Music Trade Review
Issue: 1918 Vol. 67 N. 25 - Page 11
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THE
DECEMBER 21, 1918
MUSIC TRADE
11
REVIEW
PITTSBURGH CHRISTMASTTRADE JJREAKING ALL RECORDS
Holiday Buying Now On in Full Swing—Demand Greatly Exceeds Supply of Available Instruments
—Hays & Co. Featuring Lester Line—Novel Ampico Demonstration—Other News
PITTSBURGH,
PA., December
17.—Christmas
sales are on in full blast in Pittsburgh music
establishments, and there is abundant evidence
of the close approach of the holidays by reason
of the elaborate Yuletide decorations that all
of the music dealers have utilized to make their
stores attractive. On the whole the aspect both
from a financial as well as sentimental stand-
point in Pittsburgh musicdom this Christmas
savors of prosperity in the highest degree, tem-
pered only by the fact that the demand for mu-
sical instruments of all kinds will not by any
means be sufficiently supplied.
C. J. Roberts, of the Chas. M. Stieff, Inc.,
branch, stated to The Review representative that
the Christmas trade for 1918 would far exceed
that of 1917, although the factory was not in a
position to supply the many calls for instru-
ments.
Mr. Roberts said that both player-
pianos as well as the concert grand pianos of the
Stieff make were good sellers, and the season
thus far had been very satisfactory considering
the restrictions that wartime conditions had im-
posed on the industry.
"Sales of Lester pianos as well as Lester
player-pianos for the Christmas season have
been very satisfactory," said E. G. Hays, of E.
G. Hays & Co., who specialize in the Lester
make of instruments. In their show window
the firm have on exhibition a fine Lester minia-
ture grand. It was also stated that the Les-
ter parlor grand has been placed in many Pitts-
burgh homes. Horace Hays, also a member of
the firm, is now at St. Petersburg, Fla., where
he is recuperating from a severe illness.
One of the most striking demonstrations of
the Ampico reproducing piano was made the
past week by the W. F. Frederick Piano Co.
under the personal supervision of William
Woodward, who is well known to the music
trade. Mr. Woodward is the specialist for the
Frederick Co. in the demonstration and sale of
the Ampico, which is the creation of Wm.
Knabe & Co. For the demonstration the past
week Mr. Woodward utilized a Haines Bros,
player-piano, which was placed in one of the
large show windows where a practical working
test was shown to the throngs who stopped to
witness the unusual "blood pressure" test. This
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—{Standard Dictionary)
latter, due to the fact that Mr. Woodward had
used red-colored water in tubes placed on either
side of the piano, one for the bass and the other
for treble, demonstrated clearly the pressure
placed on the keys by the Ampico when operated.
Mr. Woodward was kept busy explaining the
workings and operation of the Ampico repro-
ducer to scores of interested persons.
Miss M. Eckhardt, who is in charge of the
player roll department of the Frederick Co., re-
ports very brisk sales in rolls. She stated that
"Smiles" was having a notable sale, and that
within a short time over 600 "Smiles" rolls were
disposed of. A feature of the department, so ably
presided over by Miss Eckhardt, is the "New
Player Roll Club," by which rolls can be taken
away and paid for in small monthly payments.
The schedule of club terms follows:
Free
Rolls
Down
Monthly Rolls Given
Purchased Payment Payment With Club
$3.00
$2.00
$1.50
$15.00
2.00
4.00
2.50
20.00
4.00
3.50
5.00
30.00
7.50
5.00
10.00
50.00
Miss Eckhardt stated that there was a good
demand for the latest Q R S, Imperial and Ryth-
modik and Vocalstyle player rolls, especially by
persons who intend using them as Christmas
gifts, etc.
Dawson Bros., the well-known Liberty avenue
piano dealers, were awarded the contract by the
city of Pittsburgh for placing a piano at the
Lewis recreation center. The firm have sent
a fine Emerson grand piano, which will be used
this winter in the concerts and other entertain-
ments planned by the director of the center. E.
Gray, secretary of the firm, stated that the firm
was highly pleased with the recognition they
were able to obtain for the Emerson piano.
Fred W. Lohr, vice-president of Hardman, Peck
& Co., 'called on the trade here the past week.
He was pleased with the continuing demand and
steady growth of sales in the Pittsburgh dis-
trict of the Hardman pianos and player-pianos.
George Copeland, the distinguished American
pianist, appeared at Carnegie Music Hall Fri-
day evening, December 13, in conjunction with
the Isadora Duncan Dancers before an audience
that taxed the capacity of the hall. The Mason
& Hamlin concert grand piano was used. Both
Mr. Copeland and the dancers met with a warm
and well-merited reception.
PERMANENT CONSERVATION BOARD
Resources and Conversion Section and the
Conservation Division of War Industries
Board Taken Over by Commerce Department
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
= and
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
ianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Wis.
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 16.—The Secre-
tary of Commerce has announced that two of
the important organizations in the War Indus-
tries Board are, by direction of the President,
to be turned over to the Department of Com-
merce. These are the Resources and Conver-
sion Section, the activities of which will be con-
tinued only temporarily, and the Conservation
Division, which will be incorporated permanent-
ly in the Department of Commerce.
The Conservation Division of the War Indus-
tries Board was at first known as the Com-
mercial Economy Board, and its function has
been "the studious conservation of resources and
facilities by scientific, commercial and industrial
economies." The material gathered and the
staff developed will enable the Department of
Commerce to carry on the work of eliminating
waste and promoting precision in business
which it has long had in mind.
Chicago, 111.
SOLVED
W
The Problem
of the
Small
Pipe Organ
For churches,
lodges, halls,
motion picture
shows and even
private resi-
dences. The RE-
P R O D U C O is
the thing—
Marvelous as a
manually played
instrument.
Automatic if you
wish it.
Coinola coin-oper-
ated pianos are un-
excelled. T h e y ' r e
discord-proof be-
cause
they're
trouble-proof.
OPERATORS
PIANO CO.
LOUIS M. SEVERSON, Prea.
John Borbeau, a salesman in the piano de-
partment of the Shepard Co., Providence, R. I.,
has become heir to a $40,000 farm and estate
at Troy, Vt.
16 South Peoria Street
CHICAGO, ILL.
THE
DECEMBER 21, 1918
MUSIC TRADE
11
REVIEW
PITTSBURGH CHRISTMASTTRADE JJREAKING ALL RECORDS
Holiday Buying Now On in Full Swing—Demand Greatly Exceeds Supply of Available Instruments
—Hays & Co. Featuring Lester Line—Novel Ampico Demonstration—Other News
PITTSBURGH,
PA., December
17.—Christmas
sales are on in full blast in Pittsburgh music
establishments, and there is abundant evidence
of the close approach of the holidays by reason
of the elaborate Yuletide decorations that all
of the music dealers have utilized to make their
stores attractive. On the whole the aspect both
from a financial as well as sentimental stand-
point in Pittsburgh musicdom this Christmas
savors of prosperity in the highest degree, tem-
pered only by the fact that the demand for mu-
sical instruments of all kinds will not by any
means be sufficiently supplied.
C. J. Roberts, of the Chas. M. Stieff, Inc.,
branch, stated to The Review representative that
the Christmas trade for 1918 would far exceed
that of 1917, although the factory was not in a
position to supply the many calls for instru-
ments.
Mr. Roberts said that both player-
pianos as well as the concert grand pianos of the
Stieff make were good sellers, and the season
thus far had been very satisfactory considering
the restrictions that wartime conditions had im-
posed on the industry.
"Sales of Lester pianos as well as Lester
player-pianos for the Christmas season have
been very satisfactory," said E. G. Hays, of E.
G. Hays & Co., who specialize in the Lester
make of instruments. In their show window
the firm have on exhibition a fine Lester minia-
ture grand. It was also stated that the Les-
ter parlor grand has been placed in many Pitts-
burgh homes. Horace Hays, also a member of
the firm, is now at St. Petersburg, Fla., where
he is recuperating from a severe illness.
One of the most striking demonstrations of
the Ampico reproducing piano was made the
past week by the W. F. Frederick Piano Co.
under the personal supervision of William
Woodward, who is well known to the music
trade. Mr. Woodward is the specialist for the
Frederick Co. in the demonstration and sale of
the Ampico, which is the creation of Wm.
Knabe & Co. For the demonstration the past
week Mr. Woodward utilized a Haines Bros,
player-piano, which was placed in one of the
large show windows where a practical working
test was shown to the throngs who stopped to
witness the unusual "blood pressure" test. This
CHARACTER
"Admirable Quality; Acknowledged Reputation"
—{Standard Dictionary)
latter, due to the fact that Mr. Woodward had
used red-colored water in tubes placed on either
side of the piano, one for the bass and the other
for treble, demonstrated clearly the pressure
placed on the keys by the Ampico when operated.
Mr. Woodward was kept busy explaining the
workings and operation of the Ampico repro-
ducer to scores of interested persons.
Miss M. Eckhardt, who is in charge of the
player roll department of the Frederick Co., re-
ports very brisk sales in rolls. She stated that
"Smiles" was having a notable sale, and that
within a short time over 600 "Smiles" rolls were
disposed of. A feature of the department, so ably
presided over by Miss Eckhardt, is the "New
Player Roll Club," by which rolls can be taken
away and paid for in small monthly payments.
The schedule of club terms follows:
Free
Rolls
Down
Monthly Rolls Given
Purchased Payment Payment With Club
$3.00
$2.00
$1.50
$15.00
2.00
4.00
2.50
20.00
4.00
3.50
5.00
30.00
7.50
5.00
10.00
50.00
Miss Eckhardt stated that there was a good
demand for the latest Q R S, Imperial and Ryth-
modik and Vocalstyle player rolls, especially by
persons who intend using them as Christmas
gifts, etc.
Dawson Bros., the well-known Liberty avenue
piano dealers, were awarded the contract by the
city of Pittsburgh for placing a piano at the
Lewis recreation center. The firm have sent
a fine Emerson grand piano, which will be used
this winter in the concerts and other entertain-
ments planned by the director of the center. E.
Gray, secretary of the firm, stated that the firm
was highly pleased with the recognition they
were able to obtain for the Emerson piano.
Fred W. Lohr, vice-president of Hardman, Peck
& Co., 'called on the trade here the past week.
He was pleased with the continuing demand and
steady growth of sales in the Pittsburgh dis-
trict of the Hardman pianos and player-pianos.
George Copeland, the distinguished American
pianist, appeared at Carnegie Music Hall Fri-
day evening, December 13, in conjunction with
the Isadora Duncan Dancers before an audience
that taxed the capacity of the hall. The Mason
& Hamlin concert grand piano was used. Both
Mr. Copeland and the dancers met with a warm
and well-merited reception.
PERMANENT CONSERVATION BOARD
Resources and Conversion Section and the
Conservation Division of War Industries
Board Taken Over by Commerce Department
PIANOS
Manufactured by
Smith, Barnes
= and
Strohber Co.
have for 33 years
justified their right
to be called
ianos of Character
FACTORIES
North Milwaukee, Wis.
Chicago, III.
OFFICE
1872 Clybourn Avenue
WASHINGTON, D. C, December 16.—The Secre-
tary of Commerce has announced that two of
the important organizations in the War Indus-
tries Board are, by direction of the President,
to be turned over to the Department of Com-
merce. These are the Resources and Conver-
sion Section, the activities of which will be con-
tinued only temporarily, and the Conservation
Division, which will be incorporated permanent-
ly in the Department of Commerce.
The Conservation Division of the War Indus-
tries Board was at first known as the Com-
mercial Economy Board, and its function has
been "the studious conservation of resources and
facilities by scientific, commercial and industrial
economies." The material gathered and the
staff developed will enable the Department of
Commerce to carry on the work of eliminating
waste and promoting precision in business
which it has long had in mind.
Chicago, 111.
SOLVED
W
The Problem
of the
Small
Pipe Organ
For churches,
lodges, halls,
motion picture
shows and even
private resi-
dences. The RE-
P R O D U C O is
the thing—
Marvelous as a
manually played
instrument.
Automatic if you
wish it.
Coinola coin-oper-
ated pianos are un-
excelled. T h e y ' r e
discord-proof be-
cause
they're
trouble-proof.
OPERATORS
PIANO CO.
LOUIS M. SEVERSON, Prea.
John Borbeau, a salesman in the piano de-
partment of the Shepard Co., Providence, R. I.,
has become heir to a $40,000 farm and estate
at Troy, Vt.
16 South Peoria Street
CHICAGO, ILL.
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