Music Trade Review

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Peoria Musical Instrument Co. Celebrates
16th Birthday With New Store Opening
The Peoria Musical Instrument Co..
Henry Skinner, owner, held a grand
opening celebration Saturday, Septem
her 6, commemorating the sixteenth year
in the music business as well as en-
largement of it s quarters.
The store has an entirely new. mod-
ernistic front; and the interior is rich-
ly decorated in a combination of knotty
pine and pastel colors. The huge elec-
tric sign which hangs out in front of
the store can be seen for many blocks
up and down Main Street.
Mr. Skinner has surrounded himsell
with a very fine group of sales people
and music teachers and a top notch pi-
ano technician. Ben Sellars.
One of the outstanding ceremonies of
the day took place Saturday evening
when his employees presented him with
a huge 16th Anniversary cake.
Another feature of the celebration
was the auctioning of a Wurlitzer Pi-
ano to the highest bidder. Bids were
accepted on the piano all day Saturday
and also throughout the following week,
September 8 to IS. The piano was sold
the night of the 15th to the highest bid-
der. Mr. Skinner said this promotion
enabled him to obtain quite a number
of good prospects.
23 Schools, Colleges, Churches
In Deep South Buy Kimballs
AT TOP LEFT IS HENRY SKINNER OF THE PEORIA MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CO.
WHICH OPENED ITS NEW STORE SHOWN ALSO HEREWITH ON ITS 16TH
ANNIVERSARY
THE MUSIC TRAOE REVIEW, OCTOBER, 1952
A new high on Kimball piano sales
to schools and churches in the "Deep
South" area has been set by the J.
French Company. Inc.. Mobile. Ala. Ac-
cording to L. B. Siegelman, Vice-Pres-
ident, this firm has sold 32 Kimball
Studio Uprights to 2'.\ schools, colleges
and church schools in the southern Al-
abama and Mississippi areas in recent
years. They have also delivered 5 Kim-
ball Grands of various styles and fin-
ishes to these same institutions.
The Moss Point Municipal Separate
School District. Moss Point. Miss., de-
veloped into a good source of business
taking 5 Kimball Studio Uprights and
one Grand, and another Studio Upright
for delivery in October.
The First Baptist church. Mobile.
Ala., one of Mobile's largest, has just
completed a $250,000 expansion pro-
gram including air conditioning of all
buildings. The old church, organized in
18H5. has a membership of 2.200 and
seats 1.200 in the sanctuary. According
to Dr. Howard M. Heaves, the pastor,
and the Minister of Music. Donald L.
Me Collum: "The Kimball was selected
because it matched every one of the
church's requirements for the piano
ihev wanted."
Otjier recent sales of the Kimball
Studio Upright model were to the
Spring Hill College, Father J. Franklin
Murray, head of the Music Dept..
Spring Hill. Ala., and to the Passagoula
City Schools, Thomas K. Wells. Super-
intendent. Passagoula, Miss. Prior sales
of this model were to five schools and
colleges, eight churches, three music
teachers, and one each to a chapel, an
auditorium, and a historic society.
The Kimball Grands were sold to the
Moss Point Schools. Moss Point. Miss..
one each to two music teachers, and to
a church in Mobile, and one to a music
teacher in Spring Hill. Ala.
2J