MECHANICAL MUSIC
Journal of the Musical Box Society International
Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments
Volume 68, No. 6 November/December 2022
Editor/Publisher
Russell Kasselman
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editor@mbsi.org
Publications Chair
Bob Caletti
All manuscripts will be subject to editorial review. Articles submitted for publication may be edited or rejected at the discretion of the Publications Committee and the Editorial Staff. The article will not be published with significant changes without the authorÕs approval. All articles are considered to be the authorÕs personal opinion. The author may be asked to substantiate his/her statements.
Mechanical Music (ISSN 1045-795X) is published by the Musical Box Society International, 130 Coral Court, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 six times per year. A Direc.tory of Members, Museums, and Dealers is published biennially. Domestic subscription rate, $60. Periodicals postage paid at San Luis Obispo, CA and additional mailing offices.
Copyright 2022. The Musical Box Society Inter.national, all rights reserved. Mechanical Music cannot be copied, reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form whatsoever without written consent of the Editor and the Executive Committee.
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MBSI NEWS
5 PresidentÕs Message 7 EditorÕs Notes 8 Outreach Corner
20 Annual Business Meeting Minutes 23 Financial Statements 26 Annual TrusteesÕ Meeting Minutes 57 In Memoriam
Features
9 Nickel Notes by Matt Jaro
30 Annual Meeting in review
53 Expanding Mechanical Music
Chapter Reports
54 Southern California
MBSI has replanted 202 trees so far as part of the Print ReLeaf program.
On the Cover
A view of Richard ReutlingerÕs Knabe Ampico piano and living room full of antique furniture and collectibles. This San Francisco, CA, Victorian-style home was one of two visited during the 2022 MBSI Annual Meeting. Photo by Rob Thomas. Page 30.
M
echanical music is a fascinating hobby! It appeals to the artist, historian, craftsman, and musician all at the same time. Play an automatic musical instrument in a room full of people and all else will stop as the machine enraptures the audience with the sparkling melodies of yesteryear!
Mechanical music instruments are any sort of auto.matically-played machine that produces melodic sound including discs and cylinder music boxes that pluck a steel comb; orchestrions and organs that engage many instru.ments at once using vacuum and air pressure; player and reproducing pianos that use variable vacuum to strike piano wires; phonographs; and self-playing stringed, wind, and percussion instruments of any kind.
The Musical Box Society International, chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, is a nonprofit society dedicated to the enjoyment, study, and preservation of automatic musical instruments. Founded in 1949, it now has members around the world, and supports various educational projects.
Regional chapters and an Annual Meeting held each year in different cities within the United States enable members to visit collections, exchange ideas, and attend educational workshops. Members receive six issues of the journal, Mechanical Music, which also contains advertising space for members who wish to buy, sell, and restore mechanical musical instruments and related items. Members also receive the biennial MBSI Directory of Members, Muse.ums, and Dealers.
The only requirements for membership are an interest in automatic music machines and the desire to share infor.mation about them. And youÕll take pride in knowing you are contributing to the preservation of these marvelous examples of bygone craftsmanship.
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By David Corkrum
MBSI President
Another year has come and gone and my first year as president of your society is over. It was not a rough year but it sure was not a smooth one, at least for me. Now, it is time to move on to the next one and see what it has in store for me and for our society.
One of our trustees, G. Wayne Finger, has decided to resign ahead of schedule for personal reasons. Wayne is an asset to the society, and I thank him for all of his hard work and dedication. Members like Wayne are the backbone of our society, so if you feel inspired, please join me in thanking Wayne for being here when he was needed.
I want to welcome Rich Poppe, who has agreed to serve in the trustee position vacated by Wayne Finger. I have officially appointed him to the position. Rich is also a hard worker and an asset to the board and the society. Thank you Rich.
Another dedicated volunteer we have to say goodbye to is Dan Wilson. He is not leaving the society, but he is leaving his position as our Nominating Committee chair. Like Wayne, Dan has worked very hard for the past six years providing us with qualified candidates for trustee membership. I had a feeling that this would be a difficult position to fill but a past presi.dent was convinced by her husband to take on the position. Please welcome Judy Caletti as our new Nominating Committee chair. In my heart, I know that she will fulfill this position in the best possible manner.
Our annual meeting, held in and around San Francisco, CA, concluded in early September. This was, as you know, a joint meeting with the Auto.matic Musical Instrument Collectors Association, or AMICA for short.
In spite of the challenges the world has faced due to the COVID pandemic, this meeting was, for the most part, a success. Like all past meetings I have attended, there were minor hiccups, but in this case, the host chapters from both our society and AMICA were able to work these out so that the show could go on.
Our sincere appre.ciation is extended to the members of both the Golden Gate Chapter and the AMICA Founding Chapter. You all worked very hard with minimal volun.teers and produced a wonderful meeting. I
also wish to congratu.late the meeting organizers on finding such uniquely wonderful table favors. They will look great in a bookcase or on a side table and will, most likely, elicit comments from visitors to your homes.
I look forward to reading the report on the meeting and seeing the many pictures of places and people I may have missed while performing my duties as president. I do want to say that if I did not get the chance to thank you in person for attending this meeting I wish to do so now. One of our members mentioned to me that I had not said thanks to all for attending during my time on the podium and so I apologize now for that omission. I certainly am grateful for all who took their time and traveled to the West Coast for good conversation, fun tours and fantastic mechanical music. It was great to see so many of our family together again. Yes, you are a part of my family.
That is all that I have for you in this issue of Mechanical Music. As always, our editor and Publications Commit.tee chair have gathered some great articles for us to enjoy in this issue. I hope that your Fall season is full of bright colors and beautiful music. Oh, and this monthÕs picture is from my greenhouse with Oncidium orchids behind me. That spike of flowers next to me was more than 6 feet in length. I did not count the number of flowers, but it is certainly more than 50.
Mail any MBSI Editorial / Advertising materials to 130 Coral Court, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 Emails with attachments can be sent to editor@mbsi.org Deadline for the January/February 2023 issue is November 30, 2022
Tell your friends!Tell your neighbors!Tell your mailman!This New Year brings a new membership deal
Discount also applies for those who havenot been members for two years or more.Look for an updated membership sign-upform in the January/February issue that youcan copy and hand out to family, friends, neighbors, clients or anyone you think mightwant to join in the fun of MBSI.
EditorÕs Notes
By Russell Kasselman
MBSI Editor/Publisher
IÕm not sure where to begin, so IÕll start by saying a large thank you to the photographers who contributed wonderful pictures to this issue. Lowell Boehland, Rob Thomas and Ed
Cooley are consistently fantastic at documenting MBSI annual meetings and they have done so again this year. My only regret is that I am unable to print all the photos they shared. Please take the time to enjoy those that did make the cut and then start making your plans to attend the next convention in St. Paul, MN, hosted by the Snowbelt Chapter. I know I want to be there.
Linda Birkitt, David Corkrum and Ed Kozak also deserve a large pat on the back for doing yeomanÕs work to record, assemble, distribute, edit and finally deliver the minutes from both the annual business meeting and trust.eesÕ meeting along with the financial statements for the society that you can read beginning on Page 20 of this issue.
One thing you will notice missing in this issue is an article about the recipients of awards at this yearÕs convention. Suffice it to say that I just ran out of space for everything. So, look for the article on award winners to appear in the January/February issue.
Since this is the last issue of 2022, I will encourage all of you to make a New YearÕs resolution to write an arti.cle about mechanical music in 2023. Find a song that you love and look up the composer or the musician who performed it. Write about them. Write about the box you are listening to it on. Where did it come from? Who had
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it before you? Who made it? Why did they make it the way they did? I look forward to hearing from you about what you find.
There are more than 1,000 members of MBSI and we print between eight and 12 articles per issue in six issues per year. That means a maximum of 72 articles per year will fill the journal. It also means if each member writes an article every 13.88 years, we would never run out of content.
I believe in you! You can do it. Make your resolution to submit an article today.
By Joel Cluskey
Immediate Past President, AMICA
A message to David Corkrum and the annual meeting/convention planning team: Speaking for the Automatic Musi.cal Instrument CollectorsÕ Association (AMICA), I want to thank everyone who was involved in the planning and hard work putting together and running the annual meeting/convention in San Mateo, CA. I very much enjoyed myself and appreciated the exposure to allied mechanical music interests and passions.
Most importantly, however, I value the opportunity I had to meet many of you and others with similar interests and passions. It was clear that there was a concerted effort on the part of the planning team to make this a truly ÒjointÓ convention whereby each group was able to conduct their own business, experience what they valued in a convention and at the same time mingle with our aligned organization. Please pass this commendation on to all the others that I did not copy on my email who were working behind the scenes to make this such a success. LetÕs keep the cooperation and support ongoing in the interest of all mechanical music!
Welcome new members!
August 2022 September 2022 Ronald Lang Louis Alexander Toledo, OH Hilton Head Island, SC Dender & Melodie Sotelo Philip Doak Spring Valley, CA Austin, TX Sponsor: Don Caine Cinda Rodgers Springfield, MO Thomas Weierick Cary, NC Sponsor: Bear Schultz
LetÕs keep the music alive
By Mary Ellen Myers
Special Exhibits Committee Chair
For any planned outreach event instruments to be shown and played need to look and sound great! Even though some owners have the know.how to keep the music sounding pitch-perfect, most of us do not. Musi.cal instrument repair and restoration specialists, seldom seen by persons attending public displays, are vital to the enjoyment of events, the memo.ries of the music and the piquing of interest in our hobby.
Before any public events like an annual meeting house tour or even a chapter meeting take place, craftsmen are often called upon to evaluate and repair non-functioning or poorly-func.tioning instruments in their trust. The magic they use to awaken past musical memories, previously locked under the lid of a silent box is a very special, personal yet subtle type of outreach. For the box owner, the completed repair might allow them to transit time in their mind and reunite with a long lost family member, a friend, or even imagine a friend not yet met! What a beautiful emotional bond! What a perfect opportunity to open the doorway to new friendships with similar interests.
For many new musical box owners, a visit from one of these craftsmen is their first introduction to MBSI. A caring, sharing repair specialist is such an asset to our society!
I would like to share my first encounter with a very talented repair specialist who came to the rescue when our first instruments were received at our home after a long journey to Florida from Pittsburgh, PA. We were not MBSI members at the time. In fact, we werenÕt even home when the instruments were delivered. We were enjoying an exciting year in Europe! Fortunately, our daughter and son-in-law were house sitting and there to receive the delivery.
My husband Wayne and I were finishing a superb dinner at an outdoor Florence bistro when we received a call from home with news that our very special first collection piece, a Home Model H2 Encore Banjo had arrived Ñ damaged! What to do? Whom to call? Where to go? How to get there?
At the time, I did (and still do) know a long term MBSI member and friend from Pittsburgh named Bob who Òsnow-birdsÓ or Òwinters,Ó in Flor.ida. Bob put me in touch with a Florida member of the society who connected me with another MBSI member in Florida, who then connected me with another and finally another. Five people went out of their way to take the time to help me get connected with a repair specialist named Richard.
Richard not only fixed the damage, but he gave us demonstrations of how to operate our instruments. He even supervised our efforts to change a never-ending paper roll. What an accomplishment.
Our application for MBSI member.ship was thus on the way! Richard was always available to solve mechanical problems and support our open houses with impromptu assistance if needed. Thank you, thank you, Richard!
I would be remiss if I did not mention that since joining MBSI, many of our local chapter members have helped us with quick diagnoses, tips, and fixes when needed.
Repair personnel are major assets to all of us. We listen, perform, and enjoy the music, sometimes without much thought of what goes on behind the scenes.
Watch this space in the coming issues as a few repair/restoration professionals have volunteered to share their interesting and unfor.gettable experiences as part of this Outreach Corner column.
The music must not die!
Nickel Notes
By Matthew Jaro
I have the honor of presenting Marty Persky to you in this column. Marty is a prominent broker and agent of mechanical music. He is a curator and manager of restoration projects and a driving force for organizing conven.tions and other mechanical music events. Marty was born and raised in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago (nobody ever just lived in Chicago).
Beginnings
I asked Marty how he became inter.ested in mechanical music. His reply was most interesting. At the age of 8 Marty had the experience of listening to an acoustic guitar in the basement of the next door neighbor. The sounds, he said, were just magical.
That experience gave him a profound appreciation for live acoustic music. Marty described himself as a bit timid at the time but he thought ÒI would really like to have one of those.Ó He ended up saying nothing. Then, lo and behold, a few weeks later the neighbor gave the guitar away to a kid down the block who wound up breaking it apart with a baseball bat! It was a good lesson, as Marty learned then that itÕs better to speak up. Later that year, MartyÕs uncle, who was a professional clarinet and saxophone player in the 1940s, bought him a used clarinet.
Marty said, ÒI enjoyed playing the instrument but I was no Benny Goodman.Ó Eventually the clarinet fell by the wayside. Yet that didnÕt diminish his love of music.
He was a curious kid. He put his thumb in a light socket when he was 3 years old and tried to cut through his parentsÕ Formica kitchen table when he was 5 years old.
Marty said, ÒBy the way, the saw in the Handy-Andy tool kit that I had just received as a present didnÕt cut very well. I only succeeded in making a little notch in the stainless-steel rim.Ó
Marty enjoyed taking things apart to see how they worked. His universe was limited to his street and its alley. He was known as the neighborhood Ògarbage picker.Ó A windup suitcase phonograph was one of his favorite finds. After wearing out the two 78-rpm records, it was time to take it apart and use the motor for a spring-powered car.
Marty loved the TV program ÒWatch Mr. Wizard.Ó He was interested in chemistry until he blew up the basement at age 11. He went into electronics after that. His eighth-grade science fair project, ÒMusic by Light,Ó was an organ with tones created by light traveling through a perforated rotating disc and being picked up by a bank of photocells. The publish.ers of ÒWorld Book EncyclopediaÓ brought Marty and his project to their downtown Chicago studio to be photographed.
Electro-mechanical pinball machines were one of the first shared interests with his friend and fellow mechanical music lover Mel Septon. Marty and Mel would take a bus to Chicago Coin, a company on Diversey Avenue that refur.bished pinball machines to send to South America. At that time pinball machines were illegal in the city of Chicago, since the authorities felt they contributed to truancy.
In their sophomore year at Lane Technical high school Marty and Mel formed ÒAMCO Pinball RepairÓ with their business card motto, ÒIf we canÕt fix it, there is no charge.Ó Marty says somehow they got paid for every job they did.
Marty engaged in many projects with science fairs taking up much of his time. His 1965 programmed lawn mower was the biggest show stopper that year. In 1966 he used pinball machine equipment to demon.strate digital switching logic. Marty kept all the mechanical and electrical parts from his many projects. While the parts may have had value only to him, they seemed worth saving. He would go to Olson Electronics where he befriended the manager, who took pity and sold demonstrators to Marty very inexpensively. Marty managed to build a decent bedroom sound and recording system with very little money.
The Music Box Bug
MartyÕs friend, Mel Septon, decided that he was going to rebuild a player piano for himself. Mel wound up buying a beautiful Schultz player piano from Roger Dayton, owner of Pedals, Pumpers and Rolls. It was the only retail establishment for automatic music in the Chicago area. Roger offered it at a discounted price but cautioned Mel that the Schultz player stack was particularly difficult to restore. Mel replied, ÒI can fix anything,Ó and bought the piano. The restoration job was kind of like learn.ing to swim by diving into the deep end of the pool. After college, Mel decided he would rather open a player piano restoration shop than teach physical geography. Marty enjoyed spending time with Mel in his shop but didnÕt yet have the bug to collect mechanical music.
In 1975 Mel joined MBSI and spent a week at Lloyd KelleyÕs Music Box School to learn how to restore music boxes. On his long drive back home Mel was looking through the MBSI directory and saw a large collection in Paris, IL, listed as ÒVATÓ meaning viewing any time. Mel called and was told he could stop by later that day. The collection belonged to Dr. Paul Fleener, an early member of MBSI. Soon after returning home Mel agreed to buy the doctorÕs Regina accordion-top music box. Mel shared his adventure with Marty and asked if Marty would go with him to help move the music box. It would be a 424 mile roundtrip but Marty thought, Òthis sounds interesting.Ó
He stepped into the house that held a collection of around 50 high-quality music boxes. He said listening to the beautiful sounds so distinct from any other orchestral instrument was like being in heaven. The doctor indicated he was interested in mentoring new collectors. Marty started to rethink his former concept that money was something you saved and never spent. A week later, the doctor told Mel that Marty should bring $300 and he could find a music box for him. After getting the green light from Sandy, his bride of some six months, Marty went to the bank. For some reason he took out $400. (Why? He still doesnÕt know.) Mel and Marty went to visit the doctor and, of course, the first thing the doctor asked was not, ÒDid you bring the $300?Ó but instead, ÒHow much money did you bring?Ó
Not thinking Marty blurted out, ÒI brought $400 É but…Ó and before Marty could say more, the doctor said, ÒWonderful, we should be able to find a music box for you for $400.Ó
Mel and Marty made an agreement that Mel would use the keyword ÒniceÓ if it was something that Marty should really buy. The doctor showed Marty one box after the other, Marty really liked them all. Mel said, Òthis is wonderful,Ó and, ÒMarty, you should really consider this one.Ó He never used the word Ònice.Ó
The doctor finally said, ÒDid you come here to buy a music box or not?Ó Marty replied, ÒYes, I did.Ó
Then the doctor turned to a beau.tiful interchangeable cylinder music box and said, ÒI might be crazy enough to offer you this one.Ó Mel quietly said, ÒYeah, thatÕs a nice one.Ó Marty said he will never forget the butterflies in his stomach just before he told the doctor, ÒYes, thatÕs the one I want.Ó
It was the start of Marty becoming an enthusiast and collector of music boxes. When Marty brought the newfound treasure home, Sandy became an instant fan. Within the next few years Marty, Sandy and Mel would come to own a sizable part of the doctorÕs collection and forge lifelong friendships, visiting regularly over the next 17 years.
Computer Science Career
I asked Marty how he got into computer science and, as anyone who has met Marty knows, there was an answer along with several side stories to go with it.
In 1966 he built a science fair project called ÒDigital Switching Circuitry,Ó which was made up of parts from the brains of pinball machines. His display won the fair. Bell Laboratories awarded him and a teacher of his choice a trip to the companyÕs Murray Hill, NJ, lab joining other high school science fair winners from around the country. This was a first for Marty in many ways. It was his first time on an airplane (a first-class ticket, no less). The filet mignon and macadamia nuts served on the flight out were also both firsts for him.
In the hotel room, MartyÕs teacher said, Òyou stay up here and IÕm going down to meet with the other teachers in the bar.Ó Several students, including Marty, felt deserted and got together in the hallway trying to figure out what to do. Marty suggested taking one bell off from each phone in their hotel rooms so they would make a funny ring. Using a dime, Marty demonstrated this opening his phone and removing one bell. However, once accomplished he got nervous and put the bell back before the teachers returned.
Marty thought he wanted to be an electronic engineer. He had decided to go to either the University of Illinois, in Chicago, which was a brand new school with modernized engineering curriculums or to the University of Illinois downstate, which had a well-established engineering school. Undecided, Marty wrote out deposit checks to each school. Standing in front of the mailbox he finally dropped in the deposit to the Chicago school Ð which meant he could stay at home with all the stuff he had already collected. It turned out well as Marty would be hired by the UniversityÕs Energy Engineering department to help build and create instrumentation for a shock tube laboratory. The lab became MartyÕs second home for the next four years.
Taking graduate classes in his senior year he was hired by the Information Engineering Department to run labo.ratory sessions. Two paychecks later the university said he could not work for two departments at the same time.
It was then he decided to pursue his Masters in Computer Science.
In 1972 he applied for a job seeking someone with a Ph.D. and offering $10,000 a year. He was hired despite only having a masterÕs degree.
The Academy for Interscience Methodology (AIM) was a small non-profit scientific research organi.zation formed when the University of Chicago got out of the military and classified world. AIMÕs primary funded work was in the development of strategic defense computer models. The clincher for Marty in taking the job was that his office would be inside the Museum of Science & Industry,
Sandy and Marty Persky in their living room.
ChicagoÑone of his favorite places in the world. Marty worked as a scientific programmer and as a strategic defense analyst. Seventeen years later, when the Berlin Wall came down, Marty, as CEO, saw AIMÕs work coming to an end. In 1995, AIM ceased operation.
Mechanical Music
MartyÕs first exposure to automatic musical instruments was in the late 1960s at SvobodaÕs Nickelodeon Tavern and Museum. It seems like so many members of AMICA and MBSI started out this way. The nickelode.ons there were lots of fun and they were used as they were intendedÑin a bar setting. It was a big party time! It was probably the heyday of the establishment.
I asked Marty if he met Art Reblitz or Dave Ramey, Senior, at SvobodaÕs and Marty said, ÒThey might have been there but I didnÕt know them at the time and I only went on Saturday nights when it was usually very crowded.Ó There were instruments of all types playing all over the place. It was totally wild. Al Svoboda would dump a burlap bag full of instruments onto the floor and hand an instrument to each woman he picked from the audience.
By 1971, Sandy came along. Al picked Sandy and gave her a string of sleigh bells to put around her waist. After that, Sandy knew to stay in the background during the instrument assignment process. Marty thought the dollar beers were the biggest money maker. People would drink them all night and never seem to get too drunk.
The 1977 MBSI annual meeting in Cleveland, OH, was Marty and SandyÕs first. Attending MBSI and AMICA chap.ter meetings and annual conventions often became a family affair. After several years of enjoying the benefits of membership, Marty thought it was time to help out by taking on official duties in the Chicago-Area Chapter of AMICA and then Mid-America Chapter of MBSI. These were all rich and rewarding experiences that grew his network of friends and fellow collectors.
In 1986 Marty met Norio Isogai of Tokyo, Japan, during one of his buying trips to the U.S. Marty had offered him a musical stage of the Mikado operetta. Norio was not interested as the music was not complicated, but he wanted to purchase almost the entire rest of MartyÕs collection. Marty agreed to sell Norio a few nice pieces
A swinging arm clock in the Persky house.
that he knew would be replaceable. What he did not realize was it would take him several years to find pieces in comparable condition. Over a four-year period Marty and Norio spent many hours discussing technical issues of various instruments. In late 1990, Norio called Marty at his office asking if he would work part time as his purchasing agent. Marty said he recalls the feeling of being on cloud nine as he immediately accepted.
The next year turned out to be extremely difficult for Norio. As JapanÕs economy was collapsing, instead of selling inventoried instru.ments, he and his assistant had to totally rebuild a Phonoliszt Violina already placed in a museum exhibit space. With no money coming in from Japan, MartyÕs opportunity of being a purchasing agent transformed into an opportunity of taking out a substantial loan and becoming a partner in NorioÕs
U.S. acquisitions and restoration projects. It was continuous work but on-and-off as far as getting paid. MartyÕs accountant would ask him, ÒTell me again, why did you get into this business?Ó
Marty began to acquire and sell instruments for private U.S. collectors, taking on music box restoration jobs and restoration management for other instruments. Mechanical music was becoming a second full-time job. In early 1995, after AIM closed down, Marty had the opportunity to continue his work in strategic defense by moving to Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, NE. Sandy said, ÒYou can do that if you want, but weÕre not moving.Ó At the time, Sandy was working part time as a nurse which provided health insurance benefits. So, Marty decided to stay put and go all in with mechanical music.
Angelo Rulli was given the job of chairing the 1996 MBSI convention in Chicago. Early that year Angelo had told Marty he was recovering from bypass surgery and didnÕt know if he could do the job alone. Marty said he would be happy to help. It became another full-time job for the next six monthsÑworking and reworking the convention to accommodate 708 attendees! Since Marty wouldnÕt have time to hold an open house, he decided to bring his entire collection to the hotel. It was opened to the public on the Sunday after the convention. Many attendees said it was the best conven.tion ever.
As of this time, none of the pros.pects for a new Japanese museum had come to fruition. In late 1996, Marty received a call from Angelo saying, ÒI need help. There is someone who wants to spend $100 million on music boxes!Ó
It turned out that it wasnÕt just music boxes, but all types of automatic music and the money covered the cost of buying land and constructing a museum complex. Ultimately Marty would provide a sizable number of world class instruments for the Ukai Music Forest museum in Kawagu.chi-ko, Japan. The museum obtained many fine instruments from Jasper Sanfilippo. Fortuitously, Jasper had comparable instruments waiting to be restored, so he could replace most of what he let go. The museum hired Norio Isogai as director of curatorial services and Norio and Marty wrote the museumÕs catalog. In the years since the Ukai Music Forest opened on Sept. 9, 1999, some 400,000 people annually have experienced mechani.cal music there in a grand setting.
Marty wasnÕt just working behind the scenes. He presented several workshops at annual MBSI meetings. The talks featured some of his favorite instruments: the Symphonion Eroica and the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina. His work continued in the new millen.nium providing support to collectors worldwide. Some of the collections are among the largest in the world. He served as an MBSI trustee for eight years. With the advent of the internet he created a website with the domain of www.MechMusic.com. Today, the website gives background on Marty and offers pictures and videos of some instruments he has available for sale.
In 2006 he became curator for the Jasper and Marian Sanfilippo Collec.tion. He also supports the Sanfilippo Foundation (www.SanfilippoFounda.tion.org) which conducts tours and events at the estate. Through these events the foundation has helped charities raise millions of dollars for their respective causes. Marty says it is always a pleasure for him to organize the AMICA, MBSI, COAA and COCA tours and events at the estate. The enthusiasm of all the collectors makes these events especially exciting.
He said his work has seldom been a one man show. He relies on collaboration with colleagues, many of whom are combinations of histo.rians, authors, collectors, artisans and restorers. Over the last 26 years people who share a passion for these instruments have been a major part of his work and life. Marty said he would not have reached his level of success without the support and friendships of Norio Isogai, Jasper Sanfilippo, Art Reblitz, Jerry Biasella and Mel Septon.
Two Acquisition Stories
I asked Marty what was the first big instrument he handled. Marty said that during the MBSI 1990 convention in Indianapolis, IN, he brought a Regina Musical China Closet to NorioÕs atten.tion. The owner was not attending the convention but had come from Farmersville, IL, to show a picture of the Regina in hopes of finding a buyer. It attracted quite a lot of attention. Marty asked the owner to not sell the piece before calling him. Norio was interested and told Marty to see how much he wanted. A few days later the owner called Marty saying he would only sell the china closet as a package with his $15,000 organ clock. Marty asked the owner if he could see the pieces at 6:30 a.m. the next morning as he had an important meeting at work later than morning. He called Norio who gave him permission to buy both instruments, as long as the Regina was good and he could pay somewhat more if there was competition over the asking price. Upon arrival, the Regina was all original but the clock was a marriage with the head not original to the body. So, Marty said he would buy the pair. The owner said he had promised to call other people before he sold it and wanted to do so.
Marty said ÒEither I buy it today or not at all, so if there is someone you have to call, do it now.Ó Marty contin.ued, ÒTo show you how interested I am, IÕll pay you $5,000 extra for the Regina and you can keep the clock.Ó The owner liked that deal even better. He tried to reach several people but reached only two. Neither of them would commit without seeing the pieces first. Finally, the owner relented and accepted a $5,000 deposit and executed a contract for the Regina.
Marty then related another interest.ing story. The Milhous brothers had purchased the Fisher collection and wanted to sell off duplicate and surplus
The Oiseau-Chantant (singing bird) cylinder music box. The bird movements are choreographed for each of eight tunes with voice from 11 miniature pipes accom.
panied by two music box combs.
pieces. The Music Forest museum was interested in the Franz Oehrlein organ grinder automaton. Marty attended that auction with Jasper Sanfilippo. Marty felt confident he could purchase it since he had arranged permission to bid up to a super high price. When the lot hit the block, lo and behold, Marty never got a chance to raise his hand.
Including the premium, it went for more than $100,000.
Marty immediately got on the phone with his friend Hans Schmitz in Stutt.gart, Germany, who was also a friend of Franz Oehrlein. Marty asked, ÒHow are we going to find an Oehrlein organ grinder?Ó It turned out the last produc.tion model was still sitting in the shop unfinished, awaiting further payment from the buyer. Through Hans, Marty could secure the organ grinder from Oehrlein for the museum. Even though word of the auction price had gotten around, the price was consid.erably less than what the museum had been willing to pay at the auction. Months later Franz agreed to sell the prototype for the flute player and bird automaton which Mrs. Oehrlein regarded as their son. After some time, Franz Oehrlein himself finished it just like the production model.
The Collection
When Marty experiences an instru.ment for the first time he thinks about its history. Who would have owned this? The commercial pieces were owned by businesses. They were not just nickel grabbers, but trade stim.ulators. They made business sense, and thatÕs the only reason they were successful in their time. Since Marty has a regular sized house there is little room for such instruments. His Bowfront Mills Violano, for example, is well cared for at a friendÕs house where there is a large music room.
The instruments made for the home were generally quite expensive, but the music they provided was worthy of the cost at the time. Reproducing pianos werenÕt sold for the piano or the songs, they were sold as if the artist was coming to your parlor and playing your piano for you. Salesmen said you would be listening to the artist perform in your own home on a real piano. The largest instrument in MartyÕs home is a Chickering AMPICO B reproducer with carved lyre legs. Marty feels fortunate to have pieces that were originally afforded by only the very well-to-do and enjoys sharing their experience with other people.
He observed that because so much music is simulated now, people are forgetting what real acoustic sounds are like. A piano, for example, is not just one pin-point source of sound. Our ears pick up sound from all direc.tions. Speakers just donÕt reproduce the same three-dimensional sound as the instrument and its surroundings.
In addition to the music and history, Marty enjoys the mechanics, and the inventiveness of the instruments. One of the focuses of his collection is the oddities. Some unusual designs were implemented just to get around othersÕ patents. The F.G. Otto Capital Cuff music box was such an example. Rather than a flat music disc, Otto punched projections on a strip of sheet metal which was rolled into the shape of a shirt sleeve cuff.
MartyÕs is not just any Otto cuff box, but the one that uses OttoÕs patented spring motor. The motor is powered by two compressed helical springs on wooden dowel rods. As the springs expand they pull on a chain which rotates a cylinder which drives the mechanism via a right-angle gear drive. These have been known to explode at times if wound too tightly, but it is certainly a novel way of powering a music box. Marty has the patent drawings, so visitors can compare the drawing to how the actual machine works. Another design that went lengths to avoid patent infringement was Euphonia MusikwerkeÕs Hero.phon organette that rotated the entire reed organ player under a stationary square cardboard music sheet.
A friend from Connecticut called Marty one day, and said ÒI donÕt know what it is, but it looks like the patent model for a music box, coming up soon at auction.Ó Looking at it, Marty determined that it was the model for PaillardÕs 1874 Sublime Harmony music box patent. There were no phone bids allowed at this auction but an absentee bid would be accepted. Marty didnÕt know what to tell the auctioneer as a high bid. He really wanted it, but if he proffered a high bid, the auctioneer might just push the bidding up. So, Marty put in a bid close to what he was willing to pay. He got it for a nominal price of about 10 percent of his maximum bid. He was very pleased to have an honest auctioneer who was unknown to him. When it came time to pack and ship the model, Marty asked the auctioneer to pack it and remember his maximum bid, not just what he actually paid for it. Marty was elated when he later confirmed the model was depicted exactly in the drawings for the patent specifications.
Art Reblitz, Norio Isogai and Marty Persky in 1998 in ArtÕs shop.
Marty had Craig Smith and Jeff Vincent restore two pieces in his collection. The first was an 18-key barrel pipe organ with monoblock flute and metal violin pipes by Joseph Hicks of Bristol, England, circa 1830. Nobody ever told Joseph that you couldnÕt put 17 tunes on a single barrel, so that is just what he did. The other is a hand-cranked barrel piano by George Hicks out of Brooklyn, NY, with 10 moving figures, circa 1840. This is a fun and novel piece with lots of action.
One of the most beautiful pieces is a Oiseau-Chantant (singing bird) cylin.der music box. The bird movements are choreographed for each of eight tunes with voice from 11 miniature pipes accompanied by two music box combs. The singing bird box came from a very early Chicago collection
Ex-Sanfilippo Instruments at Ukai Music Forest museum in Kawaguchi-ko, Japan, on the performance stage.
that was exhibited at the downtown Chicago public library every Christ.mas season during the early 1950s. Marty helped Mabel and Simon Zivin acquire a piece from that collection and was able to buy this at the same time. Having relationships with other collectors caused synergistic things to happen. It would take some five years before Marty had Robin Biggins restore the Oiseau-Chantant box. Robin also worked on the circa 1860 Husson-Buthod et Thibouville three musician automaton formerly from the Sullivan collection in Evansville, IN.
One of the best cylinder music boxes in Marty and SandyÕs collection is an 1854 forte-piano box attributed to Langdorff, Geneva. It has 238 teeth of graduated width. It makes four revolutions of a 13-inch-by-3.5-inch diameter cylinder. The music box was owned by Clarence and Marguerite FabelÑtwo of the founding members of MBSI. In 1954, the Fabels sent the box to Switzerland to be restored. Not hearing anything for over a year, they decided to go visit their box. Showing up unannounced, they were told ÒOh my, I know where one of the combs is!Ó They were assured that it would be finished and sent back. Six months later they received it safe and sound. Marguerite recalled that Marty had taken a fancy to that piece. When it was time for Marguerite to sell off pieces of the collection, she held this for Marty. Years later Marty had Dave Wells go through the box. It is just a marvel to listen to. A 60-note upright Chordephon is a more recent addition. ItÕs a mechanical zither with a beauti.ful sound which is just amazing.
The early days of eBay were great for Marty as some legitimate rare pieces were offered straight out of peopleÕs attics and dresser drawers. Since then it has become difficult to sift through all the junk and verify condition. It is all too common to read, ÒI am not an expert, but it sure sounds good to me!Ó Another common comment is, ÒIt is excellent condition for its age.Ó Also, listening to an instrument play over the telephone can be problematic as well. Modern telephone communica.tion is designed for transmission of speech, not music. Unfortunately, too many novices and would-be collectors have been burned by purchasing what they believe is a great bargain to learn they have a noise box that would cost much more to fix than if they had paid full price for a good one. Such expe.riences can cause people to lose all interest in collecting music machines.
The PerskysÕ personal collection and the business inventory comprise some 200 instruments plus related ephemera and accessories. Some pieces are in the process of resto.ration and not presently operable or assembled. In addition, they typically have a few customer instruments for
The Completed Oehrlein prototype automaton on display at An HBT three musician barrel reed organ in the Persky
the Ukai Music Forest museum.
restoration and consignment. There are always plenty of instruments to play for visitors. Marty said, ÒSharing the experience of these musical wonders is always our pleasure.Ó
Positive Experiences
Marty said participating in the hobby while having another vocation was wonderful, but being able to work in the hobby was a special privilege. As time went on, most of his waking hours were with the instruments and the people associated with the instru.ments, both collectors and restorers.
When I bought a Seeburg G through Marty, he called me to say that the machine had a problem. It was very minor but Marty thought it was important to disclose everything. He said, ÒIf it was an unrestored instru.ment then we wouldnÕt worry about it, but when you want to get a restored machine that is Ômove-inÕ ready and you are going to be living with it, why shouldnÕt I have Jerry Biasella fix it?Ó
told Marty that most people wouldnÕt even mention something like
collection.
that. He said he was lucky to represent an instrument that was worthy of such scrutiny. Since the collectors and the restorers are both a big part of MartyÕs life, he wants both to be happy. He says itÕs not like a mail-order business, where new customers are assured even if past customers are unhappy. Preserving these instruments for posterity is something that is well worth doing. I said I always felt we are caretakers of the instruments. When I wanted to buy something, I would always go to Marty first. You could always be assured that he would honestly represent the machine under consideration.
The Persky Family
Sandy equally enjoys the instru.ments, their music and their collector friends. The Perskys have a daughter and son and three grandchildren. At a very young age, their daughter accom.panied them to national collector conventions and homes of collector friends. Upon her return from visiting a pre-K school friend, Marty asked, ÒDid you have a good time at RachelÕs house?Ó Her reply was, ÒIt was OK, but, daddy, where are their music boxes?Ó She had never been to a home without music boxes. She is now a scientist at the National Institutes of Health, but spent all her free time while in college as program director for rock music. Their son trained in vocal performance but when Pavarotti did not step down he switched to a degree in political theory and now is with a New York City non-profit organization working to improve our world. To their delight, the grandsons aged 10, 8 and 8 love to listen to the music boxes.
Email Matt Jaro at mjaro@verizon. net if you would like any information about style ÒAÓ, ÒGÓ, Ò4XÓ, ÒHÓ or ÒOÓ rolls. Also, comments and suggestions for this column will be appreciated.
Reprinted with permission of the author and The Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association (AMICA). Originally printed in the March/April, 2017 issue of The AMICA Bulletin.
Minutes of the 72nd Annual Business Meeting of the Musical Box Society International
Marriott Hotel San Mateo, CA, Sept. 4, 2022
President David Corkrum called to order the 2022 MBSI Annual Busi.ness Meeting at 10:44 a.m. He read the names of members and friends who have passed away since the last Annual Meeting: Joseph Berman, Ed Buchanan, Rex Burgett, Hal Estry, Mary Louise Freiheit, Donald Huene, Wendell Jacob, Aline Kadlec, Judith Kohlhaas, Ron and Regina Koontz, Michael McKilligan, Kim Pontius, Ruth Ramey, Sandra Smith, Arthur Thompson, and Jonathan White.
A moment of silence was observed in remembrance.
Sincere appreciation was extended to Lyle Merithew and Sandy Swirsky, Bob and Judy Caletti, David Corkrum and the members of the Golden Gate Chapter for their excellent work in putting this meeting together.
The officers and MBSI Board of Trustees were introduced. Past MBSI presidents and trustees were recognized.
Those attending an annual meeting for the first time were recognized.
President Corkrum introduced our distinguished guests from our sister organizations: Arlette Baud and Michel Bourgoz of MusŽe Baud; Alli.son Biden, president of MBSGB; Peter Both, president of the Swiss Friends of Mechanical Music; Michel TrŽmouille, vice president and treasurer and Jean-Marc Lebout, vice president and redactor of the Association des Amis des Instruments et de la Musique Mechanique, also known as the Asso.ciation of Friends of Instruments and Mechanical Music. President Corkrum was able to successfully pronounce this last part by drawing on his high school French.
OfficersÕ Reports
President Corkrum reported that the minutes of the 71st MBSI Annual Meeting held in Fort Myers, FL, were published in Volume 68, No. 1, of Mechanical Music. There being no corrections, additions or deletions, President Corkrum entertained a motion to approve the minutes. The motion was made and seconded and the motion passed.
Vice President Matt Jaro was introduced and presented the vice presidentÕs report. The vice president is responsible for the giving of awards to those who have given their time and energy in promoting mechanical music. The vice president is also responsible for reports made to the University of the State of New York. The report was received.
Committee Reports
Finance Committee: President Corkrum presented the finance report. Total fund balances for 2021 decreased by $18,218. Net assets totaled $749,995 as of Dec. 31, 2021.
The main items of revenue is membership dues. That revenue declined from $69,029 to $66,090. The Southeast Chapter did a commendable job running the 2021 convention. Their efforts contributed a net profit to the societyÕs bottom line, and they should be congratulated for their efforts.
Publishing revenue was $17,643 and publishing expense was $68,162. Accounting, tax preparation and administrative expense totaled $33,943.
As of Dec. 31, 2021, the society had operating investments totaling $403,283 and restricted investments totaling $316,811.
For the Endowment Fund, the total was $161,850. The fund increased by $1,580 from the previous year. The endowment interest earned fund shows a balance of $43,287, two-thirds of which, or $28,825, is available for projects or programs. The report was received.
At the mid-year trustees meeting, it was proposed and approved to increase the membership dues by $10 per year. The reason is the increase in the cost of doing business and the decrease in membership. President Corkrum entertained a motion to increase the dues by $10 effective Jan. 1, 2023. The motion was made and seconded and the motion passed.
Also at the mid-year meeting, it was proposed by the Marketing Commit.tee to offer half-price memberships to new members and those whose membership had lapsed by two or more years for the first year and be billed the full price thereafter. This plan would be offered for a two-year period and all other discounts to new members would be suspended for the same two years.
President Corkrum entertained a motion to offer half-price member.ships for the first year to new members and those whose member.ship had lapsed by two or more years. Members who join using this discount would be billed the full price for membership on renewal the following year. The program would take effect Jan. 1, 2023, and would continue for a two-year period. All other new member discounts would be suspended for these same two years. The motion was made and seconded. The motion passed.
Audit Committee Chair Ed Cooley presented the audit report. Cinda L. Rodgers, CPA, PC, who conducted the audit, stated that, based on her review, she is not aware of any mate.rial modifications that should be made to the financial statements for them to be in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
While compiling the 2021 data elements for the revenue analysis spreadsheet, Chair Cooley discovered that 36 of the 93 international members chose the option of airmail delivery of the journal. This reduction in esti.mated revenue produced a very small variance from actual membership revenue. The difference between the estimated and actual revenue was $425 or a difference of -0.64 percent. The committee will continue to report this type of analysis each year.
Last month, our current accountant, Sherry Werner, advised MBSI that she will no longer provide services for the society. A conference was held between President Corkrum, Treasurer Ed Kozak and Audit Chair Cooley. A suggestion was made to consider Cinda Rodgers who normally reviews the societyÕs annual financial statements.
Chair Cooley conducted a phone conversation with Mrs. Rodgers about her potential interest in transitioning to be our accountant. Treasurer Kozak was included in further discussion with Mrs. Rodgers, and it was decided that she would take on the position of the societyÕs accountant. She has agreed to provide our current level of service for about the same cost for one year, during which time she will determine if the costs may need to change. She has also agreed to find a replacement for her review contract capacity. The report was received.
Marketing Committee Chair Bob Smith presented the report. The trans.lator and two articles have been put on the website for foreign members to try. Comments from new members show it is the chapter meetings and personal contacts which are essen.tial for retention of new members. Advertising for MBSI continues on Mechanical Music Radio. The report was received.
Meetings Committee Chair Matt Jaro presented the report on the dates of upcoming annual meetings. Snowbelt Chapter will host in 2023; Southern California Chapter will host in 2024 joint with AMICA; and Lake Michigan Chapter will host in 2025. The report was received as presented.
AdministratorÕs Report: President Corkrum presented the report. Our administrator, Jacque Beeman consistently sends a detailed report of what is going on with the member.ship as well as the procedures she follows. As of Jun. 30, 2022, there were 1,043 members. For the same period ending Jun. 30, 2021, there were 1,091 members. There was a loss of 48 members. There were 30 new memberships from Jan. 1, 2022, to Jun. 30, 2022. Of these, 14 or 47 percent were from the website.
The recipients of a free renewal were quite extensive. Don Caine is the dealer recipient of a free renewal for sponsoring three new members. There was a 13-way tie for the member recipient of a free renewal; Ardis Prescott, Bill Wineburgh, Bob Caletti, Brooks Low, Hope Rider, Jack Hostetler, Jessica Holden, Kelly Newsome, Nancy Stevens, Nancy Van Broekhoven, Robin Biggins, Russell Kasselman, and Wayne Myers for sponsoring one new member each. The report was received.
Museum Committee: President Corkrum presented the report. There have been no changes to the loans to museums of our inventory. All inven.tory items remain the same and are housed at A.T.T. in Oaks, PA, as well as at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, AZ, and at a number of museums in the Midwest.
The MIM contacted the committee chair with a request to repair/restore the faade of the Swiss chalet box on display. Their conservation depart.ment was given permission to enhance the piece. The report was received.
Nominating Committee Chair Dan Wilson presented the report. There were no scheduled or anticipated vacancies from the board this year, so no search for a new trustee or officer candidates was initiated. Chair Wilson still intends to vacate the position as chair. The composition of the commit.tee will be changing at the conclusion of this meeting.
Chair: Vacant
Members: Tom Kuehn, immediate past president, Bob Caletti, Trustee, Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee, and representatives from the following chapters: Lake Michigan, Mark Pichla; Mid-America, Rob Pollock; Snowbelt, Tracy Tolzmann; and Sunbelt, Ray Dickey.
The Nominating Committee submits the following slate of officers and trustees for approval and confirmation by the members.
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Vice-President: Matt Jaro to serve a second one-year term.
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Treasurer: Ed Kozak to serve another one-year term.
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Recording Secretary: Linda Birkitt to serve another one-year term.
President Corkrum asked for a motion to approve the slate. The motion was made and seconded. The motion passed.
Publications Committee Chair Bob Caletti presented the report. Chair Caletti thanked everyone who had contributed to this yearÕs journal. He also thanked Russell Kasselman, our editor/publisher, and Rick Swaney, our website committee chair for the great job they have been doing. Behind the scenes there is also our great proofreading team to catch any errors that may appear in an article.
In the future you will be seeing reprints of past articles of inter.est as well as articles from other publications.
The publication date of Mechanical Music will be moved to the middle of each odd month to coincide with other publication deadlines.
The committee will be putting some Òhow toÓ articles on the website to generate interest in the society. The report was received.
Editor/Publisher Russell Kasselman presented the report. A total of 34 writ.ers and 12 photographers contributed articles, columns, chapter reports, memorials and pictures to the journal this past year. Russell continues to encourage any member to contribute new material and he offers his edito.rial services to help turn even a jumble of notes into a piece of writing that all can enjoy and benefit from.
Advertising percentages were down slightly from last year, filling an average of 18.75 percent of journal pages. This average remains between the target goal of 15Ð25 percent adver.tising in each issue. He would like to thank our consistent advertisers, especially Nancy Fratti, Marty Persky, Steve Stanton, Porter Music Boxes, Cottone Auctions, Bob Caletti, Reeder Pianos, Renaissance Antiques, Breker Auctions and Morphy Auctions for their support of Mechanical Music.
Costs for producing the journal continue to rise slowly due to postage and paper costs. MBSI is participating in a program called ReLeaf, which plants trees to offset the carbon footprint of the pages we print and mail. So far, MBSIÕs participation has resulted in the planting of 195 trees.
As his role as website editor/ manager, Russell continues to keep the websiteÕs core code and all plug.ins up to date. He has corrected a few logic flaws affecting the functionality of the membership management tools used by the MBSI administrator. The report was received.
Website Subcommittee Chair Rick Swaney presented the report. There is good news and bad concerning the redesign project. The bad news is that it is not as far along as hoped. Higher priority work keeps pushing back the work. The good news is some of the work has been completed on the new design. Notable features include Simplified top-level menu, in which the menu is reduced to the items most likely wanted; Hero image which cycles images through various eye-catching images which have overlaid text; horizontal slices which consists of several horizontal frames, each one describing a different feature of the website or the society itself; and link icons which give quick access to other web sections. These replace items that are currently hidden in the top-level menu.
The archive of text-only journal issues (suitable for translation) is being kept up to date. An issue is generated each time a new journal issue is published. The archive covers the years 2018 to 2022.
The MBSI Forum on Facebook continues its rapid growth. Last year the membership was at 440. This year it is 892. In the last 60 days there were 385 posts and 12,550 views. The website is averaging 3,000 visits per month. Last year, almost 10,000 people found our site via a Google search. The report was received.
President Corkrum entertained a motion to adjourn. It was moved and seconded to adjourn the 72nd annual business meeting. The motion passed and the meeting was adjourned at
11:27 a.m.
Respectfully submitted, David Corkrum, President on behalf of the Recording Secretary Sept. 19, 2022
MBSI Annual TrusteesÕ Meeting Minutes
of August 31, 2022
The MBSI Board of Trustees, left to right: Vice President Matt Jaro, Immediate Past President Tom Kuehn, Trustee Bob Caletti,
Recording Secretary Linda Birkitt, President David Corkrum, Trustee Ed Cooley.
President Corkrum called the MBSI Annual TrusteesÕ meeting to order at
9:21 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2022 at the San Mateo, CA, Marriott Hotel. Those Trustees who attended in person were: David Corkrum, President Presiding, Bob Caletti, Ed Cooley, Matt Jaro and Tom Kuehn, while those who attended via Zoom were: Dave Calendine, Richard Dutton and Mary Ellen Myers. Eight of eight present made up a quorum. Guest Judy Caletti was recognized by President Corkrum as were Ed Kozak, Treasurer, Linda Birkitt, Recording Secretary, and Sally Craig and Rick Swaney as committee chairs. Trustee Wayne Finger had resigned prior to this meeting.
Because the minutes of the 2021 Annual TrusteesÕ meeting, and the minutes of the 2022 mid-year trustees meeting were not approved even though they were published in Mechanical Music, all the minutes for 2021 and 2022 will be approved as they have been published in Mechani.cal Music. Trustee Dutton moved that the minutes of the Aug. 31, 2021, MBSI Annual TrusteesÕ meeting as published in Volume 68, No. 1, and the minutes of the Mar. 18, 2022, MBSI Mid-year TrusteesÕ meeting as published in Volume 68, No. 4 in Mechanical Music are hereby approved. Tom Kuehn seconded the motion. Motion carried and the minutes were approved.
Board actions
Recording Secretary: Linda Birkitt conducted a review of pending board actions. There were no changes to other board actions except for a clarification of the Marketing Commit.tee board action. (See Marketing Committee Report). The report was received.
VICE PRESIDENTÕS REPORT
Matt Jaro, vice president.
The vice president is responsible for coordinating all award plaques as well as presenting the awards luncheon. All nominees for awards have been chosen, plaques have been ordered and the presentation has been assembled. A video presentation for the luncheon, which includes some of the winners with their collections, has been produced. The Annual Report from the society to the Board of Regents of the University of New York, which is required to maintain our 501(c)(3) status, has been submit.ted. The notebook with all chapter reports is on display in the Hospitality Room. This report was received.
LIST OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
President Corkrum noted that the committee makeup list, which documents the committee chairs and members, has been developed. All members have agreed to continue with their respective committees. However, a motion is needed to approve the committee member list. Trustee Kuehn moved to approve the list, which was seconded by Vice Pres.ident Jaro. Motion carried. President Corkrum asked Vice President Jaro to assume the role of Membership Committee chair until a chair is secured. Per protocol, the president is, by default, on all committees. Committee chairs Craig and Caletti have reached the end of their chair terms but have graciously agreed to continue another year, if not longer as needed. Nominating Committee Chair Dan Wilson will be leaving his post early, so that committee needs a chair.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Treasurer Ed Kozak presented the financial statements ending Dec. 31, 2021. They showed a deficit of $18,218. Actual results are consistent with the budget projections. The following are a few revenue and expense items of note:
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Dues revenue declined from $69,029 to $66,090.
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The Southeast Chapter did an amazing job of running the Convention under very difficult circumstances, and even managed to create a net profit for the Society.
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Publishing revenues were $17,643 and publishing expenses were $68,162.
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Accounting, tax preparation and administrative expenses totaled $33,943.
Per the Board of Regents of the University of New York, the Society is required to have an independent review of its financial statements for year-end by a CPA. The societyÕs inde.pendent CPA, Cinda Rodgers, opined that no material modifications need be made to the financial statements.
As of Dec. 31, 2021, the society has operating investments totaling $403,283, restricted investments totaling $316,811 and cash of $61,354. Interest rates are expected to rise for the next couple of years, so the certificates of deposit should also be expected to rise.
A proposed 2023 society budget was emailed to all trustees and committee chairs requesting any changes. The Marketing Committee budget was adjusted to $2,500 from $550. No other changes were received. The budget is now being submitted to the trustees for their approval.
Russell Kasselman was contacted regarding the publication revenue and costs. Revenue is projected to be flat, but the cost of production could increase by an estimated 1.2 percent.
The treasurer was advised that Sherry Warner, the societyÕs accoun.tant, will no longer be able to serve in this capacity. She will, however, provide services until a replacement is found. Independent CPA, Cinda Rodgers, appears willing to take over the internal accountantÕs position and help find a replacement for her position. Trustee Calendine moved to accept Cinda Rodgers, CPA, as the new internal accountant. Seconded by Trustee Cooley. Motion carried.
Also, it appears that we only need quarterly financial statements, not monthly financial statements, provided by the accountant. Since there was no contract between our current accountant and the society, a new contract will have to be devel.oped. The report was received.
ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE
Ed Kozak, treasurer.
The societyÕs financial statements as of Dec. 31, 2021, indicated the Endow.ment Fund balance to be $161,850. The fund balance increased by $1,580 from the previous year. The Dec. 31, 2021, compilation report includes a schedule showing a balance of $43,287 in the ÒEndowment Interest Earned Fund.Ó Two thirds of this amount ($28,825) is available at this date for projects or programs which have a lasting impact on the preservation or presentation of automatic musical instruments, or which demonstrate historical or scholarly merit. No requests for funds were made in 2021. The report was received.
ADMINISTRATOR
Jacque Beeman, administrator.
President Corkrum presented the report. There are currently 1,043 active members. The administrator recommended canceling the FAX service as it is rarely used. Instead, the administrator will ask the society to pay $30 per month towards her personal cell service, which will save the society $30 per month by not having the fax machine. President Corkrum will notify the accountant to add another $30 to the administratorÕs check monthly. The Trustees agreed. This report has been received.
AUDIT COMMITTEE
Ed Cooley, chair.
As required by New York statutes and regulations, each year our finan.cial statements must be reviewed by an independent CPA. The Dec. 31, 2021, year-end report was in accordance with accounting principles accepted in the United States of America. Cinda Rodgers, CPA, presented her inde.pendent Accountant Review Report on Aug. 5, 2022. Her complete report is included with the Audit Committee Report. Trustee Cooley recommended that we send back issues as well as a subscription to Mechanical Music. He agreed to notify Russell Kasselman regarding this plan.
Vice President Jaro asked if the society should give Sherry Warner a plaque. President Corkrum agreed, stating it should have her name as well as the reason for the plaque. The report was received.
MARKETING REPORT
Judy Caletti, committee member presenting a portion of the report.
In order to build membership, the committee started to approach various schools of music so that membership might increase. Additionally, the committee is sending an electronic welcome letter to all persons who join MBSI online, followed by a letter two weeks later from Rick Swaney on how to use the website, and finally after another two weeks. The last is a letter from Trustee Caletti describing how to best utilize Mechanical Music or how to advertise in it.
The translator and two articles have been placed on the website for foreign members to try. Soon another article will be available for trial for non-members. The society will notify other foreign societies about the translator feature and invite them to join. Comments from new members indicate that the chapter meetings and personal contacts are essential for new member retention. This report was received.
MEETINGS COMMITTEE
Matt Jaro, vice president, chair.
The Snowbelt Chapter has agreed to host the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting (74th Anniversary) and currently has a fully executed contract with Doubletree Hotel in St Paul, MN. Tracy Tolzmann and Trustee Kuehn are planning this event. Attendance is expected to be about 75 members.
Currently, the Southern California Chapter will host the 2024 MBSI Annual Meeting (75th Anniversary/ diamond) which will be a joint AMICA/ MBSI meeting with AMICA taking the lead. Frank Nix is charged with plan.ning the event for MBSI.
The Lake Michigan Chapter has been invited to host the 2025 MBSI Annual Meeting (76th Anniversary).
The East Coast Chapter looks to host the 2026 MBSI Annual Meeting (77th Anniversary) as a joint meeting with AMICA in Princeton, NJ. This report has been received.
MUSEUM COMMITTEE
Sally Craig, chair.
The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) of Phoenix, AZ, contacted the Museum Committee chair as Russell Kasselman wanted to take pictures and write an article on the societyÕs musi.cal watch key fob that is on display there to use in Mechanical Music. The MIM will have more pictures made by their curators, but MBSI permission was needed to execute that activity. Some of the fencing on a Swiss Chalet was coming loose, but the MIM will take care of that as well. Thus, an opportunity was created to talk with the MIM about engaging in ongoing programs between the MIM and MBSI. STEM labs are now being held at the MIM, so the MIM may be interested in repairing some of the societyÕs collection as part of the STEM project. Every two months Richard Simpson and the Museum Committee chair check on the MBSI collection at the American Treasure Tour museum. Everything in the music room is safe. Report received.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
No report.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Chair Dan Wilson reported that he intends to vacate his position at the conclusion of the 2022 MBSI Annual Meeting. No replacement has yet been found. The Nominating Committee submitted the following slate of offi.cers and trustees for approval at the 2022 Mid-year TrusteesÕ meeting, and for confirmation by the membership at the 2022 MBSI Annual Meeting:
¥
Vice President Matt Jaro- to serve a second one-year term
¥
Treasurer Ed Kozak Ð to serve another one-year term
¥
Recording Secretary Linda Birkitt
Ð to serve another one-year term
These nominees do not need a motion for their positions at this meet.ing but will need a motion during the annual MBSI business meeting. The report was received.
SPECIAL EXHIBITS
Mary Ellen Myers, chair.
Chair Myers is seeking more members for the Special Exhibits Committee such that the entire coun.try would be represented, rather than just having representation from the Southeast Chapter.
A relatively new outreach column in Mechanical Music focusing on Òhow to do itÓ articles can be found in the journal. Collaboration with other groups includes the Baker Historical House, the Villages Christmas Show and the Annual Camp Villages Music Box Making event for children and their grandparents, as well as the Christmas Show 2022. This report was received.
PUBLICATIONS
Chair Bob Caletti thanked those who have contributed to the journal, especially Russell Kasselman and Rick Swaney as well as the unsung heroes of the proof-reading team. In the future, the committee plans to include more Òhow toÓ articles on the website to increase interest in the society and generate new members. The committee is requesting to change the date of publication to the middle of the odd months, as the current date of publication coincides with many other publication deadlines. Further.more, we are seeing more new authors writing articles for Mechanical Music. Besides the new content, the commit.tee will be reprinting past articles of interest that most of our membership has not seen. Reprints from other publications related to mechanical music will also be included. This report was received.
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Russell Kasselman, editor/ publisher.
Report presented by Trustee Caletti.
From NovemberÐDecember 2021 through SeptemberÐOctober 2022, a total of 34 writers contributed articles, columns, chapter meeting reports, or In Memoriam tributes to the journal. That is fewer than the 39 contributions last year. Additional contributions will be needed to keep the quality and size of the journal the same going forward. Twelve different photographers contributed images to the journal, making the pages a pleasure to view. Trustee Caletti encouraged all chapter chairs to talk with their members about writing an article for the jour.nal. The editor continues to search for articles of interest that could be reprinted from other mechanical music societies so that MBSI members receive the most comprehensive view of their hobby. Members who speak more than one language are encour.aged to suggest articles that might be reprinted from other mechanical music journals. Besides cylinder boxes, disc boxes and orchestrions, the editor would appreciate articles on bird boxes, automata, pianos, clocks, phonographs, calliopes, band organs or any other type of mechani.cal items in their collections. Last year advertising percentages were 19.61 percent as compared to 18.75 percent for this yearÕs advertising percent.ages. However, these percentages are within the 15Ð25 percent advertising goal in each issue. The editor would like to thank our consistent adver.tisers, especially Nancy Fratti, Marty Persky, Steve Stanton, Porter Music Boxes, Cottone Auctions, Bob Caletti, Reeder Pianos, Renaissance Antiques, Breker Auctions and Morphy Auctions for their support of Mechanical Music this year. Efforts to find the right marketing approach to attract new and consistent advertising will continue. Costs for the journal continue to rise slowly due to postage and paper cost increases and that looks to continue for the foreseeable future.
Website advertising is a work in progress. The editor endeavors to keep the websiteÕs core code (Word.press) and all plugins that provide additional functionality up to date with each major release, so that the site security is as tight as possible. The report was received.
WEB SUB-COMMITTEE
Rick Swaney, chair.
Although the web redesign is not as far along as he had hoped, the Website Sub-Committee chair indicated that other issues slowed progress. Currently, it is awkward to see the website on a small phone as there is a sizing issue. The code that runs the website can detect the type of device it is viewed on and can automatically resize things to fit better on the size of the screen being used. The result is a compromise of both large and small screens. The editor is restructuring the code to separate the code that does the function from the code that does the presentation. When that split is complete, the look of the website will be updated, but not that part of the code which does the work behind the scenes.
The simplified top-level menu will be reduced to the items most likely wanted. Also, each page can have a different menu. For example, a members-only page can have addi.tional items that are available only to logged-in users.
The topmost section is an expanded version of the current home pageÕs instrument slideshow. The section cycles through various eye-catching images. Each image has overlayered text and a button which takes the user to a related page.
The home page consists of several horizontal frames, each one describ.ing a different feature of the website or the society itself. Each frame can have multiple buttons to take the user to a related page.
A set of icons give quick access to other web sections. Most of these replace items that are currently hidden in the top-level menu.
You may observe there is a great deal of white space on the sides of the page. This is part of the redesign to allow a better experience when visiting the website on smaller screen devices such as smart phones.
There is significant work being done behind the scenes on the website architecture. WordPress has evolved and so has the knowledge of how best to use its functions.
A text-only journal archive covers the years 2018Ð2022. The MBSI Forum on Facebook continues its rapid growth. Last year the membership was 440 and this year it is 892.
The website consistently averages 3000 views per month. Blocked log-in attempts by bots and hackers was 192,837. The report was received.
Old business
Vice President Jaro modified a previous motion to ÒThe Vice Presi.dent shall inform Standing Committee Chairs of any action taken during a TrusteesÕ Meeting. The Chair then informs their Committee Members.Ó Trustee Calendine made the motion as modified by Vice President Jaro which was seconded by Trustee Myers. Pres.ident Corkrum restated the motion as follows: The Vice President shall inform the Standing Committee Chairs of any action taken during a TrusteesÕ Meeting that affects those Committees within 60 days of the meeting. Trustee Myers seconded the motion. Motion carried.
New business
President Corkrum noted that Vice President Jaro brought up the issue of The Wonders of Mechanical Music and Carousels. Vice President Jaro noted that for the past few years, the Carou.sel Organ Association of America (COAA) has held a monthly presenta.tion on Zoom about mechanical music. The Lady Liberty AMICA Chapter, the East Coast Chapter of MBSI, COAA and the National Carousel Association (NCA) have all offered help to this new group. Presentations are offered every month on the first Monday of the month. People register online for the presentations. Since there are more than 100 members using Zoom, they have an unlimited Zoom license but need to use an online registration program which has a cost. The group is requesting $400 per year from MBSI. This allows the society to be an offi.cial sponsor, and the group, in turn, displays our logo on their website. Trustee Calendine moved that MBSI provide this COAA-sponsored group with $400/year and to inform that group of MBSIÕs upcoming events. The exact name of the recipient will be needed for this donation. The motion was seconded by Past President Kuehn. President Corkrum indicated that these costs will be added to the Marketing Committee budget.
Having no other business before the board, Trustee Calendine moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Trustee Cooley. Motion carried. Adjournment was at 12:01 p.m.
Report submitted by Recording Secretary Linda Birkitt
Richard ReutlingerÕs living room featuring a Knabe Ampico piano, antique furniture and loads of col.lectibles. Photo by Lowell Boehland.
2022 MBSI Annual Meeting
By Russell Kasselman
Fantastic weather, two dedicated groups of hard-working volunteers and several marvelous adventures greeted the 158 attendees of the 2022 MBSI Annual Meeting held jointly with the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association (AMICA) in San Francisco, CA, Oct. 31 through Sept. 5. Meeting organizers from the Golden Gate Chapter of MBSI and the Founding Chapter of AMICA made every effort to overcome obstacles and smooth out the ride for those in the passenger seats.
The evening reception on day one of the convention featured delicious desserts and a three-hour concert by Adam Swanson, a musi.cologist and ragtime pianist from Durango, CO.
Roaring Camp / Santa Cruz Boardwalk
The first optional tour of the week took both
Headed to the top of Bear Mountain with the 1912 steam locomotive Dixiana Shay in the lead.
Open rail cars allowed for great views of the redwoods. The train passing over a wooden trestle.
groups to Roaring Camp for two train rides.
The first, a 75-minute ride over wooden
trestles, through towering redwood trees and up a winding narrow-gauge grade, carried passengers to the summit of Bear Mountain near Santa Cruz, CA. Conduc.tors shared stories of how the owner of the grove of redwoods had plans to log it
and make huge profits but was dissuaded
when his wife witnessed the beauty of the area and convinced him to preserve it, therefore creating one of the largest areas of redwoods to have never been logged. Roaring CampÕs steam engines date from 1890 and are among the oldest and most authentically preserved narrow-gauge steam engines providing regularly sched.uled passenger service in America.
The Dixiana Shay, Roaring Camp Engine No. 1, hauled the tour group up one of the steepest climbs made by train in North America. Built by Lima Locomotive Works, shop No. 2593, on Oct. 12, 1912, it served on six different short line railroads before coming west to California. A two-truck engine, the Dixie weighs 42 tons. Three 10-inch-by-12.inch cylinders can maintain 180 pounds of working pressure.
Upon returning to Roaring Camp, the
Colette TrŽmouille, Matt Jaro and Michel TrŽmouille pose with The engine of the train taking the group to the Santa Cruz the engine at the summit of Bear Mountain. Boardwalk pulls into Roaring Camp.
tour groups had the opportunity to browse through several Old West-style buildings, including a general store featuring a museum with displays showing what the early days of railroading in the area was like. Everyone then enjoyed a lunch among the redwoods. A mile-long hike through the trees was also available to those with a need to stretch their legs.
After lunch, the groups boarded the Santa Cruz Beach Train for a 60-minute ride through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, down the scenic San Lorenzo River Gorge, across a 1909 steel truss
bridge and through an 1875 tunnel
The painted sign above the entrance to the historic Looff Carousel on the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
Marti Wilson and Mike Wallace enjoying a ride. Julian Dyer flashes a smile from the carousel.
Bruce Newman and Cheryl Hack go for a spin. Reaching out to grab a brass ring.
Geoffrey Kaiser takes a ride on a white stallion.
Mike Walter is ready to go around again.
Glenn Thomas makes the circuit with Mike Walter.
Joel Cluskey prepares to fire a brass ring at the target. Sandy DeWeese is all smiles on the carousel. The Looff Carousel was built in 1911 and features original hand-carved horses and benches.
Alison and Mike Biden ready to go for a ride. Sandy Swirsky and Holly Walter enjoy a comfy seat.
Bruce Newman and Paul Hempel wave to the crowd. Connie and Dieter Brehm are mounted and ready.
Riding the carousel offered a view of the Pacific Ocean.
Ron Palladino looked quite natural on his carousel horse.
Marty Persky has a good laugh during his ride. Gary Rasmussen waits for the ride to start.
before arriving at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Conductors described how redwoods grow in family groups and how their thick bark helps the trees survive
and thrive during forest fires. The trip
is unique in that the train travels right through the center of several Santa Cruz streets, passing only feet from the front doors of several homes. Many residents of the city waved from their porches or the sidewalk providing an enjoyable experience from the open-air train cars.
Arriving at the beach, it was time for rides on the historic Looff Carousel while listening to performances by the Ruth & Sohn 38 band organ, the Wurlitzer 165 Duplex Orchestral organ and the Wurlitzer 146-A Military band organ. The Ruth & Sohn 38 organ has played at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk since 1911. Built in 1894, the organ features 342 pipes, a glockenspiel and percussion instruments. It was originally located at the center of the carousel and got its air through a complicated system of bellows to play tunes using punched books of music. It was converted to play paper rolls in the 1950s, which required a conversion from the original 96-note
format to a 75-note Wurlitzer format.
Today, the organ operates via a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) system. The transition to MIDI allowed the organÕs original 96-note format to be reinstalled. A new facade was installed in 2008 during a restoration. The new facade
features moving figures and paintings of
beach boardwalk scenes.
The Wurlitzer 165 Duplex Orchestral organ made its way to Santa Cruz in 2007, receiving a restored facade featur.ing scenes of California history including gold miners and the old Cliff House of San Francisco, CA. Built in North Tonawanda, NY, the organ was shipped to Playland in San Francisco in 1918, serving there until the amusement park closed in 1972. The organ has 69 keys, 256 wooden pipes and 22 bell bars. It is also operated via a MIDI system that allows it to play 180 songs from the Wurlitzer catalog.
The Wurlitzer 146-A band organ was added to the carousel building in 2011 after being in storage since 1989. Prior to that it had played on the balcony of the boardwalk for the original miniature golf course. The organ was built in the 1920s in North Tonawanda, NY.
The carousel has 73 unique horses and two chariots or seats, all made by one master carver and all still original. Each year, a restoration effort is undertaken to repaint and repair any damage done during the summer operating season. It is one of six remaining intact in the United States. Riders on the outside circle of horses enjoyed reaching out and trying to grab brass rings from a dispenser, then tossing them at a target of a large clown mouth. It is one of only twenty ring dispensers still operating in the world and several thousand of the rings go missing each year as riders keep them for mementos.
Joy was evident on many faces during the rides as memories and music were shared by all.
Dominican Church, Victorian Homes, Alcatraz, FishermanÕs Wharf, MusŽe MŽchanique
The third day of the convention featured
more optional tours. The first part of the
day was spent as a single large group while the evening sessions were split and went in different directions. A planned tour and Wurlitzer organ concert at the art deco Paramount Theatre in Oakland, CA, had to be scrapped at the last minute due to restoration work not being complete at the theater. Instead, convention goers were treated to a concert at St. DominicÕs Cath.olic Church in downtown San FranciscoÕs Fillmore District. The Dominican Order has occupied the same plot of land in the city since it was purchased in 1863 for $6,000. Four different church buildings
were built on the site, the first completed in 1873 without using any nails. Asecond, larger, building was erected in 1887 in an
Italian-Baroque style, but it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1906. A temporary structure served as the third version of the church until the current Gothic-style building was completed in 1928. Another earthquake in 1989 caused the church building to be condemned as unsafe, but
the use of nine concrete flying buttresses
saved the building. Enormous stained glass windows high in each wall of the
church filtered the sunlight streaming in
and created a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy music in.
The organ inside was originally installed in a private home in San Fran.cisco, but was later donated to the church. David Hegarty, who often played the
The organ at St. Dominic’s church in the Fillmore District of San Francisco.
organ for its previous owner, was invited to play a concert. He entertained the crowd marvelously with stories about the organ and the music he played. Listening to songs like ÒTheatrelandÓ by Jack Strachey and ÒToytown TrumpetersÓ by William Davies while sitting in the pews of a church might have felt slightly odd to some, but the acoustics of the building certainly helped enhance the highly-en.joyable sound of the organ. Many in the crowd simply let the tunes carry them away as they let the music wash over them.
Lunch was served in the basement of the church before most of the group proceeded to the next location, near Alamo Square park neighborhood where the row of famous Victorian-style homes known as the Painted Ladies can be found.
ItÕs no secret that San Francisco is built on some very steep hills, and while this presented a bit of a challenge for some it did not deter any in the group from making their way to the extraordinary Victorian-style homes of Philip Strauss (originally the Mitchell House) and Richard Reutlinger (originally the Brune House). Richard, a founding member of AMICA, passed away in 2019 and the home is now managed by a trust managed by Bobby Skinner and Robert Pritchard.
The homes are almost directly across the street from one another. PhilipÕs home is restored to appear as it did in the 1870s and all the furniture and fixtures inside are from the same time period. The house even has its original gas lighting system intact. The main floor features a 1926 Mason and Hamlin Ampico grand piano for which approximately 3,000 rolls are kept downstairs in the basement in neatly-organized cabinets. Philip proved an excellent host, chatting with guests about every detail of his home and its furnishings. Upstairs, guests could tour the library and bedrooms along with a sunroom at the back of the home where Darryl Cole entertained with an Orgelbau Stuber monkey organ. A model 1 Regina music box on the main floor in the dining room also caught many an eye.
In the Reutlinger/Skinner home, Bobby Skinner entertained in the ground-level ballroom which is filled with automatic musical instruments, including an Amer.ican Orchestra photo player, a Seeburg G orchestrion and a D.C. Ramey Co.
Banjo-Orchestra. Bob Gonzales served iced tea and water from the bar in the back of the room. Theater posters and irreverent signage were everywhere on the walls, providing a wildly entertaining, if not slightly chaotic, atmosphere that hearkened back to the days of prohibition
and Vaudeville. The main floor of the
home featured an eclectic mix, including a display of rare china and a greenhouse
filled with myriad growing things.
From the Victorian homes, some people
headed for FishermanÕs Wharf, a famous San Francisco destination, with many great restaurants and too many souvenir shops. They visited MusŽe MŽchanique (museemecanique.com), an interactive museum of 20th-century penny arcade games and artifacts on Pier 45. Housing more than 300 mechanical machines, it is one of the worldÕs largest privately-owned collections and it is loved by the locals. Founder Ed Zelinsky started collecting the instruments and games at age 11. His
A view of the main entry to the church. Stained glass windows created a lovely atmosphere to listen to music in.
Convention attendees listen to the concert in the Gothic-style cathedral of St. DominicÕs. Outside Philip Strauss’s home in San Francisco. The main staircase and hallway just inside the front door.
The living room of the Strauss home featuring the 1926 Mason and Hamlin Ampico grand piano. The view of an upstairs bedroom. Bobby Skinner talks with guests in the mechanical music filled basement of Richard ReutlingerÕs home.
Robert Pritchard shows off the china collection in the Reutlinger home. Bobby Skinner making announcements with a megaphone.
Collectibles covered almost every surface. The dining room table can seat 14 people. Bob Gonzales, Matt Tolentino and Danielle Bennignus listen to Danielle Bennignus and Matt Tolentino in the greenhouse.
a D.C. Ramey Banjo orchestra.
son, Dan Zelinsky, now does all the main.tenance and gets around on roller skates!
The museum was first opened at the Playland amusement park, but in 1972 Playland was replaced by apartments and the museum moved to the Cliff House basement. In 2002 it took up its current residence. Admission is free and the instruments operate by coin at original prices. You can test the strength of your love and your grip on different machines.
There were lots of games to play. One of our convention’s evening entertainment performers, Matt Tolentino, even found a roll-playing accordion that pleased him greatly. Laffing Sal from the old Playland greets you at the door, and everyone seemed to be having great fun.
In the evening a small group headed for prison, or more accurately the former federal maximum security prison known as Alcatraz and now a national park.
The ferry ride to the island was slightly choppy but offered fantastic views of downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. Disem.barking onto the island, the group made its way up a long hill past a gun emplace.ment from when the island served as a military base and eventually prison barracks. Entering the prison through the shower room, it was clear to everyone that those who served time on Alcatraz did not have an easy time of it. Prisoners did not have privacy and when locked in their cell for the first time they were given a copy of the handbook describing the rules of their new residence. Rule number five stated very clearly that, ÒYou are entitled to food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. Anything else that you get is a privilege.Ó
An audio tour of the island provided background and details on the prisonÕs construction, its operation and its inmates. The tour allowed walking through the cell blocks and into the treatment unit where prisoners who did not follow the
rules were kept in solitary confinement in
the dark for days at a time. One inmate recalled that the worst day of the year on Alcatraz was New YearÕs eve. The prisoners could hear the revelry from the San Francisco Yacht Club party carrying across the water and into their cells and it drove home the knowledge that many of them would no longer experience anything like that again.
Outside the prison and on the return ferry ride to the mainland, views of both bridges and the city glowing with lights were quite the sight to behold.
Workshops and Pumper Contest
Saturday, day four of the conven.tion, was workshop day. Presentations
Jean Marc Lebout presents a workshop.
included one from Jill Sison speaking about piano roll preservation at the Stan.ford Piano Roll program. Bruce Newman covered player piano rebuilding tips and tricks, while Rob Thomas described the best ways to take good photos of music boxes and record great sound while they are playing. A presentation on producing a print magazine in a digital world was given by Russell Kasselman. Peter Both, president of the Swiss Friends of Mechan.ical Music, and Alison Biden, president of the Musical Box Society of Great Britain, presented a talk on their research related to PlŽrodienique music boxes. Bruce Grimes detailed his work restoring a Duo-Art piano and its reproducing unit. Julian Dyer conducted a master class in pianola playing in the hospitality room of the convention hotel. MBSI President David Corkrum described his method for creating new Polyphon discs, and Paul Bellamy showed how music box combs are tuned. Harpist Adele Stinson conducted a session demonstrating the harp and presenting its history. MBSI Vice President Matt Jaro detailed his work to transcribe music rolls made for an Wurlitzer Automatic Player Piano and convert them into tunes that would play on his Seeburg H orchestrion via a MIDI program (more about this on Page 53 of this issue). Jean Marc Lebout, of Belgium, presented an engaging session on the evolution of the helicoidal and semi-helicoidal system found in PlŽrodi.enique music boxes.
Many of these workshops were recorded and will be made available later on the MBSI website in the video library found in the members-only section.
Bruce Newman shows rebuilding techniques for player pianos.
Mike Walter chats with David Corkrum and Rick Swaney at the Mart. Diane Field and John Haskey with music boxes for sale.
The Frederick Hodges Orchestra brought the banquet to life. Matt Tolentino sings with the Frederick Hodges Orchestra.
Thirty people traveled from outside the U.S. to attend this annual meeting. Belgium, Switzerland, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada are represented in this photo.
Julian Dyer and Joel Cluskey present Jared DiBartolomeo with ÒThe FootsieÓ trophy for winning the AMICA Pumper Contest. One of the table favors given away during the banquet.
Awards were presented at the luncheon during the afternoon and that evening the entertainment kicked off with AMICAÕs traditional pumper contest. The contest invites participants to perform a song of their choosing on a player piano with style points given for presentation flair. Jared DiBartolomeo was declared the winner of this yearÕs contest playing ÒJim JamsÓ to earn the coveted Footsie trophy.
Mart
Breakfast and business meetings were the order of the day for Sunday with both AMICA and MBSI communicating rele.vant information to members and taking votes on proposed actions as needed. See Page 20 of this issue for the minutes of the annual business meeting and Page 26 for the minutes of the annual trustees meeting.
At 1 p.m. the doors to The Mart opened letting convention attendees in to browse the books, discs, rolls and music boxes being offered for sale by several vendors.
Lively conversations were the order of the day as members asked questions and considered what to purchase.
The evening wrapped up with a no-host bar, banquet and a concert by the Freder.ick Hodges Orchestra bringing the music of the 1920s and 1930s to life. Many tapping toes were observed and a few were inspired to dance during the lively performance.
Home Tours
The final day of the annual meeting featured tours of three homes in the area. Bob and Judy Caletti invited people to Menlo Park, CA, to see their collection including a newly-restored 27.-inch Symphonion upright music box with 12 bells, a 27-inch Regina Changer, an 18.-inch Mira Console, Eroica three-disc music box, Cremona orchestrion, Seeburg H orchestrion, 1906 Peerless Style D nickelodeon and more. Bob also showcased his restoration workshop and talked with visitors about his new water jet precision cutting tool that allows the production of many small parts used in his work.
Lyle Merithew and Sandy Swirsky greeted visitors to their San Jose, CA, home by showing off a Nelson Wiggen 4X, a Western Electric Mascot, a Regina Corona Style 35, a Raffin 31-note concert organ with 119 pipes, a Seeburg G, a Marshall & Wendell Ampico-A, and a Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violana reproduction and more.
The collection of Marc and Marguerite Kaufman, in Woodside, CA, included an extensive collection of cylinder boxes from Nicole Frres, some that are called Òfat cylinderÓ operatic boxes, plus a Symphonion Eroica and a Sirion disc music box. The Kaufmans also played their Knabe Ampico and a street barrel piano.
Next yearÕs event is scheduled for Aug. 30ÐSept. 6, 2023 in St. Paul, MN, hosted by the Snowbelt Chapter.
Sandy Swirsky and Lyle Merithew invited visitors to enjoy their collection in San Jose, CA. Bob and Judy Caletti welcomed annual meeting guests to their home in Menlo Park, CA. Marc and Marguerite Kaufman entertained annual meeting guests with many disc and cylinder boxes from their collection.
Expanding Mechanical Music
Cakewalk Application Language enables playlist for Seeburg H to grow exponentially
By Matthew A. Jaro
For many years I owned A-roll and G-roll machines and I collected rolls in order to have the greatest variety of music possible. I really enjoy the period of music encompassed by the nickelodeons and orchestrions. Then, I acquired a Seeburg H orchestrion, where the number of rolls was limited and the rolls that were made are very difficult to obtain and fairly expensive. I designed and built a MIDI system for the H with the help of Dick Hack. Glenn Thomas had a compatible MIDI system built for his Seeburg H Ñ and we were off and running.
The Seeburg H was an ideal machine because of the instrumentation: piano, mandolin, flute pipes, violin pipes, xylophone, snare drum, tympani, bass drum and cymbal, castanets and triangle. Further, the scale is very extensive with 66 playing notes and 9 octave-coupled notes in the bass. There are also 32 each of flute pipes and violin pipes and 22 xylophone bars.
Glenn Thomas shares my love of the music so the first thing we did was to scan all of the H rolls we could find. Jack Breen did the scanning for us, and some rolls were previously scanned by Frank Himpsl. Arnold Chase graciously lent us some of his rolls. Additionally, we scanned both my own collection and GlennÕs collection. We wound up with 2,401 tunes that could be played through the MIDI system. We also had new music arranged by several top-notch arrangers.
Now we can play any tune instantly without finding rolls, mounting them on the machine and winding through all the songs you donÕt want to hear.
Wurlitzer Music
Glenn has a large collection of Wurlitzer Automatic Player Piano (APP) rolls and has loved Wurlitzer music for many years. I was thinking about acquiring an APP machine myself, but I had no place to put another machine in my music room and no place to store any more rolls. Besides, the APP rolls are hard to find and are quite expensive. Upon examination of the APP scale, we discovered that the scale would work fine on the Seeburg H and we would have all the instru.mentation covered. With a little help from Art Reblitz, our mapping work was complete. Enter Cakewalk. The Cakewalk Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) has a programming language with it called CAL (The Cakewalk Application Language). Using this language, I wrote a program to convert APP MIDI files to Seeburg H files. This worked great! I was able to play any one of 4,458 songs. I now could enjoy APP music without having to buy a machine and without having to estab.lish a large roll collection. ItÕs true that the H doesnÕt sound exactly like an APP machine, but the instrumentation is correct, and the effect is wonderful in its own right. The APP rolls cover a much longer period than the original H rolls, so now I could listen to music that was never offered on H rolls.
Maesto Music
For a long time, I loved the Gustav Bruder arrangements for the Weber Maesto. We bought 256 Weber files from Tim Westman and I wrote a program to do the conversion. The Maesto has more instrumentation than the Seeburg, so certain ranks couldnÕt be replicated. Consequently, our transcriptions donÕt sound exactly like a Maesto, but they do sound very good and now I can play Gustav Bruder arrangements on the Seeburg. The style is completely different from the American arrangements and the result is exciting and mesmerizing.
Cremona M Music
The latest adventure was to convert Cremona M rolls to play on the Seeburg. This project was suggested by Bob Caletti, who has a Seeburg H and a set of our Seeburg files. Art Reblitz suggested transposing the Cremona scale down three semi.tones in order to obtain a nearly perfect mapping. Again, the Cremona arrangements are very exciting and are generally different from the QRS arrangements of the H rolls or the Wurlitzer arrangements. The organ in the H sounds an octave lower than written and this results in a very rich organ tone. Consequently, the sound is different from a Cremona J or similar machine, but the end effect is exciting, and the result is quite musical.
Again, I wrote a CAL program to do the conversion. The process only takes a minute or so for each song. Conversion involves more than just mapping notes. For example, the Cremona uses lock and cancel signals for the hammer rail and the Seeburg requires a ÒholeÓ to actuate the hammer rail. This is my latest project. I completed the program only a few days before writing this article. So, I didnÕt have to buy a Cremona machine or a Wurlitzer or a Maesto in order to enjoy the music. IÕm super excited about this and IÕm busily converting files to listen to on my Seeburg H. Now, I have to find a good source of M rolls in order to obtain a lot of new music to listen to.
The Seeburg H orchestrion (at left) was an ideal machine for new music because of its wide variety of instrumentation.
Southern California Chapter
Chair: Robin Biggins Reporter: Robin Biggins Photographer: Lowell Boehland
Dana Point, CA Ñ Aug. 13, 2022
DoesnÕt time fly by? It was almost exactly one year ago (Aug. 14, 2021) when we held one of our first post-pan.demic meetings at Mike and Kathy ChoateÕs home in Dana Point, CA. To celebrate that momentous event, this year we joined with Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Asso.ciation (AMICA) chapter members for a repeat visit to the wonderful Choate collection.
Mike and Kathy are generous hosts and knowledgeable about their large collection of mechanical music. The 33 members and guests in attendance were treated to more than four hours of entertainment and education, along with bountiful snacks and beverages.
We enjoyed listening to and learning about the array of machines, including automatic pianos, nickelodeons, band organs, musical boxes, orchestrions a Wurlitzer Harp and many more. We particularly enjoyed the harp, DeCap dance organ, DeCap street organ and the Cremona J.
All members were fully vaccinated (masks were optional) so it was a pleasure to see many smiling faces again, particularly that of Mike Ames, who has been well enough to attend the recent chapter meetings.
Some members had a three-hour drive each way to attend this meet.ing, but they all agreed it was well worth it. At the business meeting we encouraged people to attend the combined MBSI/AMICA annual meet.ing in Northern California and to read the ÒOutreach CornerÓ article in the September/October issue of the jour.nal to see if we can take advantage of the information. Some early MBSI journals and technical books were made available for free.
A room of wonderful mechanical music machines in the Choate home.
Members gather for a group photo full of smiling faces. Members visiting with each other on the patio. The DeCap street organ and Violano in the living room.
Mike Choate, Diane DeTar, Dave Reidy, Mike Ames and Dianne A lion carousel figure, DeCap Jazz Organ and several other Reidy in front of a Stinson organ. eye-catching collectibles found in the Choate home.
Business meetings conducted by Diane DeTar (AMICA) and Robin Biggins, (MBSI) both at the far right.
Ray Dickey Ñ1933Ð2022
Dr. Ray Dickey, former Sunbelt Chapter chair, has passed away at the age of 88. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. Although his family misses him terribly, they are comforted to know the exact number of his days were planned by his Creator. He was born in Baker, MT, on Dec. 5, 1933 to Hilda Lorraine Leischner and Frank Rayner Dickey.
Ray attended 20 different schools in Montana, Minnesota, Colorado, and the Bahamas before graduating from Riverdale High School in North Dakota in 1952. He then attended the University of Montana in Missoula, MT, graduating with a pre-med degree in 1956.
He graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, in 1960. He married Nancy Dean Myers while an intern and they celebrated more than 60 years together before she passed away in 2021. Ray finished his residency in Otolaryngology in 1965, doing pioneer work on inner-ear surgery and becoming certified as a head and neck surgeon. He was on the faculty at Baylor until 1969, when he began his private practice.
During his career, Ray was admired for his expertise, kindness, and humility, and he continued working for 48 years until 2017. He held various medical leadership positions, such as president of the Texas Medical AssociationÕs ENT branch, and in 2021, he was recognized by the Houston Methodist administration for his exceptional contribution to health care in the Houston community.
He restored cars, such as a 1948 MGTC, a grand 1956 Bentley, and a 1961 Mercedes 300SL Roadster. Ray had two Chris Craft boats he worked on, and he also built a beautiful wooden canoe to take on Buffalo Bayou with friends. Like a museum, Ray and NancyÕs house was full of old clocks, artwork, chronome.ters, ivory, and especially music boxes and organs he had collected. Ray spent hours every day after work in his tool
shop, restoring and refinishing antiques
to become things of beauty. He was the
fixer of everything broken and made his
grandkids wooden toys, pinewood derby cars, and swords. He was involved in the MG car club and the Musical Box Society International (MBSI) for many years. Ray and Nancy traveled every year to MBSI meetings around the country to see music box collections and had groups to their house to show and play the boxes. These were his most joyful moments, playing music for friends and visitors.
Ray was a quiet man, but he did every.thing with unrelenting energy, including sports. He began running marathons in his 40s and completed about 30 of them, including those in Boston and New York various times. He also did the MS-150 bicycle ride to Austin many times and was tough to keep up with!
Ray and Nancy were members of Chapelwood United Methodist Church and faithfully sang in the Chancel Choir for 30 years. He and Nancy went on choir and other Chapelwood trips throughout Europe as well as medical missions to Nigeria. They also went on a safari in Africa and visited the Holy Land.
Ray had a deep faith, and although he didnÕt share his feelings much, he was respected for his loyalty, eternal optimism and treatment of others, never saying a bad word about anyone.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contribu.tions may be directed to SamaritanÕs Purse at samaritanspurse.org. Condolences may be offered at millerfuneral.com.
Our Condolences
MBSI has learned that the following members have passed away: Rex Burgett, Bradenton, FL.
Russell Nery, Sheboygan Falls, WI.
Robert Mersey of Branford, CT
William Endlein
By Jamie Brewer
It is with a heavy heart I relay the news that longtime member William ÒBillÓ Endlein passed away on Oct. 6, 2022. Bill leaves behind his wife Linda, and children Christopher, Erin and Jonathon.
Bill was a teenager when he joined MBSI in 1972. An early association with Theodore Edison, Thomas A. EdisonÕs youngest son, planted the seed in BillÕs mind for acquiring knowledge of Òall things Edison.Ó At the winter 1974 East Coast Chapter meeting in Summit, NJ, Bill gave a talk titled, ÒThere Is a Little Bit of Thomas Edison in Everyone.Ó
The early experience of working with Lee Munsick at the Yesteryear Museum and later with Walt Bellm at his museum, BellmÕs Cars and Music of Yesterday, gave Bill an encyclope.dic knowledge of automatic music machines.
Bill was the consummate wheel.er-dealer, working the music/ phonograph shows in Union, IL, the various New Jersey shows, as well as venues in North Carolina and Florida. I could write a book on the friendships made and experiences had just being BillÕs sidekick at these shows.
Bill was a businessman who could calculate percentages and work figures that would make my head spin. IÕd get headaches when he would explain to me his involved property acquisitions and sales. His memory was pretty much photographic. It only took one visit to a room and Bill could recall years later where the Ògood stuffÓ was!
Throughout the 1970s Bill ran his antique business called Eastern Musical Antiques sending out flyers of instruments for sale. In 1976, if you saved his flyers, you got the surprise of having a set of Bicentennial leaflets that were red, white, and blue!
When Bill and family relocated to Florida, Eastern Musical Antiques was renamed Born Too Late. Discussing Bill with a friend today, this friend remarked, ÒBillÕs business was Born too Late but he is Gone Too Soon.Ó
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A Lasting Legacy
once alive to have meaning, its effect must remain alive in eternity in some way
Ð Ernest Becker, Philosopher
The Musical Box Society International Throughout its history, MBSI has fostered an interest in and preservation of is a 501(c)(3) nonproÞt organization. automatic musical instruments. Your gift to the Endowment Fund will All donations to the Endowment support programs that will help future generations appreciate these Fund are tax deductible. achievements of human creative genius. Visit www.mbsi.org to learn more.
A gift of any size is welcome.
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Mechanical Music
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RESTORED MUSICAL BOXES Offering a variety of antique musical boxes, discs, orphan cylinders, reproducing piano rolls & out of print books about mechanical music. BILL WINEBURGH 973-927-0484 Web: antiquemusicbox.us
THE GOLDEN AGE of AUTOMATIC MUSI.CAL INSTRUMENTS By ART REBLITZ. Award-winning classic that brings historical, musical, and technical information to life with hundreds of large, vivid color photos. We guarantee youÕll find it to be one of the most interesting, inspiring, informative books you have in your libraryÐor your money back. Everyone has been delighted, and some readers have ordered several copies. Get your copy today for $99 plus S/H. MECHANI.CAL MUSIC PRESS-M, 70 Wild Ammonoosuc Rd., Woodsville, NH 03785. (603) 747-2636.
http://www.mechanicalmusicpress.com
WEBER MAESTO tunes adapted for G-Roll orchestrions. 10 Tune roll $100 ppd. More genres coming soon. Additional info/orders
-https://old-man-music-rolls.square.site TIMOTHY WESTMAN, at oldmanmusicrolls@ gmail.com
SELF-PLAYING DECAP ACCORDION model #1 with midi-system, Carousel horse carved by Tom Wade. Stander in armour, pedestal carved by Ray Jones, Gazo clock ÒCalifornianÓ 8-foot 1-inch, plays Ave Maria. Reproducing piano restored by Don MacDonald. Pictures available MARILYN BUECHNER (608) 334-8518 marjerb01@gmail.com
MARVELS OF MECHANICAL MUSIC -MBSI Video. Fascinating and beautifully-made film which explains the origins of automatic musical instruments, how they are collected and preserved today, and their historic importance, MBSI members and collections are featured. $20 USD. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Additional postage charges apply for other locations. Purchase now at www.mbsi.org
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PORTER BAROQUE MUSIC BOX with match.ing storage cabinet. It plays 15.in disc. The box has 2 musical combs w/76 teeth (152 playing teeth). It has a 5 octave range and will play 20 min on a single wind. The wind up motor is a clock works type made of cast iron and brass gears machines at Porter Music Box Co. Included is an assortment of 15 discs. $15,000 or best offer (owner will cover 1/2 of packing shipping costs). Contact STAN WILLIS, at pstan.willis@gmail.com or (707) 975-2727
AEOLIAN STYLE 1500 player reed organ lot 90, #12437. The organ needs a new custodian. I believe it is complete except for a broken stop knob. Valve leather has been replaced on exhausters only. I have $800 invested and would like to recover this. (NJ). Contact KEN CLAYTON, at kenclayton11@ gmail.com or 732-530-1398
See Page 66 for advertising prices and publication schedule.
REPRODUCTION POLYPHON discs; Cata.logs available for 19 5/8Ó, 22 1/8Ó, and 24 1/2Ó. DAVID CORKRUM 5826 Roberts Ave, Oakland, CA 94605-1156, 510-569-3110, www.polyphonmusic.com
SAVE $Õs on REUGE & THORENS MUSIC BOX REPAIR & RESTORATION Ð MBSI MEMBERS RECEIVE WHOLESALE PRICING.
40 + Years experience servicing all makes & models of cylinder and disc music boxes, bird boxes, bird cages, musical watches, Anri musical figurines, et al. All work guaranteed. WeÕre the only REUGE FACTORY AUTHORIZED Parts & Repair Service Center for all of North America. Contact: DON CAINE -The Music Box Repair Center Unlimited, 24703 Pennsyl.vania Ave., Lomita, CA 90717-1516. Phone:
(310) 534-1557 Email: MBRCU@AOL.COM. On the Web: www.musicboxrepaircenter.com
DOES ANYONE know anyone who does investment castings in small quantities (50-100) pieces?. Certainly there must be someplace that can do less than 100,000 of this small gear that I need. Any ideas?. Please help. Contact JOHN ULRICH, at julrich2847@ att.net
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OFFICERS, TRUSTEES & COMMITTEES of the MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL¨
OFFICERS COMMITTEES Membership Committee Nominating Committee
Chair, TBD Judy Caletti, Chair
President Audit
David Corkrum, President Tom Kuehn, Immediate Past Pres.
David Corkrum Edward Cooley, Chair, Trustee Richard Dutton, Trustee Bob Caletti, Golden Gate, Trustee 5826 Roberts Avenue Dave Calendine, Trustee Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee, Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee, Oakland, CA 94605 Matt Jaro, Vice President
Southeast Southeast musikwerke@att.net
Endowment Committee Robin Biggins, Southern California Jonathan Hoyt, Golden Gate Edward Kozak, Treasurer, Chair Gary Goldsmith, Snowbelt Robin Biggins, Southern California
Vice President Edward Cooley, Trustee Julie Morlock, Southeast Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan Matthew Jaro Dave Calendine, Trustee Rob Pollock, Mid-America Robert Pollock, Mid-America 24219 Clematis Dr B Bronson Florie Hirsch, National Capital
Publications Committee
Gaithersburg, MD 20882 Wayne Wolf Dan Wilson, Piedmont Bob Caletti, Chair, Trustee mjaro@verizon.net Gerald Yorioka, Northwest IntÕl
Executive Committee Richard Dutton, Trustee
TBD, East Coast
David Corkrum, Chair, President Steve Boehck
Recording Secretary TBD, Lake Michigan
Matthew Jaro, Vice President Christian Eric Linda Birkitt
TBD, Sunbelt
Tom Kuehn, Immediate Past Pres. Kathleen Eric PO Box 145,
Dave Calendine, Trustee Museum Committee
Publications
Kuna, ID 83634
Bob Caletti, Trustee Sally Craig, Chair,
Sub-Committee
scarletpimpernel28@yahoo.com David Corkrum, President
Finance Committee Website Committee
Matt Jaro, Vice President
Treasurer Edward Kozak, Chair, Treasurer Rick Swaney, Chair
Glenn Crater, National Capital
Edward Kozak Wayne Wolf, Vice Chair B Bronson
Ken Envall, Southern California
3615 North Campbell Avenue Edward Cooley, Trustee Knowles Little, Web Secretary
Julian Grace, Sunbelt
Chicago, IL 60618 Peter Both Richard Simpson, East Coast Special Exhibits Committee
ekozak1970@gmail.com
Marketing Committee Chair Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Museum Sub-Committees
Bob Smith, Chair Southeast
Ohio Operations
Judy Caletti David Corkrum, President,
Rob Pollock, Mid-America
TRUSTEES Don Caine Golden Gate Dave Calendine Robert Pollock Donald Caine, Southern California Bob Caletti SPECIAL ACTIVITIES Jack Hostetler, Southeast
Meetings Committee
Edward Cooley Knowles Little, National Capital
Matt Jaro, Chair, Vice President Publications Back Issues:
David Corkrum Judy Miller, Piedmont
Judy Caletti Jacque Beeman
Richard Dutton Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan
Tom Chase
Matt Jaro Regina Certificates: Wayne Myers, Southeast
Cotton Morlock
Tom Kuehn B Bronson Rick Swaney, Northwest IntÕl
Rich PoppeMary Ellen Myers
MBSI Pins and Seals: MBSI Editorial Office:
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Members can donate to these funds at any time. Send donations to: General Fund (unrestricted) MBSI Administrator, Endowment Fund (promotes the purposes of MBSI, restricted) PO Box 10196, Ralph Heintz Publications Fund (special literary projects) Springfield, MO 65808-0196. Museum Fund (supports museum operations)
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Date Event Location Sponsor
Aug 29-Sept 3, 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting St. Paul, MN Snowbelt Chapter
Send in your information by Dec. 1, 2022, for the January/February 2023 issue. Ask your questions on our Facebook discussion group Ñ the Music Box Society Forum.
Please send dates for the Calendar of Events to editor@mbsi.org
CONTACTS
Administrator Jacque Beeman handles back issues (if available) $6; damaged or issues not received, address changes, MBSI Directory listing changes, credit card charge questions, book orders, status of your membership, membership renewal, membership application, and MBSI Membership Brochures. P.O. Box 10196 Springfield, MO 65808-0196 Phone (417) 576-4280 jbeeman.mbsi@att.net
CHAPTERS
East Coast Chair: Elise Low (203) 457-9888 Dues $5 to Roger Wiegand 281 Concord Road Wayland, MA 01778 or pay via PayPal, send to treasurer.eccmbsi@gmail.com
Golden Gate Chair: Jonathan Hoyt jenjenhoyt@yahoo.com Dues $5 to Dave Corkrum 5826 Roberts Ave. Oakland, CA 94605
Japan Chair: Toshihoro Hamamura 81 045-333-9055 toshibo@titan.ocn.ne.jp Secretary: Toshihide Atsumi 81 48 466 7729 atupho@icloud.com Treasurer: Makiko Watanabe makikomakiko62@yahoo.co.jp
Lake Michigan
Chair: Mark Pichla (847) 962-2330 Dues $5 to James Huffer 7930 N. Kildare Skokie, Illinois 60076
Mid-America
Chair: Rob Pollock (937) 508-4984 Dues $10 to Harold Wade 4616 Boneta Road Medina, OH 44256
National Capital
Chair: Ken Gordon (301) 469-9240 Dues $5 to Florie Hirsch 8917 Wooden Bridge Road Potomac, MD 20854
Northwest International
Chair: Rick Swaney (425) 836-3586 Dues $7.50/person to Kathy Baer 8210 Comox Road Blaine, WA 98230
Traveling MBSI Display Bill Endlein 21547 NW 154th Pl. High Springs, FL 32643-4519 Phone (386) 454-8359 sembsi@yahoo.com
Regina Certificates: Cost $5. B Bronson Box 154 Dundee, MI 48131 Phone (734) 529-2087 art@d-pcomm.net
Advertising for Mechanical Music Russell Kasselman Iron Dog Media 130 Coral Court Pismo Beach, CA 93449 Phone (253) 228-1634 editor@mbsi.org
CHAPTERS
Snowbelt
Chair: Tracy Tolzmann (651) 674-5149 Dues $10 to Gary Goldsmith 17160 – 245th Avenue Big Lake, MN 55309
Southeast
Chair: Wayne Myers (407) 333-9095 Dues $5 to Bob Yates 1973 Crestview Way Unit 147 Naples, FL 34119
Museum Donations Sally Craig 2720 Old Orchard Road Lancaster, PA 17601 Phone (717) 295-9188 rosebud441@juno.com
MBSI website Rick Swaney 4302 209th Avenue NE Sammamish, WA 98074 Phone (425) 836-3586 r_swaney@msn.com
Web Secretary Knowles Little 9109 Scott Dr. Rockville, MD 20850 Phone (301) 762-6253 kglittle@verizon.net
Southern California
Chair: Robin Biggins (310) 377-1472 Dues $10 to Diane Lloyd 1201 Edgeview Drive Cowan Hgts, CA 92705
Sunbelt
Chair: TBD (713) 467-0349 Dues $10 to Diane Caudill 4585 Felder Road Washington, TX 77880
Copyright 2022 the Musical Box Society International, all rights reserved. Permission to reproduce by any means, in whole or in part, must be obtained in writing from the MBSI Executive Committee and the Editor. Mechanical Music is published in the even months. ISSN 1045-795X
MECHANICAL MUSIC
Journal of the Musical Box Society International
Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments
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The Spectacular Mechanical Music Collection of Carol Veome & the late Larry Dupon
Polyphon Regina Style 35 Regina Upright Seeburg G Steinway OR 6Õ6Ó Art Case 24Ó Mikado Clock & Art Glass Style 67 Rookwood Orchestrion Reeder/Leedy Restoration
3 Disc Eroica Regina 20 .Ó Drum Table Rococo 26Ó Stella Empress 18 .Ó
B. A. Bremond Orchestra Box Nicole Freres Desk 206 Teeth Paillard Sublime Harmony Piccolo 42 Airs on 7 Cylinders 20 Overtures & 8 Airs on 7 Cyls. 36 Airs on 6 Cylinders
Call Marty Persky 847-675-6144 or email Marty@Mechmusic.com for further information on these and other fine instruments.
Music Box Company, Inc.
We restore Swiss cylinder and disc music boxes.
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We will pick up your music box anywhere east of the Mississippi River, and transport it to our shop in Randolph, Vermont, where it will be stored in a climate-controlled area until itÕs finished and returned.
We have a complete machine shop where we build Porter Music Boxes, more than 3,000 so far. We are unique in the industry in that we are capable of manufacturing any part needed to restore any music box.
See our website, www.PorterMusicBox.com, to read letters of recommendation and browse a selection of the finest disc boxes currently being manufactured anywhere in the world. We have twin disc models, single disc models with 121/4Ó or15 1/
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