Presto

March, 1932
PRESTO-TIMES
prevailing among the hundreds of people on the THE VOCAL CONTEST SPONSORED
Grinnell pay roll, and the excellent service in every
BY AMERICAN PIANO COR-
department of this institution.
While the Grinnell Bros, business in Detroit was
PORATION FOR BEST
continually increasing they were reaching out into the
CHILD'S VOICE
state for business; establishing branches at various
cities, until today they are represented with stores in
all section of Michigan; each the leading store of
KNABE GRAND PIANO PRESENTED TO
its kind in its locality, and in addition to their Michi-
THE WINNER
gan stores they have a large music store in Windsor,
Out., and Toledo and Lima, Ohio, as well. They
also have nine branch stores in Detroit, all located
Some tiine ago auditions were given in the parlors
in thriving business districts.
of Ampico Hall, New York, for the final contest for
The Grinnell Bros, piano factory is located at child voices sponsored by Wm. Knabe & Co. On
Holly, Mich., a plant which they secured many years these occasions prominent members of the Metropol-
ago after having decided to enter the piano manu- itan Opera Company were the judges, among them
facturing field. Here they produce an instrument well Marek Winheim, Hans Clemens, Mario Basiola, Fan-
worthy of the name of piano quality and which has nie Hurst, Leopold Bodowsky, S. L. Rothafel, Ro-
met with high favor by professional musicians, musi- mano Romani, Leonard Liebling, the Duchesse de
cal people generally, and the public; grands, uprights, Richelieu, Victor Harris, F. H. B. Byrne and Berthol
players and reproducing pianos. Their first piano Neuer.
factory, located at Cass and Jones streets, Detroit, is
The award went to Pauline Page of 690 East 158th
now used for their repairing, remodeling and refin- street, the Bronx, New York, 11-year-old girl of Por-
ishing work.
tuguese descent who resembles very much in features
The Grinnell Realty Company, another phase of the the well known artist, Lily Pons, who was also one
T
Grinnell Organization activities, and w hich is a very of the judges. The girl was the second choice to be
extensive and constantly increasing business in itself,
is directed from their headquarters building at 1515-21
Woodward avenue.
Mr. I. L. Grinnell and Mr. C. A. Grinnell, the orig-
inal founders of the Grinnell business, have both
passed on, Mr. I. L.'s death occurring in September,
1921, and that of Mr. C. A. in April, 1927. The pres-
ent officers are: Mr. A. A. Grinnell, president; Mr.
E. W. Grinnell, vice-president and treasurer; Mr. S.
E. Clark, vice-president and secretary; Mr. Jay Grin-
nell, vice-president and assistant secretary; Mr. H. W.
Rapp, vice-president and assistant treasurer; Mr. L.
G. Grinnell, assistant secretary, and Mr. L. E. Grin-
nell, assistant treasurer.
The musical development of Michigan and the
surrounding territory the House of Grinnell has so
long served, is closely identified with the growth and
progress of this great musical institution. Grinnell
Bros. Music House has ever been ready to lend its
support to the furtherance of the musical and cul-
tural life of the community, and through it hun-
dreds of thousands of homes have been, and are,
brightened and cheered by the presence of instru-
ments furnished by this organization. Music as an
art, music as an influence for the development of
good and the best in life and music as a business are
well combined in the activities of Grinnell Bros. They
have always kept abreast of the times; always spon-
soring the cause of good music. Their recent en-
trance into the field of broadcasting is an illustration
of this. Each week they present two programs over
WJR in which carefully chosen selections are ren-
PAGE WITH ROSA PONSELLE. IN THE
dered by artists of outstanding talent. They feel that PAULINE
BACKGROUND MR. DANIEL FROHMAN
in developing a taste for good music and contributing
to the pleasures of the home life they are having a
definite part in the upbuilding of the community and called for a hearing from seven girls and one boy, all
promoting the cause of civic betterment.
Their under 15, who were selected for the final contest from
success as a mercantile organization amply attests 150 contestants throughout the city.
After the judges had announced their decision,
the appreciation by the public of the policy they have
so undeviatingly followed, and with the still greater Rosa Ponselle presented the girl with a small grand
possibilities which their present commanding position Ampico piano, which the sponsors had donated as first
in the musical field presents it may be confidently ex- prize. Pauline Page was born in this country and
pected that they will have still further growth as a has been studying singing for a year. Her sister,
business institution and be an ever-more powerful Leonora, aged 14, plays the piano, and their mother is
influence in the country's musical and cultural devel- an amateur musician, playing the mandolin, guitar
and piano by ear.
opment.
When asked to express her opinion of the child's
Another customary feature in the Grinnell Organi-
voice, Miss Ponselle said:
zation is the annual Grinnell Bros, convention of
"We were swept off our feet by the really extra-
branch store and department managers, this year's
gathering, which was held as usual in Detroit, being ordinary talent of little Pauline Page. Her diction
the twenty-ninth annual get-together, and which con- and tone are absolutely amazing and she has a de-
tinued for three days. Morning and afternoon ses- lightful personality."
Presto-Times presents herewith a photograph
sions were held at which the business of the past
year was reviewed and various phases of operation showing Pauline Page standing beside Rosa Ponselle
discussed. Plans for future operations are thor- and in the background Daniel Frohman, who made an
address on the occasion of the final contest and
oughly gone over at these meetings.
Grinnell Bros, now have branch store at Adrian, presentation of the piano.
Ann Arbor, Bay City, Birmingham, Flint, Grand
The Fox Movietone representatives were on hand
Rapids, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and moving pictures were made for use in New York
Monroe, Muskegon, Pontiac, Port Huron, Saginaw, and for American Piano Corporation representatives,
Wyandotte and Ypsilanti, Mich.; Windsor, Ontario, should they be needed.
and Toledo, Ohio, as well as a number of Detroit
The occasion of this presentation was unusually
branches.
interesting and entertaining.
This year's convention closed Wednesday night
Before the contest began the eight young singers
with a banquet at the Hotel Tuller, at which 118 were posed with Daniel Frohman, who told them that
in attendance as guests of the Grinnell Bros. Music music was "the most inspiring art next to drama."
House. Mr. Jay Grinnell presided as toastmaster and The drama, he said, was 3,000 years old, but music
various members of the Grinnell directorate, as well was much older.
as others, were heard in exceedingly interesting ad-
dresses. Grinnell Bros, are pleased to report con-
TRIBUTE TO T H E LATE ED. SMITH
siderable increased activity at their various stores
since the first of the year, and their managers are
When referring to the late Edward C. Smith, who
highly optimistic as to the business outlook for 1932. was connected with the W. W. Kimball Company
for over forty years, Mr. Blanchard, auditor, referred
WILL PUT HER MONEY TO GOOD USE
to Mr. Smith as probably the best retail salesman
Mary Kazeta, 3365 Union avenue, Chicago, who in the United States. "At least there was not a bet-
was awarded $8,750 for injuries while riding in a taxi, ter piano salesman," he said. This high estimate is
says she is going to devote this money to contin- borne out by the tribute that his successor as man-
uing her piano studies, hoping to become so pro- ager, Mr. Eugene Whalen, pays to his predecessor:
ficient as to earn a good living.
"No man could have succeeded a greater man."
THE WAGNER-BECHSTEIN ON DISPLAY
IN CHICAGO AT BISSELL-WEISERT'S
The Wagner-Bechstein grand piano sent to Chicago
from New York for display at the Bissell-Weisert
salesrooms, Chicago, has attracted considerable atten-
tion and drawn numerous musically inclined persons
to view the instrument which was presented to the
great composer by Carl Bechstein. The instrument is
a full-sized grand, having been built especially for
Richard Wagner. There are several conveniences,
such as a music desk especially designed for writ-
ing and composing music, and music drawers on each
side of the piano below the keyboard, conveniences
which the composer evidently made use of in com-
posing and arranging many of his compositions.
The Bissell-Weisert Company is carrying at the
present time quite a large stock of Bechstein grands
and has come to be one of the leading Bechstein
representatives in the United States. The leading
American piano now handled by Bissell-Weisert is
the Knabe, and an important unit in their agency
is the celebrated Mathushek little grand known as the
Spinet, an instrument that has met with marked
favor and many sales at the hands of this representa-
tive and active piano house.
EARL BILLINGS JOINS CARL SUMMERS AT
JACKSON, OHIO
Persons who have been inquiring "What has be-
come of Earl Billings?" will receive the interesting
information that Earl has been engaged as sales man-
ager for Summers' Music Stores, with headquarters
at Jackson, Ohio. Speaking of Mr. Billings' ability
the "Herald," published at Jackson, says:
"He understands pianos from the factory knowl-
edge to the total qualities, having w r orked in a fac-
tory and for 23 years was employed by the Cable
Piano Company in Chicago, having in the time been
manager of the branches in Minneapolis and Miami.
"He is married, has a son in the Missouri State
University, another in high school and one in the
grades. He will probably move to Jackson after the
close of the school year."
NATIONAL MUSIC WEEK
Music is keeping step with the march of the times
with regard to the plans for making the ninth Na-
tional Music Week, May 1-7, an impressive illustra-
tion of music's place in human life. That movement,
which represents "music of the people, for the people
and by the people," is this year being shaped so that
the Music Week may be an objective for the develop-
ment of activities which will stimulate the use of
music as a salutary form of recreation during the
present emergency. Local committees in the more
than 2,000 cities or towns observing National Music
Week are making contact with people .in their natural
group environments so that they may be helped to
experience the joy of self-expression through music.
Adults as well as young people are being led to re-
alize that, in these trying times, a highly satisfying
emotional outlet as well as a positive force is to "Hear
Music, Make Music, Enjoy Music."
INFORMATION ON A FIVE AND SIX
OCTAVE MODEL
Letters have come to Presto-Times asking where
the small five and six octave pianos can be obtained
at first hand to which inquiries Presto-Times is
pleased to refer to the Kohler-Brambach Piano Com-
pany of New York, which manufactures the well-
known small instruments known as the "Tom
Thumb" models. These "Tom Thumb" pianos are
made in mahogany, walnut and various colored fin-
ished. The decorated models are extremely attrac-
tive and beautifully done. They are also very glad
to finish these little pianos to match any color scheme.
MR. CHRISTIANER'S PRESENT ADDRESS
Fred L. Christianer, well known piano man and one
who has had an extended experience in piano selling,
is at present located at 1303 Alpha street, Los Ange-
les. Mr. Christianer represented the Cable-Nelson
line on the Pacific Coast years ago and also was
with the Cote Piano Company of Fall River, Mass.,
and for several years, up to the first of the present
year, was general representative on the Pacific Coast
of the Story-Clark line. Mr. Christianer is a brother
of the late Frank Christianer, who for several years
was advance agent and later general manager of
Sousa's Band.
MR. STANLEY'S NEW LINE OF WORK
C. A. Stanley, Jr., who has been representing the
J. P. Seeburg Corporation, Chicago, in the mortuary
organ department of that concern, having discontinued
with the Seeburg Corporation, has joined the Zero-
zone Company, manufacturers of refrigerators, and
is now actively engaged in developing a line of refrig-
eration business in the music trade and other lines.
Mr. Stanley is quite enthusiastic over his new line of
business and expects much activity in the coming
refrigerator season.
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