Presto
Issue: 1924 1954 - Page 15
15
P R E S T O
January 5, 1924.
POPULARIZES BEAUTIFUL MUSIC
ST. LOUIS MUSIC DEALERS
REPORT NUMEROUS SALES
Expectations for Results in Piano Business Reported
Fully Justified in All Stores.
thousand
The music dealers of St. Louis entered on the holi-
day sale period with high expectations and prepara-
tions for numerous sales of pianos, players and re-
producing pianos were made in every store. The
first two weeks of December showed results far less
than expectations, but no disheartening comments
were heard. The experienced sales managers con-
tinued to believe in a big holiday piano business that
all the signs pointed to.
The closing week of the year which for the piano
men practically came to an end on the Saturday be-
fore Christmas, proved the wisdom of big piano sales
expectations. The crowding of sales to the days
before Christmas taxed the delivery facilities of all
the houses, but outside delivery aid was procured and
every customer desiring it got his instrument deliv-
ered on or immediately before the feast day.
In the pre-holiday advertising of the music depart-
ment of the Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney store
the merit of the C. Kurtzmann piano was held up
as "a piano with a noble heritage, the choice of music
lovers and music masters for more than three genera-
tions." The house reports a big list of sales of
Kurtzmann instruments, including many grands.
The Conroy Piano Co. as usual made the close of
the year a period for special effort for players and
reproducing pianos, the sales of which provide the
company with a new record for the period.
awcs , „ ,
NEW PHILADELPHIA FIRM.
' Alfonso de Zelaya, son of the late President of
Nicaragua, was born in South America some 37 years
ago. By nature of an artistic temperament, he
turned his attention to music with the determination
to become a master musician. For fifteen years he
has delighted the music lovers of America with the
exquisite and delicate tones he extracts from his
Baldwin piano. But he is more than a great pianist—
he is a philosopher.
• Don Alfonso is plump, rubicund, beaming and
suave. Typically a romantic Latin figure. There
may be philosophers who are greater than the charm-
ing Don Alfonso but none who are more harmonious.
»."I have studied many philosophies," said Doit Al—•
fons-o, waving a cigarette. "I have~read many books,
1 have gone deep into the teachings of the Hindus, •'
but the greatest understanding hs come to me
through studying the principle of unity. Unity has
opened up a channel in my consciousness for the ex-
pression of the perfect life. That channel is love for
humanity."
"Now I play the piano. Why, I thought, is music
more successful than I am. Then I learned that to
be in harmony with the beautiful chords my thoughts
must likewise be in harmony. Good music, that of
Schumann, Mozart, Liszt and Beethoven is construc-
tive, for it is the expression of beautiful, harmonious
thoughts."
, Then he sat down to the piano and hammered out
a jazz tune that would have caused a riot in any
cabaret. He threw up his hand. "That's jazz. Jazz
means something easy, cheap, common, vulgar. It
acts'on the nerve centers of the spine; sets the body
rocking; it is sensuous and scatters our energies.
Beautiful music, however, is one of the greatest
powers for good in the world."
Zelaya has brought to light something almost for-
gotten. Weird music of the Incas. Sparkling old
Spanish folk songs.
His recordings of these and
others will appear shortly on the new Baldwin repro-
ducing piano.
STARR SALES IN PHILADELPHIA.
Sales of the products of the Starr Piano Co., Rich-
mond, Ind., with the Witlin Musical Instrument Co.,
Philadelphia, for the month ending December 31 were
of the record making kind. Ben Witlin, proprietor
of the company, returned to headquarters last week
after closing up many new accounts in the coal re-
gion, where he spent the December days booking up
with dealers as representatives of the firm's Gennett
records and Starr pianos.
MOVES IN MIDDLETOWN, O.
After many years of prosperity on Main, street,
Middletown, O., the McFarland Music Co. decided
upon a more central location and recently leased a
large room at 408 East Third street. Last week the
fixtures, musical instruments, music, etc., have all
been transferred to the new iocation.
G. F. Field, formerly with the United Music Stores,
Philadelphia, has opened a store at 269 South
Eleventh street as jobber of the International roll
for playerpianos, for which he will be sole agent in
the territory. Later he proposes to add records for
talking machines and other lines of musical mer-
chandise in addition to the sheet music and roll busi-
ness. In his sales organization is H. Berta, who will
cover Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Dela-
ware. M. Schwartz, who for some years was con-
nected with the retail stores of J. H. Remick & Co.,
is now covering Philadelphia as salesman.
DECEMBER BUSINESS GOOD.
'"December business exceeded all expectations in
the Music Lovers' Shoppe of Rochester," said Clar-
ence Lucore, manager of that store, and of Neal,;
Clark & Neal's store in Buffalo. Mr. Lucore was
made general manager of the Neal, Clark & Neal
Co.'s store in Buffalo and the Music Lovers' Shoppe
in Rochester several months ago. "Grand pianos
are very active. W r e have almost cleared our floors
through the holiday demands, and I believe this de-
mand is going to continue on through the early
months of next year."
:.
THE "WEAVER'S" GREETING.
j
The New Year's greeting of the Weaver Piano Co.,!
Inc., of York, Pa., begins: "1923 is past. The im-
portant question is, What will we do with 1924? But
PLAYER TRADE GOOD.
The Stone Piano Co., Minneapolis, Minn., reports we cannot refrain from looking back and remember-
?
an excellent business in playerpianos during the pre- ing the pleasures of the old year. You have given us
Christmas period, and Arthur E. Monson, manager, opportunities to serve you, for which we are thankful.
believes the winter trade in all varieties of instru- We appreciate your good will. We hope to do more
ments will compare favorably with that of the winter for you in 1924 and wish all of joy and prosperity to
you throughout the year."
of 1922.
YOU CAN DO AN UP-TO-DATE PIANO BUSINESS
If you are equipped with the Salesman's helper and the piano's safe means of delivery. The Loader is the best of all sales stimulators.
With a Bowcn Loader the salesroom is transferred to the Prospect's home. It enables the customer to see and hear the instru-
ment without waiting for time to visit the store. No dealer with country trade can get along without a Loader.
Shipped on approval to responsible dealers.
BO WEN PIANO LOADER CO.,
<
Winston-Salem, N. C.
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/
P R E S T O
January 5, 1924.
POPULARIZES BEAUTIFUL MUSIC
ST. LOUIS MUSIC DEALERS
REPORT NUMEROUS SALES
Expectations for Results in Piano Business Reported
Fully Justified in All Stores.
thousand
The music dealers of St. Louis entered on the holi-
day sale period with high expectations and prepara-
tions for numerous sales of pianos, players and re-
producing pianos were made in every store. The
first two weeks of December showed results far less
than expectations, but no disheartening comments
were heard. The experienced sales managers con-
tinued to believe in a big holiday piano business that
all the signs pointed to.
The closing week of the year which for the piano
men practically came to an end on the Saturday be-
fore Christmas, proved the wisdom of big piano sales
expectations. The crowding of sales to the days
before Christmas taxed the delivery facilities of all
the houses, but outside delivery aid was procured and
every customer desiring it got his instrument deliv-
ered on or immediately before the feast day.
In the pre-holiday advertising of the music depart-
ment of the Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney store
the merit of the C. Kurtzmann piano was held up
as "a piano with a noble heritage, the choice of music
lovers and music masters for more than three genera-
tions." The house reports a big list of sales of
Kurtzmann instruments, including many grands.
The Conroy Piano Co. as usual made the close of
the year a period for special effort for players and
reproducing pianos, the sales of which provide the
company with a new record for the period.
awcs , „ ,
NEW PHILADELPHIA FIRM.
' Alfonso de Zelaya, son of the late President of
Nicaragua, was born in South America some 37 years
ago. By nature of an artistic temperament, he
turned his attention to music with the determination
to become a master musician. For fifteen years he
has delighted the music lovers of America with the
exquisite and delicate tones he extracts from his
Baldwin piano. But he is more than a great pianist—
he is a philosopher.
• Don Alfonso is plump, rubicund, beaming and
suave. Typically a romantic Latin figure. There
may be philosophers who are greater than the charm-
ing Don Alfonso but none who are more harmonious.
»."I have studied many philosophies," said Doit Al—•
fons-o, waving a cigarette. "I have~read many books,
1 have gone deep into the teachings of the Hindus, •'
but the greatest understanding hs come to me
through studying the principle of unity. Unity has
opened up a channel in my consciousness for the ex-
pression of the perfect life. That channel is love for
humanity."
"Now I play the piano. Why, I thought, is music
more successful than I am. Then I learned that to
be in harmony with the beautiful chords my thoughts
must likewise be in harmony. Good music, that of
Schumann, Mozart, Liszt and Beethoven is construc-
tive, for it is the expression of beautiful, harmonious
thoughts."
, Then he sat down to the piano and hammered out
a jazz tune that would have caused a riot in any
cabaret. He threw up his hand. "That's jazz. Jazz
means something easy, cheap, common, vulgar. It
acts'on the nerve centers of the spine; sets the body
rocking; it is sensuous and scatters our energies.
Beautiful music, however, is one of the greatest
powers for good in the world."
Zelaya has brought to light something almost for-
gotten. Weird music of the Incas. Sparkling old
Spanish folk songs.
His recordings of these and
others will appear shortly on the new Baldwin repro-
ducing piano.
STARR SALES IN PHILADELPHIA.
Sales of the products of the Starr Piano Co., Rich-
mond, Ind., with the Witlin Musical Instrument Co.,
Philadelphia, for the month ending December 31 were
of the record making kind. Ben Witlin, proprietor
of the company, returned to headquarters last week
after closing up many new accounts in the coal re-
gion, where he spent the December days booking up
with dealers as representatives of the firm's Gennett
records and Starr pianos.
MOVES IN MIDDLETOWN, O.
After many years of prosperity on Main, street,
Middletown, O., the McFarland Music Co. decided
upon a more central location and recently leased a
large room at 408 East Third street. Last week the
fixtures, musical instruments, music, etc., have all
been transferred to the new iocation.
G. F. Field, formerly with the United Music Stores,
Philadelphia, has opened a store at 269 South
Eleventh street as jobber of the International roll
for playerpianos, for which he will be sole agent in
the territory. Later he proposes to add records for
talking machines and other lines of musical mer-
chandise in addition to the sheet music and roll busi-
ness. In his sales organization is H. Berta, who will
cover Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Dela-
ware. M. Schwartz, who for some years was con-
nected with the retail stores of J. H. Remick & Co.,
is now covering Philadelphia as salesman.
DECEMBER BUSINESS GOOD.
'"December business exceeded all expectations in
the Music Lovers' Shoppe of Rochester," said Clar-
ence Lucore, manager of that store, and of Neal,;
Clark & Neal's store in Buffalo. Mr. Lucore was
made general manager of the Neal, Clark & Neal
Co.'s store in Buffalo and the Music Lovers' Shoppe
in Rochester several months ago. "Grand pianos
are very active. W r e have almost cleared our floors
through the holiday demands, and I believe this de-
mand is going to continue on through the early
months of next year."
:.
THE "WEAVER'S" GREETING.
j
The New Year's greeting of the Weaver Piano Co.,!
Inc., of York, Pa., begins: "1923 is past. The im-
portant question is, What will we do with 1924? But
PLAYER TRADE GOOD.
The Stone Piano Co., Minneapolis, Minn., reports we cannot refrain from looking back and remember-
?
an excellent business in playerpianos during the pre- ing the pleasures of the old year. You have given us
Christmas period, and Arthur E. Monson, manager, opportunities to serve you, for which we are thankful.
believes the winter trade in all varieties of instru- We appreciate your good will. We hope to do more
ments will compare favorably with that of the winter for you in 1924 and wish all of joy and prosperity to
you throughout the year."
of 1922.
YOU CAN DO AN UP-TO-DATE PIANO BUSINESS
If you are equipped with the Salesman's helper and the piano's safe means of delivery. The Loader is the best of all sales stimulators.
With a Bowcn Loader the salesroom is transferred to the Prospect's home. It enables the customer to see and hear the instru-
ment without waiting for time to visit the store. No dealer with country trade can get along without a Loader.
Shipped on approval to responsible dealers.
BO WEN PIANO LOADER CO.,
<
Winston-Salem, N. C.
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).