Classic Mode

Presto

Issue: 1932 2264

PRESTO-TIMES
M. Schulz Co., 711 Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, 111.
(Embracing Werner Piano Co., Brinkerhoff
Piano Co.)
Schumann Piano Co., Rockford, 111.
B. K. Settergren Co., Bluffton, Ind.
Sohmer & Co., Sohmer Bldg., 31 W. 57th St., New
York.
P. A. Starck Piano Co., Starck Bldg., 228 S. Wa-
bash Ave., Chicago, 111.
Starr Piano Co., Richmond, Ind.
Steinway & Sons, 109-11 W. 57th St., New York.
M. Steinert & Sons Co., Boston, Mass.
Chas. M. Stieff, Inc., Baltimore, Md.
Straube Piano Co., Hammond, Ind.
Chas. Frederick Stein, 3047 Carroll Ave., Chicago,
Illinois.
Story & Clark Piano Co. Factory Grand Haven,
Mich. Offices, 172 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111.
Strich & Zeidler, Inc. Offices, 117 W. 57th St., New
York. S. L. Curtis, Inc.
Tonk Piano Co., 8-10 W. 37th St., New York, N. Y.
Spector & Son Piano Co., New York.
(No replies to inquiries; mail not delivered at
factory location.)
H. B. Morenus Piano Co., La Porte, Ind.
Horace Waters & Co., New York, N. Y.
Vose & Sons Piano Co., Watertown-Boston, Mass.
Horace Waters & Co., New York, N. Y.
Winter & Co., New York.
Waltham Piano Co., Milwaukee, Wis.
Weaver Piano Co., Inc., York, Pa.
Weiser & Sons Piano Co.. 2100 S. Kedzie Ave.,
Chicago, 111.
Weser Bros., Inc., 520 43rd St., New York, N. Y.
P. S. Wick Co., North St. Paul, Minn.
Wurlitzer Grand Piano Co. Factory and offices,
De Kail), III.
The Rud. Wurlitzer Mfg. Co. Factory and offices,
North Tonawanda, N. Y.
Wilfred Piano Co., 156th St. and Whitlock Ave.,
New York.
O. W. Wuertz Co., New York.
Wing & Son, New York.
Wissner Piano Co., Inc., 1068 Atlantic Ave., Brook-
lyn, N. Y. Offices, 59 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn.
STEINWAY AT THE M. T. N. A. CONVENTION
IN DETROIT
At the convention of Music Teachers' National As-
sociation, held at Book-Cadillac Hotel, Detroit, the
last week in December, an interesting Steinway ex-
hibit was one of the outstanding events of the con-
vention. This exhibit was by Grinnell Brothers,
Michigan Steinway agents, and was in charge of L. G.
Grinnell, who is the assistant secretary of Grinnell
Brothers. He was assisted at the exhibit by his
cousin, Henry Grinnell. The Steinway exhibit was
in a roomy suite at the Book-Cadillac, and consisted
of a Style M, a Style L, and a Style A, all in grands.
Also there was a Steinway B in the concert hall and
two B's and two A's in concert rooms in the hotel.
Steinways were used in all the programs.
Steinways had an exhibit to show the action, the
length of the keys, a cross section of a Concert
Grand, an art case exhibit. Also piano parts in
bronze, brass and iron, cast in Steinway & Sons own
factory at Riker avenue in Long Island City, New
York; piano keys, upright and grand; damper hook,
pivot plate, key-block plate, action bracket, grand
hanger, which holds the hammer rail, regulating rail
and back rail (it is made of phosphor bronze). The
exhibit included duplex scales, the T. R. screw\s, and
an upright hanger. Also samples of the treble bell,
to accent the treble and bring up the treble for more
power; grand pedals, upright pedals, action post,
action side bracket, upright Capadastro bar, one of
Steinway & Sons own patents; soft pedal lever. Each
sort of the parts exhibits were shown on two boards
—one showing the castings in the rough, the other
the finished products.
Percy Grainger was in at the Steinway exhibit and
spent several hours there teaching the young folks
how the Steinway pianos "work."
Many other notable musical people visited the ex-
hibit on the day that Presto-Times' correspondent
was there.
The convention as a whole was a great success.
January, 1932
FLORIDA DELIGHTS
CHARLES JACOB
Chas. Jacob, of Jacob Bros. Co., New York, and
long identified with other piano manufacturing inter-
ests before his retirement from active music trade
interests on December 30, spent several weeks in
Florida last month. He was at Miami most of
the time during his stay in Florida, where he
had the pleasure of visiting often his friend, Mr.
S. Ernest Philpitt of the Philpitt & Son Music
House, and others identified with music trade in-
terests, among them Robert Waud, formerly super-
intendent of the American Piano Corporation factory
at Rochester and now a resident of Miami, where
he has a beautiful winter home. Mr. Jacob also had
a pleasant visit with William Bjur, piano manufac-
turer of New York up to a few years ago. While
in Miami Charlie became a member of the "Three-
Score-and-Ten Club Code of Ethics."
This club has twenty cardinal points worthy of
living up to. Number one is "Friendship begets
Friendship—be friendly and others will be friendly
to you," and the last, number twenty—"In many
stores and offices we notice the sign, 'Keep Smiling'
—how beautiful is a smile on the face of old age."
Charlie's return to New York was by aeroplane
from Jacksonville, which point he left on a Wednes-
day morning and arrived at the Newark, N. J., air-
port that afternoon. Mr. Jacob, in relating his ex-
periences said of the air trip that: "It was my first
experience in an aeroplane and I found it a comfort-
able and profitable way to travel. The plane left
Jacksonville at 9:20 a. m. and arrived in Newark
airport at about 7:05. During the last hour and a
half of our flight it was dark. We had thirty minutes'
lunch at Raleigh; stopped at one other point about
ten minutes, and Savannah, Florence, Richmond,
Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia for five minutes
Two recent fires did some damage to music houses at each place."
last month—one the Grinnell Music Store at 210 W.
Mr. Jacob is so thoroughly pleased with life in
Michigan avenue, Ypsilanti, Mich., and the other Florida that it is more than probable he will be-
damaging the stock of the Era Music Company, Okla- come a resident of that commonwealth. New York
homa City, Okla.
and Florida are easy of access to each other and
he is delighted with the climate; in fact, he is, as he
says, in love with it and he is returning to Florida
for another visit this month.
A BALDWIN ADVERTISING
LAY-OUT
OUR PIANO
(A sequel to "My Piano" and "Your Piano")
"Your Piano" should be our piano.
Most treasured possession in
every home.
Enjoyed by each member—from
the wee tot so gay
To him who has travelled jar
along life's highway.
Ready to share each emotional
feeling;
Ready to soothe with sweet har-
mony's healing;
A comfort in sorrow, a sharer of
pleasure;
No wonder it is a most cherished
treasure;
This friend sympathetic and always
on call.
Help, then, to make "Our Piano"
essential to all.
Presto-Times recently received one of the most
attractive and successful pieces of advertising formu-
lae that has appeared in the past year. The adver-
tising department of the Baldwin Piano Company is
certainly to be congratulated upon the skill with
which they are presenting the new Sargent piano,
as well as upon the close cooperation they are afford-
ing their dealers.
A dealer receiving a packet containing a complete
and attractive window display, with the entire lay-
out and instructions, such as ca,n be used to intro-
duce the piano, cannot help but become enthusiastic
over the make of instrument he proposes to handle.
In addition to containing an attractive mat for use
in local newspaper advertising the packet contains
stickers for placing on the display window, while rib-
bons run from these stickers to the various parts of
the piano that are explained on the stickers. Hand-
some display signs are also furnished and by display-
ing a new Sargent in the window a display can be
created that will practically sell pianos from the
window.
ACTIVITIES OF ONE OF CHICAGO'S
LEADING PIANO MANU-
FACTURERS
Among the piano men along Chicago's piano row,
which extends about three blocks along Wabash
avenue, is a gentleman of whom the trade hears
comparatively very little, as an individual, yet for
years has been one of the predominating men in
piano manufacturing and selling. P. T. Starck, of
the P. A. Starck Piano Company, is one of those
quiet workers who develops his ideas without blare
of trumpets, save when his advertisements appear in
type, and when he has finished, a profitable turn-
over, has accomplished something.
The elder Starck and former head of the P. A.
Starck Piano Company was one of the thoroughly
posted men and one of the best liked, as well as
shrewdest, in the piano trade of his day and who,
like his son, was a tireless worker, conducting his
business along conservative lines, a trait passed on
to his son, the present head of the house, who has
not only followed along in the footsteps of his worthy
parent, but is doing his share in the development of
the piano industry and the P. A. Starck Piano Com-
pany.
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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January, 1932
PRESTO-TIMES
AN ENLIGHTENING COMMUNICATION
The following letter was duly received at Presto-
Times office soon after the last issue of this paper
appeared in which issue was published a photographic
group of piano manufacturers taken at Washington
during the piano manufacturers' convention held in
that city in May, 1899. The list of names given in
Presto-Times was quite incomplete but Mr. Fulton's
communication will enlighten our readers very much
in this list.
Letter from Oscar F. Fulton.
Editor of Presto-Times,
Chicago, Illinois.
Dear Sir: It seems to me, if I may say so, that
the few men you mention by name gives a very in-
complete roster of those who were present when
the photograph was taken at Washington, D. C, in
1899. You mention some of the big shots of that
day, but there were others present. Then again, in
order to keep the record clear, not all were piano
manufacturers. There was a liberal sprinkling of
retail dealers.
You mention by name Messrs. Owen, H. F. Miller,
A. H. Fischer, Handel Pond, Anders Holmstrom,
Bob Kammerer, Col. Conway, W. H. Poole, E. H.
Bill, W. E. Wheelock, P. H. Powers, Harry Frtund,
Gust. Anderson, Alexander Steinert, Win. Strich, F.
G. Smith, Jr., Henry L. Mason, Leopold Peck, C. H.
Parsons, Robt. Proddow, Myron F. Decker.
Here are some others whom you did not mention.
Above Fred Stieff and his son, George, is none other
than Charles Jacob. Charley sported a classy beard
then, and looked like a French count. But he had
more brains. Then, to the left, and just above, is
Henry Behr, a notable piano maker of that day.
Standing next to Mr. Behr is James Miller, a brother
of Henry. Above, to the left is Bill Burgess of the
Wegman Piano Co. The heart softens a little over
the memory of this grand old bon vivant. Next to
Mr. Wheelock on the extreme left, is Mr. "Charley"
(as we always called him) Stieff. Every traveler
who visited Baltimore, years ago, will remember with
affection this fine gentleman. To the left of Mr.
Stieff is Albert Haines, and above Mr. Haines is
J. C. White of Horace Waters. Standing at the side
of Mr. White is Edward Milton Boothe.
On the top row, w r here E. L. Bill stands, is Fred
Bauer, Chris. Garretson and Alec. Grimes. The be-
whiskered gent on the end of this top row may be
Frank Lee, but I am not sure.
On the extreme right, three rows from the top, is
a man of rare distinction in the annals of our trade.
I refer to James Ramsdell, of Philadelphia. As a
post-prandial speaker he delighted all who were priv-
ileged to listen to him. His banquet speeches were
scholarly, polished, and sparkled with unforced hu-
mor. Steffensen, the arctic explorer, who once heard
Mr. Ramsdell, afterwards made the comment that it
was the only after dinner speech that did not remind
him of a talking walrus.
The gentleman with a Napoleon I I I imperial, is
Levi Bertolette of Wilmington, Del. Mr. Bertolette
was at one time a city magistrate. When he retired
from the bench he became a member of Robeleti and
Co. He developed into a first rate piano man, and
always made it a point to attend conventions. Next
to Mr. Bertolette is Tasso Fischer, brother of A. H.,
but Henry Fischer, who performed prodgies on the
road for his firm, is not present.
You mention Henry L. Mason of Mason and Ham-
lin, but you pass by Mr. Mason of the Sterling Piano
Co. of Derby, Conn. In those days, the Sterling
was an outstanding piano, and the agency for it was
a real asset in a dealer's set up. If there were ever
Four Horsemen, in its popular application in the
piano business, I nominate Rufe Blake, Brooks, Ma-
son and Williams. Without spending a dollar for
national advertising, they placed the Sterling with
nearly every blue ribbon dealer in America. They
concentrated their advertising copy in the trade pa-
pers, and then induced the dealers to do their national
advertising in the daily newspapers.
To the right of Harry Freund is a man whose
name was very prominent in the trade at one time.
He is Chandler W T . Smith of Boston. He was a one
man better business bureau. The gyp advertisers
of Boston had been raising hob with legitimate deal-
ers, and Smith went after them with an impressive
degree of success. He put some of them in the
hoosegow. But it did not do any good. Smith is
now dead, and there are more gyps in Boston than
leaves of grass on his grave.
Standing above and to the right of Leopold Peck
is William Daliba Dutton. He was associated in
business with Mr. Peck. Sartorially impeccable, Mr.
Dutton's approach to a dealer gave that dealer some-
thing to think about, even before business was
broached. While a sound piano man whose busi-
ness acumen was seldom questioned, Mr. Dutton was
by avocation, an art connoisseur. His opinions were
authoritative. His particular flair was for paintings
MATHUSHEK
PIANO MFG. CO
Extend
their
best
wishes to readers of
Presto-Times and the
entire music trade
and trust that the
year 1932 may bring
them health, happi-
ness, and prosperity
MATHUSHEK
PIANO MFG. CO.
132nd St. and Alexander Ave
NEW YORK, N. Y.
Pacific Coast Representative
LOUIS F. GOELZLIN
138 McAllister Street
San Francisco, Cal.
Mid-Western Representative
BEN M. STRUB
of the Barbizon School. He could spot a Corot, a
Millet, a Daubigny or a Diaz as far as he could see
them. The signature of the artist was immaterial to
the identification. He was a member of the Phila-
delphia Art Club and his social position was in an
exclusive circle where only a few of us are privi-
leged to enter, except to tune the piano.
Print some more of these pictures. I enjoy mulling
over them.
Yours very truly,
OSCAR F. FULTON.
PAPER FOR CLARK ORCHESTRA ROLLS
The Clark Orchestra Roll Co., De Kalb, III., in
referring to the quality of paper necessary for the
making of first-Class music rolls, says that "the
largest paper mill in the world makes the paper for
Clark Orchestra Rolls. Good timber, pure, filtered
water and skilled hands result in a sheet superior to
other music roll papers. Clark rolls are made of
specially treated material which withstands all
weather and humidity changes and assures the pur-
chaser of continuosly good music.
Carload shipments are unloaded, carefully piled
in a constant temperature warehouse and used to
make Clark Orchestra Rolls the best automatic
piano music made."
By the way, the Clark Orchestra Roll Co. is issu-
ing an exceedingly interesting line of new music
rolls beginning with the new year. In this connec-
tion the Clark Orchestra Roll Co. give this advice
to establishments where electric instruments are used:
"You want maximum income from your electric
piano, you can get it only by playing Clark rolls
and changing rolls each week.
A PLEA FOR QUALITY.
Mr. Edwin Jarrett, of the Mehlin Piano Co., New-
York, a keen observer of piano trade conditions and
a "sticker" for better grade instruments, for real
musical qualities in pianos, sends us the following
clipping:
"The building of a piano can in no way be com-
pared with the manufacture of an ordinary piece of
furniture, as its value does not lie in its outer ap-
pearance, but in its innermost structure. In order
to give the instrument its determined measure of
worth; that is, its tone quality, that means by which
it speaks to the music loving public, and through
which it, by an unexplainable art, awakens deeply-
buried emotions in the soul of mankind—something
more is necessary than the mere knowledge of cab-
inet-making. If the instrument is to be more than
mediocre, then the piano maker must be an all-round
genius. He must have a fundamental knowledge of
all kindred subjects relating to the building thereof,
he must be painstaking and scrupulous, must possess
technical scientific talent as well as an unerring
musical sense, and last, but by no means least, must
combine true artistry in all of his work."
Adding to the clipping Mr. Jarrett makes these
comments:
"The above extract came under my notice recently.
1 think it is just about the Alpha and Omega, and
the final word of description of those qualities that
should guide and control the builder of pianos. This
man is not imaginary; I have met him and watched
his work. In fact I know two of 'em, and a few
more have passed on into the heaven of good piano
men who are master builders and craftsmen for
Art's sake. Some day when we' are sitting down
together I'll tell you about them. I know you will
be interested."
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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