Volume 70, No. 2 March/April 2024

Volume 70, No. 2 March/April 2024

Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments

Journal of the Musical Box Society International

Volume 70, No. 2 March/April 2024

5 PresidentÕs Message
7 EditorÕs Notes
49 In Memoriam

MBSI News

On the Cover
Mike ArgainÕs Link R with the stained glass covers removed to reveal the endless roll, flute pipes and pneumatics. Page 20

By Matthew Jaro
MBSI President
ItÕs been a very exciting month here because I am working on the 2024 MBSI Annual Meeting and itÕs shaping up to be a really great event. The meeting is a joint affair between the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association (AMICA) and MBSI with AMICA hosting. The loca.tion is in the greater Los Angeles area. The registration fee includes many meals and all tours during the actual convention dates. This is different from the MBSI norm of making the tours optional.
The dates are Jul. 1Ð6, 2024, at the Sheraton Agoura Hills Hotel in Agoura Hills, CA. Early arrivals (Jun. 30) can enjoy a trip to the Old Town Music Hall to hear the Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ and to watch the movie ÒSting.Ó
On Monday, there are the usual board meetings. Also, there are buses to Chuck LevyÕs home to see his fabu.lous automaton collection.
On Tuesday, there is a welcome breakfast buffet followed by a trip to the Mary Pickford Theater to hear Joe Rinaudo play his photo player. This is followed by a trip to the Getty Museum. For the eveningÕs entertainment there will be ÒAdventures of Marty Persky.Ó
Wednesday brings the workshops, a lunch buffet, the mart and the pumper contest (a yearly AMICA feature where contestants pump player pianos, trying to get the most expression out of the instrument).
On Thursday, we tour the Frank Nix collection, then, following a box lunch, there are tours of the workshop of John Gaughan, a very famous builder of magic apparatus for magicians and then to a tour of the workshop of Thaine Morris, a pyrotechnic and special effects technician.
Friday includes a trip to San Sylmar to see the fabulous Nethercutt collection consisting of nickelodeons, orchestrions, a pipe organ and an historic automobile collection. Then the bus goes to the Getty Villa Museum which specializes in ancient Greek and Roman art compared to general art for the main Getty museum. All of this is followed by the banquet with live entertainment and the awards presentation.
Saturday has a breakfast buffet, the business meetings and fantastic open houses with bus transportation provided for $40. These open houses comprise Jack ConwayÕs collection, Mark WeberÕs home-made MIDI controlled pipe organ, and Rob and Linda RaznicksÕ music and arcade collections.
In addition to all of the above you will meet new people that share your interest in mechanical music and you will renew your relationship with your older friends. You will also meet AMICA members who share your interests. A wonderful aspect of MBSI for me is the people who have become really close friends throughout the years. This is so valuable to me, and my life has really been changed and enriched. DonÕt forget to leave some extra time so you can tour some of the many attractions to be found in the L.A. area.

Mechanical Music

30 National Capital
34 Southern California
37 Golden Gate
41 Sunbelt
43 Southeast
46 Southeast

Tracking Reginas
Harold Wade researched shipments of Regina Music Box Company styles 61, 62, 63, 64, 66 and 67 as found in the companyÕs records. See what he found. Page 8.

MECHANICAL MUSIC

Journal of the Musical Box Society International

Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments

Editor/Publisher
Russell Kasselman
(253) 228-1634
editor@mbsi.org
MBSI Editorial Office:
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
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 2024. 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.
MEMBERS: SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO:
MBSI, PO Box 10196,
Springfield, MO 65808-0196
Or, make corrections on the website at www.mbsi.org.
POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO
MBSI, PO Box 10196,
Springfield, MO 65808-0196

Features

8 Tracking Regina style shipments over the years
20 Nickel Notes
28 Mechanical music in the park

Chapter Reports

MBSI has replanted 258 trees so far as part of the Print ReLeaf program.

EditorÕs Notes

MAILING ADDRESS
MBSI Editorial / Advertising
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
EMAIL ADDRESS
editor@mbsi.org

By Russell Kasselman
MBSI Editor/Publisher
I realized as I sat down to write this, I am now in my 11th year serving as the editor/publisher of Mechanical Music. Since 2014, I have published 62 issues of the journal and five directories. It all adds up to 4,940 pages delivered to the printer and shipped out to the membership.
Along the way I have learned an incredible amount about mechanical music (even how to correctly spell Seeburg and Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina). I couldnÕt have done it with.out the help of so many members who patiently corrected my mistakes and submitted new content that taught me more about some aspect of the hobby I never new existed. Thank you all for including me in your world for so long. I look forward to seeing many of you again at this yearÕs annual meeting and hope to meet a few of you whom I havenÕt had the opportunity to see in person before.
I would also like to take this oppor.tunity to remind you that this is an even-numbered year which means we will be producing another copy of the Directory of Members, Museums and Dealers in the fall. While our online membership directory is great for quickly finding one memberÕs contact details, the printed directory serves as a wonderful historical resource. Looking through past directories is sort of like reading an MBSI census report that allows you to see all the members in one state or another very quickly. Plus, itÕs easier to use on the road as compared to trying to read the tiny text on your phone. If you havenÕt checked the contact information in your membership listing for a few years, please take this opportunity to do so.
Log into the MBSI website and look for the ÒUpdate My InformationÓ button.

French Association of Mechanical Music makes its magazine available in English

The French Association of Mechan.ical Music (AAIMM) is offering an English version of its quarterly maga.zine Musiques MŽcaniques Vivantes.
To read a free sample issue, simply email a request to aaimm@aaimm.org and you will receive a PDF of issue No. 129 published in the first quarter of 2024.
A continuing subscription at the exceptional price of 25 Euro annually will be offered.

Upcoming Deadlines

ADVERTISING
Advertisements for the May/June 2024 issue of Mechan.ical Music need to be submitted by Apr. 1, 2024.
Advertisements for the July/August 2024 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Jun. 1, 2024.

EDITORIAL
Articles and photos for the May/June 2024 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by Mar. 25, 2024.
Articles and photos for the July/August 2024 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by May 25, 2024.

Welcome new members!

December 2023
Melinda Bell and Jim Windgassen
Chester, MD
Delon Shetler
Dalton, OH
Douglas Kiser
Union Bridge, MD
Christine Deeble
Louisville, KY
Brian and Ellen Gagnon
The Villages, FL
Sponsor: David Jones
Todd Sandberg
The Villages, FL
Keith Ido
The Villages, FL
Sponsor: Wayne Myers
Emma and Craig Genser
Freedom, PA
Mark Graham
Half Moon Bay, CA
January 2024
Mark Palkovic and Thomas Shessler
Zionville, NC
Allen Mocklin
Metairie, LA
Gregory and Rosa Moody
Boonsboro, MD
Melinda Paris
Winston Salem, NC
Bernard Novell
Goring-on-Thames,
Oxfordshire UK

A Regina Style 61 desk music box that plays 203/4-inch discs and has a lid that closes to make a functional piece of furniture when not using the music box mechanism.

8 MECHANICAL MUSIC March/April 2024

Where did they go?

Tracing the shipments of Regina Styles 61, 62, 63, 66 and 67 disc music boxes

By Harold Wade
Having collected some of the rarer Regina disc music boxes with Rookwood cabinets, several music box collectors ask if I had any idea how many of this type of disc music box were made by the Regina company. My thinking was it would be a small number but I had no real idea how many the company actually built. It was suggested that I work on finding the total numbers. That led me to B Bronson who is the keeper of the MBSI Regina shipping records in Dundee, MI. B allowed me to look at and gather the data for the six different styles of music box that IÕve listed in this article. Generally, the boxes were made in the 1904Ð1906 time frame. IÕm not sure I can explain why the Rookwood cabinets were so short lived, but in my opinion they are certainly some of most beautiful music boxes that Regina ever sold.
The Regina shipping ledgers span several books with the serial numbers listed in consecutive order. Listings contain the style number, ship date and music store or person purchasing including a city and state all on a single line. The entries are handwrit.ten and that posed some problems for me. While some of the handwriting is beautiful and quite legible, some of the writing is not. We are talking about a time frame of late 1890s to the early 1900s with what IÕd call script-style writing. The names of the music stores or persons purchasing Reginas as well as the cities they are from are very difficult to decipher in many cases. I must commend B for doing a wonderful job handling requests from members for Regina certificates as this must sometimes be quite challenging. Another problem I encountered was that a number of music boxes were returned to the manufacturer. When this happened, a line was drawn through the original entry and new shipping data was written above the old entry, usually in small lettering. Another problem I noticed was that a music box might be shipped as a Style 39 (20.-inch table model) and then returned to the factory where the bedplate was removed. The bedplate would later be used in a Style 63 Regina music box. Remembering that music boxes were moved by horse and steel-wheel wagon to the train station and at the receiving destination were moved by horse and wagon to the music store, I can see how music boxes, no matter how well they were crated, might get damaged and necessitate a return to the Regina factory. Some Regina music boxes appeared to be returned from music stores after only a short period of time because they didnÕt sell, but this is only a guess on my part.
Following is a list for each style of music box including the serial number on the left side, from lowest to highest number along with the style of music box, case type (if listed), date shipped, music store or person that purchased the music box and usually the city and state, but not always. Using the inter.net, I was able to locate 99 percent of the old music stores in the list. Most stores sold pianos, along with other music instruments, even other music boxes by different manufacturers. Of course, Regina had stores in New York, NY, and other cities, but I was surprised that most of the Rookwood style music boxes went to cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis. I figure that was because it was a grow.ing part of the country in the late 1890s and early 1900s and the market for music boxes was expanding rapidly.
I enjoyed conducting this research using the Regina shipping records and the internet to verify the music stores from that time period. I also must thank B again for his help in reading many entries that were in question and letting me access the Regina shipping records for hours at a time to make this happen. I would highly suggest ordering the Regina Certificate for your Regina music box via the MBSI website if you own a Regina music box. ItÕs a piece of history.
If others in the society have more information or insight about this topic that you might add to any serial number in this style of Regina music boxes, I would be happy to talk with you. I donÕt currently know how to estimate the number of music boxes that survive in each of these six differ.ent styles but I imagine it is a very low number.

A Regina Style 63 featuring a round, drum table
Rookwood cabinet with a 20.-inch double comb bedplate. Rookwood is decorative style of case with painted scenic panels.

March/April 2024 MECHANICAL MUSIC 9

Regina Style 61 20.-inch desk music box

The Regina Style 61 is a musical desk with 20.-inch double combs in a mahogany or oak case. The controls are on the outside right and the bedplate is on the inside right with disc storage on the left inside. The top lid is large and opens to play or change discs.
About 75 music boxes of this type were shipped. In the Regina shipping list, most of the seven-digit serial number machines didnÕt list cabinet wood type.
With a large cabinet, this music box usually has a deep, full enjoyable sound.
See the photo on Page 8 for an example of this style Regina.
Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

85007
Oak
10/5/1904
Gicker & Gerhart
Reading, PA

85008
Oak
12/2/1904
Tippecanoe Prep. Store
Empire, OH

85023
Mahogany
2/9/1905
Sigel Cooper Co.
New York City, NY

85043
Oak
9/23/1905
Plumer Furn.
Lynchburg, PA

85045
Mahogany
10/29/1903
Cohen & Hughes
Baltimore, MD

85047
Rookwood
9/30/1904
Stahn & Co.
Newark, NJ

85050
Oak
3/25/1904
Hoeffler Mfg. Co.
Milwaukee, WI

85104
Oak
12/22/1903
Gimbel Bros.
Philadelphia, PA

85106
Mahogany
12/9/1903
C.C. Mellor Co.
Pittsburgh, PA

85109
Mahogany
4/6/1904
Jas Flanders
Milwaukee, WI

85110
Oak
12/18/1903
Sherman Clay & Co.
San Francisco, CA

85111
Oak
2/13/1905
W. Markovich
Indiana Harbor, IN

85113
Oak
12/18/1903
P. M. Chamberlin
Newark, NJ

85114
Oak
12/18/1903
Sherman & Clay Co.
California City, CA

85115
Mahogany
12/31/1903
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St. Louis, MO

85117
Mahogany
12/5/1903
C. L. Green
Falls River, NY

85122
Oak
9/231904
Tippecanoe & Grindstone
Empire, OH

85125
Mahogany
9/6/1904
Henry Gautschi & Son
Philadelphia, PA

85128
Oak
12/2/1904
J. L. Ornie & Son

85132
Mahogany
6/30/1905
Returned

85134
Oak
6/4/1904
H Anello
Saratoga Springs, NY

Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

85138
Oak
12/9/1904
Jino Stier
Johnsonville, PA

85139
Oak
6/30/1904
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co
St Louis, MO

85141
Oak
9/29/1904
E. J. Droop
Washington, DC

85160
Mahogany
3/7/1907
F. E. Winchell
Boston, MA

85163
Mahogany
2/3/1904
Mr. G. D. Bender.
New York City, NY

85164
Mahogany
1/6/1904
Cohen & Hughes
Baltimore, MD

85166
Oak
2/26/1904
E. B. Guild Music Co.
Topeka, KS

85168
10/17/1905
Returned

85169
Mahogany
12/18/1906
Julius Meyer
Belleville, NY

85182
Oak
2/24/1906
S. B. Danberry
Atlanta, GA

85183
Oak
5/19/1904
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co
St. Louis, MO

85230
Oak
4/19/1904
J. K. Spears
Pueblo, CO

85256
Mahogany
10/17/1905
Smith Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85265
Oak
5/22/1905
E. H. Jones & Son
Des Moines, IA

85266
Mahogany
11/3/1904
Clark & Jones
Knoxville, TN

85267
Oak
10/26/1904
Gicker & Gerhart
Reading, PA

85276
Mahogany
11/28/1904
Mr. Sleugurer Co.

85297
Mahogany
11/28/1904
Tippecanoe Prep. Store
Empire, OH

85304
Mahogany
11/14/1905
A.W. Miller
Kansas City, KS

85317
Mahogany
5/29/1905
E. H. Jones & Son
Des Moines, IA

85325
Mahogany
3/31/1905
G. W. Garden
Montclair, NJ

85344
Mahogany
12/3/1904
American Drugg Pub. Co.
Broadway, NY

85369
Mahogany
4/12/1905
E. H. Jones & Sons
Des Moines, IA

85378
Mahogany
4/12/1905
Kempf Bros. Music
Utica, NY

85392
Mahogany
5/4/1905
Grinnell Bros. .
Detroit, MI

85525
Mahogany
12/26/1906
C. Marrone
Hoboken, NJ

6100001
Oak
5/16/1905
A. J. Ruffin
Hillsboro, NC

6100002
Oak
12/9/1908
J. R. E. Olds
Lansing, MI

6100003
Mahogany
6/23/1905
J. A. Zeman
Davenport, IA

6100004
9/28/1905
Southern Calif Music Co.
Los Angeles, CA

6100005
7/5/1905
Grinnell Bros.
Detroit, MI

6100006
10/5/1905
C. R. StoneÕs Music House
Fargo, ND

6100007
12/30/1905
Lusk Drug Co.
Lust, WY

6100008
9/30/1905
D.S. Johnson
Seattle, WA

6100009
11/1/1905
Benjamin Curtaz & Son
San Francisco, CA

6100010
11/10/1905
Henry Gautschi & Son
Philadelphia, PA

6100011
11/22/1905
Smith Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6100012
12/20/1906
Fauk Bros. Co.
Chicago, IL

6100013
12/5/1905
H. W. Fulkerson
Carbondale, PA

6100014
12/22/1906
G. Detering
Flatbush, NY

6100015
4/13/1906
S. T. Ried
Clifton, SC

6100016
4/13/1906
G. C. Aschbach & Co.
Allentown, PA

6100017
11/28/1906
Richard Hayes
New York City, NY

Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

6100018
10/13/1906
Healy Music Co.
Chicago, IL

6100019
11/15/1906
Grohs Music Co.
Buffalo, NY

6100020
11/22/1906
Healy Music Co.
Chicago, IL

6100021
Skip

6100022
7/10/1907
W. G. Galson
Gibson, NC

6100023
Skip

6100024
Skip

6100025
5/9/1908
A. B. Jarvus
Brooklyn, NY

6100026
4/23/1908
G. Mayo
Newark, NJ

6100027
Skip

6100028
4/2/1908
Grinnell Bros.
Detroit, MI

6100029
6/12/1908
Kempf Bros. Music
Utica, NY

6100030
11/20/1908
Edm Riggs
Jersey City, NJ

6100031
10/8/1909
Kempf Bros. Music
Utica, NY

6100032
12/1/1913
J. M. Whitford
New York City, NY

Regina Style 62 Library Table

The Regina Style 62 is called a library table with 15.-inch double comb mechanism on the right side of a sleek cabi.net. There are four drawers on the left side that pull out for disc storage with a felt pad on the top of storage drawers. There are Rookwood paintings on all four sides of the cabinet. The seven-digit serial numbers have large skips in the Regina shipping records that I donÕt understand.
Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

77751
Rookwood
9/3/1904
Cohen & Hughes
Baltimore, MD
Returned
11/3/1904

77759
Rookwood
9/3/1904
Gimbel Bros.
Philadelphia, PA
Returned
5/14/1905

77761
Rookwood
9/3/1904
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St. Louis, MO

77762
Rookwood
9/3/1904
O. K. Houch Co.
Memphis, TN

77764
Rookwood
9/3/1904
Sherman Clay & Co.
San Francisco, CA

77865
Rookwood
Returned
11/19/1904

77866
Rookwood
8/25/1904
Grimmel Bros.
Detroit, MI

77867
Rookwood
9/21/1904
Owen McCull
Tarrytown, NY
Returned

77892
Rookwood
11/3/1904
Philip P. Werlein
New Orleans, LA

77899
Rookwood
9/29/1904
E. J. Droop
Washington, DC

77930
Rookwood
9/28/1904
Henry Gautschi & Son
Philadelphia, PA

77866
Rookwood
9/28/1904
Henry Gautschi & Son
Philadelphia, PA

77961
Rookwood
11/4/1904
Clark & Jones
Knoxville, TN

77977
Rookwood
9/23/1904
Fleenor Furn. Co.
Lynchburg, VA

78018
Rookwood
5/5/1905
A. M. Rothschild & Co.
Chicago, IL

78021
Rookwood
8/23/1904
J. A. Fredricks
Grand Rapids, MI

78071
Rookwood
9/21/1904
G.C. Aschback & Co.
Allentown, PA

78072
Rookwood
11/22/1904
N. A. Sperry
Dayton, OH

78073
Rookwood
11/22/1904
William H. Keller
Easton, PA

78109
Rookwood
9/21/1904
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St. Louis, MO

Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

78133
Rookwood
12/5/1904
J. A. Fredricks
Grand Rapids, MI

78944
Rookwood
5/31/1905
Fleenor Furn. Co.
Lynchburg, VA

78956
Rookwood
11/3/1905
Benjamin Curtaz & Son
San Francisco, CA

79439
Rookwood
11/30/1904
A. M. Rothschild & Co.
Chicago, IL

6200001
Rookwood
12/18/1906
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St Louis, MO

6200070
Rookwood
7/17/1906
Grohs Piano Co.
Buffalo, NY

6200076
Rookwood
8/16/1906
Cohen & Hughes
Baltimore, MD

6200077
Rookwood
8/16/1906
Cohen & Hughes
Baltimore, MD

12 MECHANICAL MUSIC March/April 2024

A Regina Style 62 Library Table model that features a Rookwood case and felt-padded drawers for music disc storage.

March/April 2024 MECHANICAL MUSIC 13

Regina Style 63 and Style 64 Drum Table

The Regina Style 63 is a round, drum table Rookwood cabinet with a 20.-inch double comb bedplate. The crank is on the right outside but the controls are inside. There is no disc storage with this style music box. There are beau.tiful paintings on all sides of the case plus the top lid. Only five-digit serial number machines are listed.
The Regina Style 64 is a 20.-inch disc music box with the same mechanism as a Style 63 but the cabinet is almost square featuring tapered legs similar to a Style 62 or Style 63. It has a horizontal disc storage tray built into the cabi.net below the music box mechanism.
See the photo on Page 9 for an example of a Regina Style 63 disc musical box.
Serial No.
Style
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

85161
Style 63
Rookwood
9/6/1905
Grant M. Kennedy
Canandaigua, NY

85227
Style 63
Rookwood
4/7/1905
C.C. Mellor Company
Pittsburgh, PA

85285
Style 63
Rookwood
4/12/1905
Fred K. Loesir, Co.
Brooklyn, NY

85287
Style 63
Rookwood
11/2/1904
Henry Gautschi & Son
Philadelphia, PA

85299
Style 63
Rookwood
11/16/1904
Clark Music Co.
Syracuse, NY

85299
Style 63
Rookwood
10/12/1905
Returned

85300
Style 63
Rookwood
10/3/1905
Henry Goldsmith
Columbus, OH

85301
Style 63
Rookwood
6/30/1905
Fred K. Loesir Co.
Brooklyn, NY

85305
Style 63
Rookwood
6/12/1905
Ross P. Curtice Co.
Lincoln, NE

85309
Style 63
Rookwood
10/23/1906
Philip P. Werlein
New Orleans, LA

85312
Style 63
Rookwood
11/22/1904
E. J. Droop
Washington, DC

85315
Style 63
Rookwood
11/24/1904
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85338
Style 63
Rookwood
12/1/1904
W. W. Troutmann

85344
Style 63
Rookwood
12/3/1904
American Drugg Pub Co.
Broadway, NY

85345
Style 63
Rookwood
12/10/1904
W. Wardlaw
Brooklyn, NY

85351
Style 63
Rookwood
12/5/1904
J.A. Fredericks
Grand Rapids, MI

85351 Reshipped
Style 63
Rookwood
5/15/1905
Hormuth Wille
Bloomington, IL

85352
Style 63
Rookwood
9/3/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85354
Style 63
Rookwood
12/6/1904
Grinnell Bros.
Detroit, MI

85359
Style 63
Rookwood
12/10/1904
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85365
Style 63
Rookwood
6/19/1905
M.E. Bloomberg
New York City, NY

85368
Style 63
Rookwood
5/16/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85371
Style 63
Rookwood
6/3/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85372
Style 63
Rookwood
12/22/1904
W. B. Stohmes
New York City, NY

Serial No.
Style
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

85376
Style 63
Rookwood
3/14/1905
Siegel-Cooper Co.
New York City, NY

85377
Style 63
Rookwood
5/24/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85404
Style 63
Rookwood
10/19/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

85410
Style 63
Rookwood
3/7/1905
Grinnell Bros.
Detroit, MI

Serial No.
Style
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

85375
Style 64
Rookwood
7/31/1905
Fred K. Loesir
Brooklyn, NY

85375
Style 64
Rookwood
11/21/1905
Returned

85379
Style 64
Rookwood
11/5/1905
I. Popkin
Franklin, LA

85389
Style 64
Rookwood
5/19/1905
Oliver Ditson Co.
Boston, MA

85393
Style 64
Rookwood
5/5/1905
I. Popkin
Franklin, LA

85395
Style 64
Rookwood
5/3/1905
I. Popkin
Franklin, LA

85395 Reshipped
Style 64
Rookwood
6/30/1905
Siegel-Cooper Co.
New York City, NY

Regina Style 66 15.-inch console

The Regina Style 66 is a console table model cabinet, 15.-inch double comb music box with an open pull-out storage rack below the music box. It has paintings on both sides and front along with paintings on the top lid.
Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

77743
Rookwood
12/10/1908
G. A. Stone
Bloomfield, NJ

78193
Rookwood
11/21/1907
G. W. Bird
New York City, NY

78198
Rookwood
4/27/1905
R. B. Johnson
Waltham, MA

9/9/1910
Mrs. A. S. Gottschins
Gloster, MA

78203
Rookwood
4/17/1905
R.W. Price
Dayton, OH

78205
Rookwood
5/19/1905
Oliver Ditson & Co.
Boston, MA

78270
Rookwood
9/30/1905
Clayton Music Co.
Salt Lake City, UT

78230
Rookwood
9/30/1905
D. S. Johnson
Seattle, WA

78376
Rookwood
8/3/1905
Henry Gautschi & Son
Philadelphia, PA

78449
Rookwood
10/30/1904
Siegal-Cooper Co.
New York City, NY

78450
Rookwood
4/4/1905
Grinnell Bros.
Detroit, MI

78451
Rookwood
3/9/1905
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St. Louis, MO

78455
Rookwood
3/22/1905
E. A. Jones & Co.
Des Moines, IA

78456
Rookwood
4/12/1905
C. C. Mellor Co.
Pittsburgh, PA

78557
Rookwood
6/7/1907
Heady Music Co.
Chicago, IL

78563
Mahogany
10/21/1910
Odin Woods
Chicago, IL

78579
Rookwood
9/11/1905
J. C. Dyler & Sons
Harrisburg, PA

78601
Rookwood
10/17/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

78602
Rookwood
10/17/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

78603
Rookwood
11/1/1905
Regina Co.

78608
Rookwood
12/12/1904
Whaley Royce & Co.
Toronto, Canada

78673
Rookwood
9/23/1905
Southern Calif Music Co.
Los Angeles, CA

78933
Rookwood
10/6/1905
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co
St. Louis, MO

Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

79244
Rookwood
10/10/1905
Benjamin Curtaz & Son
San Francisco, CA

79251
Rookwood
10/10/1905
Benjamin Curtaz & Son
San Francisco, CA

79272
Rookwood
8/26/1905
James H. Gorham
New Bedford, MA

79282
Rookwood
9/12/1905
Henry Gautschi & Son
Philadelphia, PA

79303
Rookwood
10/3/1905
Eilers Music House
Spokane, WA

85403
Rookwood
10/19/1905
Southern Calif Music Co.
Los Angeles, CA

A Regina Style 66 upright console music box in a Rookwood case, shown with lid open and closed, that plays 151/2-inch discs and has disc storage slots below the music box.

16 MECHANICAL MUSIC March/April 2024

Regina style 67 15.-inch vertical console

The Regina Style 67 is a 15.-inch disc music box vertical mounted mechanism in a beautiful double-door cabinet with paintings on both sides and the front doors that pivot outward to play the music box. There is a storage rack in the bottom that pivots outward to store discs.
See a photo of this style Regina on Page 19.
Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

79308
Rookwood
11/15/1905
Kirk Johnson
Scranton, PA

79979
Rookwood
12/19/1905
C.H. Hickok Piano
Poughkeepsie, NY

79982
Rookwood
11/16/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Chicago, IL

79984
Rookwood
11/14/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Chicago, IL

79986
Rookwood
11/13/1905
Julius Fridrich
Grand Rapids, MI

79987
Rookwood
11/13/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Chicago, IL

79988
Rookwood
11/14/1905
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St. Louis, MO

79989
Rookwood
11/14/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Chicago, IL

79999
Rookwood
11/15/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Chicago, IL

80000
Rookwood
11/15/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

80001
Rookwood
11/15/1905
Hahne & Co.
Newark, NJ

6700001
Rookwood
11/22/1905
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700002
Rookwood
11/22/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700003
Rookwood
11/23/1905
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700004
Rookwood
11/24/1905
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St. Louis, MO

6700005
Rookwood
12/22/1905
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700006
Rookwood
12/22/1905
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700007
Rookwood
12/30/1905
N. A. Spiny
Hartford, CT

6700008
Rookwood
7/26/1906
Miss Sawusch
Chicago, IL

6700009
Rookwood
12/30/1905
Hoeffler Mfg. Co.
Milwaukee, WI

6700010
Rookwood
1/24/1906
C. C. Mellor Co.
Pittsburgh, PA

6700011
Rookwood
3/10/1906
Southern Calif. Music
Los Angeles, CA

6700012
Rookwood
11/1/1907
Mrs. F.E. Delong
Utica, NY

6700013
Rookwood
4/25/1906
J.F. Walken
Utica, NY

6700014
Rookwood
5/9/1906
Grinnell Bros.
Detroit, MI

6700015
Rookwood
6/29/1906
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700016
Rookwood
6/29/1906
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700017
Rookwood
7/3/1906
Henry Goldsmith
Columbus, OH

6700018
Rookwood
7/2/1906
Grohs Piano Co.
Buffalo, NY

6700019
Rookwood
9/28/1906
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700020
Rookwood
9/5/1906
Adolph Szold
Kewanee, IL

6700021
Rookwood
10/22/1906
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700022
Rookwood
10/22/1906
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700023
Rookwood
10/25/1905
J. W. Lillen
Dayton, OH

6700024
Rookwood
11/16/1906
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700025
Rookwood
11/16/1906
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700026
Skip

6700027
Rookwood
1/9/1907
A. M. Summers
Elyria, OH

Serial No.
Case
Ship Date
Ship To
Location

6700028
Rookwood
3/18/1911
Hutchinson Music
Hartford, CT

6700029
Rookwood
2/23/1907
Housenick & Co.
Berwick, AL

6700030
Rookwood
2/28/1907
Grinnell Bros.
Detroit, MO

6700031
Rookwood
3/19/1907
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St Louis, MO

6700032
Rookwood
3/19/1907
C. H. Comer
Glasgow, KY

6700033
Rookwood
3/23/1907
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700034
Rookwood
4/24/1907
C.W. Edwards
Orwigsburg, PA

6700035
Rookwood
4/23/1907
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700036
Rookwood
11/24/1906
G. C. Aschbach & Co.
Allentown, PA

6700037
Rookwood
5/15/1907
Comer Dry Goods
Glasgow, KY

6700038
Rookwood
5/15/1907
Smith & Nixon Piano
Cincinnati, OH

6700039
Rookwood
7/17/1907
C. J. Lease & Son
Bartow, FL

6700040
Rookwood
11/9/1907
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700041
Rookwood
8/22/1910
Henry Gray
Orange, NY

6700042
Skip

6700043
Rookwood
12/14/1907
Mrs. S. Murphy
Brooklyn, NY

6700044
Rookwood
12/15/1910
F. J. Hill
New York City, NY

6700045
Rookwood
12/16/1907
Lone Star Piano Co.
Lampasas, TX

6700046
Rookwood
1/16/1908
C.W. Edward
Orwigsburg, PA

6700047
Rookwood
3/9/1908
C.J. Hippe & Son
Philadelphia, PA

6700048
Rookwood
7/29/1908
A Wagner Service Co.
Mexico City, Mexico

6700049
Rookwood
3/15/1909
Buffalo Music Co
Buffalo, NY

6700050
Rookwood
12/5/1908
Franz Schwager
Washington DC

6700051
Rookwood
12/10/1908
H. D. Munson & Son
Zanesville, OH

6700052
Rookwood
12/22/1909
Ralph Tyrell
Stamford, CT

6700053
Rookwood
2/1/1909
Gilliam Grisson
Spray, NC

6700054
Rookwood
9/14/1909
G. C. Aschbach & Co.
Allentown, PA

6700055
Rookwood
9/30/1909
Thiebes Stierlin Music Co.
St. Louis, MO

6700056
Rookwood
5/30/1910
Richard H Beyer
Erie, PA

6700057
Skip

6700058
Rookwood
10/10/1910
Warrick Barrel
Charlestown, WV

6700059
Rookwood
12/18/1911
W. Boardman
New Bedford, MS

6700060
Skip

6700061
Rookwood
2/3/1911
I. Bellman
New York City, NY

6700062
Rookwood
1/14/1911
Hutchinson
Hartford, AL

6700063
Rookwood
2/8/1911
George Scharf
Boise, ID

6700064
Skip

6700065
Skip

6700066
Skip

6700067
Rookwood
12/4/1911
Mrs. Louisa Rummel
Newark, NJ

March/April 2024 MECHANICAL MUSIC 17

18 MECHANICAL MUSIC March/April 2024

A Regina Style 67 in a Rookwood case plays
15.-inch discs on a vertically mounted music box mechanism. The front door swing open for access to the music box mecha.nism and a drawer at the bottom of the cabinet is available to store extra discs.

March/April 2024 MECHANICAL MUSIC 19

Nickel Notes

By Matthew Jaro

In this latest chapter of the great adventure of mechanical music, I would like to present Mike Argain of Fresno, CA. Mike is one of the major restorers of automatic musical instru.ments and he has restored many large European machines. I asked Mike how he got started in mechanical music and his answer, as always, is very interesting.
Beginnings
When Mike was 5 years old, he went to SutroÕs Baths in San Francisco, CA. They had a bunch of automatic musical machines on a mezzanine. He remembers looking over the railing at an ice rink down below. Most of the pianos did not play very well but Mike was intrigued by the mechanics, the movements, the chains and the gears. The seed of his love for this hobby was planted at that time. When he was about 19 years old he went back. The swimming pools were still there but the machines were gone. SutroÕs had suffered a fire a couple of years before. Mike was heartbroken. He thought ÒWell thatÕs the end of that.Ó When he got back to Fresno, he saw an advertisement for a Gulbranson foot pumper player piano. He bought it and that was the beginning of his collection. The piano did not play, but Mike had some friends that helped him move it in the back of a pickup truck, and they monkeyed around with the piano and got it to play! Mike still has this machine.
The First Six Months
Within four or five months, Mike had acquired half a dozen instruments. First he bought a single Mills Violano. I asked how he found out about the machines. Mike said he went to the music store one day to get some rolls for his player piano. They had a Haines Brothers AMPICO upright there. When Mike heard it, he said he had to buy it. It played beautifully. Hayes McClaran had his business card in the piano. Hayes lived locally in Fresno. So, Mike called him up and went to the music room behind HayesÕ house.
Hayes had a Seeburg H and all kinds of other neat stuff in the music room. Mike saw the single Mills there and thought, ÒI gotta have one.Ó He bought it from Hayes. During the ensuing years, Mike owned just about every model of Mills. He has had a bow front, the home model, the double and probably half a dozen singles. He does have an oak single model left in his collection. Mike is not totally sure of the sequence of events. He said, ÒItÕs been 50 years since all of this transpired.Ó
I asked him how old he is, and he said, ÒIÕm 73.Ó [He is now 78.] Mike was born Easter Sunday, Apr. 1, 1945.
Through Hayes, Mike met Jerry Doring, where Mike was turned on to the big European instruments. Several months later Jerry called Mike and said that a business called Haning and White in Troy, OH, had a Weber Styria for sale. Jerry told Mike to get an airplane ticket, get there and buy it. Mike had never flown in an airplane or been out of California at that time, but he went to Ohio and bought the Weber Styria. Mike likes to say that he did pretty well for somebody who didnÕt have any money. This Styria is now owned by Frank Nix.
After Mike bought his single Mills Violano, Jerry said to him, ÒI know you want a Mills Double, and this doctor, Rudy Edwards, has one for sale.Ó So, he met Rudy at an MBSI meeting in 1973 in San Francisco, gave him a deposit and bought the Mills sight-unseen.
At the same meeting, Mike went to visit Barney Sherar who had several machines in the basement of an apart.ment complex. That weekend, Mike bought a North Tonawanda Pianolin from Barney. It was the first machine that Mike fully restored. ItÕs still playing after close to 50 years. The Pianolin has 44 notes and the bottom 11 notes are stopped flutes. The rest of the notes are violin pipes. ThereÕs a pipe for every note on the piano. It plays an endless roll.
To buy all this stuff, Mike sold a Model A Ford, a 1931 Chevy and a Corvette. He had to use his old auto parts business delivery truck to drive around town.
Mike was partners with his father in an auto parts business in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, right around the time he started collecting pianos, his father sold out the business to Mike. Mike ran the business until 1988 when he closed it down and became a profes.sional restorer of orchestrions.
Flash back to MikeÕs first six months of collecting and at this point Mike has a single Mills, a double Mills, the Pianolin, the AMPICO piano, the Weber Styria and a Regina Sublima. I asked Mike how he got the Regina. MikeÕs uncle, who was a poker player, used to play at a club in Bakersfield, CA. The uncle noticed there was a piano in the back of the place where he played cards. It turned out to be the Regina Sublima. Mike found a way to buy it and bring it home.
MikeÕs Helios II/25 orchestrion is the most important piece in his collection. Mechanical Music presented a feature article about Mike and the machine in the July/August 2015 issue (Vol. 61, No. 4). There are many wonderful pictures showing the restoration process.
Since Mike first saw the Helios for sale he knew that he wanted one. Mike bought the machine from Bob McAdams of Belmont, CA. Bob wanted to restore it, but the parts sat for years collecting dust. Another collector wanted to buy the machine, but, fortunately for Mike, that deal fell through. The other collector did not want it because a front door was missing, there was no arch glass and some of the decorative pieces were gone. Mike was willing to take a risk on the machine because he thought he might never again see one offered for sale. Mike sold a 52-key Bruder organ to get enough cash to buy his Helios. There were many obstacles to fully restoring the machine. There was no xylophone or mandolin and the sound board was warped. To rebuild the missing cabinetry, Mike obtained wood from the same region of Germany that Hupfeld might have gone to. Jack Hewes from Kent, WA, helped to build a new front door and some other pieces. A master craftsman from Mexico carved some of the fine detail on the front of the case. Now the machine is complete and stands proud in MikeÕs music room.
Professional Restoration
MikeÕs first experience with resto.ration was unpaid work from Jerry Doring. This was an opportunity, because hardly anyone else would let a kid in his early 20s work on machines such as this. Mike also did a lot of restoration work for Rudy Edwards, including his first paid resto.ration job, a Weber Otero. These first jobs werenÕt really total restorations, but Mike did get the chance to work on a Seeburg G for Jerry and a Weber Styria for Rudy. Pretty soon Mike had the chance to work on a collection of instruments owned by John Daniels, a magician from Pasadena, CA.
Mike was still in his 20s when he was talking with the likes of Hayes McClaran, Jerry Doring, Rudy Edwards, John Maxwell and Jerry Cohen. They were always talking about sending Mike work, but he had a business to run. After Mike sold his auto parts business, Rudy came to him and asked Mike to rebuild the top half of his Weber Otero for him. Rudy needed the valves reworked and the pneumatics recovered.
Later Mike met Wolfgang Schweppe. Wolfgang brought new clients includ.ing Norio Isogai from Japan. Jasper Sanfilippo also became a client. Around this time, Bob Brown had gone over to work at the Milhous collection and Bob contacted Mike through Wolfgang about working on the Milhous machines. Mike had already been working for them for more than 20 years. He restored all the big European instruments there. He said it was really an exciting time. Mike also did work for Frank Nix. He restored FrankÕs Helios, a Duwyn dance organ, a Wurlitzer CX, and a Coinola. He got Frank a Unika out of Europe and Mike cleaned it up for him. Frank got his Helios through Mike from Steve Lanick. It was entirely disassembled in a number of boxes. Mike flew to Pittsburgh, PA, to see if everything was there. According to Mike, Steve had never lost one valve or even one screw.
From SteveÕs collection, Mike bought a Coinola SO, Frank NixÕs Helios 1C/31, the Solea and a Mason & Hamlin AMPICO B. Every one of the machines was completely torn apart but all the parts were there. Mike and his father rented a truck and loaded it with a Weber Unika, a Weber Grandezza, and a Bruder 67-key fair.ground organ and drove to Amarillo, TX. Meanwhile, Steve Lanick rented a truck in Pittsburgh, PA, which he loaded with instruments and drove to meet them in Amarillo. They had dinner together and stayed overnight, then drove off in each otherÕs trucks!
When Mike got the Helios 1C/31 for Frank, he discovered that the wind motor and several other parts were missing. SteveÕs wife made Steve go into the attic and start looking for more stuff and they found every last part. Mike really went through a lot to do that restoration!
Most of MikeÕs business came from Wolfgang. He would buy a lot of low-end stuff and he would tell the buyers that Mike could restore the machines. So, Mike had tons of work with really weird restorations.
Current Collection
The following machines are in MikeÕs current collection.
The Coinola SO that was obtained from Steve Lanick. It is 100 percent original and itÕs all restored now.
He has several Coinola Cupids (both in oak and walnut cases).
He has two Seeburg G machines, an early one (1913) from Stella Foote, and a late one (the latest known Seeburg G from 1927 or 1928). Stella, at one time had three Seeburg H machines! The late Seeburg G required extensive work since the piano was cut down to the size of a regular upright and the glass was gone, etc. Mike had to make new sides, a new pipe chest, a new stack and drum shelf. He had original drums, pipes, motor and roll frame.
Mike has a really beautiful Wurlitzer CX. ItÕs identical to the one Arnold Chase has.
Mike acquired a prototype KT Special. There are six known exam.ples. It has the eagle glass front and it is a KT sized case which is not as tall as the later generation of KT Specials.
He has a Western Electric Selectra B. This machine allows the customer to play any tune on the roll. The machine winds the roll to the selection automatically.
Mike also has a Link R with the stained glass and flute pipes. The R is the short case. The model C has a taller case which puts the paper on a downhill slide as it approaches the tracker bar. The R, with a shorter case, has a horizontal shelf and has a mechanism that helps pull the roll across the shelf.
Mike still has the single Mills.
He has a Seeburg KT with harmonic flute pipes, a tambourine and castanets.
A Mason & Hamlin AMPICO, and a Knabe AMPICO with double legs.
A Steinway AR and a Steinway XR Duo-Art reproducing piano.
A Seeburg C with xylophone. ItÕs like an L with a xylophone in it. The Seeburg L (for Lilliputian), is the smallest nickelodeon in the Seeburg line.
The Present
Right now, Mike says he is glad not to have a big backlog of restoration work. He says that you have only so many years to live and he wants to enjoy his own stuff! He says he doesnÕt care about the money. He has every.thing he wants right there and the time to enjoy it has been wonderful. Mike has been single for 27 years. He has two children, a daughter who is 46 and a son who is 41.
Mike is also a docent at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. This has given him a wonderful social life. ItÕs a two-and-a-half-hour trip each way from his home in Fresno to San Simeon, so Mike goes for the weekend and stays with friends there. HeÕll spend the day on the coast and go to the castle at night for the night-time tours. Hearst Castle has two Artrio-Angelus reproducing grand pianos there that do not play and Mike says, ÒI donÕt want to work on them, thatÕs for sure.Ó He started his docent work 11 years ago. He said he learned about the opportunity from someone he plays racquetball with. So, he applied. It took about a year and now he is an unpaid state employee.

Mike Argain at Hearst Castle.

The Hupfeld Helios II/25. At right is a closeup of the glass door where you access the rolls for the machine.

MikeÕs Coinola SO that he purchased from Steve Lanick in Pittsburgh, PA.

MikeÕs music room featuring a Weber Solea at one end and the Hupfeld Helios at the other end along with pianos, nickelodeons and orchestrions.

Lined up in a row in MikeÕs music room are (left to right) a Prototype KT Special, a Pianolin, a KT and a Western Electric Selectra B that allows a customer to pick any tune on the roll to play. (See Page 24 for a closeup of the selector dial.)

Mike with his Link R with stained glass and flute pipes. The Link R has a mechanism to pull the endless roll across the tracker bar unlike the later model Link C that has a taller case and uses a sloped shelf to gravity-feed the roll.

The Western Electric Selectra B selector dial.

Mike with one of his Seeburg G orchestrions.

A view inside the Wurlitzer CX is a wonderful display of machinery and art.

MikeÕs Wurlizer CX and a closeup of the Wonderlight at right.

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 July/August 2018 issue of The AMICA Bulletin.

MikeÕs Weber Solea that dominates one wall of his music room in Fresno, CA.

Music boxes make an appearance at concert in the vineyard

By Terry and Diane Ostergaard
The Salem Symphonic Winds (SSW), a volunteer community band in its 49th season, held its yearly concert at Youngberg Hill Winery outside McMinnville, OR, this past summer. The program featured two tunes on the Polyphon Emerald 221/2-inch musi.cal box.
The songs, ÒThe Mikado,Ó from SullivanÕs Comic Opera, and the ÒRadetzky March,Ó by Johann Strauss, were followed by concert band arrangements of the same tunes (listed below).
Some of the concert was themed to present music that would bring visions of picnics in the park during Victorian times. Terry and Diane Ostergaard, of Salem brought four machines from their collection to demonstrate while people ate boxed lunches and drank wine on the vineyardÕs lawn.
To promote the event and knowl.edge of musical boxes, Terry and SSWÕs artistic director, John Skelton, were interviewed on a local radio station playing a couple discs while Salem residents commuted to work.
The Radetzky March disc was a surprise gift to Terry from John made for him by David Corkrum!
Machines demonstrated:
¥
Polyphon Emerald 221/2-inch

¥
Regina Short Bed 151/2-inch

¥
Symphonia Organette 20-note

¥
A 72-note cylinder musical box

Concert Band Arrangements:
¥
Radetzky March, Johann Strauss Sr., arr. L.P. Laurendeau
Carl Fischer

¥
Mikado: Selection from SullivanÕs Comic Opera, O. S. Sullivan, Emil Boettger
Carl Fischer

Gorgeous weather and a beautiful view during the concert on Aug. 13, 2023.

Terry Ostergaard and John Skelton live on the radio.

Terry Ostergaard gives an informational tour of the four music boxes to a concert goer before the show.

A Symphonic Winds trumpet player checks out music boxes during intermission.

Seeking your stories for ….

The Hunt

Did you once spend time finding the perfect musical antique to round out your collection? What was it? How did you find it? Was it in ruins, or in perfect condition?
Was there a time you randomly ran across a unique instrument then found a way to acquire it and restore it so that you might display it and tell the story to all who visit your home?
Answer these questions and you will have the perfect story for ÒThe HuntÓ column in Mechanical Music.
Every mechanical music instrument has a story behind it and the readers of Mechanical Music love to read them all.
Editing help is available if you have a story, but you are not sure how to organize it or present it. The important thing is to get it down and pass it on for the enjoyment of others.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Email your story to editor Russell Kasselman at
editor@mbsi.org or mail a copy to:
MBSI Editorial Offices
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449

National Capital Chapter

Chapter Chair: Ken Gordon
Reporters: Donna and Gene Borrelli
Photographers: Gene Borrelli,
Mike Falco, Knowles and Ginny Little
Dec. 3, 2023 Ð Annapolis, MD
The National Capital Chapter held its holiday party and business meeting on Sunday, Dec. 3, at the home of Cheryl and Dick Hack, which is on the Western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, MD. There were 58 people in attendance including 19 guests.
Chapter Chair Ken Gordon thanked our hosts for yet again volunteering to host the holiday party. He also acknowledged guests who traveled significant distances to attend. Bruce Newman and Paul Hempel traveled the furthest from Oregon, while Roger Wiegand and Jean Milburn came from Massachusetts and Bear Schultz and Beverly Chatfield came from Illinois.
Paul Senger introduced guests and new members. This was Noah and Kimberley ParkerÕs first meeting. Other guests included Doug Kiser and Charlotte Thompson. Jim Windgassen and Melinda Bell attended as guests of the Hacks. We were also joined by Connie Ramsay, daughter of Chet and Jean Ramsay who were original founders of the MBSI. We obtained two new society memberships from guests after the meeting. MBSI pres.ident Matt Jaro, who is a member of our chapter, was also in attendance. Ken thanked Paul Senger for all his hard unsung work during the year.
Ken was the founding chapter president and remained president for the next 10 years. He has been chapter president again for the past two years. We all thanked him for his service.
Cheryl welcomed everyone to her home and thanked Roger Wiegand, Jean Milburn, Beverly Chatfield, Bear Schultz and Gene and Donna Borrelli who helped her set up for the event.
Prior to the meeting, Ginny Little presented the Hacks with a beautiful white poinsettia on behalf of the chap.ter for hosting the meeting.
Following the business meeting Dick and Cheryl demonstrated their collection. The Hacks have an exten.sive collection of mechanical music. It includes a variety of nickelodeons, organs, orchestrions, pianos, music boxes, phonographs, and a few jukeboxes and movie jukeboxes span.ning from 1836 to 2005. Some of the pieces on display were a Weber Unika, Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina, Seeburg G orchestrion, Welte orchestrion, Wurlitzer CX orchestrion with added bells, Wurlitzer 153 Band Organ, Davrainville clockwork barrel organ, Regina Hexaphone phonograph, Decap 92-key dance organ, Mortier organ, Bursens cafŽ organ, Ramey Banjo Orchestra, Mills Violano with drum box, Mills Panoram movie jukebox, Polyphon 151/2-inch musical tall clock, Wurlitzer Model B Harp (a reproduction built by Dick), Link 2E nickelodeon, Ruth 36 organ, and a variety of other mechanical music machines. There was also a display of quilts, some antique.

Dick Hack plays the Welte Orchestrion for the guests.

Adian Gruden, Rory Lehman and Durward Center and the beautiful Mortier organ.

James and Sarah Absher check out DickÕs collection of old phonographs.

Cheryl Hack, Paul Hempel, and Kim Kleason chat before lunch.

Bruce Newman and Aiden Gruden listen to the Wurlitzer CX.

Jessica Holden, Art Mueller, and JessicaÕs guest Molly Theobald.

Noah Parker and Kimberly Horst-Parker, new members, and first timers at the Bursens CafŽ organ.

Outgoing Chapter Chair Ken Gordon conducts his final Business Meeting.

Even the business meeting is fun.

Cheryl Hack with guests and new MBSI members Charlott Thompson and Doug Kiser. Matt Jaro is on the couch. Bill Rock is in the background.

Richard Simpson and Joe Hilferty by the great Mortier Organ.

Cheryl Hack, Bill and Laura Rock finish off lunch.

Almost time for lunch. Paul Hempel and Roger Wiegand have their eyes on the desserts.

Connie Ramsay (daughter of the late Chet and Jean Ramsay) and Richard Simpson.

Seeking your stories for ….

The Hunt

Did you once spend time finding the perfect musical antique to round out your collection? What was it? How did you find it? Was it in ruins, or in perfect condition?
Was there a time you randomly ran across a unique instrument then found a way to acquire it and restore it so that you might display it and tell the story to all who visit your home?
Answer these questions and you will have the perfect story for ÒThe HuntÓ column in Mechanical Music.
Every mechanical music instrument has a story behind it and the readers of Mechanical Music love to read them all.
Editing help is available if you have a story, but you are not sure how to organize it or present it. The important thing is to get it down and pass it on for the enjoyment of others.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Email your story to editor Russell Kasselman at
editor@mbsi.org or mail a copy to:
MBSI Editorial Offices
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449

Southern California Chapter

Chapter Chair: Robin Biggins
Reporter: Robin Biggins
Photographer: Lowell Boehland
Jan. 20, 2023 Ñ Carson, CA
This was a change of venue for us, but not new because we had a meeting at this wonderful International Print.ing Museum 11 years ago on Sept. 15, 2012 for a celebration of Constitution Day. This time it was for the 318th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, who IÕm sure you will recall, was very involved in the printing business in the 1700s. There was a great documentary on PBS television by Ken Burns the night before our visit about Franklin, and lo and be-hold here he was, in person for our meeting!
The museum has many events during the year for school children (and their parents) to appreciate all this great man did before the U.S. became inde.pendent. The role of Benjamin was performed by Phil Soinski, in tradi.tional garb and with an impressive narrative of facts that taught us all about the work that enabled the early populace to have an understanding of the relationship between America and England at the time.
We all had a wonderful, educational day. No music, but an appreciation for all the early antique printing machines.

Ben Franklin, played by Phil Soinski, describes some of his early inventions.

James Lampert operating a Model 5 Meteor Linotype machine.

A partial group photo featuring Robin Biggins, Ardis Prescott, Judy and Bob Burtscher, Jan and John Osborne and long-time MBSI member Jack Conway, who is a docent at the museum.

Docent Juan Vela operating the Linotype machine.

A Columbian press manufactured in 1824. It was the first metal press manufactured in the U.S., produced by George Clymer. Sales were not good in the U.S., so he moved to England where sales were much better. The Eagle is actually a counterweight used to return the lever. The small figure in white is the Lady Columbia. During the restoration, dental picks were used to find the original colors for the decorations. Jack Conway and Robin Biggins are seen working hard.

Museum staff presenting Ben with a 318th birthday cake.

A replica of the huge Gutenberg press circa 1450. Ernie Lindner had it made using reclaimed wood of the period. It is set up to print a page of the Gutenberg bible.

Mark Barbour, Museum Curator, left, holding copies of a page from the Gutenberg Bible. George Bush, right, a museum docent, looking on. The page on the left was printed on the press. The page on the right is what it would look like after being finished by an illuminator who did all the color work by hand.

Docent George Bush operating the Gutenberg Press.

Golden Gate Chapter

Chapter Chair: Judy Caletti
Reporter: David Corkrum
Photographer: Rob Thomas
Jan. 21, 2024 Ñ San Francisco, CA
On a beautiful day in mid-January, members of the Golden Gate Chapter congregated at the home of Jackie Day in San Francisco, CA. This was our first meeting of the year. Normally, our meetings are held on the third Sunday of the second month of the quarter (whew!) but Jackie wanted to hold a meeting at her home on Jan. 21. So be it.
Approximately 15 members gath.ered to listen to the music and catch up on what had happened in our lives during the past year. JackieÕs home was built in 1932. The original owner started out as a street seller of roasted peanuts. His business prospered and he started selling to businesses in the area and eventually opened a restaurant. From the money he made, he was able to build the house where Jackie lives. It is a three-story house in the mission style. The interior is still all original. The first floor contains a large ballroom which Jackie uses for her studio. The second floor is the main living area with a living room, formal dining room, butlerÕs pantry, a large kitchen and a small bedroom dedicated to displaying all manner of wind-up toys. The third floor is devoted to bedrooms and baths and lots of dolls.
Jackie and her late husband, Don, were avid collectors of musical boxes and at one time had a huge collection. After an illness, many of these were sold at auction a few years ago. Jackie still owns four disc boxes, an AMPICO reproducing piano in an art case and numerous automata. A Porter music box was featured with a disc arranged and manufactured by Tashiro Kazuo. For more information on Tashiro, please see the MBSI news bulletin, issue No. 126, Sept/Oct. 1995 and issue No. 136, May/Jun. 1997. In 1983, Tashiro was selected to arrange the ÒStar-Spangled BannerÓ on a 50-note cylinder music box for presentation to Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the American presidentÕs first visit to Japan.
A short business meeting was held. Chapter Secretary/Treasurer David Corkrum reported that the chapter is in fine financial condition and that we have 41 family memberships with a couple of members living in Virginia. David was able to collect dues from a few members present at the meeting.
Speaking for those assembled, we had a great time with a fine luncheon and many stories to tell.

Dave Corkrum and meeting host Jackie Day with the Wizard Automaton.

Jared DiBartolomeo at the Art-cased AMPICO.

Bob Caletti listening to a 17.-inch Stella in a mahogany case.

Dolls playing a cello and accordion.

Porter music box with an original tune by Kazuo Tashiro, called ÒCherry Blossoms.Ó

Many curious things rest on the shelves in JackieÕs home.

Lute playing automaton with friends.

Automata in the dining room.

A toy piano with dancing dolls activated by the keyboard.

Russ Kriegel holding the score for the ÒRegina MarchÓ in the Toy Room.

Masks in the upstairs hallway.

JackieÕs home is filled with many dolls in nearly every room.

Sunbelt Chapter

Chair: Marty Nevel
Reporter: Diane Caudill
Photographer: Dana Jimenez
December 2023 Ñ Houston, TX
The Sunbelt Chapter enjoyed a Christmas party/business meeting at the home of Alan Bies and Steve Boehck in Houston, TX. Members wandered through all three stories of the house which is filled with countless automatic musical machines. They dined on a traditional Texas barbe.cue dinner, graciously underwritten by long-time member Kurt Nauck, owner of Nauck’s Vintage Records. Steve Boehck provided his famous rum cake, macaroni and cheese and other delicious snacks and desserts to round out the table.
During the party Alan Bies conducted a business meeting for the purpose of electing a new chapter chair, Marty Nevel. Marty was formerly a member of the Lake Michigan Chapter and is a recent Texas transplant. The Sunbelt Chapter is thrilled to have him and we can’t wait to begin the new year. [More photos on the next page.]

Alan Bies greets visitors at the beautiful Bies/Boehck home. Alan and Steve have hosted countless events for MBSI and the Sunbelt Chapter over the years.

Alan Bies welcomes new Chapter Chair Marty Nevel and his girlfriend Rose.

Steve Boehck and Jennifer Lehman enjoy the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina after partaking in the barbecue buffet.

Kurt Nauck and girlfriend Vicky select items from the wonderful barbecue buffet.

Wayne Holton plays the Riemer Bohemian barrel organ for vis.itors on the newly renovated third floor of the house.

Steve and AlanÕs beautifully-decorated home welcomed the Sunbelt Chapter members.

Steve Boehck and Shelly Matthews catch up over dinner.

Phil Smith relaxes and takes in all of the amazing sights and sounds.

The living room featured a gorgeous Christmas tree and many wonderful pieces of mechanical music.

Southeast Chapter

Chair: Jim Kracht
Reporter: Jamie Brewer
Photographer: David Oppenheim
Oct. 27, 2023 Ñ Altamonte Springs, FL
The Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs hotel in Altamonte Springs, FL, was the host hotel for the fall chapter meeting of the Southeast Chapter of MBSI.
Friday evening, Oct. 27, found members at the home of Wayne and Mary Ellen Myers for an open house and our business meeting.
Wayne and Mary Ellen have a large and varied collection of instruments. IÕd be willing to speculate they own the only ÒHome modelÓ of an Encore Banjo in mahogany. The serial number on this rarity is No. H2.
Disc music boxes were represented with a Regina 15.-inch changer, a Regina 20.-inch table model and a Symphonion 18.-inch, along with others.
An H.S. Taylor Street 24-key street organ and a Molinari seven-tune monkey organ plus a Seeburg K were the main pneumatic players.
It is a well-balanced and eclectic collection. Wayne explained how he designed the house and the additions over the years.
Fortunately for us all, there was enough room to hold a business meeting. Lower meeting attendance makes it nearly impossible to negoti.ate with hotels for hospitality rooms to hold business meetings, workshops and marts. It seems more and more members are downsizing with few takers to move things on. The antiques market has certainly shifted in the past 20 or so years.
On Saturday morning, incoming Chapter Chair James Kracht hosted a private breakfast buffet for the members staying at the hotel. It was a great way to start the day.
We toured the Morse Museum in Winter Park, FL, which is home to the most comprehensive collection of Tiffany pieces in the world. It is a fascinating history of how this collec.tion was salvaged from the burned-out country estate of Laurelton Hall in Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY, in the 1950s. A quick internet search for the Morse Museum will bring a wealth of written information as well as videos on the Tiffany exhibits.
At 3 p.m., Wayne started a persona-
lized tour of the Orlando Science Center where he is a volunteer docent. The Orlando Science CenterÕs mission is to inspire science learning for life.
A group dinner at HollerbachÕs German Restaurant in Sanford, FL, rounded out a busy day.
An open house was held on Sunday morning at Jim and Pat KrachtÕs home in Winter Garden, FL.
Jim has amassed an amazing collection of truly rare instruments. It would take pages of text to fully describe the instruments on display. Please humor and forgive me for picking and choosing my favorites to report on.
The Mermod Frres 241/2-inch interchangeable box on a matching marquetry table was the main attrac.tion for me. Dwight Porter just finished the restoration on this magnificent music box. I had followed the progress of this restoration online. To witness the culmination of the work in person justified my trip to the meeting.
I had to check out the 18-inch Mermod Frres sublime harmony piccolo box. An engraved plaque on this box describes it as being part of the Mermod Frres exhibit at the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. Mermod Frres cylinder and disc instruments are of outstanding quality, in my opinion.
The soft, delicate, complex tones and arrangements of early cylinder overture boxes canÕt be beat in my book. The four-air keywind Langdorff overture box that was formerly in the Shack collection was another featured performer.
Symphonion Music Works was represented by an Eroica which plays sets of three 131/2-inch discs simultane.ously. The complex tune arrangements of these instruments is truly amazing.
I could have spent all day enjoying the machines and camaraderie. What a beautiful morning.

Incoming Chapter Chair Jim Kracht accepts the gavel from Wayne Myers.

The ÒHome modelÓ Encore Banjo in Wayne and Mary Ellen MyersÕ home.

Marilou and Martin van Zanten with the Mermod Frres.

Jim Kracht welcomed members to his home.

One of the Tiffany windows on display at the Morse Museum.

Cotton Morlock with the Eroica three-disc player.

Some of the disc and cylinder music boxes in Jim KrachtÕs collection.

It is hard to top German food along with a German band.

Southeast Chapter

Chair: Mary Ellen Myers
Reporter: Jamie Brewer
Photographer: David Oppenheim
Jun. 2-4, 2023 Ñ Tampa, FL
The Southeast Chapter of MBSI met Jun. 2-4, 2023 in Tampa, FL, with the Comfort Suites being our home base. This proved to be a great central location.
Friday afternoon the membership enjoyed an in-depth tour of the Tampa Theatre along with an organ concert performed by our own Stephen Brit.tain. The historic Tampa Theater was designed as an atmospheric theater-style movie palace by architect John Eberson. It opened on Oct. 15, 1926.
I arrived with Stephen and Dale Koehn early to do the sound checks and all. I enjoyed a trip into and out of the ÒpitÓ to get the timing set for the performance.
We were told the fascinating backstory by the house manager, Jill, of how this Òatmospheric theaterÓ survived when so many similar movie ÒpalacesÓ were wantonly demolished.
Stephen gave a great performance which really showed off the organ. This Wurlitzer Theatre Organ (origi.nally installed in 1926 to accompany silent movies) has 1,400 pipes and is maintained by the Central Florida Theatre Organ Society (CFTOS).
A group supper and Flamenco Show was later enjoyed at the Columbia Restaurant.
Saturday morning was the business meeting and mart. After lunch, John Martin and Norman Bauer hosted an open house. It is such a treat to enjoy their unbelievable collections of music, glassware and china.
John knows how to crank out the tunes. Some of his chocolate pot collection can be seen in the photos displayed in the background.
John and Norman have such high quality one-of-a-kind instruments. The Porter tubular bell box is a real Òshow stopper.Ó I was particularly interested in checking out the art-cased Empress 18.-inch Mira music box. John related to me how this instrument came out of Rochester, NY. Rochester at the turn of the century was a thriving city with a number of wealthy industrialists. It is fun to speculate where this instrument originally called home.
A new feature to the meeting was the ÒDollar Draw.Ó Names were written on dollar bills which were collected into a jar. When drawn, the winning name had their choice of donated articles.
Warren Officer had the most dollars: he was the main man of the winnings!!
Saturday eveningÕs supper was at Mark and Christal YaffeeÕs collection just around the corner from our hotel. The instruments housed here run the gamut of the auto.matic music field from huge fairground organs to the most expressive overture music boxes.
It means a lot when you can have an association with instruments in such a collection like MarkÕs. The Mills Violano Virtuoso in the one-of-a-kind case brought back memories. Mark won this machine at a Preston Evans auction in the spring of 2003. I attended that auction with Bill Endlein. There were so many MBSI members in attendance it was like a Òmini MBSI meetingÓ! IÕve seen theatrics from auctioneers but the tears and drama Preston displayed trying to raise the bidding price on this special Violano was worth the price of admission!
On Sunday, Howard Wyman in Valrico, FL, hosted an open house. [More photos next page.]

Tampa Theatre house manager Jill tells our group about how this theater sur.vived while others were demolished. At right, Stephen Brittain performs on the theaterÕs Wurlitzer Theatre Organ that features 1,400 pipes.

Automatic Music instruments and steam engines Ñ a hard combination to improve upon.

John Martin cranking a tune with part of his chocolate pot collection behind him.

Norman Bauer describing a special instrument. Ed Duncan is to the left of Norman and on the far right is Jim Goodrich.

Mark Yaffee, Victor Cole, Anita and Robert Wingerd.

Howard Wyman on the left listening as Warren Officer gets his exercise.

Stephen Brittain gave this Aeolian pump organ a good work.out. He was very impressed with it.

Constance Barsky Ñ Nov. 3, 1944ÐAug. 12, 2023

Submitted by Steven Katz
Constance ÒConnieÓ Kay Barsky passed away peacefully from ovarian cancer on Aug. 12, 2023. She was born on Nov. 3, 1944, in Newark, NJ. She graduated from high school in 1962 and later graduated from Denison University, in Granville, OH, in 1966 with a major in chemistry. She earned a PhD in Geochemistry at Washington University in St Louis, MO, in 1975. In May 1970, she met Steve Katz and in 1974 they married. The highlight of her career in science education was the two decades she spent at Ohio State University, collaborating with Kenneth Wilson, a 1982 physics Nobel Laureate.
In 1979, Connie and Steve attended what was advertised as a Òcalliope festivalÓ in Coshocton, OH. It was really an MBSI Mid-America Chapter Band Organ Rally, where they met Mike and Linda Perry. Mike was the chapter chair at the time and invited Connie and Steve to their home in Marion, OH, the next day. The couple accepted. They were amazed at the Perry collection and were impressed by how welcoming the other members were.
Steve and Connie joined MBSI and the Mid-Am chapter immediately, and they soon began buying instru.ments of their own, starting with a 1914 Brinkerhoff upright mahogany player piano, an 1899 12.-inch disc Regina double comb music box in an oak case, and an Edison Model 30 Amberola cylinder phonograph. The pinnacle of their collection was an 1899 27-inch disc Regina Corona changer in mahogany, and an Aeolian Grand Player Reed Organ from 1894 which Connie and Steve painstakingly restored. They eventually had about 20 instruments including cylinder music boxes, organettes, phonographs, and numerous table favors from MBSI and AMICA meetings.
Their collection outgrew the small house they lived in, and in 1983 they purchased a run-down Victorian house in Granville, which they restored over the next five years, and which became a magnificent backdrop for their music collection. They held a number of open houses for various meetings and in 1988 they opened a bed and breakfast which they ran for 29 years until they sold the house in 2017 and downsized to a nearby retirement community.
Connie and Steve traveled to many music box events over the past 40 years, including many MBSI national and Mid-America Chapter meetings. They visited many outstanding collections and met numerous other collectors.
Connie was outgoing and friendly and she loved music, especially mechanical music. She was smart and very artistic, too. She will be deeply missed.

Bob Lloyd Ñ Sept. 19, 1931ÐNov. 12, 2023

By Robin Biggins
Bob Bentley Lloyd, was born Sept. 19, 1931, on a farm near Portales, NM. He was the eldest of five chil.dren. Following his graduation in Paramount, CA, he started a business selling and repairing bicycles and motorcycles.
He enlisted in the United States Navy during the Korean war. During his enlistment he married Diane Victoria Scott in 1954. They had two children, Rick Robert and Sheryl Diane.
After many years in the automotive industry he formed Royal House Sales, which moved houses and apartment complexes from the paths of the new freeways and LAX airport to Orange and Riverside counties. Bob and Diane were avid travelers and collectors of mechanical music machines, as well as active officers of the MBSI Southern California chapter and the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association. They were major officers and promoters for many of the national annual meetings held in Southern California.
Bob died at home on Nov. 12, 2023, after a years-long illness, where he had been lovingly cared for by Diane and their family. Bob and Diane cele.brated their 69th wedding anniversary on Mar. 27, 2023.
He will be sorely missed by the many friends and members who attended our meetings and enjoyed their hospi.tality in their beautiful home.
Mechanical music memories excerpted from Nickel Notes, published Mar/Apr 2022
The first mechanical music instru.ment Bob obtained was an Arburo dance organ. Before buying it, he called a local restorer who gave him a rough idea of the cost to rebuild it. Bob bought the instrument, called the restorer and said, ÒI have it loaded in the truck, IÕll bring it over.Ó The restorer replied, ÒWhy would you do that?Ó
Bob said, ÒWell, you told me you could restore it.Ó The restorer replied, ÒIÕm three years behind. The best I could promise you is three and one-half years.Ó
Bob said, ÒIÕm not a patient man. God gave me a mechanical mind and IÕll learn how to do the restoration myself.Ó . . .
Bob restored most of the instru.ments in his collection. He enlisted the help of Robin Biggins for the music boxes. Bob once mentioned to Mike Ames that he wasnÕt too fond of the music that came with the Arburo. (It only played European dance music.) Mike suggested Bob could install a MIDI system in the instrument and offered to do it especially for Bob. This was probably around 2000 and not too many instruments at that time had MIDI capability.
Another machine Bob modified with a MIDI player is one that Bob calls a Seeburg ÒBLÓ (which stands for Bob Lloyd). It was a mortuary organ that Bob modified to be a Seeburg H. He built the entire top, the xylophone and added the MIDI capability. . . .
One of the more interesting stories is the one about how Bob acquired his Regina changer. A friend told the Lloyds about it. They went to see it and the little old lady said she got it as a wedding gift from her husband. She was in her nineties. She had outlived her three daughters and her sons didnÕt care anything about mechanical music. It was in really bad shape. She wanted to sell it and go back east to Boston, MA, to see her older sister. A friend at a local meeting said that Òyou will be lucky if you ever get that playing.Ó That made Bob just want to try that much harder. Now it plays quite well.
The acquisition of the LloydsÕ Seeburg K was through a referral by Rudy Edwards. Rudy once sold the Seeburg to a doctor who had now passed away and the manÕs wife was reselling it. That machine was in relatively good condition.
The only machine the Lloyds ever bought sight-unseen was a Cremona G with a bullet hole in the front and a sign that said, ÒPlease donÕt shoot the piano player, heÕs doing the best he can.Ó The Lloyds had to promise the previous owners that they wouldnÕt fill in the bullet hole. The stained glass was in great condition and the machine plays beautifully.

Bob and Diane Lloyd in their home.

This Cremona G features a bullet hole in the case. Bob had to promise not to fill it in before he bought it. The sign says ÒPlease donÕt shoot the piano player. HeÕs doing the best he can.Ó

The Seeburg ÒBL,Ó a former mortuary organ modified to be a Seeburg H with MIDI installed.

LeRoy Plyler ÑNov. 21, 1943ÐDec. 14, 2023

By Jamie Brewer
IÕm saddened to report the passing of LeRoy Plyler, a longtime member of the MBSI on Dec. 14, 2023. Leroy was an avid, knowledgeable collector who filled his house with rare treasures. Leroy was a gracious host, opening his home to the MBSI for the 1998 Charlotte, NC, meeting. He was also very active with the North Carolina Phonograph Society.
Leroy was a close friend for 40-plus years. The stories of the exploits we all enjoyed at MBSI meetings, antique music shows and auctions over the years could fill a book.
This picture of Leroy moving a nickelodeon is from my road trip to the 1986 Sarasota, FL, meeting.
Leroy was born in Concord, NC. He was a 1962 graduate of Statesville Senior High School and a 1966 gradu.ate of Catawba College. He grew in St. JohnÕs Lutheran Church in Statesville and later attended Broad Street UMC. He was co-owner with his late brother Joe Plyler of Plyler MenÕs Store in Statesville, NC, a family business that started in 1946 and operated until LeroyÕs retirement in 2014.
He was a member of the Statesville Rotary Club, former president of Statesville MerchantsÕ Association, former member of the Statesville Downtown Development Corporation and a collector of musical antiquities including music boxes, jukeboxes and nickelodeons.

William Nunn Ñ May 30, 1949ÐJan. 22, 2024

By Tracy M. Tolzmann
William Lee ÒBillÓ Nunn died on Jan. 22, 2024, after suffering a heart attack at his home, Skyrock Farm, in Hamel, MN.
Bill was born May 30, 1949, at the University of Minnesota hospitals and grew up in Champlin, MN, where his mother was mayor and his father was employed at the university. BillÕs inter.est in horses started in high school when he accompanied one of his sisters to a riding lesson. His road to horsemanship expertise was launched with a job training and showing hunters (which focused on perfect positioning, hitting distances, and looking good while doing it) at Fortuna Farm in Orono, MN. He competed in eventing (also known as three-day eventing or horse trials), where a single horse and rider compete against others across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country and show jumping.
Bill also worked with jumpers, where scoring is based on the horseÕs athletic ability to leap fences. Horses must clear all the fences in the course as quickly as possible without incur.ring any faults, and dressage, which involves the execution of precise movements by a trained horse in response to barely perceptible signals from its rider. The word dressage means ÒtrainingÓ in French.
In 1971, Bill and his sister Sarah started their own farm, called Loth.lorien, in Maple Lake, MN, where he apprenticed under notable horse train.ers Mykola Pawlenko and Marianne Ludwig. The U.S. Olympic selection committee chose Bill to train with the Olympic team under Bertalan de NŽmethy, a Hungarian horseman who was the show jumping coach for the United States Equestrian Team. Bill had a keen eye for selecting young horses, and over the years, he bred and raised many successful top-level horses and trained champion riders. Bill developed a system for training that is unparalleled, with many of his students becoming top level riders.
Bill founded Skyrock Farm in 1982. The name came from a Native American legend that tells of a land where people and animals speak the same language. Skyrock Farm is an all-weather indoor/outdoor facility where the Nunns and their staff train and show award-winning hunters and jumpers and give lessons to riders of all ages, from beginner to Grand Prix level. Bill was very passionate about training horses and teaching riders the lost art of fine horsemanship.
Bill started collecting small porce.lain carousel horses in the mid-1990s when he received one as a gift. His collection grew, and he decided that someday he would like to own a real carousel horse. That desire came to fruition and soon he was adding more full-size antique carousel animals to Skyrock. He wanted to use a small band organ faade and recorded music in the middle of the growing collection to add to the display. When a non-working ragtime calliope came up for auction in 1997, Bill got it at a good price, repaired it, and added percussion and a glockenspiel. The next year, Bill acquired a Wurlitzer 125 trumpet band organ and a basket-case Wellershaus organ. A friend noted BillÕs new interest and pointed him to a large Mortier organ for sale in nearby Mora, MN. Suddenly, in the course of two weeks, Bill owned three more organs! After a lot of telephone calls, he tracked down local auto.matic music technician, the late Tom Wurdeman, who promptly signed Bill up for membership in the Snowbelt Chapter of the Musical Box Society International. Then Bill acquired a derelict merry-go-round mechanism and repaired it, installing it at Skyrock Farm to display part of his full-size antique carousel animal collection.
BillÕs passion for collecting and restoring band and fairground organs had only started. The collection now stands at more than 18 instruments with some currently undergoing resto.ration. His expertise and knowledge of carousel animals and his extensive collection of Wurlitzer 150 band organ rolls made Bill a valued member of the Board of Directors for Our Fair Carousel, Inc., the owner-operators of CafesjianÕs Carousel (the former Minnesota State Fair merry-go-round, PTC 33, from 1914), now in Saint PaulÕs Como Park.
BillÕs wife Stacy was introduced to horses when she was 3 years old and became passionately hooked. She started Burns Lake Stables where she taught lessons, trained, and rehabilitated horses and competed inÊeventing. Stacy trained with top level Olympic riders. She began working at Skyrock Farm in 2009 and she and Bill joined forces. They had been working side by side ever since, making Skyrock the award-winning institution that it is. Stacy and Bill were married on Aug. 24, 2013, and have one son, Charlie.
Bill went Òall inÓ when it came to automatic music, maintaining a busy schedule of parties, tours, and special events at Skyrock. He added an amusement park railroad which circumnavigates the farm, a kiddie roller coaster, and an airplane ride to the list of attractions. A large water feature at Skyrock was expanded to give the estate an additional charm.
Bill and Stacy hosted many MBSI meetings and Skyrock was an import.ant stop on the home tours during the 2007, 2016, and 2023 MBSI annual meetings, where attendees not only experienced the joys of the exten.sive organ collection, but relished a delicious luncheon expertly prepared by Stacy and her kitchen crew. The Skyrock collection of instruments includes many rare organs, and the collection has been featured in organ magazines worldwide.
BillÕs desire to obtain as much music as possible for all the organs led to his scanning music books from collectors all around the world and duplicating them on blank cardboard books he made himself. Many damaged music books have been salvaged due to BillÕs efforts, and he has supplied music to many fellow organ owners who have found acquiring music difficult, including the city of Orange City, IA, which uses books provided by Bill on their 1909 Dutch Street Organ during their annual Tulip Festival in mid-May.
In August 2014, while hosting a gathering of band organ enthusiasts during a rally held in association with the 100th anniversary of PTC 33, Bill learned about a Barton Theater Pipe Organ that was in storage in a 50-foot trailer in Kansas. The instrument had to be moved and was available virtu.ally free. Within weeks, and after some negotiation, Bill drove to Kansas, checked the tires on the trailer, and hauled home his latest project. The ÒfreeÓ organ has been a costly work in-progress ever since and is now an outstanding addition to the Skyrock musical collection. The 3-14 Barton organ is also an automatic instru.ment, with its computer relay system capable of replicating any recorded organistÕs performance exactly like a ÒliveÓ presentation.
Guiding tours around the organ collection, playing the instruments, and telling their histories was always a pleasure for Bill, and he proudly watched the faces of the patrons enjoy.ing Òthe happiest music on earth.Ó One especially memorable event was when Bill and Stacy decided to host a fund.raiser to benefit an organization that introduced handicapped people to horsemanship. Their then 8-year-old son Charlie suggested the theme: ÒThe Titanic.Ó The date was Apr. 14, 2018, close to the 107th anniversary of the mighty shipÕs sinking. With costumed characters from the famous film scattered around the organ building, guests in period costume enjoyed the organs, recreations of scenes from the film, and the singing of ÒMy Heart Will Go OnÓ from the film with live accom.paniment on the Barton Theater Pipe Organ. A delicious dinner was served, a magician performed close-up magic, and a Model T Town Car limousine was inside the organ hall for added entertainment. Charlie was dressed as a coal stoker and happily greeted guests outside while cranking the 38-key Thijs Gravendaal Dutch street organ. The evening was a success for the charity and was a grand time for all present, reminiscent of the era when the instruments were familiar machines.
BillÕs organ collection became the background for a music video by Americana, rock and country-blues quartette Lake & LyndaleÕs Oct. 28, 2022, release, ÒCircus.Ó The bandÕs five-and-a-half minute video takes place in a hazy, ethereal world of rococo circus memorabilia, carousel animals, and fairground organs that comprise BillÕs eclectic collection.
BillÕs seemingly endless energy fueled his numerous projects and busy training schedule. High on BillÕs Òwish listÓ was obtaining a Ruth 38 organ, and about a year ago he acquired one dating from 1909 that bore a replacement faade. He picked it up in California and brought the chassis directly to his good friend, restorer Dick LokemoenÕs workshop in Merrill, WI. An authentic Ruth faade was in Custer, SD, and Bill conducted delicate negotiations to acquire it. Bill excelled at negotiating! He and Stacy had been in the process of expertly restoring the colorful frontispiece for the organ. The Ruth 38 will be completed as a tribute to a great organ enthusiast and a great friend, Bill Nunn.
Bill is survived by his wife of 10 years, Stacy, son Charlie, stepson David Olsen, stepdaughter Hanna (Joe) Smith, grandchildren Giovanni, Leo, and Joanna (JoJo), and sisters Rosalie (Bob) Ambrosino, Marty (Bruce) Aron, and Sarah Nunn.

Bill Nunn patiently duplicating music onto cardboard books for his organs.

Bill with the collection of carousel memorabilia and a Wurlitzer 150 band organ.

Bill and Stacy Nunn enjoy a rare moment of rest together during an event.

Bill showing visitors his carousel during an event.

Bill cranks an organ to welcome guests to an event at his Skyrock Farm.

FOR SALE
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
PAILLARD INTERCHANGEABLE CYLINDER Music Box with 6 bells, 6 13-inch brass cylinders, (8 songs each, so 48 selections) in burled walnut case with matching table. Excellent sound and condition. $17,500 JOSEPH SIGMON jkentsigmon@gmail.com North Carolina
WURLITZER 104 BAND ORGAN w/drums. Unit came from Playland Park in SpringField Township Ohio. Trailer is 5X8 feet , Honda Generator EU2000. Height is 87 inches, weight is 1400 Lbs. Serial # 3420. Comes with a Battery Powered Motorized Trailer Caddy. Comes with 2 High output bubble machines. Plays Wurlitzer 125 Music, MIDI with SD cards. 2 sets of light weight slide in PVC panels. Rebuilt in 2023. Price $15,000. BOB STANOSZEK 330-467-8271 or cell 216-217-2860
FREE: FISCHER AMPICO SPINET piano serial # 172062 (late 1936) functioning decently. You move from Nashville, TN area. JERRY MALER 615-368-2661 jeraldrmaler@hotmail.com
SERVICES
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

THE MARTTHE MART

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8.75Ó x 11.25Ó
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Display Advertisers in this issue

2……….Renaissance Antiques
56……..StantonÕs Auctioneers
57……..StantonÕs Auctioneers
58……..American Treasure Tour
58……..Automata Magazine
58……..NAWCC
59……..Porter Music Box Company
60……..MBSGB
60……..Mechanical Organ and Clock Works
61……..Nancy Fratti Music Boxes
63……..Music Box Restorations
63 …….Cottone Auctions
67……..Marty Persky
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OFFICERS, TRUSTEES & COMMITTEES of the
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL¨

OFFICERS
President
Matthew Jaro
24219 Clematis Dr
Gaithersburg, MD 20882
mjaro@verizon.net
Vice President
Bob Caletti,
605 Wallea Drive
Menlo Park, CA 94025
bcaletti@pacbell.net
Recording Secretary
Linda Birkitt
PO Box 145,
Kuna, ID 83634
scarletpimpernel28@yahoo.com
Treasurer
Edward Kozak
3615 North Campbell Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618
ekozak1970@gmail.com
TRUSTEES
Dave Calendine
Bob Caletti
Edward Cooley
David Corkrum
Richard Dutton
Rich Poppe
Matt Jaro
Mary Ellen Myers
Rick Swaney
COMMITTEES
Audit
Edward Cooley, Chair, Trustee
Dave Calendine, Trustee
Endowment Committee
Edward Kozak, Treasurer, Chair
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Dave Calendine, Trustee
B Bronson
Executive Committee
Matthew Jaro, Chair, President
Bob Caletti, Vice President
David Corkrum, Immediate
Past President
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Rich Poppe, Trustee
Finance Committee
Edward Kozak, Chair, Treasurer
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Peter Both
Marketing Committee
Bob Smith, Chair
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Judy Caletti
Don Caine
John Miller
Meetings Committee
Rich Poppe, Chair, Trustee
Judy Caletti
Tom Chase
Cotton Morlock
Tom Kuehn
Membership Committee
Chair, Vacant
Richard Dutton, Trustee
Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast
Robin Biggins, Southern California
Judy Caletti, Golden Gate
Gary Goldsmith, Snowbelt
Florie Hirsch, National Capital
Judy Miller, Southeast
Rob Pollock, Mid-America
Dan Wilson, Southeast
Gerald Yorioka, Northwest IntÕl
TBD, East Coast
TBD, Lake Michigan
TBD, Sunbelt
Museum Committee
Sally Craig, Chair
Dave Calendine, Trustee
Glenn Crater, National Capital
Ken Envall, Southern California
Julian Grace, Sunbelt
Richard Simpson, East Coast
Museum Sub-Committees
Ohio Operations
Rob Pollock, Mid-America
Nominating Committee
Judy Caletti, Chair
David Corkrum, Immediate
Past President
Bob Caletti, Golden Gate,
Vice President
Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast
Jonathan Hoyt, Golden Gate
Robin Biggins, Southern California
Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan
Tom Kuehn, Snowbelt
Publications Committee
Bob Caletti, Chair,
Vice President
Richard Dutton, Trustee
Paul Bellamy
Steve Boehck
Christian Eric
Kathleen Eric
Publications Sub-Committee
Website Committee
Rick Swaney, Chair
B Bronson
Knowles Little, Web Secretary
Special Exhibits Committee
Mary Ellen Myers, Chair, Trustee,
Southeast
David Corkrum, Immediate Past
President, Golden Gate
Donald Caine, Southern California
Jack Hostetler, Southeast
Knowles Little, National Capital
Judy Miller, Southeast
Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan
Wayne Myers, Southeast
Rick Swaney, Trustee,
Northwest International
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Publications Back Issues:
Jacque Beeman
Regina Certificates:
B Bronson
MBSI Pins and Seals:
Jacque Beeman
Librarian:
Jerry Maler
Historian:
Bob Yates

MBSI FUNDS
Members can donate to these funds at any time.
Send donations to:
MBSI Administrator,
PO Box 10196,
Springfield, MO 65808-0196.
General Fund (unrestricted)
Endowment Fund (promotes the purposes of
MBSI, restricted)
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literary projects)
Museum Fund (supports museum operations)

MBSI Editorial Office:
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
editor@mbsi.org
SUBMIT ADS TO:
MBSI Ads
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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.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Date
Event
Location
Sponsor

July 3-7, 2024
MBSI Annual Meeting
Los Angeles, CA
Southern California Chapter Joint with AMICA

Send in your information by Apr. 1, 2024, for the May/June 2024 issue.
Ask your questions on our Facebook discussion group Ñ search for 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/Fax (417) 576-4280
jbeeman.mbsi@att.net
Regina Certificates: Cost $10.
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
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

CHAPTERS

East Coast
Chair: Elise Low
(203) 457-9888
Dues None in 2024
Roger Wiegand
281 Concord Road
Wayland, MA 01778
treasurer.eccmbsi@gmail.com
Golden Gate
Chair: Judy Caletti
jeeperjudy@gmail.com
Dues $5 to Dave Corkrum
5826 Roberts Ave.
Oakland, CA 94605
Japan
Chair: Naoki Shibata
81-72986-1169
naotabibito396amb@
salsa.ocn.ne.jp
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: Cheryl Hack
(410) 757-2164
cahack@aacc.edu
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
Snowbelt
Chair: Tracy Tolzmann
(651) 674-5149
No Dues in 2024
Southeast
Chair: Jim Kracht
305-251-6983
Dues $5 to Bob Yates
1973 Crestview Way Unit 147
Naples, FL 34119
Southern California
Chair: Robin Biggins
(310) 377-1472
Dues $10 to Franne Einberg
10524 Blythe Ave
Los Angeles CA 90064
Sunbelt
Chair: Marty Nevel
currency33@AOL.COM
No Dues in 2024

CHAPTERS

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