newyorkny

This is the Koch & Droge Piano Co., Inc., 1096 Broadway, Brooklyn, New York. Same image in newspaper clipping from "The Voice": (www.victor-victrola.com/KochDodge.htm) The records advertised in the left display window, are, from left to right, baritone Titta Ruffo, The Monastery (Munasterio) on Victrola 87323; tenor Enrico Caruso singing "Serenata" (Memoirs of a Concert), on Victrola 88628 (recorded September 11, 1919), and baritone Guiseppe Di Luca with "Beau Soir" on Victrola 64934, which was recorded on March 21, 1919. All three records were released in April 1921 and cost $1.25. The left poster in the far right window bills contralto Louise Homer and her daughter, soprano Louise Homer, singing "Oh Morning Land", recorded April 30, 1920 and released on Victrola 87575 in April 1921. The middle poster on the far right advertises Billy Murray, "She Gives Them All The Ha! Ha! Ha!", which appeared on Victor 18732, also in April 1921. Since this record was part of Victor's popular black label series, it only cost 85 cents (www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOpHOqCZ0e4). This is followed by a song called "Serenade", probably the version by violinist Efrem Zimbalist, which appeared also in April 1921 on Victrola 64936. Accordingly, the big list with the Nipper dog in the left front corner must advertise the "New Victor Records April 1921". If the image could be blown up, one would probably find the same records also listed in the "Advance Record Bulletins for April, 1921" in "The Talking Machine World", March 15, 1921, page 183: archive.org/details/talkingmachinewo17bill/page/182 The store advertises the German-language records Victor produced for the immigrant market because the area where the store was, Bedford-Stuyvesant, was at that time still populated by many German-speaking immigrants; in fact, even the names of the store's owners, Koch and Droge, are clearly German. Finally, the advertising panel in the back with the child riding a hobby horse in front of it says, "Give the Children a Victrola of their own!" Victor had their own line of children's records, and with about 1/3 of American households already owning gramophones at that time, it is apparently time to promote buying a second machine for the same household.

Wow! Thanks, xiphophilos ! What a wealth of information, from the photo itself as well as from other sources. We will update the catalog record with some of these details.

LoC owns pictures of some of the promo posters as well:

Koch & Droge Piano www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q96804011

Hi de ho!

One of the greats, from a great period

He was one of the reasons people thought radio was great. They were right.

Did you ever see that funny Reefer Man ?

Congrats on Explore! ⭐ January 15, 2024

Striking cast members of the Broadway show "At 9:45" parade down Broadway in the Actor's Parade on August 18, 1919. The banner suggests 100% of the company supports the strike by Actor's Equity Association. Actors joined by stage managers, stagehands, chorus girls, musicians, variety artists and musical artists went on strike forcing shows all over the country to shut down. It was one of the most significant strikes in labor history as it reshaped the definition of labor.

"The parade of the actors down Broadway was staged despite the drizzling rain, which kept down the numbers of those along the line of the march but did not in any way affect the numbers or spirits of those in the procession. It was led by Major Reginald Barlow and several hundred actors who had served overseas, many of them in uniform."  [1]

The biggest stars of the time locked arms with their lesser known brethren – several thousand strong – and paraded down Broadway in full solidarity. The parade kicked off a week of benefit performances for Equity at the Lexington Avenue Opera House. Eventually, the producers had no choice but to recognize Actors' Equity Association (AEA) as the bargaining agent for their performers.   [2]

"At 9:45", by Owen Davis was performed at the Playhouse Theatre on Broadway, June 28 - October 1, 1919. It starred George Backus (1857-1939), Clifford Dempsey (1865-1938), Madeleine King and Noel Tearle who are likely shown parading in this photograph. Other members of the company (who may be in this photograph) were Idalene Cotton, Marie Goff, Harry Green, Nedda Harrigan, John Harrington, Frank Hatch, Frank Hilton, Peter Lang, Leo Mielziner, Gustave Rolland, Edith Shayne, and Robert Thorne. "At 9:45" was directed by John Cromwell. This photograph is looking north on Broadway between 37th and 38th St. The bottom of the sign ("ANDIE") for the Hotel Normandie can be seen top, leftish. (This view was likely taken from the 2nd floor of the Regal Shoe Store at the corner of 37th Street). Just beyond the Hotel Normandie is the Casino Theater (1882-1929), said to be the best example of Moorish architecture in the country. It was the first theatre with a roof garden, the first to be entirely lit by electricity, and the first to feature a chorus line – the Floradora Girls, who included Evelyn Nesbit, over whom Harry K. Thaw murdered Stanford White (1853-1906). [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]