Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1930 2252

P R E S T 0-T 1 M E S
CONCERT FEATURED
PHILPITT'S OPENING
Pioneer Musical Instrument Company of Miami, Fla.,
Opened New Store with Festivities.
The new store of S. Ernest Philpitt & Son, located
at 40 southeast First street, Miami, Fla., was formally
opened to the public last month with an evening
entertainment and proved to be the most colorful
and interesting event of its kind in the business his-
tory of Miami. The Miami store, which is the oldest
of the Florida chain of Philpitt stores, operated at
34 North Miami avenue for thirteen years, but found
it necessary to move to larger quarters, and the new
Philpitt, president and treasurer; Marshall S. Philpitt,
vice-president, and Fred C. Philpitt. secretary.
I.eRoy Crcager is store manager for Philpitt's. He
lias had long experience in musical instrument mer-
chandising.
In addition to the merchandising space in Philpitt's
there is a large service department on the second Moor
at the rear, with supplementary space for service and
delivery departments in the rear of the first floor
sales room. The service is divided into different de-
partments, including that for Victor radios and Vic-
trolas. pianos, Majestic radios, and on small musical
instruments. William Miller, radio engineer, is in
charge of the radio service, which includes the in-
stallation of unit-control systems in hotels.
Steinway pianos and The Duo-Art Reproducing
Pianos are obtainable through S. Krnest I'bilpitt &
Noveml>er, 1930
ROCK MAPLE END WOOD
BUSHINGS IN MATHUSHEK PIANOS
The Mathuslick Piano Manufacturing Co., 79 Alex-
ander avenue. New York, uses rock maple end wood
bushings which are forced into the Mathushek extra
heavy plate and firmly hold the tuning pins. This is
one of the many reasons for Mathushek tone and
durability, "tried and tested for over half a century."
The pins are not subject to the swelling and contrac-
tion of the usual pin block due to climatic changes.
The sounding board is free to respond to the most
delicate or powerful vibrations, due to the fact that
the board and the open back, as a unit, are relieved
of the vertical strain of the strings.
CHICAGO
PIANO CLUB
OFFICERS.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF S. EllNEST PH [PITT & SOX'S MAIN STORE AT MIAMI, FLA.
location is one of the most advantageous in the city.
The store itself, occupying one-half of the lower floor
and the entire second floor of the Century Building,
thus providing more than 16,000 feet of floor space
on the two Boors, has every department arranged for
the convenience and comfort of both patron and em-
ployee.
The lower floor with its plate glass front and im-
posing entrance, is given over to the sheet music,
musical, merchandise, record and player roll depart-
ments, with booths for record and radio demonstra-
tion, handsome displays of pianos, radios and Victor
Electrola combinations, cashier's office, Victrola re-
pair department and ladies' dressing room. On the
second floor are S. Ernest Philpitt's private office,
Marshall Philpitt's office, the general offices and book-
keeping departments, the radio engineer's work-shop
and ample space for stock. The upper floor is so
arranged that it can be quickly converted into a
concert hall, and every Saturday morning a recital
will be given in which ten pianos will he played sim-
ultaneously by pupils of one of Miami's popular piano
teachers. The office of the manager, R. H. Creager,
occupies a space on the main floor.
About twelve hundred were present at the opening,
and by actual count 874 attended the concert in which
local artists participated.
Beautiful floral pieces were received from Steinway
& Sons and others, and congratulations were wired by
many musical instrument firms in New York and else-
where during the day and evening.
On the morning of the opening, the Miami Herald
carried a two-page section giving a complete descrip-
tion of the building and equipment, also carrying
photos of the exterior and interior of the building.
Included in these pages were complimentary mes-
sages from such houses as The Aeolian Co., the
French Nestor Co., Gibson, Inc., G. Schirmer, Bram-
bach Piano Co., Francis Bacon Piano Co., also from
neighboring business houses and all of the contrac-
tors who outfitted the new building.
On the afternoon after the opening the Miami Daily
News devoted almost an entire column to a descrip-
tive write-up of the opening, the program, and other
matters.
Officers of S. Ernest Philpitt & Son are S. Ernest
Son, who are exclusive Florida representatives for
these instruments in Miami, Miami Beach, Orlando,
West Palm Beach and St. Petersburg. Fla.
KREITER PIANOS ARE IN
DEMAND AMONG DEALERS
One Small Upright, the Style 15, Is in Much Favor
Among Dwellers in Modern Apartments.
The Kreiter Manufacturing Co., with general offices
in Milwaukee and whose factory at Marinette, Wis..
covers seven acres of ground, manufacturer of high
A
correspondent
asks Presto - Times
for the names of the
officers of the Piano
Club of Chicago; so,
for the benefit of this
gentleman and the
trade at large, here
they are: President,
Ren F. Duvall of the
W. W. Kimball Co.;
vice-president, E. E.
Benedict of the W.
W. K i m b a l l Co.:
secretary, David W.
Ki-nbaU of the W.
\V. K i m b a l l Co.;
treasurer, Sam Har-
ris of Carl Fischer,
Inc.
The club, the larg-
est ni its kind in the
country, has been a
power in Chicago for
many years, and now,
with the approaching
national convention
of the National Mu-
sic Merchants' Asso-
ciation and the other
national music men's
associations, its re-
sponsibilities as local
arranger and enter-
tainer are about to be
doubled.
man takes pride in doing his part well. The experts
are responsible for any significant modifications in the
styles of cases or other progressive features of con-
struction embodied in the instruments from year to
year. But all pianos must pass rigid inspection before
being shipped to the trade.
The cut of style 15 upright Kreiter piano is shown
herewith. It is 3 feet 10 inches long—just the instru-
ment for a small apartment, very graceful, a p-iano
that any woman would be proud to own and pleased
to play.
Dealers who have been selling the Style 15 find diffi-
culty in keeping a supply on hand, they sell so
rcadilv.
WATKIN CO.'S 49TH ANNIVERSARY.
As an observation of the forty-ninth year in busi-
ness at Dallas, Tex., the Will A. Watkin Co.. 1207
Elm street and 120d Pacific avenue, opened a sale
last week. "Each year our anniversary has been cele-
brated with an effort to express oar gratitude to the
people of Dallas and North Texas, who have made
our continued growth possible," Mr. Watkin said.
"We seek to express our appreciation in a more tangi-
ble way than with a mere 'thank you.' "
A STEINWAY DEALERS' MEETING.
KREITER UPRIGHT, STYLE 1. r >.
grade pianos, player-pianos and Kreiterphones, is
equipped to furnish goods at the lowest prices com-
mensurate to their quality, as the factory produces
"everything in the line of pianos."
The force at the factory idealizes unanimity of
effort as the means of producing good pianos, so each
President Otto B. Heaton of the National Associa-
tion of Music Merchants was one of those attending a
meeting of Steinway dealers held in Steinway Hall,
New York, on October 31. at which time a conference
took place with Prof. John Erskine, president of the
Juilliard School of Music. Plans were outlined by
Professor Erskine for promoting the teaching of the
piano.
J. W. JENKINS RECOVERING.
]. W. Jenkins, president of the Jenkins Music Co.,
Kansas City, Mo., who underwent a major operation
in October in Research Hospital, Kansas City, is re-
covering rapidly at his home, 3654 Janssen place, that
citv.
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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November, 1930
P R E S T O-T I M E S
MIRTHFUL CARTOONS OUGHT
TO HELP PIANO TRADE
THE M. SCHULZ CO.
COLONY GRAND PIANO
Here is a piano that makes itself popular wherever
it is seen or heard. A delight to the eye and to the
ear. Tt is the M. Schulz Co.'s Colony Grand piano.
MOVING
PROBLEMS
SOLVED
How
a Piano Crept Surreptitiously Into Print
Through the Wit of a Merry Cartoonist.
Presto-Times acknowledges its thanks to K. \V. J.,
its friend at New York, for a merry cartoon by Gus
Uhlmann, who has been creating a series of "Old
Familiar Faces." This cartoon is a world series
classic and depicts Ed. Reulbach pitching for the
Cubs in Chicago in 1906, which was "Then." The
"Now" shows him selling pianos in New York, a tired-
looking individual with a piano on his back, asking
a young woman at her door, "Any pianos today, lady.'"
E. W. J.'s comment is as follows:
"Once in a rare while the piano creeps unobtru-
sively, nay, even surreptitiously, into the newspapers.
This time it is by way of baseball world series corn-
Old Familiar Faces—Ed Reulbnvh
> IJ wo*U> « a e s
™ OASSIC.' -
manufactured by the M. Schulz Co., 711 Milwaukee
avenue, Chicago. Its length is five feet. The wood
is choice mahogany or walnut, and its finish is in art
shaded highlight or lacquer antique.
The charming appearance of this small grand lends
itself with grace to any surroundings.
It is made of the very finest materials under careful
supervision by skilled craftsmen.
The touch is even and responsive. The action care-
fully regulated. Pleasing, fascinating tone quality.
DEALER INAUGURATES GOOD
PIANO PUBLICITY STUNT
Every music dealer has his own ideas about pub-
licity and many of them are outstanding. Down in
the "Sunny South" the Bush & Gerts Music Co. of
Dallas, Tex., used a "human action" idea to attract
people to the store and call their attention to the
Gulbransen piano.
The dealer obtained an outstanding piano student,
Miss Annellc Hollister, 12, of Dallas to perform at a
MfSS AXXErXE HOLLISTER, AGED 12. PLAYING A
Gl'I-RRAXSION' GRAND.
Gulbransen "Grand" in the store window. In addi-
tion to playing various selections on the piano, the
young student gave short talks on a microphone which
was connected with an outdoor loudspeaker. Her
talks called attention to the advantages of piano play-
ing. She particularly stressed the importance of get-
ting children to take lessons at an early age and told
the crowds what music had done for her.
Howard Hill, Gulhransen sales representative who
is particularly active when it comes to piano promo-
tion schemes, had much to do with the success of the
Hush & Gerts publicity stunt mentioned. He reported
that crowds pressed closely, against the store window
whenever the young lady made an appearance. He
also said that many of the people came into the store
to learn more about the advantages of a musical edu-
cation for children.
livery music dealer should make good use of his
windows. The idea outlined above will possibly be of
value to others interested in drawing crowds to their
stores.
QUALITY FOR SIXTY-FOUR YEARS.
In their advertisements at Houston, San Antonio
and Galveston, Thos. Goggan & Bros., known as "the
Home of Stein way," say: "Today, as in 1866, Gog-
gan's is t'.ie home of the Steinway. Today, too, after
bringing the first Victor phonograph to Texas, Gog-
gan's is the home of the 'Victor." Never, in the 64
years that have passed, has the House of Goggan
deviated from the high quality standards set by the
founder back in 1866."
by the
SELF-
LIFTING
PIANO
TRUCK
CO.
For all particulars, literature,
prices,
ADDRESS
Self-Lifting Piano
Truck Co.
FINDLAY, OHIO
ment. Fine, old Ed. Riielbach is not flattered by the
cartoonist. Ed was what would be called a good
looker, in his baseball days, but the piano business
is rather destructive. We have to be truthful, ever,
if it "hurts you, my son, more than it does me." I'd
say that this' is the only time a newspaper used a piano
cut without charging for the space."
Unconsciously and unintentionally, this cartoonist
has done the piano trade a great favor, and if Mr.
Ruelbach is really selling pianos, it ought to help
him a lot. For calling attention to anything is real
publicity. Savage criticisms of books and of actors
have built up big business for them. A thousand
smart-Aleck wise-crackers of the stage advertised the
low-priced automobiles until millions of them were
sold, although the cheap-skate hams of the stage never
drew a cent of direct pay for passing out this form of
"wit."
The sold piano is sitting smug at home; it needs
no publicity. It is the piano in the store that needs
a cartoonist to put life into its demand "sell me."
PIANO MAKES ROOM HOMELIKE
"There are certain rooms with which no definite
fault can be found." observes Read A. Dimmock of
Fowler's piano department, Binghamton, X. Y. "The
furniture is comfortable, in good taste and artistically
arranged in hundreds of Ringhamton homes. Yet
there is a rigid quality about them—a kind of 'setness.'
Plentifully furnished they are at the same time barren
and chill. Move a piano into a room like this," Mr.
Dimmock continues, "and the atmosphere changes.
The stiffness gives way to easy warmth, to rich in-
formality. Now, the room seems to be finished, joy-
ously correct. It has caught that spark of life, that
something which changes a house into a home. And
gleaming quietly yet gorgeously in its corner, a piano
discreetly proclaims to the world that here are people
who appreciate fine things."
MENACE NOTE PROBABLY A PRANK.
A threat that his three young daughters would come
to harm if he did not pay $50,000 to extortionists was
recently received by Carl Sundberg, vice-president of
the QRS-DeVry Corporation, 333 North Michigan
avenue, Chicago. Mr. Sundberg's home is in River-
side, 111. Mr. Sundberg set the letter down as a hoax
by a child, probably, as it was a crude communication
fashioned of letters clipped from newspapers which,
were pasted on a folder in an ordinary envelope ad-
dressed in a similar manner.
THE STEINWAY AT ERIE, PA.
Chief among attractive features of the Winter Piano
Co., State street merchants at Erie, Pa., is the novel
and popular Steinway Piano Salon, which was recently
dedicated by Charles F. Steinway, secretary of Stein-
way & Sons, New York, during a short visit to Erie
to attend the ceremonies incident to the opening of
the Steinway line with the Winter Piano Co.
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/

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