Music Trade Review
Issue: 1920 Vol. 70 N. 3 - Page 42
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
42
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JANUARY 17, 1920
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
HALF CENTURY IN MUSIC BUSINESS
Geo. H. Benzon, Dean of Philadelphia Music
Salesmen, Celebrates Fiftieth Business Anni-
versary—Entertained at Testimonial Dinner
Another Big One!
PHILADELPHIA, PA., January 12.—George H. Ben-
zon, who is hailed as the dean of Philadelphia
music salesmen, last week celebrated the fiftieth
anniversary of his connection with the sheet
music trade at a testimonial dinner given him
by his friends of the Theodore Presser Co., the
publishers, in the restaurant operated by that
company for its employes.
Mr. Benzon was first employed as an office
boy by the firm of Lee & Walker, Philadelphia,
in 1870. Five years later that company joined
with the Oliver Ditson Co. and became Phila-
delphia representatives for the Ditson house,
and Mr. Benzon remained with the organization
until 1909, when the local Ditson establishment
was closed. At that time he entered the em-
ploy of the Presser Co., where he has since re-
mained. In the course of his career Mr. Ben-
zon has enjoyed the friendship of numerous
artists, including Adelina Patti, Emma Abbott,
Theodore Thomas and others.
Eighty-two friends attended the testimonial
dinner, at which Theodore Presser presided as
toastmaster, and in honor of the event Mr. Ben-
zon was presented with a handsome gold ring.
Word* by
WILLIAM LE BARON
Music by
VICTOR JACOBI
CHAPPELL & CO., LTD., New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne
MANY-COLORED TITLE PAGES^RAPIDLY COMING IN VOGUE
Tendency Toward Better Class of Art Work on Sheet Music Appears to Be Sweeping the
Publishing Trade—Higher Prices for Editions Make Elaborate Productions Possible
Three years ago anyone who announced that
he was going to publish music with eight-color
title pages would have been regarded with
sympathetic sorrow by his competitors. Four-
color title pages from process plates were then
the limit and they were admired only from a
OUINCKE WITHJ5HARPE=MIN0R CO. distance
by the music publishers, with one or
Los Angeles Publisher Sells Out Interest in two venturesome exceptions.
But times have changed. A certain Hartford
Firm to Join Staff of New Publishing Concern
music publisher started the revolution in music
—Several New Numbers Just Released
titles a year and a half ago, when he boldly
W. A. Quincke, of Quincke & Co., music pub- announced and produced eight-color offset litho-
lishers, Los Angeles, Cal., recently disposed of graph covers for his high-priced editions.
his interests in that firm to Frank Brehm, of the Within six months the title page pot was boil-
Brehm Music Co., and has joined the recently ing. Publishers began a wild scramble to pro-
organized C. Sharpe-Minor Co., a publishing duce six, seven, eight and nine-color title pages
firm having a large staff of composers and which for their new publications, at first avoiding add-
contemplates opening up branch offices in all the ing the extra expense to their hits and trying
larger cities throughout the country. It is also them only on counter sellers. But the hits began
understood that there will be inaugurated a to appear in six and eight-color titles.
Now they say the dealers look askance at any
national advertising campaign to exploit the
works of the company on a big scale.
title page that has less than six colors. The
Chas. S. Sharpe-Minor is president, Earl day when the publisher raved over an engrav-
Burtnett is sales manager and John Cooper is ing bill for more than $20.72 for a title page has
become as passe as kings and emperors. The
professional manager of the new concern.
The following numbers have been released: music business has taken a distinctive step for-
"American Legion," described as the official Le- ward and the artistic sense of the customer is
gion song; "Common Oysters," a clever novelty appealed to in order to induce him to look
number; "I'm Walking in a Circle," a life song; inside the cover of sheet music.
Now comes the same Hartford publisher who
"Over the Trail to Mary," a new ballad by
Harry Kerr; "Suzan Doozan," by Byron Gay, started the fracas with eight-color ads on the
back of his music and beautiful landscapes
and "Baby Eyes."
"JUST ANOTHER
adorning the inside sheets. There is only one
step further to illustrating the music pages in
color and no one need be surprised to see repro-
ductions of expensive oil paintings interspersed
with the sharps and flats.
And that isn't all. The scramble to secure
expensive pastels and oil paintings for these
title pages has reached the proportions of a
riot in oil stock. One artist who used to sell his
art to a magazine and forget it now sells the
magazine the magazine rights only and then
secures without difficulty $200 to $400 for the
music title rights and after that still more for
calendar rights, regardless of the fact that six
and eight-color plates cost $200 to $400 addi-
tional. One jobber of art designs has sold at
least 300 pastels of well-known artists for from
$50 to $500. Many publishers are reported to
be bidding up on these pastels to even higher
figures for the drawings alone.
The investment necessary to operate a music
publishing business is greater than it used to be,
and this serves to make it more difficult for the
newcomer with $50 and a million dollars' worth
of confidence to butt in and overload a lot of
dealers with "the biggest hit of the season" and
then disappear into the great unknown of music
publishers' oblivion. The publisher takes a genu-
ine pride in his product. The composer feels
that he is appreciated almost as highly as
a book or magazine writer.
Last, but not least, the added expense of
HIT"
Just Another Kiss
A Waltz of Rare and Haunting
Don't Wait—Order To-day
Direct or Through Your Jobber
RICHMOND
PUBLISHER
14 5 West 4 5'-i st
HARRYj[COLLINS,^SalespvIanager
Charm
18c Per Copy
42
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
JANUARY 17, 1920
CONDUCTED BY V. D. WALSH
HALF CENTURY IN MUSIC BUSINESS
Geo. H. Benzon, Dean of Philadelphia Music
Salesmen, Celebrates Fiftieth Business Anni-
versary—Entertained at Testimonial Dinner
Another Big One!
PHILADELPHIA, PA., January 12.—George H. Ben-
zon, who is hailed as the dean of Philadelphia
music salesmen, last week celebrated the fiftieth
anniversary of his connection with the sheet
music trade at a testimonial dinner given him
by his friends of the Theodore Presser Co., the
publishers, in the restaurant operated by that
company for its employes.
Mr. Benzon was first employed as an office
boy by the firm of Lee & Walker, Philadelphia,
in 1870. Five years later that company joined
with the Oliver Ditson Co. and became Phila-
delphia representatives for the Ditson house,
and Mr. Benzon remained with the organization
until 1909, when the local Ditson establishment
was closed. At that time he entered the em-
ploy of the Presser Co., where he has since re-
mained. In the course of his career Mr. Ben-
zon has enjoyed the friendship of numerous
artists, including Adelina Patti, Emma Abbott,
Theodore Thomas and others.
Eighty-two friends attended the testimonial
dinner, at which Theodore Presser presided as
toastmaster, and in honor of the event Mr. Ben-
zon was presented with a handsome gold ring.
Word* by
WILLIAM LE BARON
Music by
VICTOR JACOBI
CHAPPELL & CO., LTD., New York, London, Toronto, Melbourne
MANY-COLORED TITLE PAGES^RAPIDLY COMING IN VOGUE
Tendency Toward Better Class of Art Work on Sheet Music Appears to Be Sweeping the
Publishing Trade—Higher Prices for Editions Make Elaborate Productions Possible
Three years ago anyone who announced that
he was going to publish music with eight-color
title pages would have been regarded with
sympathetic sorrow by his competitors. Four-
color title pages from process plates were then
the limit and they were admired only from a
OUINCKE WITHJ5HARPE=MIN0R CO. distance
by the music publishers, with one or
Los Angeles Publisher Sells Out Interest in two venturesome exceptions.
But times have changed. A certain Hartford
Firm to Join Staff of New Publishing Concern
music publisher started the revolution in music
—Several New Numbers Just Released
titles a year and a half ago, when he boldly
W. A. Quincke, of Quincke & Co., music pub- announced and produced eight-color offset litho-
lishers, Los Angeles, Cal., recently disposed of graph covers for his high-priced editions.
his interests in that firm to Frank Brehm, of the Within six months the title page pot was boil-
Brehm Music Co., and has joined the recently ing. Publishers began a wild scramble to pro-
organized C. Sharpe-Minor Co., a publishing duce six, seven, eight and nine-color title pages
firm having a large staff of composers and which for their new publications, at first avoiding add-
contemplates opening up branch offices in all the ing the extra expense to their hits and trying
larger cities throughout the country. It is also them only on counter sellers. But the hits began
understood that there will be inaugurated a to appear in six and eight-color titles.
Now they say the dealers look askance at any
national advertising campaign to exploit the
works of the company on a big scale.
title page that has less than six colors. The
Chas. S. Sharpe-Minor is president, Earl day when the publisher raved over an engrav-
Burtnett is sales manager and John Cooper is ing bill for more than $20.72 for a title page has
become as passe as kings and emperors. The
professional manager of the new concern.
The following numbers have been released: music business has taken a distinctive step for-
"American Legion," described as the official Le- ward and the artistic sense of the customer is
gion song; "Common Oysters," a clever novelty appealed to in order to induce him to look
number; "I'm Walking in a Circle," a life song; inside the cover of sheet music.
Now comes the same Hartford publisher who
"Over the Trail to Mary," a new ballad by
Harry Kerr; "Suzan Doozan," by Byron Gay, started the fracas with eight-color ads on the
back of his music and beautiful landscapes
and "Baby Eyes."
"JUST ANOTHER
adorning the inside sheets. There is only one
step further to illustrating the music pages in
color and no one need be surprised to see repro-
ductions of expensive oil paintings interspersed
with the sharps and flats.
And that isn't all. The scramble to secure
expensive pastels and oil paintings for these
title pages has reached the proportions of a
riot in oil stock. One artist who used to sell his
art to a magazine and forget it now sells the
magazine the magazine rights only and then
secures without difficulty $200 to $400 for the
music title rights and after that still more for
calendar rights, regardless of the fact that six
and eight-color plates cost $200 to $400 addi-
tional. One jobber of art designs has sold at
least 300 pastels of well-known artists for from
$50 to $500. Many publishers are reported to
be bidding up on these pastels to even higher
figures for the drawings alone.
The investment necessary to operate a music
publishing business is greater than it used to be,
and this serves to make it more difficult for the
newcomer with $50 and a million dollars' worth
of confidence to butt in and overload a lot of
dealers with "the biggest hit of the season" and
then disappear into the great unknown of music
publishers' oblivion. The publisher takes a genu-
ine pride in his product. The composer feels
that he is appreciated almost as highly as
a book or magazine writer.
Last, but not least, the added expense of
HIT"
Just Another Kiss
A Waltz of Rare and Haunting
Don't Wait—Order To-day
Direct or Through Your Jobber
RICHMOND
PUBLISHER
14 5 West 4 5'-i st
HARRYj[COLLINS,^SalespvIanager
Charm
18c Per Copy
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