Music Trade Review

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MARCH 13,
1926
THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
San Francisco Business Men Endorse
Music as a Civic Asset of Importance
Down Town Association Goes on Record—Northern California Music Trades Association to Hold
Annual Meeting—John H. Parnham a Visitor—George J. Dowling on Coast
CAN FRANCISCO, -CAL, March 4—A num-
ber of San Francisco business men to-day ex-
pressed their appreciation of music as a civic
asset. The appreciation took the form of a
luncheon at Hotel St. Francis to the Chamber
Music Society of San Francisco, the quintet of
this organization having just returned from a
tour of this country and Canada and every-
where winning unstinted praise. The Down
Town Association, which tendered the luncheon,
is purely a business organization, working, as its
slogan runs: "For the Good of San Francisco."
The value of the Chamber Music Society as
a civic asset is summed up in the "Down Town"
leaflet:—"Its widespread advertising of San
Francisco's cultural status must result in in-
calculable benefit to the city's material advance-
ment and entitles it to the gratitude of the busi-
ness community."
It might be added that, inversely, such en-
couragement helps to make a community musi-
cal.
Annual Meeting of Association Follows Dinner
The annual meeting and election of officers of
the Music Trades Association of Northern Cali-
fornia takes place at Hotel Stewart on the eve-
ning of the ninth inst. It will take the form of
a dinner meeting. Speaking of the Association
and of the coming meeting, James J. Black, of
the Wiley B. Allen Co., said that its members
are keenly interested in the Community Chest
Campaign which is now in full swing.
Looks Forward to Coming Here Again
Much business activity has been shown on
his visit to California by John H. Parnham,
president of the Cable-Nelson Piano Co. Mr.
Parnham, who is accompanied by Mrs. Parnham,
has visited the stores of Sherman, Clay & Co.,
which has eleven retail establishments in this
State. In Los Angeles he called also at the
store of L. A. Platt and en route here visited
the Denver Music Co., at Denver, Colo. Mr.
Parnham has been enjoying the pleasant Spring
weather and he hopes at some future time to
come to California for some fishing. At present
he is preparing to visit the Pacific Northwest,
calling at the Sherman, Clay & Co. branches in
Oregon and Washington.
President of Cable Company on Coast Trip
George J. Dowling, president of the Cable
Company, is expected here on his annual Coast
trip on March 9. Mr. Dowling has been visit-
ing the branches of the Wiley B. Allen Co.
Mason & Hamlin Pianist Gives Ampico Recitals
Speaking of the Ampico comparison recitals
which Frederic Dixon is now giving here, under
the auspices of the Wiley B. Allen Co., James
J Black, of that company, said that this young
artist has won the approval of the critical musi-
cal circles of this city as being one of the best
who have appeared here in this class of work.
Douglass Invents Clarifier of Radio Sound
Two days prior to leaving to-day for Europe
with his wife and two daughters, Leon Douglass,
chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vic-
tor Talking Machine Co. and its former presi-
dent, had a few friends to luncheon at his Menlo
Park home and showed them his latest inven-
tion. This is a radio invention which is placed
between the present receiving set and the pres-
ent loud-speaker to purify the tone and give
body and depth to the sound and achieves what
musicians term an almost perfect resonance.
The invention makes use of a scientific prin-
ciple that is as old as musical instruments. Each
sound is reproduced, not only once but twice.
The second wave of sound, coming up behind
the first wave of sound, reinforces and gives it
resonance. This is the echo principal that is
embodied in all musical instruments. This prin-
ciple, although ancient and basic in musical
instruments, had never before been applied to
radio, so for that reason Mr. Douglass was able
to obtain basic patents.
Beautiful Room for New Educational Depart-
ment
What will be the most beautiful room of its
kind in America is being prepared by Sherman,
Clay & Co., on the second floor of its Kearny
street store for its new Octavo and School
Music Department. When queried regarding the
firm's new departure, Ed. Little, manager of the
publishing and sheet music department, said
that octavo business, as a result of community
singing, has grown wonderfully. Instead of
singing in unison, school children as well as
community singers now sing two and three
parts. Sherman, Clay & Co. now have a man in
charge of this department and he attended the
State convention of school supervisors, held in
Stockton last week, with a special exhibit.
The new room will be a place where the
school supervisors and the choir leaders will
have an opportunity to inspect, at their leisure,
things of interest to them, in this beautiful room.
9
Equipment for stock is now prepared and the
room will be ready for occupancy when the
tinting, etc., are completed.
Moves to New Quarters on Tenth Floor
The operating and service department of Sher-
man, Clay & Co. has just moved from the second
to very pleasant quarters on the tenth floor
of the Kearny street store.
Q R S Factory Releases Coast Product
Announcement has just been made by A. L.
Quinn, Western manager of the Q R S Music
Co., that they are just releasing the first actual
recording of a music roll that was recorded at
San Francisco in the factory here by the Q R S
Music Co. The number recorded is "Gypsyland"
published by Sherman, Clay & Co. In releas-
ing this number, Mr. Quinn is having a special
announcement sent out to the trade, announc-
ing "Composed on the Pacific Coast; Published
on the Pacific Coast; Recorded on the Pacific
Coast; Manufactured on the Pacific Coast; YOU
order some on the Pacific Coast." The record-
ing was done by "Charlie" Ilch, who represents
the Q R S Music Co. in southern California.
"Charlie" also plays the piano in his own orches-
tra, which is widely known in the South and
broadcasts twice a week over KFWB, Los An-
geles. "Charlie," Mr. Quinn states, is the latest
recruit to the recording staff of the Q R S Music
Co., and he adds that the southern California
public would not know him by the name of
"Charles."
Albert E. Wilcox Appointed Piano
Manager of GimbeFs in Philadelphia
Department to Have More Space in New Building Now Being Erected—Heppe Demonstrates
Duo-Art at National School Teachers' Convention—C. F. Funk Dies
PHILADELPHIA, PA., March 8.—With the
trade marking time in the Lenten seasonal
quietness there are numerous offerings being
featured by the stores to stimulate business.
These stimulation efforts are concentrated in
the piano stocks chiefly. Several of the larger
department stores and the central city dealers
in the vicinity of Piano Row have been active
in the sales drives featuring new styles of spe-
cial makes in grands or uprights rather than in
the more popular favorites of miniature styles
or baby grands. The wind up of the used piano
sales, preparatory to the opening of the Spring
activities, too, have been features of the early
March trading.
New Gimbel Manager
With an aim to establish a very high-grade
piano department assured of patronage of the
best of purchasers among the consuming pub-
lic, the piano department of Gimbel Bros, de-
partment store under its recently appointed man-
ager, Albert E. Wilcox, is featuring only the
best of instruments in its stocks.
It is the
policy of the new management to build up a
high-class trade so that when the piano depart-
ment is opened in the mammoth home of the
Gimbel Bros, now undergoing construction on
the larger area adjoining the present property
the musical public of Philadelphia will be gen-
erous patrons of the firm. It is the plan of
Gimbel Bros, to assign large floor space to the
music department in the new ten-story struc-
ture which will occupy an entire city square
when completed within the year. The piano de-
partment is now concentrating on the Hardman
and the Angelus.
Demonstrates the Duo-Art
C. J. Heppe & Son, during the week, will fea-
ture a special demonstration of the Duo-Art
pianos at the National Convention of School
Teachers to be held throughout the week in
Atlantic City. The Heppe Co. has shipped from
headquarters here, 1117 Chestnut street, three
Duo-Art grand pianos to the Ambassador Hotel
for the various tryouts and uses of the instru-
ments as auxiliaries for the education of stu-
dents in the schools in the music courses. There
will be given practical educational tests on the
grands by Franklin Dunham, of the educational
department of the Aeolian Co., who has been
sent directly from the New York headquarters.
Teachers who have already used the Duo-Art in
their work in the instruction of pupils will be
called on to tell of their experiences.
Preparation for the installation of the new
Spring lines of pianos is now being made by
the piano department of Lit Brothers Depart-
ment Store, Seventh and Market streets.
Plans for a large new home to be the future
quarters of the Barry Drum Manufacturing Co.,
now located at 3426 Market street, are being
drawn up at the present time under the direc-
tion of the architects and builders. The Barry
Co. some months ago purchased a site at Forty-
first and Market streets for the purpose of build-
ing its own factory and to provide larger space
for its fast growing needs and increased busi-
ness. The new home will be built along the very
latest of factory types with all modern facilities.
The work of construction will begin in July.
Trade sympathies are being extended by asso-
ciates in the Philadelphia industry to C. F. Funk,
general music dealer and violin maker, of Allen-
town, Pa. Wholesalers who have been travel-
ing through the territory learned of the death,
a week ago, of Mrs. Funk, who has for many
years assisted in the management of the store
at 339 North Seventh street in Allentown. Mrs.
Funk passed away following a few days' illness
from influenza. She was stricken just four days
before her passing. She leaves a married daugh-
ter and nine other children.
With the coming week an old-time trade asso-
ciate will become identified with another line
of business in the Quaker City. He is Edward
J. Dingley, of the Victor Co., who is well known
in the local talking machine trade through many
years' association with the manufacturers of the
Victrola and who has joined the newly organ-
ized Kennard & Lumly Co.
Mrs. Inez Lifsey Haden, who was associated
with the Williams-Guttenberger Music Co., of
Macon, Ga., for several years prior to her mar-
riage, has assumed her old position as manager
of the record department,