Music Trade Review

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THE.
MUSIC
TRADE
U n d e r THE
The show window has aptly been named the
"headlight of the store" and that title is an apt
one, for the window has the effect of attracting
the passer-by to the store or repelling him, as the
case may be. Carelessness in window arrange-
ment betokens carelessness in the management of
the store back of it, and is not at all likely to
receive the attention of the public. Then, too,
from another viewpoint, when it realized what a
large proportion of the rental is tied up in the
show window, the man who does not make that
part of the investment pay dividends lacks in busi-
ness foresight. Take the piano warerooms on
Fifth avenue, for instance, where the high rentals
make every inch of space valuable. How many
of the window displays are allowed to become
stagnant, to remain unchanged month in and
month out and to grow wearisome to the pedes-
trian? Do not the managers realize that even a
display of the simplest styles of pianos changed
weekly or fortnightly will receive more attention
from the public than the handsomest art piano left
in the window for five or six months? The
Aeolian Co., who by reason of occupying an en-
tire building on the avenue, have only a very
small portion of their expense chargeable to their
show windows, have long realized the value of
frequent changes and as a result their windows
always receive 'considerable attention from the
public. Still, they figured out that a better display
would bring still greater returns, and as a result
have changed the arrangements of their windows
to provide much better lighting. Wm. Knabe &
Co., with practically their entire warerooms ex-
posed to public view, find it pays to place a fresh
style in the show-window proper at short inter-
vals. The results mean interest on the invest-
ment. The crowd on Fifth avenue, for the most
part, is a peculiar one, inasmuch as the same peo-
ple promenade that thoroughfare daily, the so-
ciety folks for their constitutional and the work-
ers as a pleasant path to and from business. Both
classes are well worth attracting to the store by
means of good show-window displays.
*
*. *
TALL TOWER
cylinder record) to the Edison product. So Mr.
Piano Dealer is totally wrong in his use of the
word "phonograph." It sounds odd, to say the
least.
•I H *
Arnold Somlyo, the New York representative
of the Baldwin Co., was unanimously elected on
Friday last a director of the Hungarian-American
Bank, 32 Broadway, New York. A number of
other gentlemen prominent in the financial world,
including Benjamin Guggenheim, the capitalist, are
also on the directorate. The Hungarian-American
Bank was established four years ago, and is con-
trolled at the present time by two of the leading
financial institutions of Europe, one of which con-
trols about C80 savings banks, and which together
have a capital and surplus of $35,000,000, and de-
posits of about $300,000,000.
•t * *
Australia promises to be an active center in
the sale of musical instruments this year, accord-
ing to L. Taylor, of Craven, Taylor & Co., the
well-known importers of American goods, with
headquarters in Sydney, who was a visitor to
The Review sanctum on Tuesday. "Our wheat
crop shows a twenty-five per cent, increase this
year, while the wool clip is larger than in many
years and the farmers throughout Austral-
asia are feeling in buoyant spirits. The sales of
talking machines are at present enormous, and
promise to be larger still, with a demand for
higher priced goods, and pianos and other musi-
cal instruments are destined to share in thjs pros-
perity. In my opinion Australia is one of the
best markets to-day for musical instruments in
the world, and American manufacturers would
do well to make a note of this."
*
H K
The New York State Convention of the Re-
publican party, which convened in Saratoga, N. Y.,
on Tuesday, was graced by the presence of Rich-
ard W. Lawrence, president of the Autopiano
Co., who attended as a delegate from his assem-
bly district. Mr. Lawrence is a Republican
The Thursday Club foregathers regularly every District leader in the Bronx, and is active in poli-
Thursday for luncheon at Gee's restaurant, on tics in that section of the city. He is also presi-
West Fourteenth street, New York, not far from dent of the North Side Board of Trade.
the Cunard piers on the North River. The club
*
* *
is a jolly lot of congenial spirits recruited mainly
When seen at the Mason & Hamlin warerooms
from the piano and supply trade, with Frank
Wing, chief executive of Wing & Son, presi- on Tuesday, A. M. Wright, vice-president and
dent. Messrs. J. de Rochemont and Karl Fink, general manager of the Mason & Hamlin Co., was
of the American Felt Co., are on the roster and in fine fettle. It was only necessary to look him
are always on hand every week. Some Boston over to realize that his trip to Europe, from
members of the trade are also on the happy list which he returned last week, did him a worl.l of
of the men who get together for fun and enjoy good, although it was not devoted to pleasure, but
the goods served in a place, in such an out-of- hard work, for in this short stay he visited the
way neighborhood, and known only to those who leading Mason & Hamlin representatives at all
appreciate the "best the market affords" in the points. Mr. Wright stated to The Review that
eating line. Occasionally the Thursday Club en- business abroad was pretty much as in the States
tertains eminent trade visitors, and then the —just fair, with a tendency to betterment. Regard-
genial Mr. Wing, whose factory is close by, is a ing trade in New York, Mr. Wright stated that
host in himself. The stories told as the luncheon during the past mouth business was exceptionally
progresses are the latest sallies in wit and other- brisk at the local warerooms, and it was destined
to become more so with the opening of the conser-
wise.
vatories and the return to their homes of the lead-
•I •? «
ing society people. Mr. Wright's stay in New
A dealer on West Fourteenth street, near Sev-
York was brief, as he returned to Boston Tues-
enth avenue, New York, displays on his windows
day night.
in prominent gold lettering the legend: "Pianos
*t * *,
and Victor Phonographs." Now, the Victor Talk-
The
changes
in
New
York's retail piano center
ing Machine Co. would not thank this dealer for
describing their famous products in this fashion. during the past ten years were the subject of some
They would rather not even have their discs spoken remarks the other day by a western dealer who
of as mere talking machine records; they are lias not visited the Metropolis in that period. In
something higher and better. It is known that the speaking to The Review, he said: "When I was
United States Patent Office thus differentiates here last the boundaries of the piano Rialto could
the different kinds: gramophones, as applied to be placed at 14th street on the south, 23d street
discs originating with the Victor Co.; grapho- on the north, Sixth avenue on the west and Third
phones, to describe the goods made by the Co- avenue on the east. In this limited area the buy-
lumbia Co., and phonographs (originally used in ing public was able to make an extensive selection
connection with the original tinfoil indented of pianos from the most costly to the most popu-
lar priced. You can imagine.my surprise at the
tremendous change that nas occurred in the loca-
tion of the various piano houses since my last
visit to New York. The uptown movement has
set in with a- vengeance and it looks now as if
within the next ten years the piano Rialto will
be located between 23d and 59th streets. Among
the old houses left downtown it was good to see
Steinway Hall just the same as of old, dignified
and imposing in appearance, with an exhibition
of instruments that would satisfy the most fas-
tidious critic of tone values or case designing.
It matters little where Steinway Hall is located,
apparently, whether it is 59th street or 14th street,
the people who want the Steinway go there. This
reminds me somewhat of London, where some
of the most fashionable stores with a business rec-
ord of hundreds of years are to be found in old-
time streets. But cities will change, and houses
like the Steinway continue with their unchange-
able policy of making pianos whose artistic merits
are deservedly recognized wherever music is loved
the world over. The changes in New York City
during the past ten or fifteen years are without
parallel, and what seemed to be imposing struc-
tures years ago have been replaced by veritable
palaces of trade and homes."
*
*
*
Chas. H. Green, who accomplished such satis-
factory work as manager of the piano exhibition
held in Richmond, Va., last year, and who will
further demonstrate his skill for the National
Piano Dealers' Association in the same field in
Chicago next June, is in charge of the Mechanics'
Exposition, which is to be held in the Mechanics'
Building, Boston, Oct. 3 to 29. This is one of
the great annual "fairs" which greatly interest
Bostonians and Mr. Green is doing some effective
work in the matter of laying out and developing
this exposition.
*
H *
Interest in the National Piano Travelers' Asso-
ciation grows apace. President Dalrymple and Sec-
retary Shearer have been carrying on an active
campaign in behalf of this organization with the
most satisfactory results. At the next meeting
to be held in New York, October 10, twenty-one
new members will be added to the membership
rolls. This is the best proof that the piano am-
bassadors are manifesting a keen and practical in-
terest in the development of their association. At
the forthcoming meeting a large attendance is ex-
pected, although a great many of the members
will be visiting Western points at the time. It is,
however, the most convenient date that could be ar-
ranged for.
^,
^, ^,
Frederick Engelhardt, of the F. Engelhardt &
Sons Co., the distinguished manufacturers of
piano actions and self-playing pianos, St. Johns-
ville, N. Y., was one of the delegates from Mont-
gomery County to the Republican State Conven-
tion, held at Saratoga this week. Mr. Engelhardt
has long beerr prominent in State and local affairs,
having beeii Mayor of St. Johnsville, and his
opinions are always couf'ted by men of prominence
in the party.
' -. .' ;'
*
«/•
'&&
' *
John Cheshire, the best known harpist in the
world, died at his home in West 104th street,
Xew York, on Monday morning, in his seventy-
third year. Born in England, he studied the harp
with John Balsir Chattcrton, of London, and
played with all the English symphony orchestras,
until he came to the United States thirty years
ago. For a long time he was a regular member
of the Scidl orchestras. His harp playing was
a revelation to the American public, and he was
much in demand as a soloist. Just before his
death he had composed a concerto for harp and
orchestra.