u
P R E S T 0-T I M E S
INTERESTING ITEMS
FROM NEW YORK
Other Points Adjacent to Metropolis Also
Provide Brief Notes Which Show the
Nature of Activities in All the
Phases of the Music Trade.
By HEXRV MAC MULLAN.
Miss J. N. Hovey, vice-president of the Brauriiuller
l'iano Co., looks after the store and offices at 565
Bergenline avenue, Union City, X. J., while her
brother, C. F. Hovey, president of the company,
spends more of his time at the factory.
Miss Hovey said: "Good pianos are still finding
a market, so we are encouraged and are still push-
ing production. Nothing can take the place of the
piano and that is the most encouraging inducement to
keep right on manufacturing that form of musical
instrument."
I. Ronchi Will Be at Convention.
1. Ronchi, one of the sous in Ronchi & Sons, Inc.,
580 Rergenline avenue. Union City, N. J., intends to
be at the piano conventions in Chicago next June.
Mr. Ronchi is a very enterprising member of this
New Jersey piano house, which has been established
about thirty-eight years.
"We do not go out and ring door bells, but de-
pend for our trade on advertising in the local news-
papers and upon our long acquaintance with the fam-
ilies living in these populous suburbs of New York.
Trade with us this winter has been pretty fair, every-
thing considered."
Edward Piano Co. Handles Wurlitzers.
L. \Y. Putnam is manager of the Edward Piano
Co., 754 Bergenline avenue, Union City, N. J., deal-
ing in Wurlitzer pianos, Victrolas and R. C. A. Radio-
las. "Our trade has been pretty fair," said Mr. Put-
nam. "We are stimulating business in every sensible
way possible and that and close attention and service
to our customers keeps us humping. A noticeable im-
provement lias set in recently."
Lauter Instruments Going Well.
A call at the Lauter Piano Co.'s store at 690 Ber-
genline avenue, Union City, N. J., elicited the infor-
mation that Lauter pianos, manufactured in the near-
by city of Newark, N. J., have been going pretty well
this winter. G. A. Hebberd is tlie manager and
neither he nor any of the members of his selling
crew slacken their pace no matter what, conditions
arise.
Welte-Mignon Mail.
The Welte-Mignon Corp., New York, has given
up its store at 665 Fifth avenue, and all mail is for-
warded to the factory at 297 East 133rd street.
A. Unverzagt, Jr., secretary of the Lauter Piano
Co., Newark, N. J., says that business has consider-
ably brightened and has assumed a steady character.
The trade is now demanding the better grands which
is an augury of a continuity of that long-desired con-
dition. Nothing will erase trade evils more com-
pletely, leaving the blackboard clean for the better-
grade manufacturers to set down their figures of
calculation for production in 1929, for they now have
every assurance that whatever trade there is belongs
to them not only by right but certainly by demand.
In Mr. Unverzagt's scope of observation the good
piano has weathered the storm bravely, the worry-
ing period is over, the port of prosperity is looming
up ahead and 1929 is to give a good account of its
stewardship.
Musical Department Store People.
A musical comedy was presented on Saturday
night, February 9, at the Brooklyn Academy of
Music by employees of R. H. Macy & Co., Inc. It
Viuksqued department store life. The lyrics were by
Sidney Lewis, assistant buyer in the silk department,
and Manager Fishbank of the advertising depart-
ment. "Elevator Blues," very funny, was sung by
John Lewis, a negro elevator operator.
Frost & Stone Doing Well.
Frost & Stone, band instrument case manufacturers
since 1912, with their plant and offices at 200 Tillary
street. Brooklyn, N. Y., are receiving new orders
every da}-, so Presto-Times correspondent was in-
formed.
As Carl Davidoff Views Business.
Carl Davidoff, office manager of Perlberg & Hal-
pin, Harry Perlberg, successor, 890 Broadway, New
York says the small goods trade is going over pretty
fair these days. This well-established firm are manu-
facturers' agents of musical merchandise and just
now they are doing quite a business in the non-
pareil midget ukulele made from genuine Lamao
mahogany. Mr. Davidoff said the increase in the
sale of pianos helped to increase the sale of the
smaller musical instruments.
Knabe Piano at Carnegie Hall.
The piano recital given by Morris Rosenthal at Car-
negie Hall, New York, last week drew a musically-
inclined audience including critics. The Knabe piano
used by the distinguished pianist was made to speak
a varied language. The listeners were delighted and
their only regret was that this was announced as the
"only New York recital this season."
Vice-President of Freshman's.
C. M. Tichenor has been announced as vice-presi-
dent in charge of production of the Charles Fresh-
man Company, Inc., following the leasing of its new
factory at Clifton, N. J. Mr. Tichenor has been
known in the manufacturing end of the business for
more than twenty-three years.
Jacob Bros. Are Pegging Away.
A call upon C. Albert Jacob, Sr., of Jacob Bros ,
well-known piano manufacturers. East 133rd street
and Alexander avenue, New York, was inspirational,
for Mr. Jacobs keeps happy by keeping very, very
busy. Nowadays the workers and pushers like C.
Albert Jacob are the ones who are getting the bulk
of the business. Constant attention to business
coupled with good cheer and the production of fine
goods are keeping the different makes of pianos of
Jacob Bros, at the front.
Radio Stores Merge.
Merger of the Walthal Electric Corp. and Wex-
tark Radio Store, Inc., was announced in New York
on February 8 by Walter H. Nussbaum, head of the
Walthal Company. The consolidation will create,
it is claimed, the largest radio merchandising organ-
ization in the world. The new company wilt be
known as Wextark, Inc. The expansion and merger
program provides for additional stores in New York
city and throughout the country, according to Mr.
Nussbaum, who will continue to operate the local
branches and will also direct the chain store activities.
Associated with Mr. Nussbaum in the merger are
Charles Izenstark. chairman, and Simon Wexler,
president of Wextark Radio Store, Inc. There will
be no public financing in connection with the merger,
Mr. Nussbaum announced.
C. Alfred Wagner, vice-president of the Aeolian
Co., returned late last week from a visit to the trade
in the Central West and in cities south of there.
W. Otto Miessner, president and general manager
of the Miessner Piano Co., Milwaukee, and originator
of "Melody Way" piano class instruction, visited the
trade in New York last week.
Mrs. Ida Benjamin Stadlmair, wife of Henry Stadl-
mair, Sr., president of Henry Stadlmair Co., Inc.,
February 16, 1929
ACTIVITIES OF THE
INDIANAPOLIS TRADE
Wilking Music Company Organizes Complete
Radio Section—Other News in Business
of Hoosier Capital.
The Wilking Music Company has a radio section
now in operation. Stanley Barnes is manager and is
being assisted by a force of seven salesmen, who will
feature the Jesse French, Spartan, Philco and Atwater
Kent radios. The radio section will in no way be
connected with the piano department and will be
operated as a separate unit entirely. The company
has been selling radios for some time, but have never
given the instrument the attention it really required
to make a success of it. The increasing demand for
radios compelled the company to organize a special
sales force under an entirely different management
from the piano department.
Charles Howe, representing the Wurlitzer Grand
Piano Company, DeKalb, 111., left for Evansville, Ind ,
after spending the week in Indianapolis, on special
sales promotion work. Mr. Howe will work the
southern trade before returning to headquarters.
The sale of the Krausgill Music Company's stock
at the Pearson Piano Company during the week has
been a big success, and the stock has practically been
disposed of. George E. Mansfield, secretary of the
Everett Piano Company, South Haven, Mich., was a
visitor during the week, at the Pearson Piano Com-
pany, local representatives for the Everett piano.
The Ste : nway concert grand piano will be used at
the concert given by the Minneapolis Orchestra, Mon-
day night under the auspices of the Ona B. Talbott
Enterprises. On Sunday afternoon the instrument
was used at the Herron Art Institute, and in the
evening at the Kirshbaum Center, where Myro Glass
sang a program of Hebrew and Yiddish folk songs.
The Marion Music Company report some activity
with the Brinkerhoff piano, and report the sales of
two of the grand pianos during the week. The radio
business with the company continues very good.
Jesse French, Jr., and Walter French, from New
Castle, Ind., were visitors in Indianapolis during the
week, spending their time with the Wilking Music
Company, representatives for the Jesse French &
Sons' pianos and radios.
prominent jobber in the musical merchandise field,
who died recently, was held at the Community
Church, Park avenue and 34th street, New York.
Burial was private in Greenwood Cemetery. Mrs.
Stadlmair was the mother of Mrs. Ida Bruno and
Frank and Richard Benjamin.
APOLLO
The trade-mark "Apollo"
is one of the best known
in the piano trade and the
piano herewith shown ^s
one of a line of grands
that have merited the ap-
preciation of dealers.
The fine character of the
Apollo grands, established
by the founder, has been
sustained by the Wurlitzer
Grand Piano Co., of De
Kalb, 111., and the name
"Apollo" is now an assur-
ance of merit in reproduc-
ing instruments of great
perfection.
The mechanism of the
instruments p o s s e s s e s
many exclusive features
unexcelled in the reproduc-
ing field, and which has
received the highest en-
dorsements from artists
and musical critics.
A large and constantly
growing library of music
rolls is available for the
Apollo. They represent
the best work of the
world's greatest composers.
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