Music Trade Review
Issue: 1921 Vol. 73 N. 16 - Page 5
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OCTOBER IS, 1921
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HISTORICAL CHICKERING EXHIBIT IN KANSAS CITY
Relics of Jonas Chickering, Founder of Chickering & Sons, Attract Much Attention When Dis-
played in Warerooms of Wunderlich Piano Co.—Some of the Features
KANSAS CITY, MO., October 10.—The Wunderlich
Piano Co., during the past week, has had a very-
interesting historical Chickering exhibit, which
has occupied two of their large show windows.
The exhibit is one which has been loaned bod-
ily from the collection of Chickering & Sons,
which he used until the time of his death, in 1853.
In addition, there are several personal relics of
the great piano-maker, including several letters
on important subjects, bearing his signature. The
work bench and linen coat which he wore during
the last year of his activity and other personal
Exhibit of the First Chickering Pianos
which is carefully guarded in a fireproof room in
their great factory in Boston. It consists of the
first piano made by Jonas Chickering in 1823, the
first upright made in 1830 and the first grand
containing Jonas Chickering's great invention, the
full iron plate constructed in 1840, and, of course,
the 1921 Chickering grand with the Ampico.
In addition, the exhibit is made interesting by
the presence of Jonas Chickering's work bench,
the one at which he constructed and designed
the Chickering square, shown in the exhibit, and
mementos carry a quaint interest and emphasize
the intimate connection with all musical matters
which were part of the life of the great founder
of the house of Chickering & Sons.
The exhibit has attracted wide attention, giv-
ing, as it does, an instructive picture of the early
days of American piano-making and illustrating
the great progress which has been made by this
famous house since the construction of the origi-
nal Chickering piano, nearly a hundred years ago.
ELABORATE NEW Q R S CAMPAIGN
LOESER HOLDS ANNUAL SALE
Opening Gun Appears in Collier's This Week
in Form of Full Page in Colors—T. M.
Pletcher Explains Broad Idea Back of Move-
ment to Encourage Purchase of Player-piano
In Collier's Weekly for this week, October 15,
was fired the opening gun of an elaborate new
national advertising campaign inaugurated by
the Q R S Music Co., designed to encourage
and promote the sale of player-pianos, as well
as of music rolls. The first announcement is in
the form of a full-page ad strikingly designed in
red and black and occupying the inside back
cover of the magazine. The text matter is set in
the outline of a piano cut in a bright red tint
block and a very beautiful girl is seen pointing
to the text. The advertisement is headed "Buy
a Player-piano," and also advises that fifty music
rolls of the Q R S brand, including a liberal
selection of the company's "Blue Bird Ballads,"
be purchased with the instrument.
T. M. Pletcher, president of the Q R S Co.,
in calling attention to the new campaign, re-
ferred to the suggestion he made at the annual
convention of the National Association of Music
Merchants in Chicago last May to the effect that
manufacturers of player-pianos and music rolls
should create a substantial fund to provide for
the national advertising of their products on a
collective and constructive basis, and pledging
$50,000 as his company's contribution.
Failure to put the suggestion across moved
Mr. Pletcher, he says, to carry on a broad cam-
paign independently, urging the purchase of
player-pianos in order to provide additional pros-
pects for music roll sales. The Q R S Co. has
already done considerable national advertising
devoted directly to the exploitation, qf its music
rolls through the medium of general magazines,
and the new' policy of* presenting general.argu-
ments in favor of the purchase of a player-piano
is expected to bring substantial results.
The Work Bench Used by Jonas Chickering
MUSIC
ADVANCEMENT WORK GROWS
Influence of Work of National Bureau for
Advancement of Music Reflected in Recent
Letters From Many Parts of the World—
Educational Institutions Interested
A knowledge of the work of the National Bu-
reau for the Advancement of Music and the in-
fluence of the Bureau seem to be spreading
rapidly beyond the continental borders of the
United States.
Several months ago a prize was given by the
Bureau in Honolulu, T. H., in connection with a
Music Memory Contest there. A recent clipping
from an Australian paper 3peaks of a Music
Week in Melbourne, along the lines of those
held in this country. A few days ago a letter
came in to C. M. Tremaine, director of the
Bureau, from Smyrna, Asia Minor, asking for
the Bureau's literature. Requests for advice and
assistance have also been received from Egypt,
South Africa, Constantinople and Japan.
The extent to which educational institutions
are making use of the services of the National
Bureau for the Advancement of Music of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce is in-
dicated by letters that reached C. M. Tremaine,
director of the Bureau, last week from three
different colleges of the highest standing—Co-
lumbia University in New York, Northwestern
University in Illinois and the College of the
Pacific, at San Jose, Cal. Each of these institu-
tions has expressed keen appreciation of the
Bureau's services in co-operating with them to
spread the interest in music.
THE BRITISH VIEW OF OUR PIANOS
Writer in English Trade Paper Sees No Danger
of Competition of American Pianos in Export
Field and Explains the Reason
The manner in which the members of the Brit-
ish piano trade regard American pianos as a
Big Advertising Campaign in Local Papers and factor of competition in export markets is indi-
Window Display Help Make Sale the Most cated in an article on the "Export of British
Successful Ever Held by This Company
Pianos" written by Dan Wylie, and which ap-
peared recently in the Piano Maker of London.
The annual Fall sale of pianos at the Fred- In the course of the article and under the sub-
erick Loeser & Co. store, Brooklyn, N. Y., held heading "America's Shortcomings" the writer
last week, was the greatest success in the his- says:
tory of the store, according to Manager Ham-
"The enormous annual output of the 300-odd
mond. Business transacted during the first two piano factories in the United States of America
days of the sale exceeded the total sales vol- is probably not nearly so great a menace to all
ume of the entire week of last year's sale. Re- the other piano makers in the world as it looks
sults were not only confined to the piano de- on paper to be. For one thing, its artistic char-
partment, but were felt in the music roll, talking acter appeals only to its own citizens, as the
machine, sheet music and small goods depart- French one does to its own noble and light-
ments.
hearted people. Nothing can be urged against
An extensive advertising campaign in the chauvinism in art. It may be the right basis on
local papers preceded the sale and the main which to build upwards to the ideal, just as pa-
show window of the big store was devoted to the triotism is the sure foundation for the evolution
display of pianos, players and reproducers of of the greater races of mankind. But those who
well-known makers, including Kranich & Bach, are engaged in art production for one nationality
C. Kurtzmann & Co., etc., instruments.
alone must be prepared to forego the satisfaction
of catering for all humanity, until indeed it can
MEETING OF PIANO MERCHANTS
be proved, by universal approbation, that a
higher point of perfection has been reached by
Local Association to Hold First Fall Session that race than by the others. The evolution of
at Republican Club Next Monday Evening
pianos is, however, much more likely to lie in a
blending of the best national tastes than in the
The first regular meeting of the New York predominance of one only. Meantime the prac-
Piano Merchants' Association for the Fall sea- tical position is that the British, German, Central
son will be held on next Monday evening, Oc- European—both Slav and German in origin—
tober 17, at the National Republican Club, 54 Spanish, Italian and Scandinavian tastes in piano
West Fortieth street. The meeting will be tone and touch have coalesced into one standard,
preceded by the usual dinner at 6:30 p. m.
which has been accepted as somewhere near per-
Berthold Neuer, president of the Association, fection by all the great pianists of the world—
announces that there will be a number of mat- whatever their nationality. The Latin races of
ters of importance brought to the attention of
South America have recently given proof of their
members of the organization and therefore a whole-hearted approval of this standard, too.
large, attendance is urged.
During the war they had to buy from the U. S.
A., but no sooner were supplies of pianos again
•Os-3. Bmckett has been appointed Los An- available from Europe than the U. S. exports to
geles, Cal., representative of the Riviera Music South America practically ceased, and German
Co.
and English pianos took their place."
1P&
FOR TONE, OEAUTY
AND LASTING
J
WERNER INDUSTRIES CO. Cinci
OCTOBER IS, 1921
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
HISTORICAL CHICKERING EXHIBIT IN KANSAS CITY
Relics of Jonas Chickering, Founder of Chickering & Sons, Attract Much Attention When Dis-
played in Warerooms of Wunderlich Piano Co.—Some of the Features
KANSAS CITY, MO., October 10.—The Wunderlich
Piano Co., during the past week, has had a very-
interesting historical Chickering exhibit, which
has occupied two of their large show windows.
The exhibit is one which has been loaned bod-
ily from the collection of Chickering & Sons,
which he used until the time of his death, in 1853.
In addition, there are several personal relics of
the great piano-maker, including several letters
on important subjects, bearing his signature. The
work bench and linen coat which he wore during
the last year of his activity and other personal
Exhibit of the First Chickering Pianos
which is carefully guarded in a fireproof room in
their great factory in Boston. It consists of the
first piano made by Jonas Chickering in 1823, the
first upright made in 1830 and the first grand
containing Jonas Chickering's great invention, the
full iron plate constructed in 1840, and, of course,
the 1921 Chickering grand with the Ampico.
In addition, the exhibit is made interesting by
the presence of Jonas Chickering's work bench,
the one at which he constructed and designed
the Chickering square, shown in the exhibit, and
mementos carry a quaint interest and emphasize
the intimate connection with all musical matters
which were part of the life of the great founder
of the house of Chickering & Sons.
The exhibit has attracted wide attention, giv-
ing, as it does, an instructive picture of the early
days of American piano-making and illustrating
the great progress which has been made by this
famous house since the construction of the origi-
nal Chickering piano, nearly a hundred years ago.
ELABORATE NEW Q R S CAMPAIGN
LOESER HOLDS ANNUAL SALE
Opening Gun Appears in Collier's This Week
in Form of Full Page in Colors—T. M.
Pletcher Explains Broad Idea Back of Move-
ment to Encourage Purchase of Player-piano
In Collier's Weekly for this week, October 15,
was fired the opening gun of an elaborate new
national advertising campaign inaugurated by
the Q R S Music Co., designed to encourage
and promote the sale of player-pianos, as well
as of music rolls. The first announcement is in
the form of a full-page ad strikingly designed in
red and black and occupying the inside back
cover of the magazine. The text matter is set in
the outline of a piano cut in a bright red tint
block and a very beautiful girl is seen pointing
to the text. The advertisement is headed "Buy
a Player-piano," and also advises that fifty music
rolls of the Q R S brand, including a liberal
selection of the company's "Blue Bird Ballads,"
be purchased with the instrument.
T. M. Pletcher, president of the Q R S Co.,
in calling attention to the new campaign, re-
ferred to the suggestion he made at the annual
convention of the National Association of Music
Merchants in Chicago last May to the effect that
manufacturers of player-pianos and music rolls
should create a substantial fund to provide for
the national advertising of their products on a
collective and constructive basis, and pledging
$50,000 as his company's contribution.
Failure to put the suggestion across moved
Mr. Pletcher, he says, to carry on a broad cam-
paign independently, urging the purchase of
player-pianos in order to provide additional pros-
pects for music roll sales. The Q R S Co. has
already done considerable national advertising
devoted directly to the exploitation, qf its music
rolls through the medium of general magazines,
and the new' policy of* presenting general.argu-
ments in favor of the purchase of a player-piano
is expected to bring substantial results.
The Work Bench Used by Jonas Chickering
MUSIC
ADVANCEMENT WORK GROWS
Influence of Work of National Bureau for
Advancement of Music Reflected in Recent
Letters From Many Parts of the World—
Educational Institutions Interested
A knowledge of the work of the National Bu-
reau for the Advancement of Music and the in-
fluence of the Bureau seem to be spreading
rapidly beyond the continental borders of the
United States.
Several months ago a prize was given by the
Bureau in Honolulu, T. H., in connection with a
Music Memory Contest there. A recent clipping
from an Australian paper 3peaks of a Music
Week in Melbourne, along the lines of those
held in this country. A few days ago a letter
came in to C. M. Tremaine, director of the
Bureau, from Smyrna, Asia Minor, asking for
the Bureau's literature. Requests for advice and
assistance have also been received from Egypt,
South Africa, Constantinople and Japan.
The extent to which educational institutions
are making use of the services of the National
Bureau for the Advancement of Music of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce is in-
dicated by letters that reached C. M. Tremaine,
director of the Bureau, last week from three
different colleges of the highest standing—Co-
lumbia University in New York, Northwestern
University in Illinois and the College of the
Pacific, at San Jose, Cal. Each of these institu-
tions has expressed keen appreciation of the
Bureau's services in co-operating with them to
spread the interest in music.
THE BRITISH VIEW OF OUR PIANOS
Writer in English Trade Paper Sees No Danger
of Competition of American Pianos in Export
Field and Explains the Reason
The manner in which the members of the Brit-
ish piano trade regard American pianos as a
Big Advertising Campaign in Local Papers and factor of competition in export markets is indi-
Window Display Help Make Sale the Most cated in an article on the "Export of British
Successful Ever Held by This Company
Pianos" written by Dan Wylie, and which ap-
peared recently in the Piano Maker of London.
The annual Fall sale of pianos at the Fred- In the course of the article and under the sub-
erick Loeser & Co. store, Brooklyn, N. Y., held heading "America's Shortcomings" the writer
last week, was the greatest success in the his- says:
tory of the store, according to Manager Ham-
"The enormous annual output of the 300-odd
mond. Business transacted during the first two piano factories in the United States of America
days of the sale exceeded the total sales vol- is probably not nearly so great a menace to all
ume of the entire week of last year's sale. Re- the other piano makers in the world as it looks
sults were not only confined to the piano de- on paper to be. For one thing, its artistic char-
partment, but were felt in the music roll, talking acter appeals only to its own citizens, as the
machine, sheet music and small goods depart- French one does to its own noble and light-
ments.
hearted people. Nothing can be urged against
An extensive advertising campaign in the chauvinism in art. It may be the right basis on
local papers preceded the sale and the main which to build upwards to the ideal, just as pa-
show window of the big store was devoted to the triotism is the sure foundation for the evolution
display of pianos, players and reproducers of of the greater races of mankind. But those who
well-known makers, including Kranich & Bach, are engaged in art production for one nationality
C. Kurtzmann & Co., etc., instruments.
alone must be prepared to forego the satisfaction
of catering for all humanity, until indeed it can
MEETING OF PIANO MERCHANTS
be proved, by universal approbation, that a
higher point of perfection has been reached by
Local Association to Hold First Fall Session that race than by the others. The evolution of
at Republican Club Next Monday Evening
pianos is, however, much more likely to lie in a
blending of the best national tastes than in the
The first regular meeting of the New York predominance of one only. Meantime the prac-
Piano Merchants' Association for the Fall sea- tical position is that the British, German, Central
son will be held on next Monday evening, Oc- European—both Slav and German in origin—
tober 17, at the National Republican Club, 54 Spanish, Italian and Scandinavian tastes in piano
West Fortieth street. The meeting will be tone and touch have coalesced into one standard,
preceded by the usual dinner at 6:30 p. m.
which has been accepted as somewhere near per-
Berthold Neuer, president of the Association, fection by all the great pianists of the world—
announces that there will be a number of mat- whatever their nationality. The Latin races of
ters of importance brought to the attention of
South America have recently given proof of their
members of the organization and therefore a whole-hearted approval of this standard, too.
large, attendance is urged.
During the war they had to buy from the U. S.
A., but no sooner were supplies of pianos again
•Os-3. Bmckett has been appointed Los An- available from Europe than the U. S. exports to
geles, Cal., representative of the Riviera Music South America practically ceased, and German
Co.
and English pianos took their place."
1P&
FOR TONE, OEAUTY
AND LASTING
J
WERNER INDUSTRIES CO. Cinci
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