Music Trade Review
Issue: 1919 Vol. 69 N. 8 - Page 35
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
AUGUST 23,
1919
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
35
CARRIES COMPLETE HELNEMAN LINE
J. G. WIDENER BUYS COLUMBIA RETAIL HEADQUARTERS
San Francisco Offices of Otto Heineman Phono-
graph Supply Co. in Good Shape to Supply
Repair Departments of Manufacturers
New York Retail Establishment of Columbia Graphophone Co., at 409 Fifth avenue, Purchased by
Prominent Columbia Dealer—H. E. Speare to Continue as Manager, With Increased Staff
The San Francisco offices of the Otto Heine-
man Phonograph Supply Co. Inc., have become
the meeting place for out-of-town manufacturers
and jobbers, who have come to the conclusion
that if there is anything new in the phonograph
line L. Gruen, Pacific Coast manager of the
Heineman industries, will be sure to be the first
one to have it.
Aside from the fact that the Heineman offices
are kept very busy demonstrating OkeH records
to people who have become interested in the
excellent qualities of this record, the phono-
graph manufacturers along the Coast who are
interested in the latest tone arm combinations
in the Heineman and Meisselbach products are
co-operating with Mr. Gruen in securing the
tone arms and sound boxes best suited for their
machines.
. The Heineman Pacific Coast division now
carries a stock of Heineman and Meisselbach
products, and this has enabled the manufac-
turers and jobbers along the Coast to place
their repair departments on a profitable basis.
In the past these departments frequently showed
a loss, due to the fact that certain repair work
could not be accepted because deliveries of
repair parts took from two to three months.
Columbia Co. Fifth Avenue Warerooms
has recently been sold to J. G. Widener, of
Boston. % Mr. Widener already operates eight
Columbia stores under the name of Grafonola
Shop, Inc., in Boston, Hartford, Philadelphia,
Cincinnati, Kansas City and St. Louis.
The New York retail establishment of the
Columbia Co., which is one of the most palatial
stores of its kind in this country, will probably
be operated under the name of Widener's Co-
lumbia Shop after September 1, when Mr. Wide-
ner takes possession of the establishment.
H. E. Speare, the present manager of the
shop, will retain his position with the change
of managership, but the sales force will be
greatly augmented by expert salesmen taken
from other of Mr. Widener's establishments.
The period models of the Columbia Co. will
continue to be the type of machine featured,
although other models produced by the Colum-
bia Co. will be on sale.
It is Mr. Widener's intention to do consider-
able retail advertising, as he believes that wide
publicity readily pays for itself.
The magnitude of the investment involved
may be judged from the fact that the estab-
lishment has considerable frontage on the busi-
est part of Fifth avenue. It has three floors,
including a main floor of old English design,
a mezzanine, where the clerical staff of the
office is located, and from where all those en-
tering the reception room can be seen and im-
mediately taken care of, and a third floor, which
contains more than twenty demonstrating rooms,
each spacious and fitted up as a private show-
room.
There is also a fine concert hall on the sec-
ond floor which will seat over 200 people. The
rental alone of the establishment amounts to
over $60,000, and the entire store represents as
fine a retail headquarters as can be found in
any other line of business in this country.
FELIX HALF DIES SUDDENLY
ORDERS 100,000 HEINEMAN MOTORS
Well-known Pittsburgh Talking Machine Man's
Death Follows Return From East
Prominent Phonograph Manufacturer Thus
Acknowledges Standing of That Product
PITTSBURGH, PA., August 19.—Felix Half, a
member of the firm of Felix Half & Bros., died
very suddenly on Sunday, after his return from
a vacation trip to the East. He was fifty-two
years of age and was the senior member of the
firm, which operated a large furniture store at
Homestead and in which was a very extensive
talking machine department. The three sur-
viving brothers are Rudolph, Morris and Leo
Half. His widow and three daughters also sur-
vive, as well as his aged mother and one sister.
Mr. Half was well known to the talking machine
trade and his passing caused a general sadness.
Otto Heineman, president of the Otto Heine-
man Phonograph Supply Co., Inc., stated this
week that his company had just received an or-
der from one of the best-known phonograph
manufacturers in the country for 100,000 Heine-
man motors, a condition of the order being that
all of these motors must be delivered within a
period of two months.
This very large order indicates the phenome-
nal activity of the phonograph industry at the
present time and constitutes a significant tribute
to the prestige of the Heineman motor. Mr.
Heineman, in addition to expressing his appre-
ciation of this tremendous order, advised the
phonograph manufacturer that deliveries would
positively be made within the time specified,
as the immense Heineman plant at Elyria, O.,
only recently increased its facilities in every
department in order to cope with such emer-
gencies.
The retail establishment of the Columbia
Graphophone Co., at 409 Fifth avenue, New
York, which opened in August, 1917, and which
has been one of the most attractive and talked-
of establishments of its kind in the country,
W. G. PILGRIM ON VACATION
Assistant General Manager of Otto Heineman
Phonograph Supply Co. Will Enjoy Fishing
With S. A. Ribolla, General Manager
W. G. Pilgrim, assistant general manager of
the Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co., Inc.,
left New York on Saturday for his annual sum-
mer vacation, and, following his 1918 itinerary,
will meet S. A. Ribolla, general manager of the
Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co., of
Illinois, at Grand Beach, Michigan. These two
popular members of the phonograph trade will
spend three weeks fishing, golfing and swim-
ming. Last year Mr. Pilgrim won the fishing
honors, while Mr. Ribolla received the golfing
crown, but the rivalry for this year's honors is
unusually keen, and we can, therefore, look
forward to some real "fish" stories and golf
cards of 80 or thereabouts.
NEW COLUMBIA MANAGER
A. B. Creal, formerly of the sales depart-
ment of the Baltimore branch of the Columbia
Graphophone Co., has been promoted to man-
ager of the Columbia New Orleans branch. Mr.
Creal, who has had considerable experience in
the wholesaling of Grafonolas and Columbia
records, expects to increase the sales of Colum-
bia merchandise in the New Orleans district
greatly. W. F. Standke, formerly manager of
the New Orleans branch, will enter the retail
Columbia store of his brother at St. Louis, Mo.
INCREASE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
The extraordinary demand for Edison Re-
Creations has caused a necessary increase of
50 per cent, in the mold-making equipment of
the Edison Re-Creation Manufacturing Labora-
tories. Half of the required apparatus has al-
ready been installed and will be in operation
within the next ten days. The installation will
be completed by September 15.
The Disk-Phone Piano Method Co., Inc>,
Manhattan, has changed its name to Renaud-
Piano Makers, Inc.
ANNA CASE "IN THE AIR"
Anna Case, the popular Edison artist and
Metropolitan Opera star, was the guest of Major
Sydney E. Parker, of the Royal Flying Corps,
on a flight to Saratoga Tuesday in his Curtiss
flying boat, the "Sea Gull." Major Parker flew
from Port Washington, and took Miss Case
aboard at Shore Acres, near her summer home,
"The Case Bungalow," Mamaroneck, N. Y.
Major Parker will make a flight to New Orleans
by way of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi.
BUSINESS ACTIVE IN RICHMOND
"The remarkable business activity in our job-
bing district has made 1919 our biggest and
most prosperous year," says C. B. Haynes, of
the C. B. Haynes Co., Inc., Edison jobbers at
Richmond, Va. Mr. Haynes was recently at the
Edison laboratories to learn what shipments
of Edison phonographs might be expected dur-
ing the next thirty days.
R. C. AIMONE BACK FROM EUROPE
R. C. Aimone, of the Aimone Galleries, New
York City, who make phonograph cabinets ex-
clusively for the Edison laboratories, has just
returned from Europe, where he inspected, with
a view to purchasing, several collections of
historic furniture now in the market as a result
of the war. Mr. Aimone is regarded as one of
the world's greatest authorities on period furni-
ture.
The Pierson Co., of Rockford, 111., manufac-
turers of talking machine accessories, have in-
creased their capital stock from $25,000 to
$100,000.
AUGUST 23,
1919
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW
35
CARRIES COMPLETE HELNEMAN LINE
J. G. WIDENER BUYS COLUMBIA RETAIL HEADQUARTERS
San Francisco Offices of Otto Heineman Phono-
graph Supply Co. in Good Shape to Supply
Repair Departments of Manufacturers
New York Retail Establishment of Columbia Graphophone Co., at 409 Fifth avenue, Purchased by
Prominent Columbia Dealer—H. E. Speare to Continue as Manager, With Increased Staff
The San Francisco offices of the Otto Heine-
man Phonograph Supply Co. Inc., have become
the meeting place for out-of-town manufacturers
and jobbers, who have come to the conclusion
that if there is anything new in the phonograph
line L. Gruen, Pacific Coast manager of the
Heineman industries, will be sure to be the first
one to have it.
Aside from the fact that the Heineman offices
are kept very busy demonstrating OkeH records
to people who have become interested in the
excellent qualities of this record, the phono-
graph manufacturers along the Coast who are
interested in the latest tone arm combinations
in the Heineman and Meisselbach products are
co-operating with Mr. Gruen in securing the
tone arms and sound boxes best suited for their
machines.
. The Heineman Pacific Coast division now
carries a stock of Heineman and Meisselbach
products, and this has enabled the manufac-
turers and jobbers along the Coast to place
their repair departments on a profitable basis.
In the past these departments frequently showed
a loss, due to the fact that certain repair work
could not be accepted because deliveries of
repair parts took from two to three months.
Columbia Co. Fifth Avenue Warerooms
has recently been sold to J. G. Widener, of
Boston. % Mr. Widener already operates eight
Columbia stores under the name of Grafonola
Shop, Inc., in Boston, Hartford, Philadelphia,
Cincinnati, Kansas City and St. Louis.
The New York retail establishment of the
Columbia Co., which is one of the most palatial
stores of its kind in this country, will probably
be operated under the name of Widener's Co-
lumbia Shop after September 1, when Mr. Wide-
ner takes possession of the establishment.
H. E. Speare, the present manager of the
shop, will retain his position with the change
of managership, but the sales force will be
greatly augmented by expert salesmen taken
from other of Mr. Widener's establishments.
The period models of the Columbia Co. will
continue to be the type of machine featured,
although other models produced by the Colum-
bia Co. will be on sale.
It is Mr. Widener's intention to do consider-
able retail advertising, as he believes that wide
publicity readily pays for itself.
The magnitude of the investment involved
may be judged from the fact that the estab-
lishment has considerable frontage on the busi-
est part of Fifth avenue. It has three floors,
including a main floor of old English design,
a mezzanine, where the clerical staff of the
office is located, and from where all those en-
tering the reception room can be seen and im-
mediately taken care of, and a third floor, which
contains more than twenty demonstrating rooms,
each spacious and fitted up as a private show-
room.
There is also a fine concert hall on the sec-
ond floor which will seat over 200 people. The
rental alone of the establishment amounts to
over $60,000, and the entire store represents as
fine a retail headquarters as can be found in
any other line of business in this country.
FELIX HALF DIES SUDDENLY
ORDERS 100,000 HEINEMAN MOTORS
Well-known Pittsburgh Talking Machine Man's
Death Follows Return From East
Prominent Phonograph Manufacturer Thus
Acknowledges Standing of That Product
PITTSBURGH, PA., August 19.—Felix Half, a
member of the firm of Felix Half & Bros., died
very suddenly on Sunday, after his return from
a vacation trip to the East. He was fifty-two
years of age and was the senior member of the
firm, which operated a large furniture store at
Homestead and in which was a very extensive
talking machine department. The three sur-
viving brothers are Rudolph, Morris and Leo
Half. His widow and three daughters also sur-
vive, as well as his aged mother and one sister.
Mr. Half was well known to the talking machine
trade and his passing caused a general sadness.
Otto Heineman, president of the Otto Heine-
man Phonograph Supply Co., Inc., stated this
week that his company had just received an or-
der from one of the best-known phonograph
manufacturers in the country for 100,000 Heine-
man motors, a condition of the order being that
all of these motors must be delivered within a
period of two months.
This very large order indicates the phenome-
nal activity of the phonograph industry at the
present time and constitutes a significant tribute
to the prestige of the Heineman motor. Mr.
Heineman, in addition to expressing his appre-
ciation of this tremendous order, advised the
phonograph manufacturer that deliveries would
positively be made within the time specified,
as the immense Heineman plant at Elyria, O.,
only recently increased its facilities in every
department in order to cope with such emer-
gencies.
The retail establishment of the Columbia
Graphophone Co., at 409 Fifth avenue, New
York, which opened in August, 1917, and which
has been one of the most attractive and talked-
of establishments of its kind in the country,
W. G. PILGRIM ON VACATION
Assistant General Manager of Otto Heineman
Phonograph Supply Co. Will Enjoy Fishing
With S. A. Ribolla, General Manager
W. G. Pilgrim, assistant general manager of
the Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co., Inc.,
left New York on Saturday for his annual sum-
mer vacation, and, following his 1918 itinerary,
will meet S. A. Ribolla, general manager of the
Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co., of
Illinois, at Grand Beach, Michigan. These two
popular members of the phonograph trade will
spend three weeks fishing, golfing and swim-
ming. Last year Mr. Pilgrim won the fishing
honors, while Mr. Ribolla received the golfing
crown, but the rivalry for this year's honors is
unusually keen, and we can, therefore, look
forward to some real "fish" stories and golf
cards of 80 or thereabouts.
NEW COLUMBIA MANAGER
A. B. Creal, formerly of the sales depart-
ment of the Baltimore branch of the Columbia
Graphophone Co., has been promoted to man-
ager of the Columbia New Orleans branch. Mr.
Creal, who has had considerable experience in
the wholesaling of Grafonolas and Columbia
records, expects to increase the sales of Colum-
bia merchandise in the New Orleans district
greatly. W. F. Standke, formerly manager of
the New Orleans branch, will enter the retail
Columbia store of his brother at St. Louis, Mo.
INCREASE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
The extraordinary demand for Edison Re-
Creations has caused a necessary increase of
50 per cent, in the mold-making equipment of
the Edison Re-Creation Manufacturing Labora-
tories. Half of the required apparatus has al-
ready been installed and will be in operation
within the next ten days. The installation will
be completed by September 15.
The Disk-Phone Piano Method Co., Inc>,
Manhattan, has changed its name to Renaud-
Piano Makers, Inc.
ANNA CASE "IN THE AIR"
Anna Case, the popular Edison artist and
Metropolitan Opera star, was the guest of Major
Sydney E. Parker, of the Royal Flying Corps,
on a flight to Saratoga Tuesday in his Curtiss
flying boat, the "Sea Gull." Major Parker flew
from Port Washington, and took Miss Case
aboard at Shore Acres, near her summer home,
"The Case Bungalow," Mamaroneck, N. Y.
Major Parker will make a flight to New Orleans
by way of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi.
BUSINESS ACTIVE IN RICHMOND
"The remarkable business activity in our job-
bing district has made 1919 our biggest and
most prosperous year," says C. B. Haynes, of
the C. B. Haynes Co., Inc., Edison jobbers at
Richmond, Va. Mr. Haynes was recently at the
Edison laboratories to learn what shipments
of Edison phonographs might be expected dur-
ing the next thirty days.
R. C. AIMONE BACK FROM EUROPE
R. C. Aimone, of the Aimone Galleries, New
York City, who make phonograph cabinets ex-
clusively for the Edison laboratories, has just
returned from Europe, where he inspected, with
a view to purchasing, several collections of
historic furniture now in the market as a result
of the war. Mr. Aimone is regarded as one of
the world's greatest authorities on period furni-
ture.
The Pierson Co., of Rockford, 111., manufac-
turers of talking machine accessories, have in-
creased their capital stock from $25,000 to
$100,000.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).