Presto

PRESTO
NUTSHELL HISTORY
FOR MUSIC TRADE
Rotaridn Asks for Much Piano and Sheet
Music Information, Which Is Here Given
by the Conductor of Presto's "Doubts
Dispelled" Column.
A bulletin from the service bureau of the Music In-
dustries Chamber of Commerce says that "a Ro-
tarian, and former president of his club," asked for
the following:
1. Name and date of first real piano factory.
2. Date of beginning of retail music business.
3. Firm and date of first retail music business in
America.
4. Maker and date of first upright piano.
5. Date of first general publication of printed sheet
music.
6. Date of new process of printing sheet music.
7. Number of people employed in entire music in-
dustry in America.
8. Number pianos produced annually in America.
In Europe.
9. Approximate number pianos annually exported
and to what countries.
10. Percent of labor cost in manufacture of a pir.no.
11. Approximate number piano factories in
America.
12. Approximate number retail music dealers in
America.
13. Any further information.
Everyday Interest Topics.
The Bureau was able to submit "some sort of an
answer on each of the foregoing points, insofar as the
information was available," says the bulletin.
It would have added not a little to general trade in-
terest had the bulletin permitted Presto to reproduce
the "sort of answer" which was given to the ques-
tions. It is of daily occurrence that Presto receives
questions touching upon one or more of the topics,
or others similar or associated with them. And all
of the data suggested has been covered in the "Where
Doubts Are Dispelled" columns of this paper, in the
years that have gone since that feature was estab-
lished.
But the subjects about which the Rotarian asked
are always of interest to members of the trade.
Space devoted to their discussion is never lost. And,
in the order given the questions by the Service Bu-
reau, the following answers are probably as correct
as history can establish them.
Briefly Answered.
1. All writers on the piano agree that Cristofori was
the inventor of the piano. But he did not have a
factory. Christoph Sehroter began to build pianos
in 1717, at Vienna; he made a small factory. Gott-
fried Silbermann, of Frieberg, followed, and he seems
to have really started the piano on its triumphant
commercial way. In his shop originated both the
English and German schools of piano manufacture.
But the first really great piano factory was estab-
lished in the United States many years later.
2. The music business dates back to the fifteenth
century. In the days of Samuel Pepys there were
good "music shoppes" as that worthy speaks of going
to them. Presto has a book which was published
nearly three hundred years ago, the engravings in
which exceed in beauty anything modern. Every
note is cut in steel and the "harmonizing" is delight-
ful. Handel contributed original songs.
3. The retail business in this country began when
the original John Jacob Astor brought over several
of his father's pianos and opened a store for their
sale, in exchange for wild animal skins. This was in
New York about 1783.
4. The first upright is accredited to Johann
Schmidt, of Saltzburg, Austria. It appeared in 1780.
When Sheet Music Started.
5. Presto has a book of "sheet music" which was
published in 1760 though that was not the first. It is
printed from steel engraved plates and is a work of
typographic art. The pictures are delicate and ar-
tistic. It is "harmonized" for two voices and flute.
It contains original songs by Cary and Arne.
6. The "new process" of music printing began in
this country about 1871. It was to transfer the im-
pressions made by the "punched" plate, of composi-
tion, to the lithographer's stone. It became general,
in Boston, New York and Cincinnati, about the year
1876. The late John Church was the first to introduce
it in the West.
7. According to latest government statistics, in 1919
there were 39,931 workers engaged in the manufac-
ture of pianos, organs and musical instruments' sup-
plies in the United States.
8. The largest year in piano manufacture in the
United States, the output approximated 300,000. The
smallest in this century was 1921, of about 125,000.
February 3, 1923
Last year the output was about 190,000. In Europe
the present output is about 120,000, England leading,
although before the war Germany was the principal
producer.
(A New One Every Week.)
Piano Information.
By The Presto Poick.
9. American pianos are being exported to the num-
ber of approximately 20,000 annually, perhaps a little
less at this time. There are American piano industries
the production of which has been fifty per cent ex-
port trade. Australia, England, France and the
South American countries have been buyers of Amer-
ican pianos, and still are, Mexico being a good cus-
tomer at this time. Some of our piano industries
maintain regular salesmen, and agents, in Australia;
the Jesse French & Sons Piano Co. has a resident rep-
resentative in Melbourne, Steinway & Sons have
regular establishments in London, Paris and other
foreign music centers, as well as in Mexico.
10. About seventy-five per cent; some say even
more.
11. At this time there are 197 piano factories in this
country, not counting several annexes, or special
plants, of the larger industries.
12. There are approximately 12,000 established
music dealers, including piano and small goods stores,
in this country.
THE COUS CURE.
13. The "further information" would fill a book as
big as the Bible. What more do you wannaknow?
If mind can work such wondrous spell
O'er all that's solid matter,
And cure our ills, as we hear tell,—
And all that sort of chatter-—
Why don't we also try to cure
What ails our fortune-getter
And say, like Coue—why, for sure— \
"Day by day, in every way, the biz gets better'n
Chicago House Has Loss Similar to One in the New
better!"
York Branch Recently.
A Guadaynini violin, made in Italy in 1751, and If we can make lame people walk,
valued at $8,000, was stolen Wednesday of this week
And blind ones see so clearly,
from the Wurlitzer Music Company, 329 South Wa- It may be well to try to talk
bash avenue, Chicago.
Our trade to life, or nearly,
Benjamin Katz, manager of the old violin depart- For surely there's no reason why
ment, was approached by a man who asked for a
Some little word or letter
demonstration of some of the instruments. Several May not cure trade if we but try—
were tried. While Katz was in a vault, replacing a
"Day by day, in every way, the biz gets better'n
violin, the man disappeared with the Guadagnini.
better!"
The violin formerly was the property of Leonard,
a famous teacher of Paris, according to Mr. Katz. If we can fix our broken bones,
•It is so well known as to make disposal almost im-
And soften all our bruises,
possible, he says.
By saying things to stop our groans,
The incident is almost a duplicate of a theft re-
He must be dumb who loses!
ported by the Wurlitzer house in New York a few For what's to stop our winning game—
weeks ago. The old violin thieves seem to have fixed
What fate can halt or fetter
upon the Wurlitzer houses as five sources of supplies. The man who fears not to acclaim,
"Day by day, in every way, the biz gets better'n
better"?
WAREROOM WARBLES
RARE OLD VIOLIN STOLEN
FROM WURLITZER STORE
JOINS FRIEDRICH FIRM.
Ernest E. Smith, of Pittsburgh, formerly of Grand
Rapids, Michigan, with 25 years' experience in the
music business, has been secured as manager of the
piano and phonograph departments of the Friedrich
Music House, of the latter city, according to an an-
nouncement by Julius A. J. Friedrich, Sr. Mr. Smith
for several years was district manager for the W. F.
Frederick Piano Company of Pittsburgh. Prior to
that he was in business in Grand Rapids for several
years. Hugo Friedrich will devote all of his time to
the general direction of the Grand Rapids firm's
policies and the handling of the financial end of the
business. Julius A. J. Friedrich, Jr., will continue to
manage the sheet music and small instruments
departments.
It's all so easy, after all,
If we're but human parrots,
And know the countersign and call
And can tell beans from carrots!
There's nothing left at all to do,
If you are a go-getter,
But just to work like h—11 and coo—
"Day by day, in every way, the biz gets better'n
better!"
"DANNY" LUXTON'S ENTHUSIASM.
D. D. Luxton, of the Vose & Sons Piano Co.,
Boston, was in Chicago last week, and it was good
to hear him tell of the plans of the famous old Bos-
ton piano industry and the new factory, which was
COLUMBIA MAY SELL DICTAPHONE. pictured in last week's Presto. "We are arranging
for a celebration," said Mr. Luxton, "and it will show
The Columbia Graphophone Company is negotiat- again that Boston is the source of fine piano produc-
ing for the sale of its dictaphone business, according tion as never before." Mr. Luxton says that the area
to reports circulated in the financial district recently. of artistic pianos is here to stay for a while. Busi-
The amount involved in the transaction is said to be ness with the Vose is good and growing better every
$1,000,000. A new company is to be formed to take day.
over the manufacture of this product. According to
the report, this company having the exclusive rights
for the sale of the product in the United States and
WILL BUSH HERE FOR MEETING.
Canada.
W. L. Bush, of Dallas, Texas, president of Bush &
Gerts Piano Co., Chicago, as well as of the retail
concern of Bush & Gerts of Texas, was in Chicago
GENNETT RECORDS.
The Gennett records, made by the Phonograph for a few days late last week, and will be here again
Division of the Starr Piano Co., at Richmond, Ind., Tuesday of next week to attend the annual meeting
are having a great sale. They are clear-curve discs and election of officers. Mr. Bush arrived in Chicago
and the list includes a vast selection, to which addi- last Saturday, and left Monday for New York, Bos-
tions are constantly being made. Dealers will find ton, and Baltimore. He will return to Chicago on
it profitable to get the lists of Gennett records, Monday, Feb. 5.
where they will find many good ones not to be found
elsewhere.
PRICES IN VENEZUELA.
The prices of musical instruments in Venezuela run
PIANO STORE IN MERCED, CAL.
considerably higher than for similar articles in the
Lyle P. Conner, of San Francisco, has opened a United States, due principally to the high tariff rates,
music store in Merced, Cal., and the new enterprise which are assessed on the gross weight. The tariff
will be known as the Merced Music Co. Mr. Conner rate, including surtax, on phonographs is $17.13 pe-
was for nine years traveling sales manager for the hundred pounds; on musical instruments, $17.13 p*<
Baldwin Piano Co. out of San Francisco. The pianos hundred pounds; on sheet music, $1.37 per hundred
to be carried will include the Baldwin, Ellington, pounds; on organs, $10.28; on perforated music rolls,
Hamilton, Howard, Monarch, Winton and St. Regis. $10.28; and on pianos, $3.43 per hundred pounds.
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