Presto
Issue: 1936 2280 - Page 12
12
PRESTO-TIMES
Grinnell Bros, and Stein way Sales
By Henry MacMullan
Speaking of piano prestige and the remarkable sell-
ing strength of the Steinway piano in general and
the record of success of the Steinway Model "S" at
$885, announced in February this year, Mr. Jay Grin-
nell, president of Grinnell Bros., in an interview with
Presto-Times went on to say that Steinway prestige
throughout the state of Michigan is being strongly
approved and increased by Grinnell Bros, advertising
and the increased sales of Steinway pianos in the
numerous Grinnell stores in both peninsulas.
"We stocked all our stores with that new small
$885 Steinway grand just as soon as we could secure
the stock," said Mr. Grinnell. "The piano went at
a rapid pace from the first and has continued a prime
seller ever since it came on the market last February.
Our customers like the instrument; it has brought
many sales that might not have been made had the
price not been within their range, and now after six
months of selling this new $885 instrument we find
nothing but praise and satisfaction from every
purchaser."
Mr. Grinnell was asked how many Grinnell stores
are now operating, to which he replied:
"We now have twenty in the state of Michigan. At
present we have only one in Canada, at Chatham.
You know the duty on pianos from the United States
to Canada is 42J/j per cent, which makes exportation
to that country prohibitive. We were obliged to close
our stores in Windsor, the Canadian city of Sault Ste.
Marie and several other Canadian cities. We get our
pianos for the Chatham store from Germany. There
is no duty on importation of pianos from Germany to
Canada."
PARNHAM OF EVERETT TAKES
PACIFIC COAST RESIDENCE;
WESTBOUND IN HOUSE-
TRAILER OUTFIT
John I'arnham did a memorable piece of work in
carrying on the great feat involved in selling success-
fully a piano output great in proportions though not
particularly great in name. Taking over the Everett
piano, which had lain almost dormant for a long while
and establishing manufacture of a piano bearing that
name as part and parcel of the "Cable-Nelson." "Lake-
side," "Everett," trinity, was a potent factor in adding
to the prestige of his business. Neither of the other
two names could compare as a name value with the
Everett, which eventually became the corporate name
of Mr. Parnham's piano manufacturing enterprises at
South Haven.
It is probably to Mr. Parnham's credit that he did
not go back and assume more of the prestige of the
original Everett, which piano was established at Bos-
ton in 1883 by John Church, Jr., of Cincinnati, and Col.
William Moore of Boston, who had been with the
Emerson Company, for had he done so the names
of many celebrities in piano playing history of Amer-
ica could have been utilized. Among them Ossip
Gabrilowitsch, who was brought here by A. M.
Wright, who had become manager of the Everett
Piano Company for an Everett piano concert tour of
America. However, this is old-time history.
Apparently Mr. Parnham gets to enjoy the first real
outing- he has had in a long and strenuous career which
at times could have been qualified as events tumultu-
ous. His home property at South Haven has been
disposed of and there seems no obstacle to a per-
manent and delightful Parnham family home on tin-
Pacific Coast. The Parnham entourage is moving
along somewhere over the great Western country
lying between the Mississippi River and the Pacific
Ocean and is headed for Pacific Coast port of entry
for Pullman automobile trailers like that of the Parn-
hams; travelling as they are by their own magnifi-
cently equipped trailer. Their outfit was exhibited to
a few friends in Chicago as they were departing West-
ward.
Mr. (ieorge H. Stapely succeeds Mr. Parnham as
president and general manager of the Everett-Cable-
Xelson-Orgatron interests, South Haven (Mich.) fac-
tories, and Mr. Parnham will have charge of the West-
ern and Pacific Coast trade and will probably be able
to make visits to all Everett dealers in that territory.
llcfore taking up his duties at the factories at South
Haven. Mr. Stapeley had resided in Chicago, being
at one time connected with an industrial engineering
business.
Sept.-Oct., 1936
FROM VOSE TO VOSE
Some weeks ago Atherton Vose, youngest scion of
the eminent piano manufacturing family from which
originated the piano Yose or properly and biologically
correct, Yose & Sons, made
a trip with D. D. Luxton.
Sales Manager of the Yose
& Sons corporation, as far
west as Chicago. The
young man, notwithstand-
ing he is a married man,
tho only a few weeks from
standing before the altar
of matrimony, was so de-
lighted with his travels
with acquaintances m a d e
a id with the general Yose
trade outlook, that he is
planning to "move about a
bit," as he says. He wants
to go to the Pacific Coast
and penetrate other fields
in the interest of the piano
and the name he is des-
lined to uphold. And Mr.
Luxton, general sales man-
ager, says, "Why not?"
Atherton Yose is the
treasurer of Vose & Sons
Piano Co. and is a great grandson of the founder of
the business, las. W. Yose. His grandfather, Willard
Yose, was for a long time before the death of his
father, the founder, and for years after his death, the
dominating power in all the Vose business. On the
death of Willard Yose his son, Geo. A. Vose, father
of Atherton, became president of the corporation,
which position he still holds.
It is said of the subject of this sketch that he is
much like his ancestors in many ways; in fact, as
was often remarked of his grandfather, Willard Vose,
Atherton, also, gives evidence of being a "chip of the
old block," from his great grandfather, on down.
Atherton Vose takes an active interest in Vose oper-
ations, not only at the factory, but in the general
conduct of the business and, with apologies to Mr.
Luxton, "he is not afraid of work and has a vision
that is valuable to anv business."
NEW MODEL "S" STEINWAY SIDE-REAR VIEW
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/
PRESTO-TIMES
Grinnell Bros, and Stein way Sales
By Henry MacMullan
Speaking of piano prestige and the remarkable sell-
ing strength of the Steinway piano in general and
the record of success of the Steinway Model "S" at
$885, announced in February this year, Mr. Jay Grin-
nell, president of Grinnell Bros., in an interview with
Presto-Times went on to say that Steinway prestige
throughout the state of Michigan is being strongly
approved and increased by Grinnell Bros, advertising
and the increased sales of Steinway pianos in the
numerous Grinnell stores in both peninsulas.
"We stocked all our stores with that new small
$885 Steinway grand just as soon as we could secure
the stock," said Mr. Grinnell. "The piano went at
a rapid pace from the first and has continued a prime
seller ever since it came on the market last February.
Our customers like the instrument; it has brought
many sales that might not have been made had the
price not been within their range, and now after six
months of selling this new $885 instrument we find
nothing but praise and satisfaction from every
purchaser."
Mr. Grinnell was asked how many Grinnell stores
are now operating, to which he replied:
"We now have twenty in the state of Michigan. At
present we have only one in Canada, at Chatham.
You know the duty on pianos from the United States
to Canada is 42J/j per cent, which makes exportation
to that country prohibitive. We were obliged to close
our stores in Windsor, the Canadian city of Sault Ste.
Marie and several other Canadian cities. We get our
pianos for the Chatham store from Germany. There
is no duty on importation of pianos from Germany to
Canada."
PARNHAM OF EVERETT TAKES
PACIFIC COAST RESIDENCE;
WESTBOUND IN HOUSE-
TRAILER OUTFIT
John I'arnham did a memorable piece of work in
carrying on the great feat involved in selling success-
fully a piano output great in proportions though not
particularly great in name. Taking over the Everett
piano, which had lain almost dormant for a long while
and establishing manufacture of a piano bearing that
name as part and parcel of the "Cable-Nelson." "Lake-
side," "Everett," trinity, was a potent factor in adding
to the prestige of his business. Neither of the other
two names could compare as a name value with the
Everett, which eventually became the corporate name
of Mr. Parnham's piano manufacturing enterprises at
South Haven.
It is probably to Mr. Parnham's credit that he did
not go back and assume more of the prestige of the
original Everett, which piano was established at Bos-
ton in 1883 by John Church, Jr., of Cincinnati, and Col.
William Moore of Boston, who had been with the
Emerson Company, for had he done so the names
of many celebrities in piano playing history of Amer-
ica could have been utilized. Among them Ossip
Gabrilowitsch, who was brought here by A. M.
Wright, who had become manager of the Everett
Piano Company for an Everett piano concert tour of
America. However, this is old-time history.
Apparently Mr. Parnham gets to enjoy the first real
outing- he has had in a long and strenuous career which
at times could have been qualified as events tumultu-
ous. His home property at South Haven has been
disposed of and there seems no obstacle to a per-
manent and delightful Parnham family home on tin-
Pacific Coast. The Parnham entourage is moving
along somewhere over the great Western country
lying between the Mississippi River and the Pacific
Ocean and is headed for Pacific Coast port of entry
for Pullman automobile trailers like that of the Parn-
hams; travelling as they are by their own magnifi-
cently equipped trailer. Their outfit was exhibited to
a few friends in Chicago as they were departing West-
ward.
Mr. (ieorge H. Stapely succeeds Mr. Parnham as
president and general manager of the Everett-Cable-
Xelson-Orgatron interests, South Haven (Mich.) fac-
tories, and Mr. Parnham will have charge of the West-
ern and Pacific Coast trade and will probably be able
to make visits to all Everett dealers in that territory.
llcfore taking up his duties at the factories at South
Haven. Mr. Stapeley had resided in Chicago, being
at one time connected with an industrial engineering
business.
Sept.-Oct., 1936
FROM VOSE TO VOSE
Some weeks ago Atherton Vose, youngest scion of
the eminent piano manufacturing family from which
originated the piano Yose or properly and biologically
correct, Yose & Sons, made
a trip with D. D. Luxton.
Sales Manager of the Yose
& Sons corporation, as far
west as Chicago. The
young man, notwithstand-
ing he is a married man,
tho only a few weeks from
standing before the altar
of matrimony, was so de-
lighted with his travels
with acquaintances m a d e
a id with the general Yose
trade outlook, that he is
planning to "move about a
bit," as he says. He wants
to go to the Pacific Coast
and penetrate other fields
in the interest of the piano
and the name he is des-
lined to uphold. And Mr.
Luxton, general sales man-
ager, says, "Why not?"
Atherton Yose is the
treasurer of Vose & Sons
Piano Co. and is a great grandson of the founder of
the business, las. W. Yose. His grandfather, Willard
Yose, was for a long time before the death of his
father, the founder, and for years after his death, the
dominating power in all the Vose business. On the
death of Willard Yose his son, Geo. A. Vose, father
of Atherton, became president of the corporation,
which position he still holds.
It is said of the subject of this sketch that he is
much like his ancestors in many ways; in fact, as
was often remarked of his grandfather, Willard Vose,
Atherton, also, gives evidence of being a "chip of the
old block," from his great grandfather, on down.
Atherton Vose takes an active interest in Vose oper-
ations, not only at the factory, but in the general
conduct of the business and, with apologies to Mr.
Luxton, "he is not afraid of work and has a vision
that is valuable to anv business."
NEW MODEL "S" STEINWAY SIDE-REAR VIEW
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).