12
October, 1931
V RESTO-TIMES
Dollars and Sense in Piano Business
How Leading Houses Attract Trade
and Bring in Business and Dollars
LATE MUSICJ^ADE NOTES
New Firms, Changes, Incorporations, Personal News, Removals
Piano Sales, Excerpts from Dealers' Advertisements,
and Other Bits of News
STEINWAY PIANOS SAIL THE SEVEN SEAS
Of course the Steinway piano has been long recog-
nized as a piano of highest standing and quality
everywhere, but while various other pianos have held
their own on the market, there must be something
unusual about the Steinway, judging iroin the places
The Canadian Pacific Steamship Co., Ltd., ordered
a Steinway for their beautifully arranged steamer.
"Empress of Britain," one of the most sumptuously
equipped steamers in the world, and in addition to
this vessel, this company also has Steinways on the
Please Send Presto-Times Daily
and Other Papers Containing
Music Dealers' Advertisements
MELLOR'S 100TH ANNIVERSARY
The Mellor Piano Company of Pittsburgh, l'^--
was celebrating its one hundredth anniversary the
last week of September and lirst days of October.
One of tiie presents it had to offer was a free scholar-
ship of a term of piano lessons to be given at the
Pittsburgh Musical Institute. Mr. W. 15. Hamilton,
in making this announcement, said that a term of ten
lessons will enable parents to determine without cost
whether their children have natural musical talent.
NEW CALIFORNIA FIRM TAKES GERMAN
PIANO AGENCY
A new business has recently been organized at An-
aheim, Calif., to deal in a German-made piano: the
Julius Bliithner piano made at Leipzig, Germany, and
claiming the entire American agency for this well-
known German piano. Several instruments have re-
cently arrived from Germany, each instrument being
encased in oil paper and in zinc lined boxes, one of
these being a 9 foot concert grand in rosewood
veneer.
WURLITZER ACTIVITIES AT DE KALB
There is marked activity in piano production at the
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Co.'s factories at De Kalb,
111. One day last week when a Presto-Times repre-
sentative called at the Wurlitzer office and factories
there were half a dozen or more dealers from as
many different sections of the country who had come
to make selections of pianos for their autumn and
holiday requirements.
Mr. Farny stated to the
Presto-Times representative that an eminently satis-
factory lot of orders had been received for the first
live days of the present month. The number of
orders received was given our representative in con-
fidence and it runs away beyond the business of the
preceding month. Mr. C. L. Farny, vice-president
and manager at De Kalb, says that it certainly looks
like things are going to improve generally in the
music business and knows that his own business
is going forward in an active way.
HOW MR. STROUSE PROMOTES
Irving Strouse, advertising representative and artist
promoter, now doing some of this kind of work for
Ray Perkins, a NBC radio artist and others, says
among other jests and wise cracks that Perkins
"is praying for winter and gold weather." and that
"Texas Guinan is going to spite the French and
give a performance in Paris—Kansas."
MR. WATKIN IS PROMINENT IN
AUDITION TRIALS
Sfciiticay Model B Grand. Designed for I-us: (. ms
into which it has found appreciation. For example,
a short time ago a Steinway was shipped to Japan,
for use in the royal household. The Nippon Yuseu
Kaisha Steamship Line o! Japan ordered six spe-
cially designed Steinways for their luxurious steamers,
the Chichibu Maru, Hakawa llaru, Heian Maru. and
the great radio stations of Japan are equipped with
Steinway pianos.
f S. S. "Illllpl'CSs of Hrittlill"
steamers "Fmpress of Scotland." "Duchess of Red-
ford," "Duchess of Athol." "Duchess of Richmond,"
and "Duchess of York." The North (iermaii Lloyd
and Hamburg American lines have long had these
pianos on their vessels.
Presto-Times presents herewith an illustration ol
a Model I>, Steinway grand, as it appears in the
lounge of the steamer "Empress of Britain."
Robert N. Watkin, of the Will A. Watkin Music
House. Dallas, Tex., has been prominent in the suc-
cess of the Atwater Kent Audition in that section
for selecting singers for prizes offered by the At-
water Kent Radio Co., and is chairman of the local
audition.
"The goal of a local audition is to encourage all
young singers to make the most of their talent and
try for the $25,000 cash awards and scholarships
offered in the national competition," Mr. Watkin
declared in his announcement. Winner of the local
contest will be eligible to compete in the district
audition.
Last year Joyce Allmand of Dallas, Tex., won a
$2,000 prize and scholarship in the national audition.
The current contest is t'ie lil'th annual Atwater Kent
audition.
The Will A. Watkin Co. represents the Chickeriug,
Fischer, Brambach pianos at Dallas.
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