Presto

September-October, 1932
PRESTO-TIMES
Piano Company and Mr. Wilson was its president
until his death when he was succeeded by Mr. Arm-
strong who later became chairman of the board, which
position he held up to the time of his passing, Mr.
Wulsin's son, Lucien, being elected president in 1926.
Mr. Armstrong was a man of force and character
and of a broad outlook on business affairs. He was
Mr. Otto Zimmerman, President of the Great a generous giver to the Art Museum and to the city's
charities. Outside of his business he found relaxation
Music Printing and Engraving House of
in his "camp" near Montgomery. There he was the
Cincinnati, Ohio, Passes Away at
owner of a tract of woodland where to please his
Christ Hospital, That City.
fancy he had built three or four cottages, which were
filled with books and bric-a-brac. He invited his friends
Mr. Otto Zimmerman, Cincinnati, Ohio, passed to the camp where he dispensed old-fashioned country
away at 12:30 o'clock Wednesday night, Sept. 7, at hospitality.
"In his death Cincinnati lost one of her leading cap-
the Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, following an operation.
The trade at large and more especially the trade tains of industry and a citizen who did much to add
to the wealth and prestige of his city," said James A.
and profession allied to music publishing learn with
sorrow of the passing of this most estimable gentle- Green, president of the Public Library Board.
"Mr. Armstrong was a great buyer and reader of
man, one who in his particular line of work and indus-
books—and it was his habit to accumulate a number
try was held in marked esteem.
Mr. Zimmerman was born Dec. 31, 1859, at Schaf- of books and then to present them to the Public
hausen, Switzerland, and came to this country at the Library. For years he did this. His gifts to the li-
age of seven with his parents. For fifty years the brary ran up into hundreds of volumes."
Zimmerman family had been residents of Newport
and Fort Thomas, Ky.
THE LATE FLORENZ ZIEG-
Mr. Zimmerman started printing music in 1876 for
FELD, JR.
the John Church Company, who were then extensive
music publishers in Cincinnati. After four years with
In his earlier days, when connected with the Chicago
the John Church Company he went to work for the Musical College which had been established by his
Geo. D. Newhall Co., remaining there until they dis- father, the late Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., originator of the
continued business ten years later. At about this Ziegfeld Follies, etc., associated considerably with
time he started in the music printing and engraving members of the music trade and even up to the time of
business and was the first music printer west of Phila- the death of his father, Florenz Ziegfeld, Sr., they
delphia. He started with a one-cylinder press in the both met for luncheon with music trade friends at
Murdock building on Longworth street, Cincinnati, the Auditorium Hotel restaurant at Congress street
where he was located for three or four years and then and Michigan boulevard. Always when "Flo" Zieg-
moved to 124 Government place and later to 430 feld was in Chicago he and his father and often music
Sycamore.
trade and music trade paper friends would lunch
About this time a son, Arthur, came to work at the together. It was largely the Chicago music trade
plant and when he became of age four years later he men that started Mr. Ziegfeld in his career, when
became a partner of the business and the firm was they backed him and helped him succeed with San-
then called Otto Zimmerman & Son. The business dow, the strong man, when he gave a complimentary
Sandow reception at the old Exposition Building in
continued expanding and in 1912 was incorporated.
In 1919 they were obliged to seek larger quarters Michigan avenue, during the World's Fair. This
and purchased the old Crawley homestead at 120 Fast attention and aid to yoang Ziegfeld was largely on
Third street where a beautiful plant has been erected, account of his father and his association in the music
one of the finest in this line of business in the world. and musical instrument affairs of the World's Colum-
The business has continued to grow steadily since bian Exposition, then in progress.
1876 until today the Otto Zimmerman & Son Com-
pany operates the largest music engraving and print-
THE LATE WALTER WEISER, PIANO
ing plant west of New York and lithographs more
MAKER AND DEALER
hotel stationery than any other lithographer in the
The trade was greatly surprised to learn of the
United States.
Mr. Zimmerman was the president of the company sudden death of Walter W. Weiser, proprietor of the
at the time of his death; Mr. Arthur Zimmerman, Weiser & Sons piano factory and retail store located
vice-president and general manager; David Davies, at 2100 South Kedzie avenue, Chicago. The business
has been going on there for a long time. In fact,
treasurer, and B. Pherson, secretary.
Mr. Otto Zimmerman was very active in clubs and the firm was established in 1890, Mr. Weiser was one
was a member of the Cincinnati Club, Rotary, New- of the sons of the late John Weiser, who for many
port Commercial and Civic Club, Automobile Club, on years was one of the superintendents of the Kimball
the board of directors of the Campbell County piano factory, where also the deceased was a work-
Orphans' Home and devoted quite a bit of time to man. Mr. Weiser, whose health has been consider-
Y. M. C. A. work. He belonged to No. 13 Knights ably impaired during the past two or three years, was
Templar, Syrian Shrine and was an elder of the First taken to a hospital at Davenport, Iowa, where he
passed away on Labor Day and the remains were
Presbyterian church.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Alice Zimmer- brought to Chicago for burial. The business will be
man, his son Arthur, who was associated with him in carried on by Mrs. Weiser and her son, Carl Weiser,
business, Edwin and daughter Mrs. Willard Bryson, who is the secretary of Weiser & Sons, Inc. The
deceased was a brother of Frank Weiser, the well-
all o; Fort Thomas, Ky..
For the past twenty years or more Mr. and Mrs. known piano technician and expert whose residence
it at Elmhurst.-
Zimmerman have been wintering at St. Petersburg
Fla.. where a s'ster, Mrs. F.melie Bering, resided, and
their summers were mainly spent at their Fort EDWARD S. PAYSON PASSES AWAY
Thomas, Ky., home. Mr. Zimmerman was identified
Just now passes away a romantic and historic fig-
with many public enterprises and numerous civic and
charitable organizations aside from those above ure who for more than thirty years has been closely
connected with piano manufacturing and closely
named.
allied to the music trades and industries of this
country—Edward Saxton Payson. Mr. Pay son died
at his home in Lexington, Mass., twenty miles out of
Boston, within k u r days of reaching his ninety-first
birthday, which would have been the twenty-sixth
of September, as he was born in 1842.
His birthplace is the historic city of Groton, Mass.,
The late George W. Armstrong, who was chairman
of the board of the Baldwin Piano Company up to the eldest son of Rev. Lemuel and Clarissa Saxton
the time of his death at Cincinnati in June, had been Payson. He descended from revolutionary ancestors.
His first commercial work was as clerk in a bank
the recipient of many words of praise and profound
respect from associates in other lines of industry and at Salem, Mass., and, having been especially success-
activities with which lie had been for many years ful in his musical studies, got into grand opera and
connected, as well as by his former associates in the concerts and became quite famous as a basso. He
business which he was instrumental in founding and was with several concert organizations and for sev-
had been connected with since the time he came into eral years was a member of various operatic com-
the business when a young man. Mr. Armstrong's panies, after which he identified himself more directly
home for many years past was the Queen City Club with the music trade.
and he was the oldest resident member of that club
He was first associated with the Henry F. Miller &
at the time of his death.
Sons Piano Company and later, in 1885, joined the
Mr. Armstrong, like his partner, the late Lucien Emerson Piano Company. After the various changes
Wulsin, secured a position with D. H. Baldwin when in management of the Emerson Piano Company he
a young man 16 years of age, starting in the collec- became its president and continued in that office
tion department, and upon the death of Mr. Baldwin up to its last change of ownership.
All these years Mr. Payson took great interest in
these two gentlemen secured the business in 1884
and carried it on to the great proportions that it the affairs of various music trade organizations and
attained under their direction and management. The was president, in 1907 and 1908, of the National Piano
business was incorporated in 1901 as the Baldwin Manufacturers' Association. He was also a mem-
OBITUARY
OTTO ZIMMERMAN
THE LATE GEORGE W. ARM-
STRONG
ber of the National Piano Merchants' Association;
honorary member of the National Piano Travelers'
Association and honorary member of several state
masic trade organizations, and in all of these and all
of his connections in music trade matters, he was a
beloved and devoted personage. He took much in-
terest in local affairs at his home town, Lexington,
being a member of the Chamber of Commerce at
that place, and of the local Grange organization and
the Masonic Lodge.
Mr. Payson will be remembered as a devotee of
the universal language known as Esperanto, in fact
he helped organize that system of universad com-
munication.
Mr. Payson took much interest in many and varied
interests of the day and was always alert to help the
people and the organizations and associations that
interested him. He attended almost all of the annual
national piano manufacturers and merchants gather-
ings and at these his delightful personality and genial-
ity won the hearts of all with whom he came in con-
tact. Mr. Payson will be sadly missed and tears will
be shed on his departure from among us.
Many friends have been hearing quite regularly, for
a long time, directly from Mr. Payson, who wrote
long and beautiful letters by hand and his penman-
ship, even up to his latter days, was a perfect and
readable type of lettering. Of late his letters have
fallen off and even his dearly beloved pal, his wife,
who is in poor health, was unable to continue these
letters.
The many friends of the Philpitt & Son Music
House of Miami Beach, Fla., were pained to learn of
the death of the secretary of that company, Mr. Fred
Philpitt, who was a brother of the founder of the
house, Mr. S. Ernest Philpitt.
The
music
uation
music
death is announced of Benjamin W. Kuhlow,
dealer of Janesville, Wis. Following his grad-
from high school Mr. Kuhlow entered the
business.
JESSE FRENCH COMPANY RECEIVERSHIP
In the matter of the assignment of the Jesse French
Manufacturing Company, H. D. Oberdorfer has been
appointed receiver in place of Franklin George, who
was originally appointed by the court. A receivership
was asked pending readjustment of the affairs of the
Jesse French Manufacturing Company.
TWO NEW SULLIVAN PUBLICATIONS
Will L. Sullivan, music publisher, 516 Englewood
avenue, Chicago, is out with two new compositions,
"Why Do You Want to Leave Me, Nell," and "That's
Why Amelia Flew Over There," two pieces that
ought to find a market in the widely diversified lines
of radio and general entertainment of the day.
Since the last issue of Presto-Times changes have
been made in the names and addresses herewith given,
some having discontinued business entirely, others
moved to new locations and still others "moved and
left no address."
F. J. Affholder, 55 Strand Arcade, Lansing, Mich.,
moved to 324 S. Pine street.
W. H. Baldwin. 2125 Baldwin street, Omaha, Neb-
moved to 935 Redick Towers.
J. H. Gettell, 271 Ft. Washington boulevard, Sta-
tion M, New York City, moved to 130 Ft. Washing-
ton boulevard.
N. W. Ayer & Son, 200 Fifth avenue, New York
city, moved to 500 Fifth avenue.
Charles H. Burtsloff, Benton Harbor, Mich., present
address 538 Pavone avenue.
H. L. Trimble, 1011 25th street. Des Moines. Iowa,
moved to 1325 Forest avenue.
E. Ernest Philpitt & Son, Jacksonville, Fla., mail
now forwarded to 40 S. E. First street, Miami, Fla.
J. C. Lansford, 718 Cherry street, Knoxville, Tenn..
moved and left no address.
George W. Braunsdorf (piano supplies, etc.), 430
E. 53rd street, New York, moved and left no address.
W. K. Anderson, Silver City, N. M., and S. A.
Palmer, Salt Lake City, moved and left no address.
Standard Roll Music Co., 15 Central avenue,
Orange, N. J., discontinued.
TUNERS' NATIONAL CONVENTION
(Continued from page 12)
Auditing Committee, Peter Norin, chairman; Arthur
F. Schneider and A. A. Dengler. Membership Pro-
motion Committee, W. F. Hastings, chairman; Peter
Norin and Erwin H. Bacon. Technical Problems,
Ncls C. Boc. Arthur F. Schneider was chosen to
write a history of the piano, which will be published
serially in the Tuners' Journal.
Chicago Again for Headquarters
It was voted to bring the headquarters of the asso-
ciation back to Chicago, Detroit having held this
honor for the past year.
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