Music Trade Review
Issue: 1926 Vol. 82 N. 13 - Page 11
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MARCH 27, 1926
THE MUSIC TRADE
Edmund Gram Only Milwaukee Merchant
to Exhibit at City's Annual Home Show
Celco Reproducing Device in the A. B. Chase and the Brunswick Panatrope Alternated
Orchestra During the Exposition and Won Big Applause From Attendance
X / I I L W A U K E E , WIS., March 23.—Following
a general lull in business which affected
the music trade as well as other lines, there is
now some indication of an improvement, and
it is thought that March will close with more
marked activity than has been shown during
the opening weeks of the month. Some stores
have already felt the revival of interest and
are doing more business than they did a week
or two ago, while other dealers state that
everything points to better conditions.
Again this year, Edmund Gram, Inc., ar-
ranged the sole exhibit of musical instruments
at the Home Show, which is devoted to the in-
terests of the home builder. Other exhibits
in the Auditorium were devoted to home fur-
nishings, building materials, furnaces, oil burn-
ers and other merchandise which goes to make
the home. The show attracted large crowds
of people this year, and some evenings the
Auditorium was filled to capacity.
Gram's display was very attractively ar-
ranged in a prominent position directly below
the Auditorium stage. An opportunity to
demonstrate the instruments was given by an
arrangement by which either the Celco repro-
ducing device in the A. B. Chase or the Bruns-
wick Panatrope was used to alternate with
the orchestra in giving a continuous musical
program throughout the evenings. In addition
to the Panatrope and the Celco, Gram's ex-
hibit also included the Steinway, the Estey
grand, and a special grand at a popular price.
"So far this year, our business has been
nicely ahead of last year," declared W. A. Bye,
manager of the Carberry-Parker Co., home of
the Ampico and the Chickering.
"Player,
pianos are still the big thing, but there seems
to be a little more demand for grands this
year than we have had before. During the first
two months of the year our player business
ran 50 per cent ahead of last year for the
same months, and a greater increase is being
shown this month. We are now planning to
make a bigger feature of grands, particularly
the Chickering and the Marshall & Wendell.
Our band instrument business has also been very
good. We are way oversold on Buescher gold
saxophones."
The demand for sheet music has shown an
improvement during the past week or two, ac-
cording to Joseph A. Krainik, manager of the
Hambitzer Music House. He states that plans
for recitals at the end of the teaching term
have been responsible for much of the recent
activity, as teachers are now developing their
plans for these important events to climax the
year of study in musical lines. However, the
improvement has been quite general in sheet
music, having also been noted in orchestra and
band music as well as popular numbers.
Several recent window displays at the Kes-
selman-O'Driscoll Co., home of the Ampico in
the Knabe, have drawn attention of people
passing the store. Last week the feature dis-
play was a player-piano which had been al-
most completely wrecked so as to show the
various parts from which it was made. Plac-
ards were attached to each section giving the
name of the part and an explanation of its
work in the instrument. The other window
of the store was devoted to a varied and color-
ful display of small goods, an appropriate St.
Patrick's Day touch being provided by the
novelty ukuleles colored in green and blue.
A visitor in Milwaukee last week was J. A.
Sandee, of the Badger Music Co., at Fond du
Lac, Wis. He reports that conditions in the
music trade at Fond du Lac are satisfactory,
and he is looking for a good year.
Miss Helen L. Gorman, who for the past
ten years has been manager of the Edmund
11
REVIEW
With
Gram Piano House in Fond du Lac, is now
connected with the piano department at the
Badger Music Co., Mr. Sandee announced
while in Milwaukee.
Bert Kingsbury, of the Kingsbury music
store in Fond du Lac, has made another addi-
tion to his collection of curios and antiques.
This is an old mortar and pestle believed to
be 150 years old. Made originally from a very
hard wood, the mortar has apparently become
petrified. The carving is very skilfully done.
The pestle was fashioned of cast iron.
The Forbes-Meagher Music Co., of Madison,
Wis., tied up very effectively with the old-
time fiddlers' contest held at Madison Theatre
by a Madison newspaper. Each day during
the week of the contest to determine the local
championship, the old-timers appeared at the
store where they played for the benefit of the
crowd of spectators who gathered there. Ar-
rangements were then made to play several
numbers by Henry Ford's old-time fiddlers'
oichestra on a new Orthophonic Victrola. The
Forbes-Meagher store had previously placed a
special order for these records in order to have
them on hand for the week. A tie-up with the
string instrument department was also ar-
ranged, as a special offer of five violin lessons
free with every violin costing $25 or more was
featured for the week, and attention was called
to the payment plan for those who did not
want to pay cash.
Atlas Roll Go. Adds
New Italian Roll List
Rolls in New Issues Arranged and Edited by
Well-known Italian Musicians and Com-
posers.
The Atlas Player Roll Co., 35 Fifth street,
Newark, N. J., manufacturer of popular word
rolls and the "Master Series" of standard num-
bers, recently added a new list of Italian rolls
to its catalogs. These Italian offerings have
been arranged and edited by well-known
Italian musicians and composers and have
been selected for their wide appeal to lovers
of Italian music.
They comprise mostly
Italian word rolls. Due to the fact that the
material has been prepared with exceptional
care and no expense slighted in its preparation
and also owing to the rolls' length, they will
retail at slightly above the usual retail figures
for Atlas products. The instrumental rolls in
this same series will, of course, be a slightly
lower figure.
British Export Trade in
Pianos on the Increase
Foreign Business Reported to Be Recovering
From Post-War Depression—Interesting Fig-
ures for Last Year
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 22.—Great Britain's
foreign trade in musical instruments is recover-
ing from the post-war depression, it is reported
to the Department of Commerce by its trade
commissioner at London. Shipments during
1925 showed a larger volume and a higher value
than in either of the two preceding years.
Imports also showed an increase, but this is
believed to be due to purchases made in antici-
pation of the reimposition of former higher
duties, an opinion borne out by the subsequent
falling of imports following the imposition of
the new duties.
The only exception to the general increase in
exports was in organs, shipments of which last
year were valued at £23,167, as compared with
£23,580 in 1924. The decline in volume was
greater than would appear from the values, due
to the fact that the average value of the British
pound in 1925 was 41 cents higher than in the
preceding year.
Exports of pianos totaled 7,023, valued at
£342,806, against 6,523, valued at £312,734, in
1924. Exports of other musical instruments
amounted to 209,883, valued at £572,732, against
150,475, valued at £415,519, in 1924.
Imports of organs totaled 916, against 379
in 1924. Receipts of pianos numbered 16,689,
against 10,792, and imports of other musical
instruments totaled 420,776, against 309,733
in 1924.
Marx Go. Buys Grum Store
MARYSVILLE, CAL., March 18.—The Ellas Marx
Music Co., Sacramento, has purchased a lease
and business of the Frank Crum Music Co. and
will move the local Ellas Marx branch from D
street to the Crum Music Co. headquarters at
422 Fourth street, which building was erected
about two years ago.
Music House Takes Lease
The Chubb-Steinberg Music Co., which oc-
cupies a store in the Hotel Savoy Block, 17 East
Sixth street, Cincinnati, O., has leased the prop-
erty for ten years at a gross rental of approx-
imately $95,000.
James T. Dickey, one of the leading music
dealers in Champaign, 111., has closed out his
business, which was located at 37 Main street
for the past five years.
Pratt Read
Products
P i a n o Ivory
Piano Keys
P i a n o Actions
Player Actions
Established in
1806
at Deep River, Conn.
Still There
Standard Service and Highest
Quality
Special Repair Departments
Maintained for Convenience
of Dealers
PRATT, READ & CO.
THE PRATT READ
PLAYER ACTION CO.
Oldest and Best
MARCH 27, 1926
THE MUSIC TRADE
Edmund Gram Only Milwaukee Merchant
to Exhibit at City's Annual Home Show
Celco Reproducing Device in the A. B. Chase and the Brunswick Panatrope Alternated
Orchestra During the Exposition and Won Big Applause From Attendance
X / I I L W A U K E E , WIS., March 23.—Following
a general lull in business which affected
the music trade as well as other lines, there is
now some indication of an improvement, and
it is thought that March will close with more
marked activity than has been shown during
the opening weeks of the month. Some stores
have already felt the revival of interest and
are doing more business than they did a week
or two ago, while other dealers state that
everything points to better conditions.
Again this year, Edmund Gram, Inc., ar-
ranged the sole exhibit of musical instruments
at the Home Show, which is devoted to the in-
terests of the home builder. Other exhibits
in the Auditorium were devoted to home fur-
nishings, building materials, furnaces, oil burn-
ers and other merchandise which goes to make
the home. The show attracted large crowds
of people this year, and some evenings the
Auditorium was filled to capacity.
Gram's display was very attractively ar-
ranged in a prominent position directly below
the Auditorium stage. An opportunity to
demonstrate the instruments was given by an
arrangement by which either the Celco repro-
ducing device in the A. B. Chase or the Bruns-
wick Panatrope was used to alternate with
the orchestra in giving a continuous musical
program throughout the evenings. In addition
to the Panatrope and the Celco, Gram's ex-
hibit also included the Steinway, the Estey
grand, and a special grand at a popular price.
"So far this year, our business has been
nicely ahead of last year," declared W. A. Bye,
manager of the Carberry-Parker Co., home of
the Ampico and the Chickering.
"Player,
pianos are still the big thing, but there seems
to be a little more demand for grands this
year than we have had before. During the first
two months of the year our player business
ran 50 per cent ahead of last year for the
same months, and a greater increase is being
shown this month. We are now planning to
make a bigger feature of grands, particularly
the Chickering and the Marshall & Wendell.
Our band instrument business has also been very
good. We are way oversold on Buescher gold
saxophones."
The demand for sheet music has shown an
improvement during the past week or two, ac-
cording to Joseph A. Krainik, manager of the
Hambitzer Music House. He states that plans
for recitals at the end of the teaching term
have been responsible for much of the recent
activity, as teachers are now developing their
plans for these important events to climax the
year of study in musical lines. However, the
improvement has been quite general in sheet
music, having also been noted in orchestra and
band music as well as popular numbers.
Several recent window displays at the Kes-
selman-O'Driscoll Co., home of the Ampico in
the Knabe, have drawn attention of people
passing the store. Last week the feature dis-
play was a player-piano which had been al-
most completely wrecked so as to show the
various parts from which it was made. Plac-
ards were attached to each section giving the
name of the part and an explanation of its
work in the instrument. The other window
of the store was devoted to a varied and color-
ful display of small goods, an appropriate St.
Patrick's Day touch being provided by the
novelty ukuleles colored in green and blue.
A visitor in Milwaukee last week was J. A.
Sandee, of the Badger Music Co., at Fond du
Lac, Wis. He reports that conditions in the
music trade at Fond du Lac are satisfactory,
and he is looking for a good year.
Miss Helen L. Gorman, who for the past
ten years has been manager of the Edmund
11
REVIEW
With
Gram Piano House in Fond du Lac, is now
connected with the piano department at the
Badger Music Co., Mr. Sandee announced
while in Milwaukee.
Bert Kingsbury, of the Kingsbury music
store in Fond du Lac, has made another addi-
tion to his collection of curios and antiques.
This is an old mortar and pestle believed to
be 150 years old. Made originally from a very
hard wood, the mortar has apparently become
petrified. The carving is very skilfully done.
The pestle was fashioned of cast iron.
The Forbes-Meagher Music Co., of Madison,
Wis., tied up very effectively with the old-
time fiddlers' contest held at Madison Theatre
by a Madison newspaper. Each day during
the week of the contest to determine the local
championship, the old-timers appeared at the
store where they played for the benefit of the
crowd of spectators who gathered there. Ar-
rangements were then made to play several
numbers by Henry Ford's old-time fiddlers'
oichestra on a new Orthophonic Victrola. The
Forbes-Meagher store had previously placed a
special order for these records in order to have
them on hand for the week. A tie-up with the
string instrument department was also ar-
ranged, as a special offer of five violin lessons
free with every violin costing $25 or more was
featured for the week, and attention was called
to the payment plan for those who did not
want to pay cash.
Atlas Roll Go. Adds
New Italian Roll List
Rolls in New Issues Arranged and Edited by
Well-known Italian Musicians and Com-
posers.
The Atlas Player Roll Co., 35 Fifth street,
Newark, N. J., manufacturer of popular word
rolls and the "Master Series" of standard num-
bers, recently added a new list of Italian rolls
to its catalogs. These Italian offerings have
been arranged and edited by well-known
Italian musicians and composers and have
been selected for their wide appeal to lovers
of Italian music.
They comprise mostly
Italian word rolls. Due to the fact that the
material has been prepared with exceptional
care and no expense slighted in its preparation
and also owing to the rolls' length, they will
retail at slightly above the usual retail figures
for Atlas products. The instrumental rolls in
this same series will, of course, be a slightly
lower figure.
British Export Trade in
Pianos on the Increase
Foreign Business Reported to Be Recovering
From Post-War Depression—Interesting Fig-
ures for Last Year
WASHINGTON, D. C, March 22.—Great Britain's
foreign trade in musical instruments is recover-
ing from the post-war depression, it is reported
to the Department of Commerce by its trade
commissioner at London. Shipments during
1925 showed a larger volume and a higher value
than in either of the two preceding years.
Imports also showed an increase, but this is
believed to be due to purchases made in antici-
pation of the reimposition of former higher
duties, an opinion borne out by the subsequent
falling of imports following the imposition of
the new duties.
The only exception to the general increase in
exports was in organs, shipments of which last
year were valued at £23,167, as compared with
£23,580 in 1924. The decline in volume was
greater than would appear from the values, due
to the fact that the average value of the British
pound in 1925 was 41 cents higher than in the
preceding year.
Exports of pianos totaled 7,023, valued at
£342,806, against 6,523, valued at £312,734, in
1924. Exports of other musical instruments
amounted to 209,883, valued at £572,732, against
150,475, valued at £415,519, in 1924.
Imports of organs totaled 916, against 379
in 1924. Receipts of pianos numbered 16,689,
against 10,792, and imports of other musical
instruments totaled 420,776, against 309,733
in 1924.
Marx Go. Buys Grum Store
MARYSVILLE, CAL., March 18.—The Ellas Marx
Music Co., Sacramento, has purchased a lease
and business of the Frank Crum Music Co. and
will move the local Ellas Marx branch from D
street to the Crum Music Co. headquarters at
422 Fourth street, which building was erected
about two years ago.
Music House Takes Lease
The Chubb-Steinberg Music Co., which oc-
cupies a store in the Hotel Savoy Block, 17 East
Sixth street, Cincinnati, O., has leased the prop-
erty for ten years at a gross rental of approx-
imately $95,000.
James T. Dickey, one of the leading music
dealers in Champaign, 111., has closed out his
business, which was located at 37 Main street
for the past five years.
Pratt Read
Products
P i a n o Ivory
Piano Keys
P i a n o Actions
Player Actions
Established in
1806
at Deep River, Conn.
Still There
Standard Service and Highest
Quality
Special Repair Departments
Maintained for Convenience
of Dealers
PRATT, READ & CO.
THE PRATT READ
PLAYER ACTION CO.
Oldest and Best
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