16
April 1, 1929
P R E S T 0-T IMES
HENRY DREHER'S DEATH
MOURNED IN TRADE
His Success in Music Trade and Keen Interest
in Affairs of Associations Made
Him Widely Known.
The death, March 19, of Henry Dreher, president
of the fine old Dreher Piano Company, Cleveland,
removes an active and highly popular personage from
the music trade field. His activity in the trade and
his keen interest in the work of the state and national
associations made his name widely known outside
the large circle of his friends.
Henry Dreher was born in Cleveland in 1864 and
came from a family closely connected with unusual
instrument manufacture for a century and a half.
His great grandfather, Meinrad Dreher, built pipe
organs in Illreichen, near Ulm, Germany, 150 years
ago. His grandfather, Joseph Auton Dreher, was
also a builder of organs, as was his father, Baptiste
Dreher.
Baptiste Dreher came to America and started as a
piano builder in Cincinnati. Later he came to Cleve-
land and in 1853 he founded the Kennard-Dreher
Melodeon Company.
In 1876 Oscar Dreher, the elder of the two sons,
was taken into the business and in 1879, three years
later, Henry, the younger son, then only 15 years
old, was admitted. He gradually assumed charge of
the general sales end of the business, while Oscar
looked after the financial part of the enterprise.
From the small beginning the business grew until it
became one of the leaders in the piano industry.
Failing health made it advisable for Henry Dreher
to retire, and in July, 1928, a deal was consummated
whereby the Lyon & Healy organization of Chicago
took over the business of the Dreher Piano Company.
Henry Drehef's familiar figure will be missed from
the gatherings of the music trade which mourns the
loss of one who was always popular in the industry
and whose friendly counsel and sound advice were
always welcomed.
He was appointed a member of the Jury on Awards
on Musical Instruments for the San Francisco Expo-
sition in 1915. He was an ex-president of the Na-
tional Piano Merchants' Association, the Ohio Music
Merchants' Association, the Cleveland Music Trades
Association and the Piano Trade Golf Association.
His recreation was golf, at which he played a credit-
able game. He was an untiring organization worker
in the trade and has done much in his city, state and
nation to bring the dealers together and keep them
there.
His wife, Nellie Ashley Dreher, and wto sisters,
Mrs. F. Eichler and Mrs. E. Klippel, survive him.
OLD INDIANA FIRM MOVES
Elbel Brothers, for many years engaged in the
music business, will move from their South Bend,
Ind., location, 106 South Michigan street, to the large
double store building, four stories high, at 110 and
112 North Michigan street.
It is the intention of Elbel Brothers to equip the
first floor to contain the radio rooms, the Victrola
booths and the sheet music and small instrument
department. The second, third and fourth floors are
to contain the piano displays, housed in a number of
spacious sales rooms.
The original Elbel Brothers' musical institution,
band and orchestra was established in South Bend
more than seventy-seven years ago, but the present
Elbel Brothers' store is entering its forty-third year.
MRS. OTTO WESSELL DIES.
Mrs. Anna C. Wessell, aged 74 years, mother of
Fernando A. and Arthur L. Wessell of Wessell,
Nickel & Gross, New York, died on March 14 at the
home of Arthur L. in Freeport, L. I., where she had
resided for a long time. Her husband, Otto Wessell,
father of the two famous piano action manufacturers,
died in 1899 and since that time Mrs. Wessell re-
mained a widow. Mrs. Wessell, whose maiden name
was Anna C. Cook, was a very active woman in the
real estate business up to ten years ago, when she
retired. Her real estate operations were very suc-
cessful; she was one of the keenest women judges
of the value of houses in New York, and, of course,
she made lots of money. But she has not been
actively in the real estate business for the last ten
URGES FORMATION OF
DEPT. OF FINE ARTS
Suggestion Made by Frederick Philip Stieff
at Association Meeting Last June Re-
sults in Vigorous Action.
At the annual meetng of the National Association
of Music Merchants held last June at the Hotel Com-
modore, New York, Frederick Philip Stiefif, vice-pres-
ident, Chas. M. Stieff, Inc., Baltimore, Md., made a
motion that the association give some very definite
thought to requesting the Government at Washington
to establish a Department of Fine Arts, and to be
prepared with the recommendation at the annual
meeting. President Roberts appointed a committee
on this, of which Mr. Stieff was made chairman.
The personnel of the committee is as follows:
Carl A. Droop of E. F. Droop & Sons Co., Wash-
ington, D. C.
John J. Glynn of Mathushek Piano Company, New
York.
Jay Grinnell of Grinnell Bros., Detroit, Mich.
Robert N. Watkin, Will A. Watkin Company, Dal-
las, Tex.
A meeting will be held in the presidential suite of
the Congressional Country Club, outside of Washing-
ton, on Monday, April 8, to enter into the full dis-
cussion of this matter. Those who have accepted
invitations to be present are:
The committee above named, President Roberts;
Hermann Irion, president, Music Industries Chamber
of Commerce; Delbert Loomis, executive secretary
National Association of Music Merchants; Mrs. John
F. Sippell, president of General Federation of Wom-
en's Clubs; Mrs. Edgar Stillman Kelley, president of
the National Federation of Music Clubs; Mrs. Joseph
C. Byron, president of Maryland Chapter of Na-
tional Federation of Music Clubs; Mrs. John L. AI-
cock, president of Maryland Chapter of General Fed-
eration of Women's Clubs; Frederick R. Huber.
Baltimore's municipal director of music; Hans Schu-
ler, director of Maryland Institute, School of Art and
Design; Bayard Turnbull, architect, of Baltimore;
Dr. Alfred P. Dennis, vice-chairman of Tariff Com-
mission of the United States, and J. Fred Essary,
author and journalist, who has been asked to attend
in an advisotry capacity.
ESTABLISHED) 1 8 6 3
"the most Durable Piano in the world
Mathushek Sales Are Constantly Increasing
INVESTIGATE
OR WRITE
MATHUSHEK PIANO MANFG. CO.
132nd St. and Alexander Ave.
NEW YORK
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