Presto
Issue: 1923 1946 - Page 3
Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
Presto Trade List*
Three Uniform Book-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Mui
Industries.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1923
WALDORF=ASTORIA
HEADQUARTERS
Board of Directors of Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce This Week Decide Upon
Famous New York Hotel as Conven-
tion Rallying Point.
NAMES TENTATIVE DATE
Week of May 18 to 23 Selected, Subject to Concur-
rence of the Other Trade Association
Units.
The meeting of the board of directors of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce, which was held
in the Chamber offices November 2, was unusual with
respect to the number of important matters which
were transacted, among which were the selection of
the Waldorf-Astoria as the hotel at which next year's
convention will be held and tentative selection of the
week of May 18-23 as the date of the convention.
Why Selected.
The Waldorf-Astoria, an internationally famous
hotel, was selected upon recommendation of a special
committee which had investigated thoroughly the
rates and facilities of all the leading New York hotels.
The Waldorf-Astoria offered best meeting-room ac-
commodations for the convention, and being in the
same block with the Hotels McAlpin and Martinique,
which are under the same ownership and manage-
ment, it was able to reserve an unusually large num-
ber of rooms in all three hotels at low rates.
Important Reason.
The Waldorf-Astoria, moreover, has the reputation
of offering the best banquet and luncheon services in
New York City, and the rates for these facilities were
as low as those submitted by any other hotel. An
additional desirable feature is that this hotel has the
best rooms in the city for exhibition purposes and
will charge exhibitors only the regular rates for these
rooms.
The Committee on Convention Arrangements,
which made the selection of the hotel as headquar-
ters, consisted of the following: Robert N. Watkin
and William C. Hamilton, representing the music
merchants; C. T. Purdy, representing the New York
music merchants; Irwin Kurtz, representing the local
phonograph dealers; J. W. Stevens, representing the
New York piano manufacturers; A. W. Johnston,
representing manufacturers of musical supplies; and
William J. Haussler, representing the small goods
and musical merchandise dealers.
The Time.
The week of May 18-23 was tentatively selected
as the convention date, subject to the concurrence of
the National Association of Music Merchants and
other associations which are members of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce. The first week in
June was considered, but was objected to on account
of the possibility of extreme heat at that time, and
also because it would conflict with the Shriners' Con-
vention at Kansas City, the National Republican and
Democratic conventions.
Other Duties Considered.
It was decided not to hold the convention during
the week of May 25th because of the fact that Me-
morial Day falls on Friday of that week, and many
members do not like to be away from business the
early part of the week. A date during the early part
of May was objected to on account of the possi-
bility of cold and rainy weather and also because of
the difficulty of preparing the many reports of. the
different bureaus of the Chamber in time for the con-
vention. After considerable discussion the week of
May 18-23 was decided upon as the most satisfactory
from all points of view.
Convention Report.
The final report of the Prosperity Convention Com-
mittee was received by the board of directors of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce at a meeting
in New York this week, and a vote of thanks was
tendered to James T. Bristol and other members of
the committee for their very efficient work in con-
nction with the Prosperity Convention this year.
New Members.
The following music firms have become individual
members of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce by action of the board of directors at a meet-
ing this week: Mayer Brothers & Bramley, New
York City; Horton, Gallo, Creammer Company, New
Haven, Conn.; W. G. Walz Company, El Paso, Tex.
Those Who Attended.
The following were in attendance at the meeting
of the board of directors of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce this week: Richard W. Law-
rence, president; C. C. Conway, George Fischer, A. G.
Gulbransen, E. Paul Hamilton, William C. Hamilton,
William J. Haussler, William C. Heaton, Hermann
Irlon, A. W. Johnston, James T. Rose, C. Alfred
Wagner and Alfred L. Smith, secretary.
FINE MASON & HAMLIN
SHOWING BY THE CABLE CO.
Largest Picture in Window Quotes Scientific Ameri-
can on Characteristics of Fine Instrument.
The Cable Piano Co., S. Wabash Ave. and Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, presents the Mason & Hamlin
in an attractive window display this week. The fine
Mason & Hamlin instrument is termed "Musically
the most beautiful piano the world has ever known,"
and a host of musicians indorse the superlative state-
ment.
Near the piano, in the Cable window, sets a picture
3 ft. by 2 ft., quoting the Scientific American on the
mechanism of the Mason & Hamlin instruments as
follows: "One imperfection in the modern piano-
forte, found even in the instruments of standard
makers, has been the loss in tone quality, due to
the inability of the sounding-board to retain its
tension. The problem seems at last to have been
satisfactorily solved by a most simple and ingenious
construction embodied in the pianos of Mason &
Hamlin."
GOOD ANNIVERSARY RESULTS.
A satisfactory sales stimulation resulted in the
business of O. J. DeMoll & Co., Washington, D. C,
from the recent observance of the twenty-first an-
niversary of the Company, at Twelfth and G streets
northwest. Special exhibits were prepared of players,
baby grands and phonographs, and all the depart-
ments of the store were decorated with leaves and
Fall flowers. On the fourth floor, the floor on which
the concert hall of the company is located, two small
rooms which had been used to exhibit pianos were
remodeled to form one big room for the showing of
two reproducing grands.
EXPANDS IN CONNECTICUT.
Several lines of music goods are handled in the
new store of Irving G. Bovee, Torrington, Conn., re-
cently opened here in the Wadhams Building, 16
Litchfield street. Mr. Bovee has been engaged in
business in Winsted for over twenty-three years and
has recently disposed of a sporting goods store there.
He will continue to conduct a music in that place
in addition to the one in Torrington.
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP.
The Music Shop, 722 Riverside, Spokane, Wash.,
has just been sold to W. E. Bailey, president of
Bailey's, Inc., by Ray A. Grombacher. The newly
purchased store, which was opened four years ago to
carry photographs and sheet music, will give Bailey's
two music stores, the original one at W818 Sprague
having been opened six years ago.
NEW LONG ISLAND FIRM.
Herbert Ives has opened a music store in Free-
port, Long Island, known as the Freeport Music
Shop. The store will have a complete small goods
department and will specialize in band and orchestra
instruments. Mr. Ives has a large following in mu-
sical circles and at one time was an active orchestra
leader.
THE GAVEAU AND OTHER
FAMOUS FRENCH PIANOS
Son of Head of Gaveau et Cie, Paris, Has Been
Visiting Great Plant of Baldwin, in Cin-
cinnati.
OTHER NOTABLE NAMES
Comparison of the Characteristics of Instruments
Known to All Artists the World Over.
Andre Gaveau, son of the head of Gaveau et Cie,
Paris, France, spent some time in the factories of the
Baldwin Piano Co., in Cincinnati, in order to study
American methods of artistic piano construction.
Mr. Gaveau and his fellow traveler, Mr. Richards,
who is superintendent of the Paris factory, had al-
ready visited New York and Chicago, where they in-
spected a number of the great piano industries. In
addition to what has already appeared in Presto, fur-
ther particulars concerning the famous French piano
house will be of interest.
This firm was founded by J. G. Gaveau, in 1847.
It is now capitalized at 12,000,000 francs, under the
name of Gaveau et Cie. The factory is located at
Fontenay-sous-bois just outside of Paris, and the
general offices, salesrooms and concert halls are at
47 rue de la Boetie, Paris. The offices in Paris at the
latter address are of quite recent construction and the
concert hall is ideally adapted for recitals, etc. Be-
sides pianos of current models this company makes a
specialty of instruments of the Louis XIV, XV, and
XVI periods.
In 1911 Gabriel Gaveau withdrew from the firm of
Gaveau et Champagnie, administered at that time by
his brother, and set up a firm of his own with a fac-
tory in Boulogne sur Seine. He specializes in richly
ornamented de luxe pianos and has built up a clientele
for his production which purchases about 800 pianos
annually.
The makes of Pleyel, Gaveau, and Erard, while
each recognized as first class, have characteristics
sufficiently distinctive to appeal to a certain type of
piano user. Thus it is said that the Erard has a com-
paratively hard touch which makes it popular with
pupils of certain schools such as Phillips, which spe-
cializes in a hard touch technique. The Pleyel is
known for its delicacy of touch and many artists in-
sist on it on account of the fact that it allows them a
wider range of interpretation. For the same reason
it is not often recommended for beginners. The
Gaveau on the other hand has a touch not as delicate
as that of the Pleyel and is more suitable for use of
beginners. The mechanism is constructed in such a
manner that the hammers are arrested slightly be-
fore striking the strings and the resultant tpne is
thereby softened considerably.
HELPFUL FEATURES OF
ONE CHAMBER BUREAU
Its Chief Functions Are to Keep in Close Touch
with Federal Legislation.
One of the chief functions of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce has always been to keep in
Close touch with Federal Legislation affecting the
music industry, and also to work through the local
state music organizations with respect to state legis-
lation. An essential feature of this kind of work is
prompt information in regard to the introduction of
bills in the State Legislatures affecting the music in-
dustry.
A service has been offered to the Chamber whereby
reports on such legislation or proposed legislation will
be rendered from all of the states within thirty-six
hours after the introduction of the bills, and the
Board of Directors authorized the Chamber to enter
into a contract with the firm offering this service, for
the supplying of these reports.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Analyzes and Classifies
All American Pianos
and in Detail Tells of
Their Makers.
PRESTO
Presto Trade List*
Three Uniform Book-
lets, the Only Complete
Directories of the Mui
Industries.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1923
WALDORF=ASTORIA
HEADQUARTERS
Board of Directors of Music Industries Cham-
ber of Commerce This Week Decide Upon
Famous New York Hotel as Conven-
tion Rallying Point.
NAMES TENTATIVE DATE
Week of May 18 to 23 Selected, Subject to Concur-
rence of the Other Trade Association
Units.
The meeting of the board of directors of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce, which was held
in the Chamber offices November 2, was unusual with
respect to the number of important matters which
were transacted, among which were the selection of
the Waldorf-Astoria as the hotel at which next year's
convention will be held and tentative selection of the
week of May 18-23 as the date of the convention.
Why Selected.
The Waldorf-Astoria, an internationally famous
hotel, was selected upon recommendation of a special
committee which had investigated thoroughly the
rates and facilities of all the leading New York hotels.
The Waldorf-Astoria offered best meeting-room ac-
commodations for the convention, and being in the
same block with the Hotels McAlpin and Martinique,
which are under the same ownership and manage-
ment, it was able to reserve an unusually large num-
ber of rooms in all three hotels at low rates.
Important Reason.
The Waldorf-Astoria, moreover, has the reputation
of offering the best banquet and luncheon services in
New York City, and the rates for these facilities were
as low as those submitted by any other hotel. An
additional desirable feature is that this hotel has the
best rooms in the city for exhibition purposes and
will charge exhibitors only the regular rates for these
rooms.
The Committee on Convention Arrangements,
which made the selection of the hotel as headquar-
ters, consisted of the following: Robert N. Watkin
and William C. Hamilton, representing the music
merchants; C. T. Purdy, representing the New York
music merchants; Irwin Kurtz, representing the local
phonograph dealers; J. W. Stevens, representing the
New York piano manufacturers; A. W. Johnston,
representing manufacturers of musical supplies; and
William J. Haussler, representing the small goods
and musical merchandise dealers.
The Time.
The week of May 18-23 was tentatively selected
as the convention date, subject to the concurrence of
the National Association of Music Merchants and
other associations which are members of the Music
Industries Chamber of Commerce. The first week in
June was considered, but was objected to on account
of the possibility of extreme heat at that time, and
also because it would conflict with the Shriners' Con-
vention at Kansas City, the National Republican and
Democratic conventions.
Other Duties Considered.
It was decided not to hold the convention during
the week of May 25th because of the fact that Me-
morial Day falls on Friday of that week, and many
members do not like to be away from business the
early part of the week. A date during the early part
of May was objected to on account of the possi-
bility of cold and rainy weather and also because of
the difficulty of preparing the many reports of. the
different bureaus of the Chamber in time for the con-
vention. After considerable discussion the week of
May 18-23 was decided upon as the most satisfactory
from all points of view.
Convention Report.
The final report of the Prosperity Convention Com-
mittee was received by the board of directors of the
Music Industries Chamber of Commerce at a meeting
in New York this week, and a vote of thanks was
tendered to James T. Bristol and other members of
the committee for their very efficient work in con-
nction with the Prosperity Convention this year.
New Members.
The following music firms have become individual
members of the Music Industries Chamber of Com-
merce by action of the board of directors at a meet-
ing this week: Mayer Brothers & Bramley, New
York City; Horton, Gallo, Creammer Company, New
Haven, Conn.; W. G. Walz Company, El Paso, Tex.
Those Who Attended.
The following were in attendance at the meeting
of the board of directors of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce this week: Richard W. Law-
rence, president; C. C. Conway, George Fischer, A. G.
Gulbransen, E. Paul Hamilton, William C. Hamilton,
William J. Haussler, William C. Heaton, Hermann
Irlon, A. W. Johnston, James T. Rose, C. Alfred
Wagner and Alfred L. Smith, secretary.
FINE MASON & HAMLIN
SHOWING BY THE CABLE CO.
Largest Picture in Window Quotes Scientific Ameri-
can on Characteristics of Fine Instrument.
The Cable Piano Co., S. Wabash Ave. and Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, presents the Mason & Hamlin
in an attractive window display this week. The fine
Mason & Hamlin instrument is termed "Musically
the most beautiful piano the world has ever known,"
and a host of musicians indorse the superlative state-
ment.
Near the piano, in the Cable window, sets a picture
3 ft. by 2 ft., quoting the Scientific American on the
mechanism of the Mason & Hamlin instruments as
follows: "One imperfection in the modern piano-
forte, found even in the instruments of standard
makers, has been the loss in tone quality, due to
the inability of the sounding-board to retain its
tension. The problem seems at last to have been
satisfactorily solved by a most simple and ingenious
construction embodied in the pianos of Mason &
Hamlin."
GOOD ANNIVERSARY RESULTS.
A satisfactory sales stimulation resulted in the
business of O. J. DeMoll & Co., Washington, D. C,
from the recent observance of the twenty-first an-
niversary of the Company, at Twelfth and G streets
northwest. Special exhibits were prepared of players,
baby grands and phonographs, and all the depart-
ments of the store were decorated with leaves and
Fall flowers. On the fourth floor, the floor on which
the concert hall of the company is located, two small
rooms which had been used to exhibit pianos were
remodeled to form one big room for the showing of
two reproducing grands.
EXPANDS IN CONNECTICUT.
Several lines of music goods are handled in the
new store of Irving G. Bovee, Torrington, Conn., re-
cently opened here in the Wadhams Building, 16
Litchfield street. Mr. Bovee has been engaged in
business in Winsted for over twenty-three years and
has recently disposed of a sporting goods store there.
He will continue to conduct a music in that place
in addition to the one in Torrington.
CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP.
The Music Shop, 722 Riverside, Spokane, Wash.,
has just been sold to W. E. Bailey, president of
Bailey's, Inc., by Ray A. Grombacher. The newly
purchased store, which was opened four years ago to
carry photographs and sheet music, will give Bailey's
two music stores, the original one at W818 Sprague
having been opened six years ago.
NEW LONG ISLAND FIRM.
Herbert Ives has opened a music store in Free-
port, Long Island, known as the Freeport Music
Shop. The store will have a complete small goods
department and will specialize in band and orchestra
instruments. Mr. Ives has a large following in mu-
sical circles and at one time was an active orchestra
leader.
THE GAVEAU AND OTHER
FAMOUS FRENCH PIANOS
Son of Head of Gaveau et Cie, Paris, Has Been
Visiting Great Plant of Baldwin, in Cin-
cinnati.
OTHER NOTABLE NAMES
Comparison of the Characteristics of Instruments
Known to All Artists the World Over.
Andre Gaveau, son of the head of Gaveau et Cie,
Paris, France, spent some time in the factories of the
Baldwin Piano Co., in Cincinnati, in order to study
American methods of artistic piano construction.
Mr. Gaveau and his fellow traveler, Mr. Richards,
who is superintendent of the Paris factory, had al-
ready visited New York and Chicago, where they in-
spected a number of the great piano industries. In
addition to what has already appeared in Presto, fur-
ther particulars concerning the famous French piano
house will be of interest.
This firm was founded by J. G. Gaveau, in 1847.
It is now capitalized at 12,000,000 francs, under the
name of Gaveau et Cie. The factory is located at
Fontenay-sous-bois just outside of Paris, and the
general offices, salesrooms and concert halls are at
47 rue de la Boetie, Paris. The offices in Paris at the
latter address are of quite recent construction and the
concert hall is ideally adapted for recitals, etc. Be-
sides pianos of current models this company makes a
specialty of instruments of the Louis XIV, XV, and
XVI periods.
In 1911 Gabriel Gaveau withdrew from the firm of
Gaveau et Champagnie, administered at that time by
his brother, and set up a firm of his own with a fac-
tory in Boulogne sur Seine. He specializes in richly
ornamented de luxe pianos and has built up a clientele
for his production which purchases about 800 pianos
annually.
The makes of Pleyel, Gaveau, and Erard, while
each recognized as first class, have characteristics
sufficiently distinctive to appeal to a certain type of
piano user. Thus it is said that the Erard has a com-
paratively hard touch which makes it popular with
pupils of certain schools such as Phillips, which spe-
cializes in a hard touch technique. The Pleyel is
known for its delicacy of touch and many artists in-
sist on it on account of the fact that it allows them a
wider range of interpretation. For the same reason
it is not often recommended for beginners. The
Gaveau on the other hand has a touch not as delicate
as that of the Pleyel and is more suitable for use of
beginners. The mechanism is constructed in such a
manner that the hammers are arrested slightly be-
fore striking the strings and the resultant tpne is
thereby softened considerably.
HELPFUL FEATURES OF
ONE CHAMBER BUREAU
Its Chief Functions Are to Keep in Close Touch
with Federal Legislation.
One of the chief functions of the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce has always been to keep in
Close touch with Federal Legislation affecting the
music industry, and also to work through the local
state music organizations with respect to state legis-
lation. An essential feature of this kind of work is
prompt information in regard to the introduction of
bills in the State Legislatures affecting the music in-
dustry.
A service has been offered to the Chamber whereby
reports on such legislation or proposed legislation will
be rendered from all of the states within thirty-six
hours after the introduction of the bills, and the
Board of Directors authorized the Chamber to enter
into a contract with the firm offering this service, for
the supplying of these reports.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
Additional enhancement, optimization, and distribution by the International Arcade Museum. An extensive collection of Presto can be found online at http://www.arcade-museum.com/library/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).