Music Trade Review
Issue: 1941 Vol. 100 N. 1 - Page 13
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JANUARY, 19U1
William R. Steinway Spreads
Goodwill for the Piano
Genial Member of Steinway Family and Roman de
Majewski Return From Transcontinental Tour
QPREADING good-will in the interests of
O the entire piano industry as well as
in the interests of the illustrious house of
which he is a factor William R. Steinway,
general manager of the European interests
of Steinway & Sons, New York, who was
accompanied by Roman de Majewski, re-
cently returned to New York after a trans-
continental tour which took him into 24
different cities. Sixty-one days of steady
traveling, newspaper interviewing, radio
broadcasting, acting as guest speaker at
"I often tell my friends that the piano
is the standard instrument of polygamous
musical expression. You know what mo-
nogamy is—one wife and a lot of trouble;
polygamy is several wives and a hell of
a lot of trouble. Well, the piano can do a
lot of things; one can play an entire
orchestra on it; that's something you can't
do with a violin or a saxophone or a sou-
saphone."
The tour extended as far as Vancouver,
B. C. The first reception was held in Cin-
13
public is again appreciating the value of
the piano in the home and as a cultural
instrument and in every radio broadcast
I took particular pains to point out the
tremendous increase in the interest in
the piano as manifested in the steadily in-
creasing production."
Holmes Co. has
Christinas Display
On page three of this issue there is
reproduced a night scene of the Christ-
mas decorations of the unique retail piano
establishment of the Holmes Co., Hemp-
stead, L. I., the head of which is Harry
S. Holmes. Mr. Holmes, recently took
over one of the large homes in that city
Three incidents during the transcontinental tour of William R. Steinway and Roman de Majewski; LEFT—In Chicago as guests of Lyon & Healy. Inc.—
Mr. Stein-way. L. I- LeMair, Mr. Majewski and Carlfrederick Kob inspect piano made of ice cake. CENTER—In Denver, Col., Mr. Steinway being inter-
viewed for broadcast over Station KOA, by Jacquelene Smith. RIGHT—In Indianapolis, Mr. Steinway is serenaded by Miss Burroughs singing class.
receptions, were consumed in making
this tour.
No one who knows the genial dynamic
William R. can doubt that he radiated
enthusiasm and confidence where ever he
appeared but the impression he made
is best reflected in one of the 46 news-
paper items regarding his visit which
appeared in the "News" at Lebanon, Ind.
as follows:
"We had the opportunity yesterday of
seeing one of the Steinway (piano)
brothers in person. Somehow we had ex-
pected a crotchety old gentleman with a
frosty, British accent. Instead he turned
out to be cheerful, not all impressed with
his own importance and apparently con-
vinced that even the great musicians with
whom he deals are human beings, even
as you and I. Rotund and rosy-cheeked,
he's affable and, wonder of all wonders,
makes an extremely brief after-luncheon
speech."
And so it went with 18 nights on
sleepers, 25 radio broadcasts, 6 receptions
and teas and numerous dinners at all of
which this genial ambassador of good
will impressed millions of listeners that
"The Piano is the Standard Instrument of
Polyphonic Musical Expression," his
slogan which, in explaining to one re-
porter the meaning of the word "poly-
phonic" (capable of giving more than one
tone) he drew up a parallel to the word
"Polygamy" the result of which was that
he was quoted as follows:
cinnati at the opening of the Steinway
department in the local wareroom of the
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. Other receptions
were held in San Francisco, Portland, O.,
and Seattle, Wash., where in all three
cities Sherman Clay & Co. were the hosts,
in Chicago under the auspices of Lyon &
Healy, Inc., and in Indianapolis, Ind.
where Frank O. Wilking did the honors as
host. It was in the latter city that he was
serenaded by a girls chorus and in other
cities he addressed groups of children,
members of musical clubs, sales, and
many other organizations.
"What impressed me was the magnetic
influence of the name' Steinway. It hap-
pened that in various newspapers in the
cities which I visited there were 52 items
aggregating 256 inches of advance pub-
licity. In practically every city someone
or in many cities several persons called
me on the phone stating that they owned
a Steinway or someone in their family had
one and they wanted to talk with a mem-
ber of the Steinway family. In one in-
stance a minister whom I had met but
once called me and asked me if I remem-
bered a wedding at which he officiated
at which I was best man. That was about
30 years ago. There was little time for
recreation on this trip but in one or two
instances we did have an opportunity to
see some of the sights of the west thanks
to our good friends, which was highly
appreciative.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the
located on a prominent thoroughfare and
besides having an opportunity to display
pianos in home surroundings it provides
a place for recitals which he is conduct-
ing periodically.
As Christmas decorations he displayed
a wreath 10 feet in diameter weighing 472
lbs., used 3'/ 2 bales of evergreen. The
Santa Claus and Reindeers seen in the
photo are 24 feet long and 11 feet high
while the Christmas tree was 20 feet high
and lighted with 250 by lbs. The property
surrounding his unique display rooms is
210' x 210' and when summer comes Mr.
Holmes intends to hold garden concerts.
The company features the Kimball line.
Hammond Organ
at Airport
Airplane travelers leaving or arriving at
LaGuardia Airport during the Holiday sea-
son found music as well as airplanes in the
air. A Hammond organ "was installed in
the lobby of the administration building
and Frank White, well known organist,
played three daily sessions of appropriate
Yuletide music.
This marks the first organ installation
in an airport anywhere in the country, ac-
cording to officials at the Hammond Organ
Studios, New York, who made the installa-
tion. (Picture on Page 2)
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JANUARY, 19U1
William R. Steinway Spreads
Goodwill for the Piano
Genial Member of Steinway Family and Roman de
Majewski Return From Transcontinental Tour
QPREADING good-will in the interests of
O the entire piano industry as well as
in the interests of the illustrious house of
which he is a factor William R. Steinway,
general manager of the European interests
of Steinway & Sons, New York, who was
accompanied by Roman de Majewski, re-
cently returned to New York after a trans-
continental tour which took him into 24
different cities. Sixty-one days of steady
traveling, newspaper interviewing, radio
broadcasting, acting as guest speaker at
"I often tell my friends that the piano
is the standard instrument of polygamous
musical expression. You know what mo-
nogamy is—one wife and a lot of trouble;
polygamy is several wives and a hell of
a lot of trouble. Well, the piano can do a
lot of things; one can play an entire
orchestra on it; that's something you can't
do with a violin or a saxophone or a sou-
saphone."
The tour extended as far as Vancouver,
B. C. The first reception was held in Cin-
13
public is again appreciating the value of
the piano in the home and as a cultural
instrument and in every radio broadcast
I took particular pains to point out the
tremendous increase in the interest in
the piano as manifested in the steadily in-
creasing production."
Holmes Co. has
Christinas Display
On page three of this issue there is
reproduced a night scene of the Christ-
mas decorations of the unique retail piano
establishment of the Holmes Co., Hemp-
stead, L. I., the head of which is Harry
S. Holmes. Mr. Holmes, recently took
over one of the large homes in that city
Three incidents during the transcontinental tour of William R. Steinway and Roman de Majewski; LEFT—In Chicago as guests of Lyon & Healy. Inc.—
Mr. Stein-way. L. I- LeMair, Mr. Majewski and Carlfrederick Kob inspect piano made of ice cake. CENTER—In Denver, Col., Mr. Steinway being inter-
viewed for broadcast over Station KOA, by Jacquelene Smith. RIGHT—In Indianapolis, Mr. Steinway is serenaded by Miss Burroughs singing class.
receptions, were consumed in making
this tour.
No one who knows the genial dynamic
William R. can doubt that he radiated
enthusiasm and confidence where ever he
appeared but the impression he made
is best reflected in one of the 46 news-
paper items regarding his visit which
appeared in the "News" at Lebanon, Ind.
as follows:
"We had the opportunity yesterday of
seeing one of the Steinway (piano)
brothers in person. Somehow we had ex-
pected a crotchety old gentleman with a
frosty, British accent. Instead he turned
out to be cheerful, not all impressed with
his own importance and apparently con-
vinced that even the great musicians with
whom he deals are human beings, even
as you and I. Rotund and rosy-cheeked,
he's affable and, wonder of all wonders,
makes an extremely brief after-luncheon
speech."
And so it went with 18 nights on
sleepers, 25 radio broadcasts, 6 receptions
and teas and numerous dinners at all of
which this genial ambassador of good
will impressed millions of listeners that
"The Piano is the Standard Instrument of
Polyphonic Musical Expression," his
slogan which, in explaining to one re-
porter the meaning of the word "poly-
phonic" (capable of giving more than one
tone) he drew up a parallel to the word
"Polygamy" the result of which was that
he was quoted as follows:
cinnati at the opening of the Steinway
department in the local wareroom of the
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. Other receptions
were held in San Francisco, Portland, O.,
and Seattle, Wash., where in all three
cities Sherman Clay & Co. were the hosts,
in Chicago under the auspices of Lyon &
Healy, Inc., and in Indianapolis, Ind.
where Frank O. Wilking did the honors as
host. It was in the latter city that he was
serenaded by a girls chorus and in other
cities he addressed groups of children,
members of musical clubs, sales, and
many other organizations.
"What impressed me was the magnetic
influence of the name' Steinway. It hap-
pened that in various newspapers in the
cities which I visited there were 52 items
aggregating 256 inches of advance pub-
licity. In practically every city someone
or in many cities several persons called
me on the phone stating that they owned
a Steinway or someone in their family had
one and they wanted to talk with a mem-
ber of the Steinway family. In one in-
stance a minister whom I had met but
once called me and asked me if I remem-
bered a wedding at which he officiated
at which I was best man. That was about
30 years ago. There was little time for
recreation on this trip but in one or two
instances we did have an opportunity to
see some of the sights of the west thanks
to our good friends, which was highly
appreciative.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the
located on a prominent thoroughfare and
besides having an opportunity to display
pianos in home surroundings it provides
a place for recitals which he is conduct-
ing periodically.
As Christmas decorations he displayed
a wreath 10 feet in diameter weighing 472
lbs., used 3'/ 2 bales of evergreen. The
Santa Claus and Reindeers seen in the
photo are 24 feet long and 11 feet high
while the Christmas tree was 20 feet high
and lighted with 250 by lbs. The property
surrounding his unique display rooms is
210' x 210' and when summer comes Mr.
Holmes intends to hold garden concerts.
The company features the Kimball line.
Hammond Organ
at Airport
Airplane travelers leaving or arriving at
LaGuardia Airport during the Holiday sea-
son found music as well as airplanes in the
air. A Hammond organ "was installed in
the lobby of the administration building
and Frank White, well known organist,
played three daily sessions of appropriate
Yuletide music.
This marks the first organ installation
in an airport anywhere in the country, ac-
cording to officials at the Hammond Organ
Studios, New York, who made the installa-
tion. (Picture on Page 2)
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).