June 10, 1922 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



35 



Chicago Is Getting Ready for the Mid-Summer 



Furniture Market 



Chicago furniture exhibition buildings are full of the hustle and 

 bustle of preparation for the annual mid-summer furniture market, 

 which officially opens June 19 and closes July 15. Manufacturers 

 at 1319 South Michigan avenue, at the Central Market Building, 

 1414 South Wabash avenue, and other buildings at the time of 

 going to press were assembling their carloads of new and "bread 

 and butter" designs in their exhibition spaces. These will all be 

 ready before the curtain goes up June 19. 



A feature of this market will be the National Furniture Style 

 Show, which will be staged at "131 9" by the National Retail 

 Furniture Dealers' Association. This shov^r is expected to prove a 

 strong drawing card to buyers and help to fulfill expectations of 

 an attendance in excess of that of the January market, which 

 numbered around 4,200. It is the natural tendency for the summer 

 market to draw a larger attendance than the winter market and 

 this fact, coupled with the furniture style show and the annual 

 convention of the National Retail Furniture Dealers' Association, 

 is looked to bring about the record-breaking attendance anticipated. 



Predictions as to purchases are not so certain, as in the matter 

 of attendance. It is believed that the forced liquidation of certain 

 stocks will be reflected in the market and prove a disturbing 

 element. As a result of the persistent hard times of the past two 

 years various manufacturers of furniture have fallen into financial 

 difficulties and consequently under the control of their bankers. 

 This means liquidations of stocks and in turn sacrifice prices. 

 In other words much furniture will be offered on the forthcoming 

 market at strictly "competitive," rather than scientific, cost-ac- 

 counting, prices. This is bound to result in some confusion and 

 to a certain extent retard buying. 



But it is anticipated that the firms which are selling at liquida- 

 tion prices will soon be loaded up with orders and that the furniture 

 trade will begin to assume a normal condition before the market 

 closes. It is predicted by those w^ho have carefully studied the 

 situation that by the middle of August the trade will have fully 

 recovered from the demoralizing liquidation situation and that 

 prices will have risen to more proper economic levels and will 

 be more stable. Then buying is expected to hit its full stride. 



All signs point to the fact of a heavy latent demand for furni- 

 ture, which it needs only the right situation, such as steady prices, 

 to develop. Everybody knows that for the past six months there 

 has been an unprecedented amount of building in the country. 

 This building has run largely to small homes, the very kind that 

 produces the largest demand for furniture. The furnishing of 

 these new homes has already resulted in the sale of great quantities 

 of furniture throughout the country and will continue to do so for 

 months to come. This condition will naturally react favorably on 

 the mid-summer furniture markets and on the road business which 

 will follow. 



According to the best information obtainable the mid-summer 

 markets will exhibit no marked changes in designs. In the broad 

 general aspect they will remain very much as they were in January; 

 that is, period suites predominant, with Italian Renaissance domi- 

 nating in these. Nevertheless there will be some evidence of 

 changing styles. For instance, Spanish styles will be shown 

 extensively; and Sheraton and Sheraton Colonial will be much in 

 evidence. 



The prominence w^hich the Sheraton designs w^ill begin to 

 evidence on the summer markets is a manifestation of the move- 

 ment toward straight lines and greater simplicity in furniture. In 

 other words, the new idea in furniture is for a return to the 

 simplicity of the Colonial days and this idea is expected to attain 

 marked growth within the next two years. 



It is being predicted by eminent designers that the period suite 

 idea is definitely on the decline and that in a few years it will be 



replaced by the idea of the harmonious blending of various in- 

 dividual pieces. This idea has already developed among the leading 

 interior decorators in the, country, who are credited with setting 

 the styles. These people serve a rich clientele which is always 

 straining for something different from the hoi polloi. The idea 

 of the harmonious blending of separate and distinct pieces in the 

 furnishing of a room is the effort of the decorators to meet the 

 demand of these people for escape from the popular suite mode. 

 But the idea has already percolated down to those w^ho make furni- 

 ture for the people and it is predicted that it w^ill, w^ithin a year 

 or so, become a popular style. The Upper Crust will then have 

 to cast about for something else exclusive. 



It is expected that when this idea of individual pieces, instead 

 of suites, reaches the commercial stage it will give opportunity i»d» 

 the furniture factories to develop a great deal more originality 

 in designs than they have been able to show^ during the period 

 suite era. Undoubtedly period suites will be manufactured and 

 sold for years, to come, as style transitions are never abrupt and 

 sharply marked; but at the same time, the factories will work 

 more and more into the production of the pieces of individual 

 appeal. For instance, a factory might turn out certain art chairs, 

 or an art dining-room table, or living room table, not a part 

 of a suite, but individual. These will be offered for sale on their 

 individual merit. The word art is used in this connection to 

 convey the idea that these pieces will represent particular care to 

 produce something beautiful and high class, in short, will embody 

 artistic expression. These might be copies of famous pieces of 

 furniture, or original designs or adaptations of high merit. 



Starr Piano Company Reaches Half Century Mark 



As a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the organization 

 of the Starr Piano Company of Richmond, Ind., Henry Gennett, 

 its president and founder, has arranged for a recapitalization for 

 the benefit of the employees, department heads and others. These 

 arrangements were closed at Indianapolis, Ind., on May 31, Guido 

 Gores, of Cincinnati, general counsel of the company. 



According to Mr. Gores, the original capital of $200,000 of 

 the company is held in the Gennett family and the permission 

 obtained allows the transformation of this capital into an issue 

 of 10,060 shares of common stock at $100 par each or $1,000,- 

 000 common and 30,000 shares of 7 per cent preferred stock 

 at $50 par value each, or $1,500,000. These issues will raise the 

 capitalization to $2,500,000 common and preferred. 



Mr. Gores said that President Gennett, w^ho is ill, desires to 

 arrange for the recapitalization in order that the 1,000 employees 

 and numerous department heads might have an opportunity to 

 participate in the industry. Proceeds of the stock sales will be 

 utilized in improvements to the plants of the company at Richmond 

 and the laboratories at New York City- 



Firm Incorporates and Changes Name 



Capitalized at $150,000. the Frye Lumber & Veneer Company, 

 located at Dayton, O., was incorporated as the Dayton Veneer 

 Company at Columbus, O., on June 2. Following the actual 

 change in name, which will be made July I, plans for the erec- 

 tion of additional buildings and the employment of additional 

 men will be put in operation. The company will manufacture 

 veneer and handle hardwood lumber. A plant at Wilmington, 

 O., will be operated under the incorporation. J. W. Frye is presi- 

 dent of the concern and A. E. Snyder, secretary and treasurer. 



