Music Trade Review
Issue: 1917 Vol. 65 N. 20 - Page 13
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE
PLEASING ACTIVITY INJV1USICAL CIRCLES IN DETROIT
Concerts and Recitals Stimulate Interest in Musical Instruments—Hudson Co. Doing Well With
Brambach Baby Grands—"Music in the Home" Page Attracting Much Attention
DETROIT, MICH., November 13.—This is a big
musical week in Detroit. It is bound to stimu-
late interest in musical instruments and espe-
cially music rolls for player-pianos and talking
machine records. Sousa's Sailor Band, com-
prising 300 select musicians from the Great
Lakes Naval Training School, arrived Monday
and will remain for eight days stirring up in-
terest in recruiting. John McCormack was here
Monday night for a recital and turned people
away; Harry Lauder is here for a week's en-
gagement and Frances Ingram, Metropolitan
star, will give a recital here. All of these famous
persons are noted in the talking machine world
for their records and dealers handling their
records are certain to do a big business.
The trimming of windows for piano stores is
really becoming an art, as is proven by some of
the windows at such stores as Grinnell Bros.,
J. L. Hudson's and the Edison Shop. Really, it
is getting to be a treat to look at their windows
each week—and they are becoming more at-
tractive every week. The clay is gone when you
can attract crowds with a mere piano and talking
machine in your window, and the stores re-
ferred to have a way of giving them atmosphere
and color that make people stand and look for
five and six minutes.
The J. L. Hudson Co. has already disposed of
more than half of its allotment of twenty-eight
Brambach baby grand pianos, and indications
are that they will be all gone before the end
of the current week. An attractive window dis-
play this week is on the Sonora phonograph,
which Hudson's are now featuring, in addition
to the regular Victrola line.
Statistics show that Michigan pays the high-
est average wage scale of any State in the Union,
due largely to the automobile and mining in-
dustries.
Go to a movie show these days and you don't
hear any of the popular music or jazz and rag
music that you formerly did. Instead, the
theatres are playing the good, old-time classical
music on which there is no tax. Not 10 per
cent, of the theatres in Detroit are playing music
on which there is a tax, and the proprietors and
managers say they are prepared for a long fight
on this proposition. They still contend that a
tax on every seat is unfair after a theatre has
equipped an extensive music library.
The Detroit Board of Commerce has just
issued the following statement on local condi-
tions: Although war orders placed in Detroit
amount to .$250,000,000, thus creating tremendous
additional industrial activity, the most notable
fact in connection with a review of general con-
ditions at the present time is that a greatly in-
creased volume of business is a feature in many
important lines and on a basis exclusive of the
war. This is accounted for somewhat by higher
prices, but the general volume of business in
lines not directly affected by the war stimula-
tions has increased considerably.
JANSSEN
The Most
Talked About
Piano
in the Trade
BEN H. JANSSEN
Manufacturer
82 Brown Place
New York
11
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
For the
the last few weeks the "Music in the
Home" department of the Detroit Journal, pub-
lished every Friday, has been consuming a full
page and indications are that the same space
will continue at least until after the holidays.
Local dealers are using it every week, and the
articles pertaining to music are excellent. The
dealers are giving their fullest co-operation.
The Detroit Talking Machine Dealers' Asso-
ciation held a very interesting meeting Monday
evening of this week at the Hotel Charlevoix.
Several piano dealers, who are members of the
Detroit Credit Men's Association, have con-
tributed to a special fund to do newspaper ad-
vertising calling attention to the value of every
person keeping his bills paid and his credit good.
The ads are run weekly in about three-quarters
of a page, and new copy each time. The effect
is bound to be favorable to all lines that do a
"charge" business or sell on credit.
SATISFACTORY CONDITIONS IN CINCINNATI PIANO TRADE
Despite Trouble in Obtaining Stock, Local Piano Merchants Report Excellent Trade—Geo. W.
Armstrong Goes to California—Baldwin Co. Proud of Its Service Flag—News of the Week
CINCINNATI, O., November 13.—Members
the
-Members of the
trade do not agree with published reports of
commercial agencies in the Cincinnati district
as to the status of the retail field in this part
of the country. The claim of a big falling off
in the sales of pianos and talking machines is
not borne out by continued optimistic state-
ments of heads of houses.
This report may have been confused with
complaints of merchants on the lack of goods,
the shipping conditions being anything but satis-
factory, until within the past week. Manager
Pauling, of the Starr Piano Co., seldom given
to making any kind of a comment on conditions
and who was known to have been dissatisfied
with the results of the early part of autumn,
reports the demands of November being on a
par with October, which was an extremely
satisfactory period for the Starr house. Other
concerns tell the same story, claiming the indi-
cations point to a repetition of last month's ab-
normal sales, particularly of high-class stuff.
Dealers who were shy on goods, notably talking
machines, are commencing to receive shipments.
Cincinnatians do not anticipate that the Cin-
cinnati Symphony Orchestra will meet with any
of the difficulties now befalling the Boston or-
ganization in the former's tour, commencing No-
vember 20, and taking in Cleveland, Pittsburgh
and Chillicothe, the latter being in the Camp
Sherman district where 40,000 national soldiers
are being drilled. Although Ernest Kunwald,
conductor of the Cincinnati orchestra, was for-
merly connected with the Austrian army, his
conduct has been such that his former associa-
tion is not being discussed in connection with
the present state of affairs. Then, too, his men
have been playing the Star Spangled Banner.
Ambassadors Clark, of the Pease Piano Co.,
and Morris, of the Bush & Lane Co., called at
the Otto Grau Piano" Co. last week.
George W. Armstrong, president of the Bald-
win Co., left Friday for California, where he ex-
pects to spend a part of the winter. He re-
mained here longer than usual, principally to
witness the outcome of the charter election,
affecting Cincinnati only, he being the chairman
of the commission. The charter was adopted.
It makes Cincinnati independent of the State
Legislature in matters concerning the city
proper and at the same time lengthens the term
of offices of Cincinnati's officials, the mayor
serving four years.
Two Everett grand sales were made last week
by George T. Peters, Huntington, W. Va., rep-
resentative of the John Church Co., who brought
his clients to Cincinnati. The party also in-
cluded a Harvard player purchaser.
Friends of G. L. Mclntyre, Northwestern rep-
resentative of the John Church Co., have learned
with regret of the serious illness of his wife,
who is at Richmond, Va.
Among the representatives of the Baldwin
Co. in town last week were O. S. Boyd, St.
Louis; A. Somlyo, New York City; E. G.
Hereth, Indianapolis, and H. C. Dickinson, Chi-
cago.
John F. McCarthy, manager of the Fritzsch
Phonograph Co., this city, was secretly wedded
last week to Miss Eunice Virginia Darby, of
Winton place, the wedding taking place at New-
port.
The Baldwin Co. takes first rank in the matter
of a service flag, the one just displayed at the
Fourth street house containing sixty stars. One
is for Lucien Wulsin, its secretary, who landed
in France last week.
Howard Wurlitzer, of the Rudolph Wurlitzer
Co., is responsible for causing quite a number
of Cincinnati houses to dim their electric dis-
plays at night before the Government made a
formal request that such a course should be pur-
sued.
H. J. Werner, president of the Werner Indus-
tries Co., returned to-day from New York City.
The Mason & Hamlin piano will be used at
Aeolian Hall December IS at a concert to be
given by Elenore Altman, well-known pianist.
AWARDED
S*pr«me Awwd
of Mutt
American Steel &
Wire Company
Maker of
Perfected
and Crown
Piano Wire
Highest Standard of
Acoustic Excellence
Chicago, New York, Worcester. Cleveland, Pitts-
burgh, Denver. Export representative: U. S. Steal
Products Co., New York. Pacific Cotat representa-
tive: U. S. Steel Products Co., San Francisco, Let
Angeles, Portland, Seattle.
THE
PLEASING ACTIVITY INJV1USICAL CIRCLES IN DETROIT
Concerts and Recitals Stimulate Interest in Musical Instruments—Hudson Co. Doing Well With
Brambach Baby Grands—"Music in the Home" Page Attracting Much Attention
DETROIT, MICH., November 13.—This is a big
musical week in Detroit. It is bound to stimu-
late interest in musical instruments and espe-
cially music rolls for player-pianos and talking
machine records. Sousa's Sailor Band, com-
prising 300 select musicians from the Great
Lakes Naval Training School, arrived Monday
and will remain for eight days stirring up in-
terest in recruiting. John McCormack was here
Monday night for a recital and turned people
away; Harry Lauder is here for a week's en-
gagement and Frances Ingram, Metropolitan
star, will give a recital here. All of these famous
persons are noted in the talking machine world
for their records and dealers handling their
records are certain to do a big business.
The trimming of windows for piano stores is
really becoming an art, as is proven by some of
the windows at such stores as Grinnell Bros.,
J. L. Hudson's and the Edison Shop. Really, it
is getting to be a treat to look at their windows
each week—and they are becoming more at-
tractive every week. The clay is gone when you
can attract crowds with a mere piano and talking
machine in your window, and the stores re-
ferred to have a way of giving them atmosphere
and color that make people stand and look for
five and six minutes.
The J. L. Hudson Co. has already disposed of
more than half of its allotment of twenty-eight
Brambach baby grand pianos, and indications
are that they will be all gone before the end
of the current week. An attractive window dis-
play this week is on the Sonora phonograph,
which Hudson's are now featuring, in addition
to the regular Victrola line.
Statistics show that Michigan pays the high-
est average wage scale of any State in the Union,
due largely to the automobile and mining in-
dustries.
Go to a movie show these days and you don't
hear any of the popular music or jazz and rag
music that you formerly did. Instead, the
theatres are playing the good, old-time classical
music on which there is no tax. Not 10 per
cent, of the theatres in Detroit are playing music
on which there is a tax, and the proprietors and
managers say they are prepared for a long fight
on this proposition. They still contend that a
tax on every seat is unfair after a theatre has
equipped an extensive music library.
The Detroit Board of Commerce has just
issued the following statement on local condi-
tions: Although war orders placed in Detroit
amount to .$250,000,000, thus creating tremendous
additional industrial activity, the most notable
fact in connection with a review of general con-
ditions at the present time is that a greatly in-
creased volume of business is a feature in many
important lines and on a basis exclusive of the
war. This is accounted for somewhat by higher
prices, but the general volume of business in
lines not directly affected by the war stimula-
tions has increased considerably.
JANSSEN
The Most
Talked About
Piano
in the Trade
BEN H. JANSSEN
Manufacturer
82 Brown Place
New York
11
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
For the
the last few weeks the "Music in the
Home" department of the Detroit Journal, pub-
lished every Friday, has been consuming a full
page and indications are that the same space
will continue at least until after the holidays.
Local dealers are using it every week, and the
articles pertaining to music are excellent. The
dealers are giving their fullest co-operation.
The Detroit Talking Machine Dealers' Asso-
ciation held a very interesting meeting Monday
evening of this week at the Hotel Charlevoix.
Several piano dealers, who are members of the
Detroit Credit Men's Association, have con-
tributed to a special fund to do newspaper ad-
vertising calling attention to the value of every
person keeping his bills paid and his credit good.
The ads are run weekly in about three-quarters
of a page, and new copy each time. The effect
is bound to be favorable to all lines that do a
"charge" business or sell on credit.
SATISFACTORY CONDITIONS IN CINCINNATI PIANO TRADE
Despite Trouble in Obtaining Stock, Local Piano Merchants Report Excellent Trade—Geo. W.
Armstrong Goes to California—Baldwin Co. Proud of Its Service Flag—News of the Week
CINCINNATI, O., November 13.—Members
the
-Members of the
trade do not agree with published reports of
commercial agencies in the Cincinnati district
as to the status of the retail field in this part
of the country. The claim of a big falling off
in the sales of pianos and talking machines is
not borne out by continued optimistic state-
ments of heads of houses.
This report may have been confused with
complaints of merchants on the lack of goods,
the shipping conditions being anything but satis-
factory, until within the past week. Manager
Pauling, of the Starr Piano Co., seldom given
to making any kind of a comment on conditions
and who was known to have been dissatisfied
with the results of the early part of autumn,
reports the demands of November being on a
par with October, which was an extremely
satisfactory period for the Starr house. Other
concerns tell the same story, claiming the indi-
cations point to a repetition of last month's ab-
normal sales, particularly of high-class stuff.
Dealers who were shy on goods, notably talking
machines, are commencing to receive shipments.
Cincinnatians do not anticipate that the Cin-
cinnati Symphony Orchestra will meet with any
of the difficulties now befalling the Boston or-
ganization in the former's tour, commencing No-
vember 20, and taking in Cleveland, Pittsburgh
and Chillicothe, the latter being in the Camp
Sherman district where 40,000 national soldiers
are being drilled. Although Ernest Kunwald,
conductor of the Cincinnati orchestra, was for-
merly connected with the Austrian army, his
conduct has been such that his former associa-
tion is not being discussed in connection with
the present state of affairs. Then, too, his men
have been playing the Star Spangled Banner.
Ambassadors Clark, of the Pease Piano Co.,
and Morris, of the Bush & Lane Co., called at
the Otto Grau Piano" Co. last week.
George W. Armstrong, president of the Bald-
win Co., left Friday for California, where he ex-
pects to spend a part of the winter. He re-
mained here longer than usual, principally to
witness the outcome of the charter election,
affecting Cincinnati only, he being the chairman
of the commission. The charter was adopted.
It makes Cincinnati independent of the State
Legislature in matters concerning the city
proper and at the same time lengthens the term
of offices of Cincinnati's officials, the mayor
serving four years.
Two Everett grand sales were made last week
by George T. Peters, Huntington, W. Va., rep-
resentative of the John Church Co., who brought
his clients to Cincinnati. The party also in-
cluded a Harvard player purchaser.
Friends of G. L. Mclntyre, Northwestern rep-
resentative of the John Church Co., have learned
with regret of the serious illness of his wife,
who is at Richmond, Va.
Among the representatives of the Baldwin
Co. in town last week were O. S. Boyd, St.
Louis; A. Somlyo, New York City; E. G.
Hereth, Indianapolis, and H. C. Dickinson, Chi-
cago.
John F. McCarthy, manager of the Fritzsch
Phonograph Co., this city, was secretly wedded
last week to Miss Eunice Virginia Darby, of
Winton place, the wedding taking place at New-
port.
The Baldwin Co. takes first rank in the matter
of a service flag, the one just displayed at the
Fourth street house containing sixty stars. One
is for Lucien Wulsin, its secretary, who landed
in France last week.
Howard Wurlitzer, of the Rudolph Wurlitzer
Co., is responsible for causing quite a number
of Cincinnati houses to dim their electric dis-
plays at night before the Government made a
formal request that such a course should be pur-
sued.
H. J. Werner, president of the Werner Indus-
tries Co., returned to-day from New York City.
The Mason & Hamlin piano will be used at
Aeolian Hall December IS at a concert to be
given by Elenore Altman, well-known pianist.
AWARDED
S*pr«me Awwd
of Mutt
American Steel &
Wire Company
Maker of
Perfected
and Crown
Piano Wire
Highest Standard of
Acoustic Excellence
Chicago, New York, Worcester. Cleveland, Pitts-
burgh, Denver. Export representative: U. S. Steal
Products Co., New York. Pacific Cotat representa-
tive: U. S. Steel Products Co., San Francisco, Let
Angeles, Portland, Seattle.
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