The Edison phonograph monthly (Jan-Dec 1916)

12 EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY, MAY, 1916 Minstrel Company. He is now established as a high-class entertainer and caters mostly to the exclusive clubs of Manhattan. PAULO GRUPPE Paulo Gruppe, the famous young Dutch 'cellist, comes from one of the best known family of artists in Holland. His father, Charles P. Gruppe, is one of Holland's best known painters and is producing some remarkable pictures. His mother is a gifted actress and he has two younger brothers, one a prominent sculptor and the other a pianist who is winning artistic laurels for his mastery of his instrument. It will be seen that Paulo Gruppe had the advantages of artistic environment as a boy and perhaps this had something to do with his mastery of the 'cello. He has appeared in all of the greatest musical centers of America and everywhere his playing has evoked the most enthusiastic praise of critics. To hear is to praise, for the young Dutch artist is not only a technical genius but he has a wonderful temperament for one of his age and his playing is always marked by the strength and enthusiasm of youth. HANS KRONOLD Hans Kronold was born in Krakau, Austria, July 3, 1872. His earlier school and musical education was acquired in Leipsic, Germany. In 1886 the Kronold family came to America, settling in New York City. It was there that Hans came in contact with that greatest of all 'cellists, Anton Hekking, and immediately took advantage of the opportunity to study with this famous artist. In 1900 Mr. Kronold decided to abandon the orchestral held and devote himself entirely to solo playing. He met with almost instantaneous success and has appeared with many great artists, among them being Schumann-Heink, Nordica, Eames, De Reszke, Bispham, Companari and Scharwenka. A LITTLE MISSIONARY WORK REVIVED BUSINESS A LITTLE missionary work, that is all that is necessary to revive the interest in cylinder phonographs in districts where business has not been active for the past two or three years, according to John Merrick, an Edison dealer who is located in Westfield, 111. Mr. Merrick states that he has found the cylinder business very quiet during the past two or three years, and that last year about all that he did was to clean out his stock of old machines and twominute wax records. With his old stock out of the way Mr. Merrick, in the past few weeks, has found time to do what he calls a little "missionary work," and he has found that people are keenly interested in the new Amberola, and he has sold a number of instruments and has several prospects of further sales. "I believe I can do some business from now on with the new Amberolas," he writes, "for they are real musical instruments, and it is easy to get people to appreciate the vast difference between them and the old-style phonographs." TRIPS THROUGH FACTORY It was with a feeling of regret that Thomas A. Fdison, Inc., recently announced that on account of the work of re-establishing all departments of the Edison Laboratories in the reconstructed buildings, together with the extra efforts to meet the steadily increasing demands for Edison products, it becomes necessary to eliminate tours of inspection by visitors for the summer. Two exceptions will be May 25th and 26th and August 24th and 25th, when the School of Mechanical Instruction will be in session. DEALER KENDALL PUBLISHES OWN MAGAZINE EDISON Amberola dealer G. E. Kendall, Dundee, N. Y., is not satisfied with ordinary medi<ums of publicity. He publishes his own little magazine. He calls it "Our Mail Messenger and Store News," the April issue of which was No. 4. He sent us a copy, and we have very much enjoyed reading it, for "Editor-Dealer" Kendall has managed to crowd a lot of good, sound practical information within the compass of eight pages of letter size with a snatch of human interest here and there to liven things up a bit. But the best part is that the "Mail Messenger" is bringing results. An indication of the enterprise of Kendall is that he has actually printed his latest issue in three colors. How's that for a little store magazine? Page 5 he devotes to the Diamond Amberola and Blue Amberol records, Model 30 and Model 75 being shown in red, with the type in black. Best wishes to "Editor-Dealer" Kendall, and all Amberola dealers of his enterprising type. PHONOGRAPH A TRADE PULLER A recent issue of The Price Current, a publication of Wichita, Kansas, thinks that: "The general store, with many departments in the smaller places, can well afford to put in a phonograph department in order to make of it a means of pulling trade into the store. A phonograph department in a store operated in a large city, of course, is not much of an attraction, since it is common to most of these large establishments, but in the smaller interior point, where the sale of phonographs does not warrant investment in a special department, the merchant can make a success of the phonograph husiness, even though he does not sell many of the machines."