The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1908)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 73 For Ready-Selling Popular-Priced Post Cards On account of the number of colors used in lithographing our ILLUSTRATED SONG CARDS it would be impossible to reproduce them in black and white and give even a vague conception of the variety and beauty of coloring. We will therefore send SAMPLES FREE to members of the trade, providing all requests are written on their letter heads. The JAMES -LEE COMPANY is the firm to deal with. Up-to-Date Goods, Low Prices, Prompt Shipments, Courteous Treatment. Samples and Prices sent to well -rated Jobbers on request. A SAMPIyU PACKAGE of 300 Assorted Cards sent for ONH DOLLAR TWENTY MILLION CARDS ALWAYS IN STOCK SOMETHING NEW— Illustrated Song Cards— Double Stereoscopic View Cards THE JAMES-LEE COMPANY 397 BroaLdwaLY. New York 7-15 W. MaLdison St., Chicago. 111. POST CARD RECORD INACTIVITY. A Line of Business That Has Been Largely Neglected in This Country, but Which Offers Good Opportunities. It is somewhat strange that post card records, which have won such great favor in Germany and In England, do not find a market of any consequence in this country. It would seem as if they should win a large degree of popularity if properly pushed. One deterring factor, however, up to a recent date was the fact that there are no machines specially designed and sold for post card records. This, however, is now remedied, for a machine can be had at a reasonaoie price that can be sold with the cards, so to speak, thus forming an attractive novelty for the dealer. If this post card record idea were developed to a greater extent it would certainly change present day methods of correspondence. Instead of laboriously writing a message on a post card, the sender may simply speak into his small talking machine, and take out a thin gelatinous adhesive disc containing the record. This can be fixed to an ordinary picture post card without obliterating the picture. The card can then be sent through the post, and when placed on any ordinary disc machine will sing, play and recite, as the case may be. The public is thus able to send their friends all the latest popular songs and tunes on picture post card. This statement was made by the first firm to place the new post cards on the English market: "The 'discal' cards, as they are called, can be sent through the post without the slightest injury, and they are fixed to the talker like any other record. The system will also be applied to Christmas cards, and receivers of greeting cards will be able to hear the actual voice of the sender wishing them the usual loving greetings." "PEERLESS" MAKERS CELEBRATE. F. Engelhardt & Sons Celebrate the Opening of Their Immense New Factory at St. Johnsvilla on Feb. 21st, by Elaborate Banquet and Reception — Congratulations Well Merited. P. Engelhardt & Sons, the well-known manufacturers of the Peerless coin-operated pianos, celebrated the opening of their immense new factory, No. 7, at St. Johnsville, N. Y., on Feb. 21, by an elaborate banquet in the afternoon and a reception in the evening, attended by over a thousand persons. As guests at the banquet were men of local prominence, employes of the firm and their friends, and a special carload of New York piano men and representatives of the trade press, and all were given a hearty welcome by Mr. Engelhardt, who is Mayor of St. Johnsville, and his two clever and progressive sons, Alfred D. and Walter L. The occasion was one that will live long in the memory of the citizens of St. Johnsville and vicinity and those fortunate enough to be numbered among the guests for the Engelhardt family made ideal hosts and did everything in their power to make the affair a success. The guests of honor were Rev. Father J. L. Morrisey, Joseph Oktavec, Frank Faville, William Menge, H. Guenther, Julius Breckwoldt, L. M Ide, George W. Peck, A. D. Engelhardt, F. En gelhardt, Walter L. Engelhardt, W. W. Howe J. H. Reaney, E. G. Bernard, M. Williams, Sena tor A. M. Mills, William Irving Walter, C. M Redfleld, E. R. Hall, Joseph Wieser, George W Gittins, Max J. de Rochemont, C. M. House, Jr. Rev. H. W. Rockwell and Alfred P. Roth. A large number of the guests made an inspection of the new factory and the visitors found much to interest them. The new plant is 62 X 200 feet, four stories, concrete and brick — slow-burning construction and modern In every particular as to automatic sprinkler system and machinery equipment. The new factory gives the firm 48,000 square feet of additional floor space or a total of 120,000 square feet utilized in the manufacture of playerpianos, actions, piano keys, etc., etc. All the machinery in the new plant will be operated by separate electric motors, thus eliminating all belts and consequent loss of power by friction or lost motion, while a perfect system for protection from fire has been installed. The new plant will be devoted almost exclusively to player pianos and Peerless automatic pianos. The firm will employ an extra force of 200 people when the plant is in full operation. The steady advance of this company is a tribute to the excellence of their products, which have been widely acclaimed for their reliability and musical excellence. forming the company's name was to receive the piano upon payment of $1. HOW THE AUTHORITIES ARE UNFAIR. The Hickey Moving Picture Co., showing at the Gardner Theater, Gardner, Mass., got into trouble with the police recently when they attempted to boom their show by giving away a $300 piano by a plan which was construed by the authorities to be a lottery and prohibited under the State laws, and as a result the proposition iad to be called off. The fact that church and society fairs have been working schemes constituting worse breaches of the law, without being hindered, has aroused the ire of the moving picture people who desired to profit only through increased patronage. Their plan was to give every patron a card bearing cabalistic characters, and the first one presenting a set of seven cards THE MERITS OF THE NICKELODEON. It still Lives and Prospers Notwithstanding Financial Panics and Hostile Legislation — Answers the Demand for Short, Cheap and Wholesome Entertainment When Well Conducted— Some strong Arguments Worth studying by Critics of These Amusements. The efforts of merchants in New York and other cities to put a stop to the moving picture shows may find some response among business men, but the great majority is on the side of the nickelodeon. Philadelphia uses law processes, Louisville uses fine regulations, other cities employ other means to end the existence of the 5cent theater, but it still lives and prospers, financial panics notwithstanding. The nickelodeon came to answer a demand for short, cheap, wholesome entertainment, and passed quickly from the list of novelties into that of standard amusements. Its home is a small hall that will seat a few hundred people, for if too great a crowd is admitted the amusement transcends its privileges and is raised to the rank of a theater and must pay a theater license instead of an amusement license. The hall is fitted with a small stage that supports a screen for the pictures, while a piano or performerless musical apparatus beats out an accompaniment to the comedy or tragedy being portrayed by the moving pictures. A 5-cent admission invites a patronage that would not be given anywhere else, and >one may leave as early as one wishes or stay through the entire performance. The nickelodeon was born in a little southern town and was the inspiration of a soda fountain man. This man had bought an expensive soda fountain and installed it in an old drug store, and soon found he was losing money. Just in the midst of the financial straits his landlord came and offered him the next door building, also at a bargain figure. The building he already had did not seem to he paying, but as nothing could be worse than that one, he concluded he would take two. He cast about in his mind for some means of making it a paying thing, and just then when a maker of moving pictures came by he found his solution. The picture maker had not been so successful himself. They decided to open a small theatre that would seat a DO YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR POST CARD DEPARTMENT A BIGGER SUCCESS BY CUTTING OUT COMPETITION ? YOU CAN DO THIS IN BUT ONE WAY • BY GETTING EXCLUSIVE SUBJECTS. Send us your Photographs or other suitable "Copy in one color. We furnish you ENGRAVING PLATES from which you can have printed on an ordinary type printing press SOUVENIR POST CARDS and PICTURFS not in thousands, but as you need them. ^^KUb and PICTURES, We also make a specialty of ORIGINAL DESIGNS FOR CATALOGUES, FOLLOW-UP CARDS ..H OTHER ADVERTISING MATTER. Get Wise and put your name on our maUingl GATCHEL & MANNING, Philadelphia, Pa.