Music Trade Review

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APRIL 17, 1926
Kesselman-O'Driscoll Co., Milwaukee
Reports a 30 Per Cent Gain Last Month
Pianos Showed Greatest Advance But AH Lines Participated in the Activity — Rapid Progress
Made by the Noll Piano Co., Local Bush & Lane Representative
M I L W A U K E E , WIS., April 14.—With the
close of the Lenten season business in
Milwaukee stores has been showing signs of
improvement and more favorable weather is
helping to stimulate this upward trend. Band
instruments and sheet music have been the first
to respond to these favorable influences, but
there have also been signs of increased activ-
ity in pianos and phonographs.
"Our business for the month of March was
very satisfactory," declared Henry M. Steussy,
vice-president and general manager of the
Kesselman-O'Driscoll Co., which features the
Ampico in the Knabe. "Every department
showed a gain over last year, and the total
figures were 30 per cent ahead of those for
March, 1925." Pianos showed the greatest ac-
tivity during the month at this store, but band
and string instruments were also unusually ac-
tive. Mr. Steussy is looking forward to a very
good April as well.
E. Fred Colburn, representative of William
Knabe & Co., was a visitor in Milwaukee for
several days at the beginning of the month.
While he was in the city, several important
Knabe deals were completed by the Kesselman-
O'Driscoll firm. Another caller at this store
was Floyd Masters, of the Ampico Corp.
Mr. Steussy, accompanied by A. B. O'Connor
of the wholesale department, spent several days
last week in Chicago, when they visited mem-
bers of the music trade in that city.
Rapid progress made by the Noll Piano Co.,
local representative of the Bush & Lane piano,
was the subject of comment in a recent issue of
the Milwaukee Leader, and an outline of the
firm's history shows how the business was de-
veloped from a small piano parlor on the out-
skirts of the city to what is now one of the
largest music stores in the outlying districts of
the city. The store was opened in July, 1916,
in a small location at Muskego and Forest
Home avenues in the outskirts of the city. It
was originally established as an exclusive
agency for the Bush & Lane instruments. The
popularity of these instruments proved a telling
factor in the growth of the store, and in Decem-
ber, 1921, a large and very attractive music
store was opened at Grant street and Muskego
avenue, one block from the original location.
Since the opening, other lines of pianos have
been added and other instruments have been
placed in stock. The piano department now
includes Ivers & Pond, Charles Frederick Stein
and Mehlin & Sons pianos, in addition to the
Bush & Lane. An extensive line of phono-
graphs includes Sonora, Columbia, Brunswick,
Edison and Bush & Lane, while the radio de-
partment carries Stromberg-Carlson, Sonora and
Radiola sets. Herman W. Noll is president of
the firm and M. K. Noll, secretary and treasurer.
Merle E. Roussellot, managing director of
the Lyric Music Co., which handles the Kimball
line, and Miss Dorothy Bloedel, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Bloedel, of this city, were
married Thursday, April 8. After a trip of sev-
eral weeks, the couple will reside in Milwaukee.
Mr. Roussellot is the son of Joseph Roussellot,
president of the Lyric Music Co.
Many music stores throughout the city used
the local appearance of Abe Lyman and His
Orchestra as the basis for window displays last
week, while others tied up with the popular
orchestra by means of window cards of various
natures. Stores handling Brunswick records
were prominent among those featuring this tie-
up, but Buescher instrument dealers also used
the orchestra as the basis for advertising.
Mahogany Association
Shows Two-Tone Effects
not a hybrid or imitation variety. Mr. Schmitz'
associates also pointed out the numerous advan-
tages in using veneers instead of solid wood in
places where either would serve. The panels,
which would compare favorably in workman-
ship and quality with any furniture on display
at the Metropolitan Museum, were made by
Schmieg, Hungate & Kotzian, Inc., New York.
Exhibit at Hotel Commodore, New York, Gives
Remarkable Display of That Wood in Beauti-
ful Combinations
11
The Music Trade Review
An extensive exhibit of mahogany panels was
shown by the Mahogany Association, Inc., New
York, in Room 301 of the Commodore Hotel
during the four days ending April 9. The panels
were prepared as the result of two years' in-
tensive research and were given the public Kentucky Appropriates $100,000 Annually for
showing to enable association members and
Commission of Which He Is Secretary and
executives of the piano, phonograph and furni-
Treasurer
ture trades to inspect the latest creations in
mahogany finish and two-tone effects. Invita-
LOUISVILLE, KY., April 10.—Members of the local
tions were sent out to representative houses in piano trade have learned with interest that N.
these trades, as well as to the trade press, and P. Bloom, president of the Geo. P. Bent Com-
many visitors in the course of the exhibition pany, maker of the Crown piano, has won an
period expressed their admiration for the work important victory over the politicians in the
on display.
fight he and his associates on the non-partisan
The most interesting panels, perhaps, from and non-paid commission for crippled children
the piano manufacturer's standpoint, were those have made.
combined with other woods for two-toned or
As told in these columns, the earnest and rep-
multi-toned effects. Most of the panel centers) resentative citizens who had given so freely of
were made of Cuban or Central American their own time and money to rehabilitation of
mahogany, but some of the more startling crippled children in Kentucky won much atten-
effects were obtained with African mahogany. tion as well as medical and philanthropic sup-
One of the most beautiful panels using the latter port. Last year, with an appropriation of $10,-
wood as center veneer had a handsome border 000 from the State but a very much larger
of inlaid boxwood and ebony. Two-toned amount contributed by the officers and friends
effects were obtained to a nicety with Honduras of the association who perceived its good work,
mahogany in combination with curly American the commission succeeded in restoring to use-
maple, Mexican mahogany with Brazilian rose- fulness 200 children who would otherwise have
wood, African mahogany with West Indian been crippled for life. Now the Kentucky Leg-
satinwood and half a dozen other combinations. islature has voted them an appropriation of
Frank C. Schmitz, general manager of the $100,000 a year for two years to aid this good
Mahogany Association, Inc., and his assistants work. N. P. Bloom is secretary-treasurer, and
at the exhibit emphasized the fact that all of the one of the directors of the associa.tio.ri as well
mahogany shown was the legitimate article and as an active figure in its work,
Bloom Wins in Fight
for Crippled Children
Landay Opening in Hartford
HARTFORD, CONN., April 12.—Preparations for the
formal opening of Landay Hall, Hartford's
newest music store, located at Main and Church
streets, are rapidly ncaring completion, the date
being set tentatively for April 15. The store
will add another important establishment to the
growing Landay Bros.' chain and will be mod-
eled after the Landay Hall at Sixth avenue and
Forty-second street, New York. A full line of
pianos, phonographs, radio, small goods and
sheet music will be carried.
Gibbs Opens Branch
A new branch of the Gibbs Piano Shop chain
has been opened at 121 Church street, New
Britain, Conn., and is under the management of
Orville E. Gibbs, one of the four sons of the
founder of the business.
(3
'ianoactioi
The Spirit of
f
Craftsmanship J
Behind Standard ;
Piano Actions ±
Our manufacturing policy
is dominated by a spirit
o f craftsmanship e v i-
denced by the fact that
over sixty per cent of our
employees have been with
us for more than twenty
years.
Such personal interest in
the production of a piano
action can mean only one
thing — a b s o l u t e high
quality. For 37 years we
have been building Stand-
ard Piano Actions and in
that period have con-
sistently enjoyed t h e
reputation as makers of
the highest quality piano
action in the world.
A splendid series of ad-
vertisements is appearing
in Atlantic Monthly, Har-
per's, World's Work,
Scribner's, Review of Re-
views, Century and Etude,
t e l l i n g over 2,500,000
potential'buyers about the
advantages of b u y i n g
pianos equipped w i t h
Standard Piano Actions,
It is good business to con-
nect up with our sales
promotion plans. Write
for more information to-
day.
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Standard Action Co. y
C. L. MCHUGH, President
4*
Cambridge, Maps.
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