The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

The Talking Machine World Vol. 6. No. 12. WINDOW DRESSING HINTS Should Be Absorbed Whenever Possible — No One Brain Can Hold All Such Knowledge. There are some window dressers following the profession who will not take suggestions from any one. On the other hand, there are trimmers ,who are constantly soliciting them, and will take them from any one. Sometimes suggestions are offered, then again through a conversation with a friend, some remark will be passed that is suggestive and the wide-awake trimmer, developing the idea, will make a record-breaking, fine window, according to W. M. Sickle, who ranks as an authority. The old saying that "we are never too old to learn" applies right here. Sometimes a suggestion from a child, properly developed and worked out by a professional trimmer, will produce a most original display. The trimmer who is afraid to follow some one else's suggestion, for fear of losing the credit of the work, is usually the man who puts up a symmetrical, rigid window and never strikes a pictorial design. The largest stores of to-day are composed of departments, with one man in charge of each department. These men work together for the benefit of the firm. There is no large firm that would depend wholly upon one brain, to decide its most important matters. This is one good reason why a live trimmer in charge of a set of show windows, should be on the lookout for all the suggestions he can get and use all the brain power he can command to make his windows attractive and effective. The show window is the best salesman that any firm can procure when properly dressed. TALKERS IN ATLANTA SCHOOLS. Large Machines Placed in the Hallways, Which Play the Music for the Children to March by — Prove a Great Improvement Over the Drums Formerly Used in School. The times are getting mightily fast and progressive these days. What was speedy a few years ago is now as slow as a funeral. It doesn't require a far stretch of the imagination to conceive an army of soldiers charging into battle to the stirring rhythm of a popular march as played on a talking machine. And especially is it not hard to imagine such a thing when you figure that right here in Atlanta to-day, says the Journal, they are using talking machines for the school children to march by, instead of the old-fashioned, though admittedly excellent, drum. The idea was conceived by Mrs. Thomas, principal of the Luckie street school. She gave it a try-out about a month ago, and it worked so fine she's been using it ever since. And now it's been taken up by Miss Stamps, principal of the Edgewood school, with results thus far so encouraging that it will certainly continue in use. Miss Stamps was particular about giving Mrs. Thomas credit for originating the idea, but admits that on taking it up she varied it a little, using the cylinder instead of the disc machine. The children in Luckie street school' have been hiking upstairs and downstairs and in general about the building so long to talking machine music that now the novelty of the thing is worn off, and they go about it in a perfectly matter-offact way. But out at Edgewood it's a little different. They've not had it so long. Friday Miss Stamps tried four different marches, to discover which has the best "beat." A piece called "College Days" is the favorite at tiie Luckie street school. Good-sized machines are used. They are placed in the hallway, so that when class room doors are opened they can be heard by all the pupils. When "take in" bell rings in the morning, marching out and in from recess, and at dismissal time in the afternoon, the machines are started up. It takes New York, December 15, 1910. about three minutes for all to get out, or in, which is well inside the limit of one record. The children "catch on" to the time of the music right away, say the principals, and march a great deal better by it than by the drums. When marching to quick, snappy march music they have a natural disposition to stand erect and walk with vigor and precision. The talking machine above referred to is a BNW Graphophone and records sold by Manager Terhune, of the Columbia store in Atlanta. FREDERICK CO. HAS THE VICTOR. Price Ten Cents prone pupils were to argue the matter of interpretation, suggesting that Mme. Schumann-Heink phrased in such and such a way, that Mme. Gadski took breath differently, and that Mme. Melba made certain alterations in a song, or it might be that Miss Farrar hurried the tempo more effectively, and so on ad infinitum, as some of the professional students are wont to do. As a silencer of argument then, says the Leader and Concert Goer, Mr. Holt employs the mechanical device which reports accurately the songs of certain singers and he says that he finds it most helpful as a practical illustration and for proving the accepted interpretation. The Prominent Piano House of Pittsburg Places Initial Order with the Standard Talking Machine Co. for Records and Machines. (Special to The Talking Machine World.) Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 4, 1910. An important addition to the talking machine dealers of this city is the W. F. Frederick Co., who have opened an exclusive Victor department, occupying the entire first floor of their magnificent building in this city. J. C. Roush, of the Standard Talking Machine Co., was fortunate to secure the initial order, which amounted to over $3,000, and it goes without saying that as W. F. Frederick has a tremendous following in this territory, built up by his straightforward methods of doing business in the piano field, this order will be followed by many. A feature of the Frederick building is a magnificent recital hall where Victor concerts will be given every afternoon and evening. Special booths of solid glass are being erected and the entire equipment will be undoubtedly one of the handsomest in this city. With their great line of piano customers they start out with a roster of * prospects perhaps unequalled, and are going to do a large volume of business. THE TEST OF RELIABILITY. One Merchant Finds Advertising Value in Portraits of Old Customers. One Western merchant is proving the reliable character of his store and the goods he carries by publishing in his advertisement each week a photograph of one of his patrons who has long traded at his store. For example, Mr. Jones' photo picture appeared in the notice and the accompanying reading was to the effect that "Mr. Jones became one of our regular customers in 1890. If the treatment accorded Mr. Jones was not satisfactory he would long ago have ceased to be one of our patrons. It is quality, reasonableness in price and our uniform courtesy to customers that has gained for us a large and continued patronage. Our customers are our best advertisement. If we have treated Mr. Jones right for twenty years, don't you think our store is a pretty good place for you to patronize?" TALKING MACHINE AS TEACHER. Geo. Nelson Holt, a Prominent Teacher, Finds It a Valuable Aid in His Work. A much disputed point of view among musicians is the use of the mechanical reproducer of the human voice in relation to the student, but a phase of the subject which does not seem yet to have made itself felt was recently suggested to the editor of this paper by a well qualified and quite disinterested vocal teacher, George Nelson Holt, who placed the matter in an altogether different light than previously had been noted. Mr. Holt is an American teacher, who is evidently guided by no other motive than the securing of the best possible results from his teaching. Asked as to the reason he should need to acquire for his studio a talking, or rather singing, machine, he replied that it prevented considerable argument, for every teacher knew how AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, WHAT THEN? December Not the Only Month in the Year — Why Not Put Forth Special Efforts and Make Every Month a Holiday Month? Generally, at about the end of August, there begins the annual speculation as to what the holiday business will amount to. If business is good in the early fall the dealers begin to worry about getting stock to meet the great demand that must surely materialize at Christmas time ; if, on the contrary, business is bad at that time they seem to take the stand, "Oh, well, we'll make up for this later," and stand pat. Why should such a condition be allowed to exist in the talking machine trade? The dealers are not selling Christmas trees or ornaments for same, but are handling a product that should be and is salable every month in the year. With the emphasis put on the Christmas trade one is led to ask, After the holidays, what then? Does the dealer plan to lie dormant until the next fall, or just keep right on expanding his business throughout the balance of the year. It is safe to say that at least 75 per cent, of those who observe the custom of giving Christmas presents have to so divide their money, in order to buy presents for many different people, that they are not in the position to buy a high-priced talking machine for any one present. As a matter of fact, they are much more likely to buy such an outfit between the holiday seasons, for their purses will better stand the strain and they are more easily approached by the salesman. It is quite the proper thing, of course, to bend special energies toward getting all there is out of the holiday trade, for there is naturally a great deal of extra business lying around for the talking machine men, but that display of energy should not sap all the enthusiasm that should spread over all the year. Try making every month from January to December, even the "dead" mid-summer months, a holiday season— the results will make the effort worth while. It will make a fine New Year's resolution. PHOTOGRAPHS THE VOICE. French Physicist's Invention Tells When a Note is Pure. Voice photography is the invention of a French physicist, Dr. Marage. He says it will be of enormous value to orators, actors, singers and, indirectly, to musical critics. The sounds strike a small disc of india rubber, the vibrations of which are minutely and exactly reproduced on a small mirror. A ray of light is thrown on the mirror, which reflects the vibrations at various angles. A sensitive film unwound by clockwork receives the impression of these reflections. The picture, according to the inventor, will indicate whether the singer's voice be true, whether his tempo be correct, and whether his method of breathing be right. A true note is shown by a series of parallel and equal bands, while a wrong note produces a rough, irregular impression. It is suggested that pocket voice cameras will be of great use to persons of a critical turn of mind who are fond of going to the opera.