campbell.
Krakauer Brothers.
Kurtzman, C, Company.
Leetly Mfg. Company.
Lester Piano Company.
Ludwig & Company.
Ludwig & Ludwig.
Lyon & Healy.
Lange, Wm.
Maas & Waldstein.
Martin Band Instrument Company.
Mayer, Julian T.
Mathushek Mfg. Company.
Milton Piano Company.
New York Band Instrument Co.
Packard Piano Company.
Pan American Instrument & Case Co.
Perlberg, Harry.
Pratt Read Player Action Company.
Pooley Company, The.
Radiola Piano Attachment.
Reinhold, E. Schmitt, Company.
Ricca Brothers.
Schulz. M., Company.
Schwartz, J., Music Company.
Seeburg, J. P., Piano Company. *
Selmer, 11. & A., Inc.
Settergren, B. K., Company.
Simon, S.
Simson & Frey, Inc.
Slingerland Banjo Company.
Stadlmair, Henry, Company.
Steinert, M., & Sons.
Steinway & Son.
Straube Piano Company.
Stromberg-Carlson Mfg. Company.
Vega Company.
Weaver Piano Company.
Western Elec. Piano Co.
Weymann, H. A., & Son, Inc.
Weser Brothers.
White, H. N., Company.
Winter & Company.
Wurlitzer, Rudolph, Mfg. Co.
York Band Instrument Company.
DISPLAYS AT COMMODORE
Autopiano Company, Rooms 1100-1101-1102. Ex-
hibit in charge of Corey Gibson, president; W. H.
Bowles, E. J. Fitzgerald and Charles H. Burtzloff.
Will show complete display of uprights, players and
electrics, special finish cases, Peroid models.
The Bacon Piano Company, Rooms 1500-1501-
1502. Exhibit in charge of W. P. H. Bacon, Guy L.
Mclntyre, Harry Holmes and Charles H. Burtzloff.
Wi 11 show complete line of uprights, players, electrics.
Period models, new designs baby uprights.
Auto Pneumatic Action Company, Rooms 1000-
1001.
Bert Lajoie, Wallace Reynolds and E. H.
Vogel will present complete techniccal exhibit Welte-
Mignon (Licensee) reproducing action; electric ex-
pression action; also will present to dealers complete
promotional plans on Welte-Mignon (Licensee) for
balance of vear.
Behning Piano Company, Suite 1600-1601-1602-
1603.
Exhibit in charge of Gustav Behning, H. Pi.
Pattison, Charles H. Burtzloff and Guy L. Mclntyre.
Will exhibit principally grands and Period grands,
including several new distinctive models.
Representatives of the Bush & Lane Piano Co.,
Holland, Mich., who will be in attendance at that com-
pany's exhibits at the Hotel Commodore in New
York at the annual convention of the national music
industries are Chester L. Beach, president, treasurer
and sales manager; E. P. Stephan, general manager;
William B. Tunstall, New England and New York
City territorial representative; A. W. Holgate, terri-
torial representative for the South Atlantic states, and
Frank D. Van Nostrand, export manager.
Brinkerhoff Piano Co., Chicago, will exhibit during
the conventions in Room 904, Hotel Commodore.
Exhibit will consist of Brinkerhoff upright pianos,
player pianos, grands and reproducing grands, also
Schriver & Sons uprights and p'ayers.
Features of the display will be a new 3 foot 8 inch
upright piano. Period model, a Louis XIV Period
grand, hand carved case, and a Mayfair, 5 foot grand.
The display will be in charge of F. P. Bassett,
secretary and treasurer, and W. S Lanz, sales-
manager.
Behr Bros & Co., Rooms 1100-1101-1102. Exhibit
in charge of William J. Behr, W. H. Bowles, E. J.
Fitzgerald, Guy L. Mclntyre and Charles H. Burtz-
loff. Will show complete line uprights, players and
electrics, including several new 7 Period models, up-
rights and players, and also new distinctive cases
in baby uprights.
Brambach Piano Company, Rooms 1200-1201 1202.
Will show complete line Brambach baby grands, both
conventional and Period models. Exhibit in charge
of Mark P. Campbell, Gordon Campbell, L. O.
Rogers, Guy L. Mclntvre and Charles H. Burtz-
loff.
The Hobart M. Cable Co., Commodore; Blue Rib-
bon line upright, player and grand pianos. Hobart
M. Cable, Howard B. Morenus.
Cable-Nelson Piano Co., Commodore and New
York warerooms. 449 West 42nd street; new line of
upright and player pianos.
Davenport-Treacy Piano Company, Suite 1700-1701-
1702.
Exhibit in charge of George W. Allen, A.
Wensley, A. E. Schmalzigan, Guy L. Mclntyre
and Charles H. Burtzloff. Will exhibit distinctive
line Davenport-Treacy uprights, players, electrics, up-
right Welte-Mignon, ned Period model upright cases,
also new upright baby cases.
De Luxe Reproducing Roll Corporation, Rooms
1000-1001. Exhibit in charge of John T. Gibson.
Estey Piano Corp., suite 604, 606; Estey grand
pianos in conventional and Period models. B. K.
Settergren, W. C. Hell, E. B. Fox, E. W Furhush.
Hazelton Bros, Tnc, Suite 1600-1601-1602-1603.
Exhibit in charge of Joseph B. Schwarcz, H. B. Pat-
tison, Charles H. Burtzloff and Guy L. Mclntyre.
Will show complete line grand and period grand
pianos, including several new authentic models.
Kohler & Campbell, Inc., Suite 1500-1501-1502. Ex-
hibit in charge of Herbert Simpson, Harry Holmes,
Charles Burtzloff, Guy L. Mclntyre and E. H. Vogel.
Will feature new upright cases, also several new
upright baby cases, in addition to complete display
of uprights, players, electric players and Welte-Mig-
non reproducing upright pianos.
Kroeger Piano Company, Rooms 1500-1501-1502.
Will show complete line uprights, players and elec-
(Continued on page 14)
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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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Page 8 Text:

PRESTO-TIMES
The American Music Trade Weekly
Published Every Saturday at 417 South Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
give time to, will directly apply to the sales
improvement scheme, while others will indi-
rectly convey lessons that will indirectly sug-
gest improvement in processes for the piano
seller.
And, of course, the many displays of pianos
and other music goods in the convention head-
quarters and elsewhere, are meant to have a
helpful effect on sales. The novelty in piano
models and in the finishing of the instruments
will have an inspiring and stimulating effect
on the dealers with more enthusiasm in pre-
senting them as a desirable result.
May 26, 1928
naturally would react on piano sales, and in
that way it concerns all promoters of the piano
todav.
THE CONVENTION PLEASURES
Of course, it will not distress the prospec-
tive attendant to the annual convention of the
F R A N K D. A B B O T T - - - - - - - - - -
Editor
music trades at the Hotel Commodore, New
(C. A . DANIELL—1904-1927.)
J. FERGUS O'RYAN
_ _ _ _ _ Managing Editor
York, the week of June 4, to learn from the
Telephones, Local and Long Distance, Harrison 0234.
trade papers that the serious incidents of the
Private Phones to all Departments. Cable Address (Com-
mercial Cable Co.'s Code), " P R E S T O , " Chicago.
meeting will be interrupted by intervals of
Entered as second-class matter Jan. 29, 1896, at the
a frankly joyous nature. The business of the
Post Office, Chicago, 111., under Act of March 3, 1879.
convention will be more enjoyable than ever
Subscription, $2 a year; 6 months, $1.25; Foreign, $4.
Payable in advance. No extra charge in United States
before because of the efforts of the various
possessions, Cuba and Mexico. Rates for advertising on
application.
committees to inject new features and novel-
CONVENTION REPORTS
Items of news and other matter are solicited and if of
ties
in procedure in the program. Other com-
general interest to the music trade will be paid for at
space rates. Usually piano merchants or salesmen in the
In
this
issue
of
Presto-Times
is
printed
the
mittees
have been equally alert in devising
smaller cities are the best occasional correspondents, and
their assistance is invited.
important advance news of the convention pleasurable distractions for the social and
which opens at the Hotel Commodore, New sociable hours.
Payment is not accepted for matter printed In the edi-
torial or news columns of Presto-Times.
York,
next week, including the interesting list
Where half-tones are made the actual cost of produc-
Nothing relaxes a tired conventioner better
tion will be charged if of commercial character or other
of
displays
at the headquarters hotel and else- than a few rounds of golf with congenial con-
than strictly news interest.
When electrotypes are sent for publication it is re-
where in the city. Further and more up-to- testants, even without pauses for reflection
quested that their subjects and senders be carefully indi-
cated.
the-minute reports of convention preparations and refection at the nineteenth hole. Oppor-
Forms close at noon on Thursday. Late news matter
will appear in the issue of June 2. Presto- tunities for golf have been provided and con-
should be in not later than 11 o'clock on that day. Ad-
vertising copy should be in hand before Tuesday, 5 p. m.,
Times
of June 9 will report the full proceed- ventioners so desiring can stretch their legs
to insure preferred position. Full page display copy
should be in hand by Tuesday noon preceding publication
ings
of
the convention.
and their imaginations in that desirable
day. Want advertisements for current week, to insure
classification, should be in by Wednesday noon.
In this way a complete record of the events manner.
leading up to and during the convention will
But among the pleasures not scheduled by
Address all communications for the editorial or business
departments to PRESTO PUBLISHING CO., 417 South
be presented in this paper. The dealers who the publicity committee are those of meeting
Dearborn Street, Chicago, III.
will be prevented from attending the annual with old friends and trade acquaintances in
SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1928.
gathering of the trade at the Hotel Commo- some part of the convention headquarters. In
dore will be enabled to read in Presto-Times fact, the habitual attendant at the annual con-
The last form of Presto-Times goes to press detailed descriptions of the shows of piano ventions looks forward to the incidental meet-
at 11 a. m. Thursday. Any news transpiring styles made during the week of June 2. They ings by which old friendships are renewed. It
after that hour cannot be expected in the cur- also will be informed, in the reports of the is a human phase of the annual gatherings
rent issue. Nothing received at the office that
is not strictly news of importance can have business sessions, of promotional plans for dearly appreciated by the ones proud to con-
attention after 9 a. m. on Thursday. If they piano sales and the popularizing generally of sider themselves convention veterans. It is a
concern the interests of manufacturers or piano study. That phase of activity is partic- renewal of interest in fellow-members; a re-
dealers such items will appear the week follow- ularly interesting to the alert piano dealers calling of occurrences of previous conventions
ing. Copy for advertising designed for the and the reported successes of the various that make up the pleasurable mental history
current issue must reach the office not later schemes should prove stimulating reading.
of the events.
PRESTO P U B L I S H I N G CO., Publishers.
CONVENTION PURPOSES
The music trade convention, to open at the
Hotel Commodore, New York, June 2, will
have for its leading interest the promotion of
the piano. To piano men, tne stimulation of
sales is frankly the most desirable thing to be
accomplished by the cooperative action of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce and
the various associations directly interested in
the fortunes of the piano. The revival of favor
for the piano and the consequent increase in
piano sales are topics of vital interest to the
piano manufacturer, the action maker, the
traveler who aids in distributing the goods,
the dealer who retails the instruments and the
tuner who keeps them in a condition of tune-
fulness. Other problems of importance will
be considered but it will be noted that many
of these are important in proportion to the
closeness of their relation to the stimulation of
piano sales.
The numbers attending the convention, are,
in a way, indicative of the extent of the piano
promotion plans and the hopes of dealers for
an improvement in trade. They represent the
degree of earnestness and enthusiasm in the
local, state and national associations, which
means the cooperative purpose to put the
piano before the public and the devising of
means for creating interest leading to sales.
The business sessions of the various national
associations are always the means of discuss-
ing improvements in sales and this year more
than ever before, that motive will govern the
gatherings. At the business sessions of the
National Association of Music Merchants
many addresses and the discussions they will
The number of piano men who believe that
summer dullness is more of a state of mind
In an interview printed elsewhere in this than a condition is becoming' reassuringly
issue, Mr. Arthur L. Wessell points to a condi- large. Action to disprove the summer dull-
tion in the house-building activities which he ness fallacy resulted in an amazing number of
says provides a problem that might be dis- piano sales during the summer months of last
cussed at the annual convention. It is a con- year, which agreeable events contributed to a
dition familiar in every city in the country and healthy average business for all the months of
one which dealers everywhere view with alarm the year.
* * *
—the cramped apartments where the providing
A very lively discussion is going on in the
of space for the piano is a matter ignored by
Swedish press and commercial circles regard-
architects and builders.
But Mr. Wessell in his practical way does ing the system of selling on the instalment
not stop at pointing out building methods that plan, which is rapidly gaining ground in
discriminate against the use of pianos by ten- Sweden. Opposition to the system led to a
ants. He states his opinion that the music resolution being passed in the Riksdag this
trade organizations should act to strongly and year asking the Government to institute an
persistently bring this music deterrent before inquiry into possible methods of public con-
the public, which include prospective tenants -trol in order to counteract its effects.
* * *
who are piano owners. The propaganda, too,
People
in
every
line of trade are prone to
should endeavor to influence the designers and
believe
that
their
particular business is the
builders of apartment buildings.
least successful, the most difficult to conduct,
The skimpy rooms in the apartments inter- beset with the most snags and hard-pressed
fere with the scheme of piano promotion, ac- with the most wily and designing enemies.
cording to Mr. Wessell, who sees a loss of In all these assumptions and conclusions, of
effort and money in trying to induce a person course, the are entirely wrong. Rut such
renting one of the cramped apartments to buy views are always presented at trade con-
a piano.
ventions.
The hope of the piano trade in the future is
* * *
in young people who are being made more in-
The piano salesman who hasn't much to say
terested in music today. Music encourages co- is apt to use too many words in saying it.
hesion in families and someone has truly said
* * *
that "the piano is the center of the home."
The bare truth about the piano need not
But if the builders of apartments persist in necessarily be naked facts.
their present methods, the apartment dwellers
* * *
will be deprived of one valuable musical in-
Arguments for the poor piano are sound—
fluence in their homes. It is a deprivation that and that's all.
A. L. WESSELL'S SUGGESTION
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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