Music Trade Review
Issue: 1945 Vol. 104 N. 7 - Page 36
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
aiMaKaiiMfflfcHiftflii^^
IP € T - IP € L IP IP 1
A N interesting side light on the
^ ^ painting which was being made
of the late President Roosevelt at the
time of his death is that the first por-
trait painted by Mrs. Elizabeth Shou-
matoff, the artist, was one of Julius
A. White, president of Kohler & Camp-
bell Inc. The portrait was so well
executed that Mr. and Mrs. White,
the latter the former Rita Kohler,
daughter of the late Charles Kohler,
commissioned Mrs. Shoumatoff to paint
portraits of their two children.
IT was the day of the late President
Roosevelt's funeral. The little man
with the cane came slowly along and
raising his cane saluted in military
fashion. That was his custom. Then he
said "This is an historic day." "That's
quite so" he was answered, "but how
are you feeling?" he was asked. "Well"
he said, "I get a little dizzy in the
morning but I think I will be alright
when I become of age." "When will
that be" he was asked. "On July 15th"
he answered, "then I'll be 96. Someone
must have been wrong 1 once" he con-
tinued. "It was about the time that
President Lincoln was assassinated
when a doctor told my mother that she
would probably never be able to raise
me because I only had one lung. But,
when I was about 40 and I was with
Hughes & Son in Foxcroft, Me. I had
a bad cold and Mr. Hughes suggested
I see a doctor. That doctor said I just
had a cold but added I had a fine pair
of lungs. Yes sir, someone must have
been wrong because here I am."
This stalwart little man is Henry
B. Hooke now living quietly in retire-
ment in that little but beautiful Bor-
ough of Leonia, N. J., just across the
Hudson River. His career as a piano
man started with Heintzman & Co.
in Toronto, Canada. Later he joined
Hughes & Son in Foxcroft, Me. and
then went to Mason & Hamlin in
Boston. "Here" he said "I helped de-
velop the first Liszt reed organ. How
well I remember it. It had somewhat
wider reeds and keys than the ordi-
nary reed organ." At 70 Mr. Hooke
became maintenance manager of the
Pennsylvania Hotel in New York where
he remained until he was ninety. Two
years ago he was left alone through
the passing of Mrs. Hooke who was
92. Mr. Hooke is looking forward now
36
to his 100th birthday in anticipation
of living longer than one of his old
friend John Ford who passed away
within one month of his century mark.
Originally a native of Canada, Mr.
Hooke served in the first world war
as an inspector of shrapnel in an
American plant. When King George
and Queen Elizabeth visited the United
States the Hookes' received a greeting
letter from them, signed by both per-
sonally, while they were en route to
Canada. That he values this highly
is needless to say.
IN
the
May
issue of
the
REVIEW
it
was stated that Otto Heinzman had
become associated with the Apex Piano
Co., New York as salesmanager. It has
developed since that this was erroneous
Mr. Heinzman is not and never was
connected with this company.
IN the motion picture "Rhapsody in
Blue" based on the life of George
Gershwin now showing at the Holly-
wood Theatre in New York, there is a
scene of an upright piano being hoisted
up through the window of the apart-
ment on the lower east side of New
York where as a boy Gershwin lived.
It was this piano on which he learned
to play and it was a Knabe upright
sold to father Gershwin by George
Hochman who can be found still at
the Wm. Knabe & Co. wareroom in
New York still selling Knabes'. "How
well I remember that sale" said Mr.
Hochman recently, "and the piano was
bought on time payments as acutally
shown in the picture." Musician, con-
cert tuner and salesman, Mr. Hoch-
man has been with Wm. Knabe & Co.
for over 30 years.
CAMILIAR figure now getting back
into the music industry was Bar-
ry Hamilton in Chicago this month on
way back to Pittsburgh, Pa., from
California. Formerly head of the C.
C. Mellor Co. of that city which liqui-
dated just as pianos ceased to be
manufactured, Mr. Hamilton plans to
be ready for postwar business with
the Keystone Hammond Organ Studios
at 610 Smithfield St., Pittburgh. The
new studios are to be ornate and in
keeping with the Hamilton ideals of
artistic presentation.
I IP in the Bronx is the Modern Art
Piano Co. devoting its entire in-
terests to rebuilding old upright pi-
anos into the popular MirrApiano.
This company, conducted by Peppino
Chibbaro and Charles Di Stefano, is
having all it can do to keep up with
the demand. Both men are craftsmen
of long experience in cabinet work
and finishing, having worked in many
of the largest plants in the country.
With them also are other expert piano
makers. Mr. Chibbaro formerly worked
in the Hardman and Sohmer & Co.
plants ard Mr. Di Stefano with Bram-
bach, Winter & Co., and Kohler &
Campbell, Inc.
• • • •
T H E True & Blanchard Co., Inc.,
Newport, Vt., whose main business
is hardware and who have handled
electric appliances and radio, have de-
cided to go into the piano business
also. Said J. A. Carr of the company
recently, "We are considering adding
pianos to our expanding lines when
they are available."
• • • •
A YOUNG man in clerical garb
^ ^ stepped into the train at Buffalo
having come from Niagara Falls, Can-
ada, enroute to Chicago to see his
folks after a two year absence. "Won-
der if I can get anything to eat on
this train," he said, "I haven't eaten
all day. "I have plenty in my suit
case," he continued, "Five thick juicy
steaks for the folks in Chicago, but
can't eat them now." Guess that's
taking "coals to Newcastle!"
• • • •
A MONG the recent letters received
by Louis Bromberg, patentee, was
one from Murray D. Rosen, manager
of the piano department of B. Gertz,
Inc., Jamaica, L. I., in which he said,
"MirrApianos have been of inestim-
able value in the success of our com-
paratively new department at Gertz,
Jamaica, L. I."
• • • •
| IEUT. (S.G.) BEN F. DUVAL,
*~ secretary of W. W. Kimball Co.,
who has been active in the Pacific
participating in the invasion of Okin-
awa has been home on a 30-day fur-
lough visiting his many friends, as
well as making his headquarters at
Kimball Hall. Ben never looked better
in his life and his naval uniform be-
comes him. Hope he gets a promotion
and doesn't have to go so far again.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JULY, 1945
aiMaKaiiMfflfcHiftflii^^
IP € T - IP € L IP IP 1
A N interesting side light on the
^ ^ painting which was being made
of the late President Roosevelt at the
time of his death is that the first por-
trait painted by Mrs. Elizabeth Shou-
matoff, the artist, was one of Julius
A. White, president of Kohler & Camp-
bell Inc. The portrait was so well
executed that Mr. and Mrs. White,
the latter the former Rita Kohler,
daughter of the late Charles Kohler,
commissioned Mrs. Shoumatoff to paint
portraits of their two children.
IT was the day of the late President
Roosevelt's funeral. The little man
with the cane came slowly along and
raising his cane saluted in military
fashion. That was his custom. Then he
said "This is an historic day." "That's
quite so" he was answered, "but how
are you feeling?" he was asked. "Well"
he said, "I get a little dizzy in the
morning but I think I will be alright
when I become of age." "When will
that be" he was asked. "On July 15th"
he answered, "then I'll be 96. Someone
must have been wrong 1 once" he con-
tinued. "It was about the time that
President Lincoln was assassinated
when a doctor told my mother that she
would probably never be able to raise
me because I only had one lung. But,
when I was about 40 and I was with
Hughes & Son in Foxcroft, Me. I had
a bad cold and Mr. Hughes suggested
I see a doctor. That doctor said I just
had a cold but added I had a fine pair
of lungs. Yes sir, someone must have
been wrong because here I am."
This stalwart little man is Henry
B. Hooke now living quietly in retire-
ment in that little but beautiful Bor-
ough of Leonia, N. J., just across the
Hudson River. His career as a piano
man started with Heintzman & Co.
in Toronto, Canada. Later he joined
Hughes & Son in Foxcroft, Me. and
then went to Mason & Hamlin in
Boston. "Here" he said "I helped de-
velop the first Liszt reed organ. How
well I remember it. It had somewhat
wider reeds and keys than the ordi-
nary reed organ." At 70 Mr. Hooke
became maintenance manager of the
Pennsylvania Hotel in New York where
he remained until he was ninety. Two
years ago he was left alone through
the passing of Mrs. Hooke who was
92. Mr. Hooke is looking forward now
36
to his 100th birthday in anticipation
of living longer than one of his old
friend John Ford who passed away
within one month of his century mark.
Originally a native of Canada, Mr.
Hooke served in the first world war
as an inspector of shrapnel in an
American plant. When King George
and Queen Elizabeth visited the United
States the Hookes' received a greeting
letter from them, signed by both per-
sonally, while they were en route to
Canada. That he values this highly
is needless to say.
IN
the
May
issue of
the
REVIEW
it
was stated that Otto Heinzman had
become associated with the Apex Piano
Co., New York as salesmanager. It has
developed since that this was erroneous
Mr. Heinzman is not and never was
connected with this company.
IN the motion picture "Rhapsody in
Blue" based on the life of George
Gershwin now showing at the Holly-
wood Theatre in New York, there is a
scene of an upright piano being hoisted
up through the window of the apart-
ment on the lower east side of New
York where as a boy Gershwin lived.
It was this piano on which he learned
to play and it was a Knabe upright
sold to father Gershwin by George
Hochman who can be found still at
the Wm. Knabe & Co. wareroom in
New York still selling Knabes'. "How
well I remember that sale" said Mr.
Hochman recently, "and the piano was
bought on time payments as acutally
shown in the picture." Musician, con-
cert tuner and salesman, Mr. Hoch-
man has been with Wm. Knabe & Co.
for over 30 years.
CAMILIAR figure now getting back
into the music industry was Bar-
ry Hamilton in Chicago this month on
way back to Pittsburgh, Pa., from
California. Formerly head of the C.
C. Mellor Co. of that city which liqui-
dated just as pianos ceased to be
manufactured, Mr. Hamilton plans to
be ready for postwar business with
the Keystone Hammond Organ Studios
at 610 Smithfield St., Pittburgh. The
new studios are to be ornate and in
keeping with the Hamilton ideals of
artistic presentation.
I IP in the Bronx is the Modern Art
Piano Co. devoting its entire in-
terests to rebuilding old upright pi-
anos into the popular MirrApiano.
This company, conducted by Peppino
Chibbaro and Charles Di Stefano, is
having all it can do to keep up with
the demand. Both men are craftsmen
of long experience in cabinet work
and finishing, having worked in many
of the largest plants in the country.
With them also are other expert piano
makers. Mr. Chibbaro formerly worked
in the Hardman and Sohmer & Co.
plants ard Mr. Di Stefano with Bram-
bach, Winter & Co., and Kohler &
Campbell, Inc.
• • • •
T H E True & Blanchard Co., Inc.,
Newport, Vt., whose main business
is hardware and who have handled
electric appliances and radio, have de-
cided to go into the piano business
also. Said J. A. Carr of the company
recently, "We are considering adding
pianos to our expanding lines when
they are available."
• • • •
A YOUNG man in clerical garb
^ ^ stepped into the train at Buffalo
having come from Niagara Falls, Can-
ada, enroute to Chicago to see his
folks after a two year absence. "Won-
der if I can get anything to eat on
this train," he said, "I haven't eaten
all day. "I have plenty in my suit
case," he continued, "Five thick juicy
steaks for the folks in Chicago, but
can't eat them now." Guess that's
taking "coals to Newcastle!"
• • • •
A MONG the recent letters received
by Louis Bromberg, patentee, was
one from Murray D. Rosen, manager
of the piano department of B. Gertz,
Inc., Jamaica, L. I., in which he said,
"MirrApianos have been of inestim-
able value in the success of our com-
paratively new department at Gertz,
Jamaica, L. I."
• • • •
| IEUT. (S.G.) BEN F. DUVAL,
*~ secretary of W. W. Kimball Co.,
who has been active in the Pacific
participating in the invasion of Okin-
awa has been home on a 30-day fur-
lough visiting his many friends, as
well as making his headquarters at
Kimball Hall. Ben never looked better
in his life and his naval uniform be-
comes him. Hope he gets a promotion
and doesn't have to go so far again.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, JULY, 1945
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