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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Paris Exposition through Review Eyes.
SOME DETAILS OF THE EXHIBITS OF THE AMERICAN PIANO TRADE—THE LOCATION SUPERB—
BALDWIN'S INTERESTING DISPLAY—THE MINIATURE FACTORY—MR. LUDWIG INCREASES
HIS EXHIBITION SPACE—CLAVIOLA INTEREST OTHER EXHIBITORS.
[Special to The Review.]
iting to see the pianos shown. Now that
Paris, France, June 8, 1900.
Although the space allotted to the United
States in the music section is small, being
some 1,000 square feet only, still it is so
exceptionally well placed, and is so com-
pact that it stands a better chance than
many a larger space of having justice done
to it by the thronging thousands who now
visit the Exposition daily: added to this,
must be mentioned the fact that it has been
they are close together comparison is a
matter of much greater convenience.
There have been many complaints re-
garding the incomplete state of the Ex-
position, but every day is materially adding
to the perfected condition of affairs and
one by one the exhibitors are gradually be-
coming satisfied regarding their space en-
vironment.
Glancing at the musical instruments as
A PORTION OF THE BALDWIN EXHIBIT AT PARIS.
most carefully and tastefully arranged, the exhibited by manufacturers of the States,
length of gallery each side allows the Stars the visitor finds the names of the allied
and Stripes, as they hang across the pas- interests of the Baldwin Piano Co., the
sage way, to be seen from quite a distance. Ludwig Piano Co., and pianos exhibited by
The music section of the States is near the Hard man, Peck & Co.
The Baldwin exhibit is in every way a
educational section in the Palais des Arts
Liberaux, and quite close to the prettily credit to the magnificent industrial enter-
gotten up pavilion of the periodical press, prise of America, and it shows to the vis-
where the chief French and foreign papers iting thousands what superb results have
and journals may be consulted. By ar- been reached in the United States in the
rangement, the Music Trade Review will development of the piano-forte.
be found by subscribers upon the central
I must confess to a feeling of disappoint-
table in this pavilion, and the representa- ment when I saw how few exhibitors there
tive and special correspondent of The Re- were from America; but the elegance of
view, who is in Paris for the Exposition, the Baldwin exhibit in a measure atoned
will have much pleasure in there meeting for the feeling of regret which was occa-
all traveling Americans of the trade, who sioned by my first visit to the music trade
may be in Paris and desire information section.
upon any subject.
Taking first the large exhibit of the Bald-
In all sections the music trade is un- win Co. of Cincinnati, we leave for a mo-
usually well represented, and the manner ment the piano section and there will be
in which the Exposition authorities have found in the neighboring annex, in the
arranged the sections enables a visitor to midst of the engineering machinery of that
view all the musical exhibits under one section, a very fine exhibit showing a model
of the Baldwin piano factory, scale one-half
roo f—a great improvement upon the ar-
rangements at the previous exposition, inch to the foot. This model is a fine piece
when each country had all its exhibits to- of work, showing the Italian renaissance
gether, and thus any one interested in the style of architecture of the building; the
musical instruments exhibited was forced Baldwin piano being manufactured in the
to go into all the different countries exhib- long wing which is connected by means
of a covered bridge with the square
building where the Ellington pianos are
made. As this model building is lighted in
every part by electricity, the visitor can
look through the windows into the rooms,
where in miniature every part of the piano
is shown in progress, from the drying
rooms for the lumber, to the finished piano
as it is put, all packed, into the railway
trucks which come right to the door of the
output room. As every part of the piano
is shown in the process of making, a visitor
can realize the immense amount of care
and trouble taken in the manufacture of
the Baldwin piano. Especially is this no-
ticeable in the glueing-room, for no long
lengths of wood are used in the piano
frame, but carefully selected woods with
the grain so arranged that no part of the
piano can ever become warped: for the
acoustic rim (one of the specialties of this
house) one length of wood is used, built
up of many thin layers, glued and bent
into shape. A series of photographs in a
wall case some forty-two in number fur-
ther illustrate the art of piano manufac-
ture; these are so arranged that no single
part of the industry is left unrepresented.
Returning to the music section and the
Baldwin stand, the pianos make a very fine
exhibit: one upright especially is attracting
marked attention from the public, and no
doubt when the Jury come round to inspect
before the distribution of prizes, this piano
will be one especially remarked by them.
The case is of Ohio walnut, carved very
handsomely, with the Spirit of Music as a
central figure and the foliage of the walnut
tree as a background; on each side are
trees carved in the wood with a background
of white mahogany, which is most effec-
tive in showing up the darker carving.
The attached photograph will give a just
idea of the beauty of this piano. It was
photographed as it stands in the center of
the Baldwin exhibit in the Exposition.
The Hamilton pianos shown by the
same firm have the mandolin attachment.
Amongst the handsome pianos shown by
this firm, one in a white mahogany case
may be especially mentioned, as also an-
other in the style of Louis XVI and a
third very fine one in the Empire style.
The Hamilton organs exhibited are all
of the cabinet class, and the best work-
manship may always be confidently looked
for in all the instruments. The Baldwin
piano, and all pianos turned out by this
firm give a good criterion of American
craft work to all the visitors to this section,
for the display made is well and carefully
carried out in every detail.
In a small space at the side of the Bald-
win exhibit is one made by Messrs. Lud-
wig & Co., New York. This firm show
three upright pianos which contain many
improvements introduced of late years.
Amongst auxiliary exhibitors I may men-
tion that the piano plates are those of
Brown & Patterson, Brooklyn; the piano
action is that of Staib-Abendschein, New
York; the keys used are those of Pratt,
Read & Co., Deep River, Conn.
The specialty of the Ludwig exhibit is