Scan 19
Musical Courier 1891-05-20: Vol 22 Iss 587, 1891
83 lines. Read by computer on 19 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1and amount, but dated July 3, Mr. Newburger said he would show was given on June 28.
3A check of $156 payable to Simpson, Crawford & Simpson, dated June 28, followed. A subpoena had been served by Mr. Newburger's order upon a clerk of this house to prove for what purpose the $156 was used. That is supposed to be one of Mrs. Freund's bills. P. J. McKeon, the dealer in gentlemen's furnishing goods, had received a Freund check of the same date for $21. John Wenzor had had a $25 one. L. N. Vorst & Son had received a $50 check. Other checks of the same date and thereabouts were for amounts of $12, $50, $72, $9 and $15, making a total of $510.
5Mr. Newburger then said that he would have to call representatives of Simpson, Crawford & Simpson and Lord & Taylor, as well as Mr. Maxwell, to prove what he could not prove by the checks. The case was then adjourned to Tuesday at 11 A. M., both sides agreeing to close the case that day.
7Lowenthal's Anniversary.
8Twenty-five Years in Business.
10IT may be of a great interest to our readers that the 25th business anniversary of Mr. Louis Lowenthal, musical instrument manufacturer, of Berlin, 121 Reichenberger street, Germany, will be celebrated May 22.
12The jubilant, in prime of life (in his 51st year), still full of energy in all his commercial undertakings, has been for 15 years connected with our market, and made his name known and respected wherever violins are played and musical instruments are wanted.
14Mr. Lowenthal has during these many years made many friends in the trade who esteem him for his straightforward and honest character. He always endeavors to provide the English and American music trade with the best of his manufacture, and as a judge of and authority on genuine old instruments he stands unsurpassed.
16This knowledge is the result of a lifetime of experience and of gifted talent. A few incidents of his life will be of interest.
18When a boy of about seven years he exhibited a great talent for music, and especially for violins. He constructed according to his own idea a violin out of a rough wooden board, and of the same material he cut the neck, pegs, &c.; the strings were made of strong cotton thread; the violin bow he made in the same way; the hair to it he pulled out of horses' tails in the street, and then the boy could indulge in his beloved fiddling to his heart's content.
20Soon his father, a draper in a small provincial town of Northern Germany, discovered his boy's love for the violin, and believing it his duty to develop it bought him a real violin (perhaps one of the celebrated Markneukirchen brand), which Mr. L. even now has not forgotten. He still remembers this instrument, his first genuine joy, distinctly, it being a reddish instrument, but sounding very harsh. But his father found that violin playing would absorb all his time, and the boy had to give the violin up again after a few weeks, and it was returned to the vendor.
22The genius now slumbered several years, but in his 13th year, when he entered the high school at Königsberg, the young man commenced his musical studies earnestly, and at his 19th year he was a very efficient player on the violoncello.
24At Leipzig he became acquainted with the renowned instrument maker Bausch, and later on, at Berlin, with the well-known violin bow maker Heinrich Knopf, whose bows he had a chance of studying.
26In the year 1866 he established a retail music shop at Berlin, and from that year until to-day the business extended rapidly. Mr. L. manufactured a large part of the numerous musical instruments he sold, and with persevering activity, supported by love of his trade, the business grew and extended to its present proportions.
28During his career he formed acquaintance and friendship with many of the most renowned musical artists, among others Rubinstein, Wieniawski and Davidoff at St. Petersburg.
30An incident of this period is worth mentioning. One day when calling at Wieniawski's he was invited to accompany him to Davidoff, the celebrated 'cello player, to attend a rehearsal for the next concert to be given at His Majesty's Winter Palace. Anton Rubinstein was expected to be present.
32Lowenthal entered the salon de concert with Mr. Wieniawski, and in the corner of the room sat Rubinstein at the piano, resting and meditating. He did not look up when they entered. Wieniawski asked Lowenthal: "Do you know him?" The prompt answer was: "Yes, sir; but he does not know me."
34Soon Rubinstein rose, and Lowenthal being presented to him as a musical instrument manufacturer, of Berlin, the former seemed to be very glad to hear it, and invited Mr. L. to his house to show him a double bass he had to sell, which proved to be nothing less than a Stradivarius bass worth some thousands of rubles.
36The rehearsal took place and proved a genuine treat to a musical connoisseur. Among others was played a quintet of Schumann, assisted by Messrs. Weickmann and Pickel, second violin and viola (a splendid Stradivarius). Afterward a lunch, provided by Mrs. Davidoff, terminated the first meeting of Mr. L. with Rubinstein, the piano hero who conquered the world by his unexcelled piano playing and who is still the star of all pianists.
38During a six weeks' sojourn in Russia Mr. Lowenthal formed many acquaintances with leading musicians and artists, and having received plenty of orders he returned to Berlin again; but this place not offering enough opportunities for his far reaching plans and ideas, and longing for a broader field of activity, he made up his mind to emigrate to that far off country where energy and enterprise find an unlimited field—to America, taking with him his family and everything he possessed.
40Arriving in New York in the middle of April, 1867, he at once started in business. The very valuable stock of violin wood and musical instruments, especially a famous collection of some 60 genuine old violins, soon became known among musical circles and a regular sensation was created, as many of the instruments were very costly.
42One of his friends and customers was Mr. George Gemünder, the eminent violin maker, to whom he sold some of his most beautiful violin wood and many valuable instruments, among others a splendid genuine Stradivarius.
44Here may be mentioned how the now everywhere known name "Lowendall" originated. Mr. L., soon aware that his German spelled name was being pronounced by his new American friends differently from the original and accustom sound, changed it into the English version "Lowendall," as is frequently done by Germans coming to the United States. By his strenuous and indefatigable work his firm within a short time was well known to the musical world, and after six years' practical experience of the wants and needs of the American musical market he returned to Europe with his family, devoting himself to collecting on a large scale old Italian violins, having a ready and profitable sale in the United States, which he visited at regular periods.
46In the fall of 1872 he went with his first grand collection of standard old violins to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Chicago, to dispose of them to good advantage, returning home the end of the same year.
48During his absence his family resided at Dresden, where he joined them, taking a rest there himself that winter. In the spring of next year he visited London the first time, to the great surprise of all the well-known Wardour street men. They all went to see him and looked at his grand collection. One of the customers was old Mr. Hill, late of Wardour street, who bought a splendid old tenor of him.
50He stayed with his collection at Arundel street about six weeks, doing a good business. The balance, about 30 violins, was sold by auction and hammered down by Puttick & Simpson, at Leicester square, the same way as it is the custom up to the present day.
52During the next five years he came once annually to America with old violins, holding here large art auctions in New York, Boston and in the Western cities. In the year 1878 he met Ole Bull at St. Louis, who was delighted with L.'s splendid collection of violins, and very kindly he permitted L. to take a model of his famous grand concert violin he was playing on at his concerts. The copy of this instrument, named Lowendall's Ole Bull, a splendid imitation of the original, soon became known, sold everywhere and up to date has found hundreds of admirers.
54Since 1876 L. visited England twice a year regularly, and his "Conservatory" and his "Imperial" violins, which had gained a reputation in America, had the same success in England; the same can be said of his excellent and celebrated "Imperial" bows.
56Trade in America expanded and made it necessary for L. to send there—1885, 1886, 1887—a special representative to visit the numerous customers of the firm, and Mr. L. himself pushed and extended his way in England three times a year, accompanied by two representatives harvesting the orders.
58His efforts were crowned. The merits of his superior instruments were justly acknowledged by the juries of two exhibitions; at the London Inventions Exhibition they awarded him the silver medal, and the same at Bologna, Italy, for the fine display of his excellent violins, which at present have such a widespread demand all over the musical world, as far as India, Australia, &c.
60In the last years Berlin has become the great political and commercial centre of the German empire. Numerous buyers of German industry go there regularly every year from all parts of the world, and therefore Mr. L. found it necessary to move his establishment from Dresden to Berlin. In 1889 he bought at 121 Reichenberger street a spacious, four story factory, affording employment to several hundred skilled workmen, and keeping always a complete stock of several hundred dozen violins, and of everything pertaining to the musical instrument line.
62None of the many importers visiting Berlin miss the chance thus offered to select from the immense stock of old and new violins and novelties in musical instruments. We indeed can advise our readers intending to visit the Continent this summer when at Berlin to give Mr. L. a call, and be sure of a cordial reception at his hands.
64About Dolgeville.
66IN a very comprehensive article of four or five columns on Dolgeville the Utica "Herald" makes the following observations:
68Dolgeville is strictly and purely a manufacturing village. At present Alfred Dolge is the principal manufacturer within its borders. In 1874 he arrived, purchased the old tannery plant that for years had been in disuse, and began the manufacture of piano sounding boards and felt. His success has been remarkable. One after another large stone building of the finest architectural finish loomed up, until to-day the manufacturing capacity of the house of Dolge covers acres and acres of floor room. In his lumber yards are millions of feet of fine lumber, while on the upper floors of the felt department are tons of the choicest wool money can find in the market. The former is waiting to be manufactured into moldings, &c., while the latter is to be used in the manufacture of felt.
70Employed by him in the works are over 450 skilled artisans. This small army of men forms one contented happy family. With the several plans this kind hearted employer has advanced for the benefit of his workmen no labor troubles were ever known to exist, while they have made the name of Dolge honored and respected on both continents. His efforts to solve labor questions are meeting with success in his factories at Dolgeville, and have already given dollars to his workmen, aside from their salaries, that run up into the hundreds of thousands. Many of the workmen own their own houses and have happy and contented families. A few years ago the manufacture of felt shoes was commenced, so that the departments of his works may now be divided into three classes: First, the lumber department; second, the felt department, and third, the felt shoe department. The past season has been a most prosperous one, and at the present time every department is running at its full capacity, and in some of the departments the operatives are compelled to work overtime to keep orders from piling up on the books.
72The felt shoe department for this season of the year is particularly active. The seasons of 1888 and 1889 were not favorable to the felt shoe trade, and when the season of 1890 commenced over 75,000 pairs were stored in the warehouses of the firm. This large stock has been nearly disposed of, and the big force employed in this department is working to fill orders now pouring in. All the available space in the great plant is now taken up and more room is needed. Mr. Dolge has in contemplation the erection of another large stone building facing on Ann street, which will be 400 feet long, 50 feet wide and five stories high. This building will be necessary to keep pace with his fast increasing business.
74When the much talked of McKinley bill went into effect it placed the seal of prosperity on Dolgeville, and is even now beginning to bring fruit. Mr. Dolge is an ardent protectionist, and while before he stood in danger of being driven out of the market by European competition, he is now able to stand alone because of the increased protection he receives. The price of felt has not been raised by him. As Mr. Dolge says: "I want to manufacture it at the old figures, and if I can keep foreign competition out I am well satisfied." Notwithstanding the fact of the increased duty on felt, importers are selling European felts in this country at the same figures as before the McKinley bill went into effect, which is conclusive proof that heretofore this manufacturing town stood at the mercy of the cheap labor of Europe.
76—We are not responsible for the advertisement of J. Kirk, published in last week's MUSICAL COURIER, and have canceled the same.
78—Mr. George H. Zincke has arranged with Messrs. Kranich & Bach to represent them on the road, commencing June 1. Mr. Zincke is a gentleman of wide experience in the piano business, a good musician and a practical man in all that goes to make up a practical man in the piano trade, and we congratulate Messrs. Kranich & Bach upon securing his services, and recommend him most kindly to the dealers upon whom he will call.
80SITUATION WANTED—By a piano tuner to represent some medium priced piano to the retail trade. Acquainted with the trade throughout Kansas and Nebraska and part of Missouri. Best reference. Address T. U. V., care of MUSICAL COURIER.
82A PIANO ACTION MAKER, who thoroughly understands manufacturing grand, square and upright actions—financially and mechanically—and has had considerable experience in manufacturing pianos, would like to communicate with a good house desiring his services; can give good references regarding ability, &c. Address S. W. J., care MUSICAL COURIER.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.