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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Mechanical Music
Mechanical Music is mailed to all members at the beginning of every odd month Ñ January, March, May, July, September and November.
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It is to be hereby understood that the placing of advertisements by members of the Society in this publication does not constitute nor shall be deemed to constitute any endorsement or approval of the busi.ness practices of advertisers. The Musical Box Society International accepts no liability in connection with any business dealings between members and such advertisers.
It is to be further understood that members are to rely on their own investigation and opinion regarding the reputation and integrity of advertisers in conducting such busi.ness dealings with said advertisers.

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Dimensions
1 issue
3 issues*
6 issues*

Back Cover
8.75Ó x 11.25Ó
$600
$540
$510

Inside Covers
8.75Ó x 11.25Ó
$450
$405
$382.50

Full Page
7.25Ó x 9.75Ó
$290
$261
$246.50

Half Page
7.25Ó x 4.5Ó
$160
$144
$136

Quarter Page
3.5Ó x 4.5Ó
$90
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3.5Ó x 2.125Ó
$50
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Add a 10% surcharge to the prices shown above
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10% Discount

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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
68……..Breker Auctions

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)
Ralph Heintz Publications Fund (special
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
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
(253) 228-1634
Email: editor@mbsi.org
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

Volume 70, No. 1 January/February 2024

Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments

Journal of the Musical Box Society International

Volume 70, No. 1 January/February 2024

5 PresidentÕs Message
7 EditorÕs Notes
31 In Memoriam

MBSI News

On the Cover
Al ZambaÕs cylinder bird box is in prime condition after an approxi.mately 950 hour restoration. Read more about it on Page 8.

By Matthew Jaro
MBSI President
Collections bind us together as a society. We maintain personal collec.tions of instruments. We go to MBSI chapter meetings to view personal collections. We visit collections during the annual meetings. Collections vary from disk music boxes, cylinder boxes, roller organs, nickelodeons, band organs, orchestrions to mixtures of all of these. This variety makes it very exciting.
Despite this excitement, I often hear people tell me they are getting old and want to downsize their collections. I usually say: it took all your life to establish a collection and now you want to sell it? They would say, ÒI donÕt want my children to be stuck trying to sell everything.Ó I would point out that there are reputable dealers in the soci.ety that would take collections to sell on consignment. The ÒchildrenÓ are probably leading their own lives and have no real need for maximizing the prices received. The difficulty for them to arrange a sale would be minimal. Just leave them contact information. In the meantime, you could continue to enjoy playing your instruments and sharing them with other members of MBSI.
When you buy an instrument, buy it only if you love it. Buying machines for an investment remains very uncer.tain since prices have been declining and there is no futures market for mechanical music. If you are buying from an individual or an auction, be sure to bring a knowledgeable person with you to assess the instrument. If the machine needs to be restored, remember that the lead time can be one or more years before work can begin. Also, the cost of a full resto.ration can easily exceed the current value of the machine. I have spent more money than the machine is worth on a number of occasions, but the results have been wonderful. If a machine needs restoration, the price should be less than for a fully restored machine.
When you sell an instrument, remember that you are probably not going to Òbreak evenÓ on the trans.action. The amount you paid for a machine has no bearing on the price that can be realized on the machine. Thinking that you want to get what you have into the machine is a good way to not sell your machine. You must entirely forget what you paid for the machine because it is totally irrele.vant to the selling price. You loved and enjoyed the machine for a long time, and now, just let it go.
DonÕt be ashamed of having a collection of only a couple of pieces. Everyone has to start somewhere, and it can be a lot of fun sharing even a small collection. For the annual meet.ings, you can have an open house. Collection tours have traditionally visited larger collections, but if you and some friends cannot accommo.date 50 people in your house at one time, smaller buses can be used to make more stops than the large buses and to visit more collections.
Each acquisition has a story behind it. Consider submitting your story to Mechanical Music. Topics like how you decided upon a particular machine, the hunt to find it, moving it, problems encountered, provenance of the machine, negotiations, restoration process, and the music for it are all interesting subjects. ItÕs important to keep Mechanical Music supplied with interesting and informative articles. These days members are reluctant to volunteer so itÕs becoming critical to buck this trend. The same is true with participation in annual meetings and chapter activities. Consider opening up your house for a chapter meeting. ItÕs a lot of fun and not too much work.
Please contact me about any sugges.tions you might have to make MBSI more fun, more educational, and more informative. Meanwhile, have a great New Year.

Mechanical Music

43 East Coast
48 Southern California
53 Golden Gate

An unusual turn
Walter Behrendt took a different approach to collecting when he asked that music from his cylinder box be arranged and played on a piano. Read about it on Page 20.

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 The Almost Lost Box
20 Turnabout is Fair Play
24 More moments from the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting
32 Nickel Notes

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
PHONE
(253) 228-1634

By Russell Kasselman
MBSI Editor/Publisher
A new year means many new things to prepare for and be excited about. First up is a change in schedule for the MBSI annual meeting which will be held jointly with the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association (AMICA) in Los Angeles, CA, in July instead of the customary August/September time frame. AMICA is taking the lead on planning this convention and traditionally holds its annual get together at that time so MBSI is making some adjustments to make partnering easier this year. The only detail currently known about the upcoming joint gathering of automatic and mechanical music enthusiasts is the dates which are set for Jul. 3-7, 2024. If you normally travel elsewhere during that period of time, perhaps think about adjusting your routine and joining everyone for what is sure to be a grand set of adventures in the Golden State.
The next item to be aware of is that this is an even-numbered year which means we will be printing the biennial MBSI Directory of Members, Museums and Dealers in the months immediately following the annual meeting. The directory includes phone numbers, addresses and email addresses for all members who opt into sharing their information with the rest of the society. This information is available online, but the printed version can be handy when you donÕt want to fire up the computer to look up a name or a phone number or if you happen to be traveling somewhere with poor internet connectivity.
I will take this opportunity to remind you that you can update your contact information and information sharing preferences by going to the website at mbsi.org and logging into your account using your email address and the password you set. If you have never logged in, please try resetting your password first. If you still have trouble, please email or call me directly and IÕll be happy to help out.. Once at the memberÕs only area, look for the icon that says ÒUpdate My Information.Ó Click that and you will come to a form where you can adjust your phone number, address, email address and also update whatÕs in your collection, what you are interested in and whether people can view your collection anytime, by appointment, or not at all.
I encourage you to opt into this information sharing with your fellow members as it is a great way to connect with others. The directory includes listings of members in each state, so when you plan a trip you can look up members where you are going and ask to see their collections while your are there.

Upcoming Deadlines

ADVERTISING
Advertisements for the March/April 2024 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Feb. 1, 2024.
Advertisements for the May/June 2024 issue of Mechan.ical Music need to be submitted by Apr. 1, 2024.

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

Welcome new members!

October 2023
John & Juanita Loder
Redmond, WA
Kurtis Morrison
Tacoma, WA
Mark Reed
Beavercreek, OR
Janice Holland
Los Angeles, CA
Sponsor: Don Caine
Vincent Thebault
Paris, France
George Stover
Towson, MD
Miranda Krone
Portland, OR
November 2023
Samir Kanse
Markneukirchen, Sachsen,
Germany
Fred Soetje
Wilmington, DE
Sponsor: Brad Reinhardt
Tania & Gregory Wojdak
Santa Barbara, CA

The Almost Lost Box

By Dr. Alvin Zamba
I have always been fascinated by the miniature bird that chirps when it pops up from those marvelous bird boxes. The same mechanism is incor.porated in some rare cylinder music boxes. As the music plays, the bird sings and rotates its head and body back-and-forth; flaps its wings; and opens its beak. I thought someday I would like to acquire one.
A few years ago, I purchased a large cylinder box with a bird in the front window. Unfortunately for me, I found it had been worked on many times by repairmen who did more harm than good. The sound from the box was poor and the bird did not function properly. I made the decision to assign the restoration of this box to the only person who, in my experience, would be capable of restoring the box to the condition it was in when it left the factory.
ÒI originally turned down restoring the box,Ó Dwight Porter, owner of Porter Music Box Company Inc., said. ÒI felt it was simply destroyed beyond saving.Ó
Eventually, Dwight relented and accepted the opportunity to tackle the challenge.
When Dwight received the music box, he evaluated its condition and saw that both combs had been filed so thin that they made no appreciable sound. The combs would need to be re-manufactured. The tuning scale was scratched out on the original comb bases. Extensive research had to be done by Jack Perron in conjunc.tion with Dwight Porter to restore the original tuning scale. Six thousand pins were replaced in the cylinder along with 800 single pins for the bird control section. Along with replacing and repairing the bellows and wooden whistles, the bird had to be disassem.bled to repair the critical parts of its movement.
The organ control mechanism was a complete mess and had to be made new as well. Dwight says he invested probably 900 hours into restoring the music box.
Dwight says he started the project by restoring the damaged cylinder first, as he was confident he could duplicate the original combs. After removing the existing pins from both sides of the organ section of the cylinder, Dwight started making the needed 6,000 replacement pins he would painstakingly reinsert. The cylinder was then refilled with cement and the diameter was ground to its original size.
ÒIt feels good that we were able to save something so rare and original,Ó Dwight said. ÒThe cylinder took six weeks, six hours a day, six days a week with 1,000-watt halogen bulbs on either side to study where the pins were supposed to go. The radiation and heat from the lamps being so close to my face damaged my skin. I had to have it treated like skin cancer. I came out fine but looked like a lobster for a few weeks.Ó
The close examination revealed that the cylinder had hundreds of dress-maker pins driven in where pins had been damaged when incorrect springs were installed in the mechanism that controlled the singing bird. The section of the cylinder that controlled the bird contained 800 individual pins. The bellows that allow the bird to produce its melody had been painted all over with a black, tar-like paint. Rubber weather stripping cement was also used to stop leaks.
The bellows were completely disas.sembled. Many of the original boards were beyond salvage, so Dwight carefully measured, cut and replaced them, then recovered the bellows with new material and reassembled it. The valve system was a double action setup that caused many hours of frus.tration eliminating leaks, Dwight said.
The 11 wooden whistles were next to be examined and evaluated. Dwight found each whistle was cut too short. He would find no reason for this and determined that this meant the origi.nal tuning scale for the whistles was long gone. Again, Jack came to the rescue. Jack said the wooden whistle scale was even more difficult to figure out than the combs which they tackled later in the project.
The miniature singing bird was disassembled because the wings failed to open and close. It turned out the closing springs were missing and had to be replaced. The previous repairman had used gobs of solder on the wings to make them return. This caused the levers inside the bird to be bent and distorted. Many hours were spent repairing the bird and its external control system.
The original compensated governor had to be rebuilt. It comprised a heavy flywheel and spring-loaded fly weights designed to smooth the surface speed of the cylinder that would otherwise fluctuate under varying load. The weights had been incorrectly replaced with fixed vanes.
When it came time to recreate the musical combs, Dwight enlisted the help of a former toolmaker who manufactured hundreds of combs for his company years before. The new combs had tuning leads installed, then these were soldered to the original brass bases. The brass comb bases were then machined to the correct height and upwards angle of inclina.tion towards the pinned cylinder.
ÒOnce ready, I installed new damp.ers and tuned them,Ó Dwight said. ÒYou can imagine the anticipation of turning the cylinder for the first time. Well, letÕs say the excitement soon turned to pure panic. The tuning I had come up with sounded terrible. I called Jack Perron, who as many people know, arranged more than 900 tunes that were not previously on any music box for our modern-day Porter music boxes.Ó
Jack and Dwight made a video of the music box playing. They knew that the second tune on the cylinder should be the ÒTyrolean WaltzÓ from ÒWilliam Tell.Ó Dwight said Jack used his exper.tise and that knowledge to provide a complete tuning scale. Dwight found he needed to correct 23 teeth in the left comb after Jack revealed that one note had been skipped. All the pins were playing one note off. It was much the same situation in the right treble comb. After the retuning was completed, Dwight and Jack played the music box again. Pure heaven! The tuning came out perfectly and Dwight discovered he had voiced the combs correctly.
ÒWhile working on the bellows, I found a type of purple paper that I have only seen once before and that was on a LeCoultre box, which is why it makes me think that this box was also made by LeCoultre,Ó Dwight said. ÒWe can only identify three of the six tunes on the cylinder and would love to have people listen to the full six songs to see if they can identify the tunes for us.Ó
The format is a rare mandolin base. Dwight, who has a mandolin base music box in his own collection, said he feels like the music boxes were made by the same craftsman and the same arranger is responsible for the music.
ÒI felt we needed to continue this job until the music box sounded like it did when it was made in September of 1879,Ó Dwight said. ÒThe bellows had the date inside them and my mandolin base box was sold in Philadelphia on March 21, 1879, so it seems right. Al Zamba deserves an award for having the courage and foresight to have this true work of art saved and restored.Ó
The music box now plays and func.tions as it did when it was new and the bird sings happily in its foliage.
Additional photos and videos of the music box can be found posted to the MBSI Facebook group at this link, https://www.facebook.com/groups/mbsiforum.

Two sections of the cylinder during the restoration process.

Working on the tuning scale.

An original comb versus the new one now in place.

The bellows were in need of significant repair as can be seen in the photos above.

Flute pipes all cut too short for the proper bird sounds. The photo on the right shows the section of the cylinder with its pins, bridges and levers that operate the birdÕs movements and its pallets that supply air to its flute pipes.

The base for the birdÕs nest as received and then as restored to a working condition.

Control arms cleaned and then assembled into a compact grouping to be connected to the cylinder for input.

Various parts and pieces from the bird control mechanism after being cleaned and straightened.

The restoration of the bellows in progress.

Working on the bellows and stripping the bird down to its smallest bits for a thorough cleaning and repair.

The repaired compensated governor mechanism

Rebuilding and reattaching the combs to the base plate.

The box with glass dust lid closed showing the detailed case work.

Working with the bird is a delicate process. The end result with the bird ÒhabitatÓ is shown in the lower right photo.

The finished product on display in the authorÕs home. Below is a detail of the lid.

The scene in the top photo depicts the town of Geneva and Lake Geneva). This indicates the music box might have been manufactured in Geneva and possibly that the maker was one of the LeCoultre family members. Depending on the date of manufacture it could be either Franois Charles LeCoultre or his son, Charles Philippe LeCoultre

Turn about is fair play

By Mark Singleton
As some may appreciate, the grand format overture boxes built by Nicole Frres are considered to be amongst the best in quality cylinder boxes, in no part due to the often sublime perfor.mances of well-arranged classical music. Should we look a little closer, a small number of special examples of this type of music box may be observed enjoying a programme of music we would ordinarily not expect to find.
For the sake of this article we will be considering the music of one rather unique example in particular and, more importantly, looking at the incredible project it spawned which might be a first in mechanical music.
The box in question is the muse of intrepid German collector Walter Behrendt. A grand format fantasies and variations box that dates to circa 1865 and bears the serial No. 38303. The cylinder measures 41 centimeters by 10 centimeters, with 242 teeth on the comb. It plays two Celtic-themed pieces on four revolutions.
ÒMinstrel BoyÕÓ is a fantasy and variations on Irish folk music, with a highlighted excerpt of the song.
The second piece, ÒScottish Caledo.nian,Ó is a fantasy and variations on Scottish folk music.
Whilst discussing the box with Wolfgang Heilmann, Kantor and prin.ciple organist at St.GeorgÕs church in WalterÕs home town of Kandel, Germany, Walter mentioned how he dreamed of hearing this music performed on the piano. Unfortunately for Walter, with no known recording of the music, he was beginning to face the reality that his dream was unlikely to come true.
Wolfgang, however, having previ.ously worked with Walter on an earlier mechanical music recital at St.GeorgÕs (see Vol. 67, No. 6, November-De.cember 2021 Mechanical Music), recommended the services of George Collier, a gifted young man who specialises in creating transcriptions of extraordinary musical perfor.mances. (georgecolliermusic.com)
This was no easy feat given the complexity of the music, but George masterfully rose to the occasion. With the transcript of the music arranged for a piano duet on the table, it quickly became apparent that the music on Nicole Frres No. 38303 was a little bit special indeed.
An exciting decision was soon made to incorporate a recital of the Irish fantasies ÒMinstrel BoyÓ on the music box followed immediately by the piano version as the featured performance at an annual musical event at St.GeorgÕs, brought forth with the dedication and passion of Dr. Thomas Scherb.
With the date set in the diary for the afternoon of Sunday, Jun. 25, 2023, excitement amongst those involved in this unique project grew. On the day of the event, a sweltering summer heat was tempered by the cool inte.rior of St.GeorgÕs, creating a relaxed atmosphere as around 100 people took to the pews. Amongst those in attendance was president of Musi.ca-Mechanica Ralf Smolne, along with fellow member Hildulf Kaiser, who, along with his partner, kindly offered their expertise in producing audio and visual recordings of the performances.
After a warm welcome and intro.duction by Wolfgang, the afternoon started with the Kantor playing a selection of music on the historically important church organ. Built in 1842 by master organ builder Joseph Stiehr, this organ is considered a rare and extremely valuable example of Alsatian organ building from the Rhineland-Palatinate.
Included in WolfgangÕs performance, and serving as a welcome appetizer for what we were about to receive, were two separate pieces by Joseph Haydn, ÒStŸck fŸr ein Flštenwerk in einer UhrÓ This was music specially written for mechanical flute clocks. Devoid of the usual chattering of the key frame and whirring of the fly, a most ethereal performance floated magically in the air.
Moving onto the main event, Walter took the microphone and, as the ever dedicated ambassador of mechanical music, took time to explain the ethos of the project to those congregated.
The atmosphere was tense in anticipation. You could literally have heard a pin drop as the box was set in motion. The most incredible tonal structure of the combs sang out with a clear liquid resonance, no doubt bris.tling the hairs on many necks during its flawless performance.
As the resulting applause began to fade, those congregated had just enough time to catch their breath before Wolfgang and Dr. Scherb sat before a rather smart August Fšrster vintage grand, stretching their fingers in readiness. A hush descended, the atmosphere instantly recharging and within a moment they were off. The intro music was soft and sonorous before settling into a beautiful Irish lilt. The wow factor grew exponentially as the tempo increased and moved into variations of ÒThe Minstrel Boy,Ó all carried along beautifully through to the finale.
It was a most spectacular perfor.mance, bringing everyone to their feet for a rapturous and well-deserved round of applause that threatened to bring the roof crashing down.
Walter allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction at the realization of his dream. The music on the piano proved not only a great success but sounded exactly how he dreamt it would.
It was a complete role reversal. The boundaries of our interest were pushed by Walter to take the music out of a mechanical music instrument and have it performed live by musi.cians. An incredible amount of hard work and energy went into this most memorable day.
At the conclusion of the event, Walter heartily thanked Wolfgang Heilmann, Dr. Thomas Scherb and George Collier for their help and input as all of them made the event possible.
Thanks were later offered to Hildulf Kaiser for producing a very profes.sional film about the event and also to Ralf Smolne for his hard work on the day.
Notes about the song ÒMinstrel Boy:Ó
The minstrel boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death youÕll find him
His fatherÕs sword he hath girded on
And his wild harp slung behind him
ÒLand of SongÓ cried the warrior bard
ÒThoÕ all the world betrays thee
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard
One faithful harp shall praise theeÓ
The minstrel fell but the foemanÕs chain
Could not bring that proud soul under
The harp he lovÕd neÕer spoke again
For he tore its chords asunder
And said, No chains shall sully thee
Thou soul of love and bravÕry
Thy songs were made for the pure and free
They shall never sound in slavery
Written by the poet and songwriter Thomas Moore (1779-1852), and first published in 1813, ÒMinstrel BoyÓ is a patriotic song that is widely believed to be in remembrance of his (MooreÕs) friends that were killed in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
Perhaps it is as poignant today more than 200 years later.
Notes about the music. The song is set to the Medieval Irish air of ÒThe MoreenÓ (Gaelic: Mo’r’n) believed to honour an early Irish queen. A little research shows a queen by the name of Muirenn (reign 694Ð701). Digging a little deeper, we find she could have been named after a mermaid caught by fishermen approximately a century earlier. (Mo’r’na/Marina) With so many derivatives of the word, Irish Gaelic and anglicised, whoever or whatever, she was obviously of deep-rooted cultural importance to be steeped in folklore for around 1,500 years.
Another arrangement can be found in MozartÕs Flute Quartet K. 298 at https://youtu.be/4QXYSnvkcVQ
Now revived with an arrangement for piano, taken from a 160-year-old music box, itÕs proving itself quite timeless. Watch here: https://youtu.be/rHGU8kjD8H4 or please scan the QR code below to watch the video and listen to this unique presentation.

Walter Behrendt with the Nicole Frres grand format cylinder box in his home.

Picturesque St.GeorgÕs church in Kandel, Germany.

Walter with Ralf Smolne inside St. GeorgÕs church.

The Joseph Stiehr organ, built circa 1842.

Kantor Wolfgang Heilmann welcomes attendees to the event.

Walter explains the project to the assembled guess with the music box behind him.

Dr. Thomas Scherb and Wolfgang Heilmann in full flow. The inset shows a vintage illustration of the Minstrel Boy with harp oÕer shoulder.

More moments from the most recent MBSI Annual Meeting

The 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting in St. Paul, MN, had many fantastic sights to see, so many, in fact, that they didnÕt all fit into our last journal. So, weÕve decided to feature some of those moments here to give you some of the flavor from the main entertainment session at the convention along with scenes from several of the member home visits that happened in the days after the convention concluded. We hope you enjoy these extras from the meeting. Perhaps it will inspire you not to miss the next one!

World-famous magician Frederick Baisch asks amateur magician and MBSI Trustee Rick Swaney to sign a $10 bill and hand it over during the Saturday evening banquet.

Frederick impresses MBSI Trustee Rich Poppe with a card trick.

No more $10 bill!

Rick gets his signed $10 bill back at the end of the show. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

MBSI Trustee Mary Ellen Myers reacts to one of FrederickÕs jokes during the performance.

Ed Copeland provides details on the Wurlitzer theatre organ in Lawrence CrawfordÕs home.

Guests enjoy the music room at Ralph and Carol SchultzÕs home in Belle Plain, MN.

Lawrence and Phyllis CrawfordÕs music room in Gaylord, MN, contains the music box collection of LawrenceÕs parents who were founding members of the society and a Wurlitzer theater organ at the end of the room. (Photos by B Bronson)

Ralph Schultz plays his Stinson band organ for visitors. (Photo by B Bronson)

A replica Wurlitzer 105 band organ built by Bernard Gaffron of New Brighton, MN. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Bernard Gaffron demonstrates an unusual reed organette in his collection. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Linda Birkitt talks with Bernard Gaffron about his carousel horse carving. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Carousel horses on display at Bernard and Norma GaffronÕs home. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Ron Olson and his collection that focuses on reproducing pianos in his wonderfully-appointed home. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

MBSI Trustee Rich Poppe plays various instruments in his collection housed in St. Paul, MN. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

Automatic musical instruments including disc and cylinder music boxes, cob roller organs and an Aeolian Orchestrelle in Rich PoppeÕs collection. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

A cylinder music box from Rich PoppeÕs collection. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

A Mills Violano in Rich PoppeÕs collection.

A tour guide displays a photo of notorious gangsters hiding out in St. Paul, MN. At right, she takes the group on a tour of the underground tunnels they used as a speakeasy to entertain invited guests including local politicians and law enforcement.

Marian Sanfilippo Ð Mar. 25, 1935ÑDec. 3, 2023

Compiled from internet sources
It is with great sorrow that the Sanfilippo Foundation announces the passing of Marian Sanfilippo on Dec. 3.
Wife of the late Jasper Sanfilippo (2020) and mother of five children, Marian was the catalyst of the Sanfilippo familyÕs use of their private collection of automatic music instru.ments for charitable fund raising. For decades, Marian was a smiling presence at the front door welcoming hundreds of guests at each event into the familyÕs home for Theater Organ Concerts and Gala Charity events. Over the years this loving effort has amounted to well over $25 million raised for local, regional, and national charities.
Marian and Jasper attended nearly every event for years, often holding hands during the concerts. She loved to feed guests, and was quick to share laughs and attention with all she came in contact with. Marian and the warmth she shared freely will be in our hearts forever.
Marian attended Providence High School in Chicago, IL, and was a 1956 graduate of DePaul University. She worked as a second-grade school.teacher. Marian married the love of her life, Jasper B. Sanfilippo at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Chicago in July 1956.
She raised five wonderful children while supporting her husbandÕs business ambitions and his passion for collecting music machines and steam engines. Together, they shared a commitment to philanthropy by open.ing their home to host events to raise funds for nonprofit organizations. Marian was a devout Catholic and she loved her parish, Saint Anne Catholic Community. She also made time to get involved in helping several charitable organizations, including Arden Shore and the Michael Joseph Foundation.
She is survived by her children, John (Susan), Jim, Jeffrey (Rusty), Lisa, and Jasper (Laura) Sanfilippo; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, her brother, and nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint Anne Catholic Commu.nity, 120 N. Ela St., Barrington, IL 60010.

Our Condolences
It is with great sadness that the Southern California Chapter reports Bob Lloyd passed away Nov. 13, after a long illness. Bob and Diane Lloyd were members of MBSI and the chapter for many decades and hosted many meetings in their lovely home. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Diane who looked after Bob with such love and devotion over 69 years of marriage. Please look for an In Memoriam article with more about Bob in our next issue.
In addition, MBSI has learned the following members have recently passed away: Janet Grossman on Aug. 3, 2023; Hellen Mueller; and Howard Sanford on Apr. 27, 2023.

Nickel Notes

By Matthew Jaro

Music Roll Perforating Machines, Part 3

Acme Herschell Black Beauty perforator. (Photo courtesy Dennis Reed, Jr.)

In this series, I am covering three types of machines: home machines for making single rolls manually, industrial machines for mass roll production and modern machines made by producers of recut rolls.
Industrial Machines
The Acme Perforator
The most important industrial machine was the Acme perforator, made by the Acme Newark Machine Works, Inc. on Monroe Street in Newark, NJ. According to the docu.mentation, the machine can perforate 16 sheets at one time at a speed of from three to six feet per minute depending upon the style of perforating desired. In other words, from 48 feet to 96 feet of music roll per minute. The sheets are trimmed to the correct width as the notes are being perforated.
ItÕs hard to find out anything of the history, but here are some tidbits.
In Australia, the Mastertouch Piano Roll Company in Sydney, had many Acme perforators. For a long time, they were one of two roll companies still in business (QRS is the only survivor). In 2005 the termination of the business was announced by the Australian Broadcasting Company. The company had been founded in 1919.
Ed Sprankle wrote in the AMICA Bulletin about visiting Rollo Mexico in 1971 and seeing an Acme perforator there making custom rolls and recuts.
Tom Wurdeman had an Acme perfo.rator in his home.
Acme made a machine for recording pipe organs by punching a master roll.
In the July/August 1995 edition of the AMICA Bulletin, there is an arti.cle by Don Rand who used an Acme perforator to make his brand of Clark Orchestral Roll recuts. Eddie Freyer had an Acme perforator and when he died, the perforator was bought by the Miner Manufacturing Company. Don Rand bought the Acme from Miner. In addition, Don stumbled on three 88-note perforators and lost no time in purchasing them. The article is extensive and contains many pictures of industrial perforators of all kinds.
John Malone, founder of the Play-Rite Company, got an Acme perforator up and running in the 1960s.
The Wurlitzer Perforator
Wurlitzer had its own perforating equipment. In the April 2001 issue of Carousel Organ, Matthew Caul.field wrote an article entitled ÒHow Wurlitzer Rolls are Made.Ó Wurlitzer used cardboard master rolls with sprocket holes to securely register the position. The paper would be slit to the proper width by a special slitting machine before going into the perfo.rator. The article explains the steps in punching a note with the perforator.
Each cycle of the perforator causes these sequential actions:
¥
The indexing rods are drawn back, so none protrude through holes in the master into the steel drum.

¥
This causes the interposers to return to non-punching position.

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The ram lifts all punches out of the paper layers.

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Then the master advances by one increment and the roll-paper layer advances by an increment approximately one-third as long.

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Then the indexing rods are let go forward to either rest on the master cardboard or to protrude through one of the holes in it.

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The punch-driven ram with the drum above the interposers corresponding to any indexing rods that now protrude into the steel drum are thereby shifted to punch position.

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Finally, the ram descends to drive those punch pins and rises again, pulling them out of the paper layer.

One interesting issue is maintaining the tempo of tunes throughout the roll when playing in a real instrument. As the roll winds through the tunes, the diameter of the roll on the take-up spool increases, thereby increasing the tempo. Unlike the Acme perforator, the Wurlitzer perforator automatically compensates for the diameter of the take-up spool. Wurlitzer added a very long worm gear between the arm that drives the tractor gear and the tractor gear itself so that, as the perforator goes through hundreds of thousands of cycles required to punch out a 10-tune roll, the advance increment of the tractor is being increased by a tiny amount at each cycle. In the Acme perforator, fixed gears are used to advance the paper. Generally, users of the Acme machine would have to change gears after tune three and six. The Wurlitzer system results in a punched roll where the tempo of the tunes is constant over the whole roll.
No one knows exactly who built the Wurlitzer perforators, but it was certainly not Acme, since Wurlitzer used an entirely mechanical system and Acme used pneumatics. Patents involving the perforator were granted to Wurlitzer and Eugene deKleist (with automatic tempo adjustment).
The Moller Organ Company of Hagerstown, MD, had a perforator to make their ÒArtisteÓ pipe organ rolls. The system seems fairly like the Wurlitzer system, with cardboard master rolls with sprocket holes and an interposer system.
Wurlitzer roll production went from Wurlitzer to Ralph Tussing to Doyle Lane to Play-Rite to Don Rand and then to The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum. When Ed Gaida visited Play-Rite, he saw hundreds of master rolls stacked on end as far as the eye can see.
The Morse Report
Ed Gaida told me about a very important document that was published in the May 1977 AMICA Bulletin. This was entitled ÒImperial Ð Duo-ART Ð AMPICO Perforator Study.Ó
In 1955 John Morse, president of Morse Controls Corporation became interested in the technology of music roll perforation. He visited Aeoli.an-American and got there just before the junk man. He bought four Ampico production perforators, two Duo-Art production perforators and the entire stock of Ampico master rolls. He was told later, however, that he could not have the master rolls.
Because of this acquisition, Morse became acquainted with Max Kort.lander, head of QRS. Morse performed a study of the differences between the three perforator systems so that QRS could modernize its facility by design.ing a new system that incorporates the best of all three systems. Morse called the current QRS system the Imperial. It seems that the Imperial system was devised by Ernest G. Clark in 1915 (later of Clark Orchestra Roll Company, which made nickelodeon rolls).
The original Duo-Art machines came from earlier than 1911 and were under a patent from Wurlitzer and Eugene deKleist. It is entirely possible that the Duo-Art machines were built by Wurlitzer.
The Ampico machines came under patents by Charles Stoddard (inventor of the Ampico system). The machines were bought in 1915 or 1916 when Ampico first started cutting its own rolls. The machines were made by the Taft-Pierce manufacturing Company, a contract machinery company. Taft-Pierce ceased business in 1995.
The Morse report goes into detail about all these machines including complete explanations of their operation.
Morse Controls became a very large company, with 600 people employed and revenue of $12 million. In 1970, the company was sold to Rockwell International.
Modern Machines
The Carl Lambie Perforator
Carl Lambie designed and built his own music roll perforator and scan.ner. I asked Carl how he got started in mechanical music. He said he went to a one-room grade school and they had a player piano on its last legs. This was in 1946. Carl always wanted a player piano, but his mom said, ÒThey sound tinny.Ó Now he has a studio upright and a Haines Brothers Player Piano from 1918.
Carl was intrigued with the idea of cutting rolls himself and started experimenting. He first tried to copy single holes and tried many exper.iments. If you made a mistake you would have a hundred mistakes! His perforator has 100 channels making it practically the only machine that can cut Seeburg Style H rolls. He started doing this back in the late 1960s! He got out of the Air Force in 1967 and had time to do a little tinkering when he wasnÕt working as an electrician. Carl bought a drill press and a small lathe. He tried twice to build his own solenoids, but they were unreliable because they were like the solenoids you would find in a doorbell. Then he got some relay magnets out of a junk Wicks organ. With those he also went with a variation of the interposer design from what he understood to be the Wurlitzer Harp recording perfora.tor. He laid out the die spacing using 5/16 by 18 threaded rods (two turns for nine per inch and three turns for six per inch). His punches are circular. He was able to print the labels using a dot-matrix printer and a Radio Shack TRS-80 color computer and a little graphics program. Once Carl got the computer stuff settled, it still took three tries to get a reliable perforator.
The first batch of rolls were punched one-to-one and scanned pneumat.ically from a home-made tracker bar. He used Hall Effect devices for the switches. He wrote a computer program to match switch numbers to notes. The scanning worked as follows Ð air entering the tracker bar from a hole in the roll would move a pouch, which would move a magnet. Hall Effect devices switch in the presence of a magnetic field. The switching would control the punch solenoids directly.
Later, Carl added a MIDI system. His midi sequencer program (Cakewalk 4.0 on MS-DOS) can use an external device to synchronize the scanned file and the punching. The scanner and punch are both controlled by a TRS-80 color computer. Carl had to learn some assembler programming language for the Motorola 6809 micro.processor used in the color computer. He obtained a diagram of a Teledyne electric piano and used that to help him put the electronics together. He has never had to sharpen the dies. Carl doesnÕt have to vacuum the rolls after punching. He has a roll of very heavy paper that he uses as a bottom copy. This makes a clean cut and protects the punches. It takes about seven hours to cut a Seeburg Style H roll.
Carl got intrigued with 10-tune rolls. He went to the Minneapolis-St. Paul AMICA convention and tried to sell rolls. Nobody bought them. Bob Gilson came along and introduced Carl to Dave Ramey, Sr., who wanted to start the first H roll project. This was in 1987. As luck would have it, Carl built the system wide enough to accommodate the 15.-inch-wide rolls. He did this because he knew about H rolls and thought, Òif you are building a perforator, why not go full width?Ó It seems that Carl was practically the only one to have had the foresight to do this. He uses cassette tapes to store the machine language programs. The computer did have a disk drive, but Carl had to use that slot to control the electronics, so he had to use tape. When he added MIDI capability, Carl studied the MIDI specs. Roger Morri.son in Ohio got Carl started with that. He chose the difficult route to MIDI because he encoded it in such a way that he could play it on the synthesizer.
Carl has built a perforator for pipe organ rolls having the characteristics of 12-to-the-inch, which is two rows of six-to-the-inch, offset, and spaced . inch apart vertically.
Carl says it works fine but is diffi.cult dealing with when oneÕs eyes are getting old.
John Malone and
the Play-Rite Company
John Malone is one of the true pioneers in the manufacture of music rolls for collectors. Every hobbyist that has a nickelodeon or a European orchestrion or a Wurlitzer band organ should know the name Play-Rite.
Beginnings
I asked John how he got interested in mechanical music. He said he had a military jeep (World War II model). He was driving down the highway and he ran over a big coil of manila truck rope. He had a neighbor that was in the trucking business and John traded the rope for an old Waltham 88-note player piano. This was in 1958. John rebuilt the player piano with the help of some local technicians who had worked in the factories where they built the player pianos in the 1920s. He was able to restore it.
John noticed that the music rolls he would buy would have many manufac.turing defects. The rolls wouldnÕt track right, they were crooked, the paper wasnÕt sheared accurately. During this time John started rebuilding pianos for other people through some of the local music stores and technicians and often the customers would complain about problems. These would almost always turn out to be the rolls. This is when John got interested in manufac.turing the rolls himself.
John started by finding an Acme roll perforating machine that was used in a funeral home. They manufactured music for their player organs. The organist would play the music slowly through a keyboard working a set of Reisner electromagnets which would control the perforator. The funeral home no longer had any need of this and sold it. It was a nine-to-the-inch, 124-channel heavy cast iron perfo.rator. Before the funeral home, the machine was owned by the Staffnote Music Roll Co., which also had a Playrite line of music rolls. From this, John took the name Play-Rite for his company.
Growing the Business
From the beginning of the business, John had his mother manufacture the rolls while John worked in the electronics industry for almost 20 years. His mother died in 2005 but kept working up until that time. The electronics shop where John worked was very diverse, getting into color television, medical electronics and motion picture soundtracks. In Octo.ber 1984, John started working at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where he still works at the age of 76. He commutes 105 miles in each direction!
The first roll Play-Rite produced was a style O roll for Durrell ArmstrongÕs Player Piano Company. Business was great making rolls for Armstrong for many years. There was no competition in the O roll market except for Larry Givens, who made a few. Larry Givens had an Ampico perforator, which he eventually sold to Richard Groman of Keystone Music Rolls.
John decided to expand into carou.sel organ music rolls, so he made a new die set with Wurlitzer spacing. The Acme perforator is basically a punch press, with a ram that goes up and down. It is easy to change dies. The first customers for band organ rolls were KnottÕs Berry Farm and Ross Davis. Ross owned the Lincoln Park and the Griffith Park carousels and had Wurlitzer 165 band organs in Los Angeles, CA. Ross would sell rolls to many parks. Glenn Thomas now owns the Lincoln Park organ. During this period Ralph Tussing was respon.sible for making many band organ rolls. John had many conversations with him, where Tussing asserted that it would be impossible to make band organ rolls if you didnÕt use the Wurlitzer stencil master system. Obviously, John disproved this. Allan Herschell made rolls for a while and destroyed most of the masters. Using the Wurlitzer system was very labo.rious and time-consuming. John had most of the Wurlitzer equipment and eventually sold it to Don Rand who in turn sold it to the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, NY.
Don Rand
I mentioned to John that Don Rand had an Acme perforator he got from Ed Freyer. I stated that one curious feature of the Rand rolls was the fact that the holes are smaller than normal. John said, Don had no delay between punching and advancing and consequently over-punched holes. With smaller dies, you could get away with this. I also mentioned that the paper was not centered in the Rand rolls. John said that this is because the perforator was not all original Acme. The paper shearing was done by rotary knives (which were never used by Acme). They were never set correctly, and this remained a common problem with both Ed Freyer and Don Rand (Clark) rolls.
Harold Powell
Harold Powell called John about making reproducing piano rolls. Harold had an exclusive arrangement with Play-Rite for Ampico, Duo-Art and Welte rolls for about 10 years. Before this, Powell tried to make his own rolls and found out what a difficult undertaking that would be. Some of the master stencils had never been edited for production and so there were a lot of mistakes. After the Powell era, John made reproducing rolls for everyone, including Frank Adams in Seattle, WA, and Ray Siou.
Ray Siou
Ray got started in the roll business by going to the Play-Rite factory and taking rolls from the trash cans.
Play-Rite would use 50-pound brown paper to place under the last copy to make the holes clean. These rolls would then be thrown out and Ray Siou would pick them from the trash and sell them. This, of course, violated the exclusivity agreement with Harold Powell. Ray Siou had to stop selling the reproducing rolls.
Ray Siou subsequently ordered G, A, and 4-X nickelodeon rolls from Play-Rite. He would package and sell them. Ray would also sell rolls to Paul Gottschalk for resale. John said he never really had an interest in selling individual rolls. This is true to this day, where Play-Rite specializes in doing recutting projects for sale by other parties. Ray started selling rolls in the early 1970s and went into the year 2000. I remarked that Ray sold the rolls cheaply. John said that Ray only marked-up the rolls by about a dollar from what he paid Play-Rite. Ray really wanted to get a copy of the music for himself and figured that this was a good way to do it. Ray really provided a great service to collectors by making all that music available. Ray knew most of the collectors and was able to borrow original rolls for recutting.
A funny attribute of Ray Siou was that with each order of rolls he would throw-in additional items. For exam.ple, I got a videotape of the Play-Rite company in action. IÕm sending this tape to John who doesnÕt have any archival information like this. Ray would also pack cassette tapes.
I mentioned that Play-Rite did everything except style H rolls. John said that they have the dies and the machine to do them, but only got orders for Wurlitzer R pipe organ rolls.
A Fire and New Opportunities
Play-Rite had a fire in 1997 which destroyed their inventory of 88-note and reproducing rolls and the machin.ery to print the words on the rolls. Fortunately, no perforating equipment was damaged. Due to JohnÕs motherÕs advancing age, he moved the perfora.tor to her house several years before the fire. Play-Rite had so much work to do cutting European orchestrion rolls, that they were kept very busy. European projects included Popper, Hupfeld Helios, Hupfeld Phonoliszt, Hupfeld Pan, Weber Maesto, and Weber Unika rolls. Also, projects were executed for Wurlitzer PianOrchestra, APP (Automatic Player Piano) and Pianino rolls and roll conversions to various types.
Perforating Machinery
I asked John to describe his current machines. He said, first, they all have interchangeable die sets. He would try to build the die sets, so he could put them in any machine, providing that they were not too wide for the narrow machines.
The first machine is a narrow machine used to cut all the Wurlitzer band organ, APP rolls, O rolls and player piano rolls. ItÕs 80 percent of an original Acme, with John building the rest from scratch. This came from J. Lawrence Cook, who took scrap parts home after QRS would acquire a perforator that they did not need. ThatÕs how Cook built his own perfo.rator and John got the stuff left over that Cook didnÕt use.
The second machine is a copy of an Acme but wider and heavier and was built from scratch. The perforator has a tracker bar attached to read the rolls being copied. The pneumatic reader goes through electronics where all the data is serialized and breaks out into parallel again to operate the indexing magnets. There is a 128-channel shift register. The punch has an optical sensor so that for each revolution, the entire shift register is scanned to see which channels are on and which are off. The step rate is 15 thousandths of an inch and the advance speed is four feet a minute. The crank shaft is spinning 3,000 revolutions per minute. The machine is dynamically balanced using flywheels and weights. The heavy roller bearings are all lubricated with a mist lubricator. This machine will cut 15.-inch Wurlitzer R pipe organ rolls.
The third machine is the Acme perforator that came from the Staff.note Company (via the funeral home). This machine still has the original Acme decals on it. The machine still runs at the original 70 RPM and has the original indexing system with Reisner magnets controlling the indexing.
The machines have been run for 30 plus years without any issues on the bearings. The electronics were designed by Bill Flint and John. The electronics provide the appropriate delay to avoid overpunching. Chain bridging is generated in the electron.ics rather than from the original rolls. Buffering allows the electronics to anticipate the chain bridging. The perforators have individual vacuum bars to assure clean rolls. In addition, the rolls would be individually vacu.umed as they were spooled.
The original Acme machine still has Mills Violano dies installed. The Mills project ran for 15 years. The narrow machine is used for Wurlitzer band organ rolls and the wide machine is currently being used for Hupfeld Phonoliszt rolls.
Paper
I asked John about the paper he uses. He said it was from Crown Zellerbach and it is Deli Wrap. This paper had wet strength which made the paper water resistant for wrap.ping up meat. The fiber orientation determines the strength of the paper. You can turn off the fiber shaker when the paper is manufactured. The fibers are such that the paper will tear a lot easier in one direction than the other. Plastic coated papers werenÕt successful since Play-Rite punches 16 sheets at one time and the holes in the plastic-coated paper would close up on themselves. Punched holes tended to be the largest at the top and the bottom of the stack, getting smaller in the middle.
Labels
Play-Rite uses rubber stamps bought when John was in grade school to print the tune numbers on the rolls during the spooling process. In the last 10 years, Play-Rite hasnÕt had to print labels. This is left to the customer.
Earlier, the company did print labels. It had linotype machinery and a Ludlow machine for bigger type, and then it went to a photographic process and finally, the modern computer stuff.
Play-Rite can read MIDI files using Cakewalk software, but the company runs them through its own electronics to get the chain bridging, etc.
All projects are pre-sold, and all 16 copies are accounted for. John has private copies of band organ rolls and APP rolls, but no other formats.
Miscellaneous
JohnÕs wife, Gloria, designed their building which is in a French gothic style with battlements and a draw bridge. This is currently their factory. You can see the building by using Google Maps to search for 1536 N. Palm Street, Turlock, CA, 95380.
John currently has a replica of a Wurlitzer 165 band organ. Johnny Verbeeck made the pipes copying the Wurlitzer layout. John added a set of 16-foot sub bass pipes. Pipe voicing was done by Martin Conrads of Holland last year, after the organ settled down. John had an original 165 for many years, but he sold it to Arnold Chase. John also has a test machine to play Wurlitzer Automatic Player Piano (APP) rolls. ItÕs designed in such a way that John can test either the five-tune or the 10-tune rolls without changing the spool box. He has a Seeburg E to test A rolls.
The Gerety/Nielson
Laser Perforator
One of the most innovative perfora.tors is the laser perforator designed and built by Gene Gerety for Don Nielson. This was used by Frank Himpsl for his Valley Forge Music Roll Company which started in May 2004. The great advantage of the laser perfo.rator is that single copies of any roll in any format can be made on demand.
Beginnings
Gene was fascinated by player pianos at a young age, but never had one. Then one day, a friend was moving and didnÕt want the piano. Gene wanted to rebuild it. He started reading Art ReblitzÕs book on Player Piano Servicing and Rebuilding. He also read a lot of Mechanical Music Digest (https://www.mmdigest.com/) articles. His piano was a disaster. Mice had gotten into it. He persevered, however, and did Òa passable job.Ó Gene says itÕs amazing what people were able to do in the 1920s. In fact, Gene used a 150-year-old idea Ð the strap tensioner Ð to keep the paper taut in his laser perforator. It keeps a constant tension on the paper no matter what the diameter of the roll is.
Roll Scanning
Gene stumbled on a roll scanning group, got interested and designed a wonderful scanner. He built five scan.ners and sold components, so people could make their own scanners. Of the five scanners, Frank Himpsl got two and Jack Breen got one. Gene says they scanned so many rolls that he is amazed that the motors havenÕt worn out. The whole venture was a financial disaster. Gene put in far too much time and money for the return received. In retrospect, Gene said he shouldnÕt have tried to sell components but only complete scanners. Further, Gene said that the designers of the controller chip had made a mistake which was undocumented and caused Gene quite a bit of grief. He used contact image sensors in his scanners. Gene wanted to go wide (up to 22 inches) so he could scan anything. Gene used two sensor bars with a significant overlap. Gene had to write software to match up the two images and remove the overlap.
The First Laser Perforator
The idea of a laser perforator came about because Don Nielson wanted a way of perforating any roll, no matter what the format. Gene went to the 2001 MBSI convention in Maryland. They toured Don NielsonÕs museum and Gene met Frank Himpsl there. Frank was GeneÕs interface to Don. Gene would show Frank the progress on the scanner. After the scanner, Gene started working on laser perforators.
The first perforator had a gantry type of arrangement where the light from a fixed laser is guided by a movable gantry-mounted head to burn the holes. This worked well but was too slow for an actual production machine. It was also underpowered. It was a great exercise because Gene got the kinks worked out of a lot of design issues.
The laser would cut a 12-inch ÒpanelÓ of a roll at one time before advancing to the next 12-inch panel. The paper would be stationary when a panel was being cut. There had to be overlaps between each panel to make sure nothing was missed. Also, a hole could span panels and had to be cut without any jags. The paper transport was the most difficult aspect of the project. Paper metering and alignment accuracy was critical, in part because of the decision to cut the rolls in panels. The panels must line up with each other. The gantry arrangement was constantly in motion so overall speed was an issue, taking several hours to punch an A roll.
The Second Laser Perforator
The first laser perforator was canni.balized to make the current machine. For example, parts of the feed system were kept. The new laser was basically a fixed Laser which was pointed at mirrors. The low-mass mirrors would move, directing the beam anywhere on the paper bed. The mirrors are moved very rapidly. However, the major prob.lem with this system is that depending upon where the mirrors are pointing, the light can reach the paper at a variety of angles and path lengths. At steeper angles circles become ovals. As the path length changes, the laser focus must be adjusted, and numerous complex geometric corrections must be made. Gene had to compensate for all of this in programming the position of the laser. The trick in a laser cutter is not to burn the paper but to vaporize it. Hit it hard and hit it fast. The paper will just disappear where the laser is, and you donÕt scorch the edges. The current laser did the job but had just barely enough power to cut without scorching, especially near the edges. The use of dry wax craft paper made the situation worse, because this paper really wants to burn. In retro.spect, Gene said they should have used a 100-watt laser instead of the 50-watt unit they chose. To prevent fires, Gene had to create a high-speed laminar air flow across the paper to carry the combustible gases away so fast that they couldnÕt flash over.
Gene is currently working on a PhD in computer science and is 65 years old. He works for Philips/Respironics designing medical equipment.

Second diagram of Acme perforator.

Acme perforator diagram.

Two images of the original Wurlitzer perforator at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, North Tonawanda, NY. (Photos courtesy Dennis Reed, Jr.)

Carl Lambie punch (above) and scanner (below). (Photos courtesy Dennis Reed, Jr.)

Johnny Verbeeck (left) and John Malone (right).

Front of wide perforator.

John MaloneÕs first Acme machine.

Back of build-up perforator.

Build-up machine from parts.

John MaloneÕs pneumatic to electric converter.

A paper rack used in the roll-making process.

An overlay of an original roll and the copy punched in the machine.

Wurlitzer red paper roll being cut.

Front view of the perforator during debugging. Supply roll on left and feeder roll on right. You can see the leather strap tensioner draped over the supply roll and its weight hanging to the left of the supply roll. In addition to perforating, the laser slits the paper to the proper width. The paper falls to the floor after it comes out of the feeder. Later, a take-up spool with a Òdroop-loopÓ was installed to spool the finished paper onto the roll core. An acrylic shield protects the operator from stray reflected light from the laser and prevents physical access. The shield has a motorized lift that allows it to be raised when the laser is not operating.

Clockwise from top left: The paper under tension in the cutting area, and entering the wide rollers of the feeder at the right. The supply roll, strap tensioner, and cutting area. The perfo.rator from the supply roll side, showing a piece of a test cut draped over the left side of the frame. The first perforator.

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 May/June 2018 issue of The AMICA Bulletin.

The first scanner.

Frank Himpsl operating the laser perforator.

East Coast Chapter

Chapter Chair: Elise Low
Reporter: Elise Low
Photographers: Brooks Low,
Bill and Carolee Wineburgh
Oct. 22, 2023 Ñ Westwood and Wayland, MA.
Our prediction of a good turnout for a Massachusetts event proved true. Our third in-person meeting of the year brought 30 members, family and friends together from five states. One couple drove 380 miles to attend!
A main draw was Ken and Sandy GoldmanÕs extensive mechanical music and ephemera collection in their home in Westwood. They have many large items, including three automata and posters related to magic and music. KenÕs backstories regard.ing several of his grand musical finds were especially appreciated before we heard them play.
Mechanical instruments of special note were: several Reginas, including a gum-vending model; a Symphonion ÒEroicaÓ; a Gueissaz, Fils & Cie Grand Orchestral interchangeable cylinder box; a large Hupfeld orchestrion with a rare remote starter; a Libellion; a Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina Model A with duplex roll changer (one of two known); two PhilippsÐPaganini orchestrions: one is a Model 3 Pianella that plays 130-note rolls; and the final highlight of our tour: a Welte Style 6 Concert Orchestrion playing the famil.iar ÒLargoÓ from HandelÕs Xerxes.
We spent the afternoon at Jean Milburn and Roger WiegandÕs home and workshop in Wayland. After lunch, we had a close-up encounter with an Arburo dance organ that Roger recently restored. Other items of special interest to our group were a Knabe Ampico ÒAÓ piano, a Mills Violano, and a 1933 Mills Zephyr juke.box that plays twelve 78 rpm records arranged on a ÒFerris-wheelÓ mech.anism. RogerÕs grandfather acquired it new and Roger grew up playing it. (It was restored by Dick Hack of the National Capital Chapter.)
RogerÕs superior Craftsman-style handiwork was seen throughout the house in beautiful furniture as well as windows and architectural trimmings. His spacious and well-equipped workshop allows him to make these items in addition to restoring player pianos and organs. The pile of flute pipes pictured belong to a cooperative project that he, Dave Cox, and Bob Yorburg are in the midst of building: six 31-ÓkeylessÓ hand-cranked organs.
We (and the neighbors) heard RogerÕs Diamond Jubilee Gavioli Carousel Organ play. He makes it available for local events and even drove it down to Maryland a while ago for a COAA rally.
We are ever grateful to collectors such as these who graciously share their prize possessions with us.

Ken Goldman describes his Hupfeld Orchestrion to the group.

The sectional comb in a fusŽe-driven cylinder musical box (maker unknown).

Ken played the Libellion before demonstrating the acrobatic automaton.

Ken prepares to play one of his two Philipps-Paganini orchestrions.

Young and old are listening intently!

A Blackamoor Fluteplayer automaton by Jean Roullet, c. 1870.

The Welte Style 6 Concert Orchestrion.

A Craftsman piece by Roger holds one of JeanÕs several artistic floral arrange.ments that harmonized with his fine woodworking.

Roger Wiegand with his recently restored Arburo dance organ.

RogerÕs Mills Violano and a Mills Zephyr jukebox sit side-by-side.

RogerÕs Gavioli Diamond Jubilee Carousel Organ.

Some of the 192 flute pipes for the six new hand-cranked organs.

Roger holds an experimental pouch board that uses springs rather than weights to close the pouches in an organ valve chest.

Watch videos of the Acrobatic Pig automaton, Blackamoor flute player automaton, Libellion and Welte Orchestrion by scanning the QR codes below with your smartphone, or type the web address into your favorite browser.

Acrobatic Pig Automaton

Blackamoor Flute Player

mbsi.org/acrobatic-pig-automaton/

mbsi.org/blackamoor-flute-player/

Libellion

Welte Orchestrion

mbsi.org/libellion/

mbsi.org/welte-orchestrion/

Southern California Chapter

Chapter Chair: Robin Biggins
Reporter: Robin Biggins
Photographer: Lowell Boehland
Sept. 30, 2023 Ñ Los Angeles, CA
What a wonderful meeting we had at the collection of magical artifacts at the business of John Gaughan & Associates. Hundreds of magiciansÕ instruments from the 1800s were on display, as well as reproductions and newly fabricated machines that are astounding to the uninformed audi.ences who are convinced that magic is real.
John and his employees have a worldwide reputation for the construction and restoration of magical items that are not part of any computerized visual fakes that can be used on television shows. They have been in business for many years before that.
Some 33 chapter members attended the meeting, and we were surprised by a rain shower that greeted us, but JohnÕs group quickly shut it off as if by magic!
We had about four hours of demon.strations that included automata and a live show with a young lady named Brandy, who disappeared inside a box, then after multiple swords had been stabbed through the box, was able to appear again unscathed! The photos are self-evident, so more space will be made to show the fascination we enjoyed in this report. A brief business meeting was held to vote on changes being made to our lineup of officers for our chapter.

Our host John Gaughan demonstrates a Peacock automaton that can magically select a known card from a deck.

John operates an early automaton.

Facing page, lower photo: The automaton Zoe was designed and constructed by John Nevil Maskelyne. She was first seen in 1876 following the success of his Psycho. Zoe is placed atop her stand, wound up and a writing implement is placed in her fingertips. She then draws a picture requested by the audience. This reconstruction was built in the 1980s for the Magic CollectorsÕ Association Meeting in Chicago. The original Zoe was operated by controls through the stage. This version uses MaskelyneÕs secret but can be operated without a trap door.

JohnÕs beautifully displayed magic collection.

John demonstrates his Clarinet Player automaton.

A handbill published in 1855 advertis.ing the demonstration of the ÒMusical WonderÓ Clarinet Player automaton at Dr. ChapinÕs Church on Broadway in Boston, MA.

The two photos at right show JohnÕs reconstruction of the Automaton Chess Player. Working backwards from engrav.ings, accounts, written descriptions and a paper Òchess boardÓ once used inside the original mechanism, John built his reproduction in 1989. It is an accurate recreation of the original-reproducing the movements, the mechanism and the astounding illusion. The case is shown ÒemptyÓ by demonstrating the motor inside, the board and pieces set atop the chest, and the clockwork wound. To all appearances, the machine plays a game of chess. It was featured at the First Conference on Magic History and has since been demonstrated for collector groups and on television documentaries.
Von Kempelen created the original Automaton in 1769 to impress Empress Maria Theresa. After his death it was sold to Johann Nepomuk Maelzel who toured Europe and America with the famous Turk.

A flyer for Zoe ÒPsychoÓ exhibit in the Egyptian Hall. Above it is a drawing of John Nevil Maskelyne made by Zoe.

The top photo shows the Houdini Automaton purportedly at his desk in New York City, circa 1922. Harry Houdini was a pas.sionate collector and magic historian throughout his career. From his desk he wrote thousands of letters to people around the world. This version of the automaton was recreated by John for The Los Angeles Conference on Magic History. The automaton signs Harry HoudiniÕs name on a sheet of paper.
The second photo shows JohnÕs reproduction of Q the Automaton. The original version of this automaton appeared as Harry HoudiniÕs adversary in the 1920 film ÒThe Master Mystery.Ó

Robin Biggins, Don Henry, Brandy and John Gaughan with Q the Automaton.

An example of the signature produced by the automaton.

Multiple swords are pushed through the box with Brandy inside.

John Gaughan and Brandy show off the swords before she climbs into the box.

Success! Brandy emerged and no blood was spilled!

Southern California Chapter members gathered in the workshop for a group photo.

Golden Gate Chapter

Chapter Chair: Judy Caletti
Reporter: David Corkrum
Photographer: Rob Thomas
Oct. 15, 2023 Ñ San Francisco, CA
The Golden Gate Chapter held a joint Fall meeting with the Founding Chapter of AMICA (Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association) at MusŽe MŽcanique in San Francisco, CA. The museum has no admission charge but is filled with many types of arcade games and amusements. It is located on Pier 45 and is next door to many fine seafood restaurants such as AlliotoÕs and the bakery known as Boudin which makes the famous sour.dough bread many of us in California know and love.
Dan Zelinsky owns MusŽe MŽcanique which he took over from his father. Stepping inside, you are greeted by ÒLaughing Sal,Ó a tall and large automaton which originally was stationed at the entrance to the Fun House at Playland at the Beach in San Francisco, near the famous Cliff House. There are many arcade games, skill machines that test your strength, measure your love life (I was a dead fish), and tell your fortune. There are several music machines such as a Violano Virtuoso, a Wurlitzer Pianino, a Wurlitzer Band Organ plus music boxes and roller organs, some of which are fitted into arcade machines. Everything from the macabre to the hilarious resides within these walls.
It is a wonderful place to visit and it is lovingly maintained by Dan and some of his workers. Our groups had lunch and held a short chapter business meeting before venturing out into the play space. It was an unusual place to meet but we all had a great time. Hopefully some of these pictures will help to relay this to you. It is a place you should not miss when visiting San Francisco!

Host, Dan Zelinsky with the Mills Violano. Note the roller skates for quickly getting around the museum.

I played this one as a kid, says Bob Caletti!

Dan with a quarter (look at his hand) and a mechanical horse! Get it? Quarter Horse.

Dan Zelinsky, Bob Caletti and Jonathan Hoyt in DanÕs workshop.

Jared Di Bartolomeo and Phil Strauss observe our host, Dan Zelinsky playing a Cremona.

Phil Strauss with the Wurlitzer Band Organ.

A Triumph Orchestrion, according to the bedplate.

Dan at the back side of the Wurlitzer Band Organ.

Laughing Sal from the Fun House at Playland at the Beach in San Francisco.

Bob Caletti listens closely to see if he recognizes the tune while Jonathan Hoyt stands nearby.

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Errors attributable to Mechanical Music, and of a significant nature, will be corrected in the following issue without charge, upon notification.

$10 for members. (International extra) Call (417) 886-8839

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)
Ralph Heintz Publications Fund (special
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
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
(253) 228-1634
Email: editor@mbsi.org
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 Feb. 1, 2024, for the March/April 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
or pay via PayPal, send to
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
Dues $5 to Bill Nunn
2825 Willow Drive
Hamel, MN 55340
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: Vacant
Dues $10 to Diane Caudill
14015 Spindle Arbor Road
Cypress, TX. 77429

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

Volume 69, No. 6 November/December 2023

Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments

Journal of the Musical Box Society International

Volume 69, No. 6 November/December 2023

5 PresidentÕs Message
7 EditorÕs Notes
8 Annual trusteesÕ meeting minutes
12 Annual financial reports
15 Annual business meeting minutes
29 Annual award presentations
56 In Memoriam

MBSI News

On the Cover
A Limonaire Frres in the Bill and Stacy Nunn Collection lit by carnival lights plays a tune for attendees of the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting. See Page 17. Photo by Edward Cooley.

Mechanical music is a fascinating hobby! It appeals to the artist, historian, craftsman, and musician all at the same time. Play an automatic musical instrument in a room full of people and all else will stop as the machine enraptures the audience with the sparkling melodies of yesteryear!
Mechanical music instruments are any sort of auto.matically-played machine that produces melodic sound including discs and cylinder music boxes that pluck a steel comb; orchestrions and organs that engage many instru.ments at once using vacuum and air pressure; player and reproducing pianos that use variable vacuum to strike piano wires; phonographs; and self-playing stringed, wind, and percussion instruments of any kind.
The Musical Box Society International, chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, is a nonprofit society dedicated to the enjoyment, study, and preservation of automatic musical instruments. Founded in 1949, it now has members around the world, and supports various educational projects.
Regional chapters and an Annual Meeting held each year in different cities within the United States enable members to visit collections, exchange ideas, and attend educational workshops. Members receive six issues of the journal, Mechanical Music, which also contains advertising space for members who wish to buy, sell, and restore mechanical musical instruments and related items. Members also receive the biennial MBSI Directory of Members, Muse.ums, and Dealers.
The only requirements for membership are an interest in automatic music machines and the desire to share infor.mation about them. And youÕll take pride in knowing you are contributing to the preservation of these marvelous examples of bygone craftsmanship.
More information online at www.MBSI.org, or
Call: (417) 576-4280, or
Email: jbeeman.mbsi@att.net

By Matthew Jaro
MBSI President
During the Labor Day weekend of 2023 in St. Paul, MN, I became your newest president. This is a tremen.dous honor for me and one which I never expected. I joined MBSI in 1992. I would have joined earlier, but I didnÕt know the organization existed. Immediately, I was struck with how welcoming everyone was. Over the years, I have made many friends whom I still see independently of MBSI meetings.
I succeed David Corkrum as president after two years of being vice president. David has been a real inspiration and I hope I am worthy to follow in his footsteps.
One of the great attributes of MBSI is its excellent organizational governance. The society is managed by a board of trustees. Everyone on the board contributes a great deal, and the combined body not only gets along well but is extremely effective in making decisions. Meetings are semi-annual with extra meetings added if necessary. The day-to-day management is handled by a set of standing committees. One would think that this would be cumbersome, but the system works very smoothly. The committees know what they need to do and very little direction is required.
Our support staff includes treasurer Ed Kozak, who is a CPA, editor/publisher Russell Kasselman, admin.istrator Jacque Beeman, recording secretary Linda Birkitt and accoun.tant Cinda Rodgers, who is also a CPA. We have an audit committee and an auditing CPA acting independently of Cinda and Ed. From this, you should be able to see that we take the soci.etyÕs finances very seriously. MBSI is a 501(c)(3) organization chartered in the state of New York. We have a set of bylaws and a Policies and Procedures Manual that we update as necessary.
The membership consists of chap.ters, each serving a specific region. Each chapter has its own officers. The chapters are responsible for hosting annual meetings. There is a Meetings Manual to help chapters understand the process and obligations of hosting a meeting. The MBSI annual meet.ings are always a lot of fun and an opportunity to visit other members. The meetings have tours of membersÕ collections, educational workshops, entertainment, a marketplace for buying and selling instruments and accessories, a business meeting and a banquet.
We are heavily dependent on volunteers to serve on our standing committees, the chapter functions and the annual meetings. Recently, people have been reluctant to volunteer. I can never understand why. ItÕs a lot of fun participating in the group and the work is never that hard. Without volunteers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to conduct the business of the society. Please consider lending a bit of your time to help. Other volunteers can easily show you the ropes.
To end on a brighter note, I would like to say our most recent annual meeting, hosted by the Snowbelt Chapter, was a roaring success from beginning to end. The tour of Kiven and Cheryl LukesÕ collection was wonderful. Not only did we see a great set of instruments but also demon.strations of modern food production techniques. This included visiting a hog and a cow. Additionally, we got to see what new farm machinery is like with opportunities to drive large tractors and to see modern combine machines and planting machines. This was all topped off with a great lunch.
Next, we went to see Bill and Stacy NunnÕs Sky Rock farm. We saw a fabulous collection of organs and carousel memorabilia, including 89-key and 57-key Gavioli organs. We were treated to rides on a miniature railroad and to a horsemanship show that included jumping. Again, a great lunch was served.
We visited Tom and Hongyan KuehnÕs collection of music boxes, orchestrions and organs. This includes a workshop where Tom does his restoration work. Highlights included several Lšesche orchestrions and a Wurlitzer 104 band organ.
Friday morning there was a series of educational and fun workshops. A presentation by Nate Otto included an American Fotoplayer. There were presentations by Fred Dahlinger, John Miller and Nancy Fratti. The afternoon featured a Ògangster tourÓ which visited sites frequented by the St. Paul gangster community during the depression era.
Then, of course, there was a showing of classic comedy movies. We had an ice-cream social and a chicken dinner picnic at the CafesjianÕs carousel. This was all topped off by a business meeting, an awards luncheon and a banquet with a wonderful magician providing entertainment. See Page XX in this issue to read more details.
Many thanks go to Tracy Tolzmann and Tom Kuehn who served as co-chairs for the meeting organization committee and Bill Nunn who was the registrar. I found this to be an absolutely riveting meeting, and the organizers are to be commended for a truly first-class job.

Mechanical Music

51 Lake Michigan Chapter

Pietschmann Part IV
Reflections on the use of Wonder.lamps and other engaging displays used by music box makers to sell more instruments. Page 39.

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 2023. 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

17 Annual Meeting recap
30 Nickel Notes
39 Pietschmann Part IV

Chapter Reports

MBSI has replanted 251 trees so far as part of the Print ReLeaf program.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Copy this page, and give it to a potential new member. Spread the word about MBSI.

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(Add $20 for International air mail.)
Join online: www.mbsi.org/join-mbsi

EditorÕs Notes

MAILING ADDRESS
MBSI Editorial / Advertising
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
EMAIL ADDRESS
editor@mbsi.org
PHONE
(253) 228-1634

By Russell Kasselman
MBSI Editor/Publisher
Welcome to the holiday season, the season of giving, the season of traveling to see family and friends and the season of eating far more than we probably should!
I encourage you to take a little time to say hello to our new MBSI President, Matthew (Matt) Jaro, who received the gavel from David Corkrum at the most recent annual meeting in St. Paul, MN. Matt, who many of you are familiar with as the author of the Nickel Notes column that has appeared for the last few years in Mechanical Music, is energetic and committed to sharing our hobby with any and all who will listen. He and his wife, Beni, open their home for local chapter meetings and they have helped in planning several annual conventions for MBSI as part of the National Capital Chapter. In his commitment to the society, Matt is much like each of the MBSI presidents I have had the pleasure to work with since becoming the editor in 2014.
That said, however, Matt canÕt run this society all by himself. He does have a small core of dedicated committee volunteers doing work to keep the finances of the society organized, recruiting members to serve as officers and on the board of trustees, as well as reviewing this publication and maintaining the societyÕs instrument collection. The Special Exhibits Committee and the Marketing Committee are both hard at work trying to promote the society to people who may never have heard of it.
The Membership Committee is the one place Matt and our whole soci.ety could really use some help. The committee chair position is currently vacant and it has been for some time. It seems to me, this is a critical position for an organization like ours. We need someone who helps current members get their questions answered, concerns addressed and takes notice if a member decides not to continue being a member.
New members need a point of first contact to guide them in connecting with other members through regional chapters as well as helping them understand the benefits of attending the annual meeting.
The Membership Committee is made up of a representative from each regional chapter, which means calling a meeting of the committee members is like putting your finger on the pulse of this organization. The feedback available to the Membership Commit.tee chair is invaluable to keeping our society on the right track.
As you give gifts to family and friends this season, consider giving a gift to MBSI as well. Volunteer to lead the Membership Committee.

Upcoming Deadlines

ADVERTISING
Advertisements for the January/February 2024 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Dec. 1, 2023.
Advertisements for the March/April 2024 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Feb. 1, 2024.

EDITORIAL
Articles and photos for the January/February 2024 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by Nov. 25, 2023.
Articles and photos for the March/April 2024 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by Jan. 25, 2024.

Welcome new members!

August 2023
Robert Davis
Lexington, TN
Kurt Kresmery & Gretchen Broberg
Elgin, IL
George Perez
Minooka, IL
John Schimmel & Sally Wright
Rancho Santa Fe, CA
September 2023
Donald & Janie Higgins
Morrilton, AR
Elizabeth Ho & Bruce Jia
Eden Prairie, MN
Dante Lombardo
Houston, TX
Mark & Barbara Weyna
Des Plaines, IL
Raymond Mialki
Creighton, PA
Jim Bumgardner
Shadow Hills, CA
Erin Deitzel & Isaac Ishee
Blacksburg, VA
Glenn & E. Reed
Spartanburg, SC

Minutes of the 2023 MBSI Board of TrusteesÕ meeting

The MBSI Board of Trustees. From left, back row: Richard Dutton, Bob Caletti, President David Corkrum, David Calendine, Edward Cooley, Rich Poppe. Front row: Tom Kuehn, Recording Secretary Linda Birkitt, Mary Ellen Myers, Vice President Matt Jaro.

Aug. 29, 2023
These Annual TrusteesÕ Meeting Minutes from Aug. 29, 2023, will become official when approved and voted upon during the Mid-Year TrusteesÕ Meeting in 2024. The meeting was called to order by Pres.ident David Corkrum at 9:23 a.m. The following trustees were present: Dave Calendine, Bob Caletti, Ed Cooley, Richard Dutton, Tom Kuehn, Mary Ellen Myers, and Rich Poppe. The officers of MBSI in attendance were President Corkrum, Vice President Matt Jaro, Treasurer Ed Kozak and Recording Secretary Linda Birkitt. Additionally, editor/publisher Russell Kasselman joined the group via Zoom, and Marketing Committee member Judy Caletti briefly addressed the group. Nine of nine trustees were present to render a quorum.
The recording secretary asked for additions, deletions, or corrections to the submitted Mid-Year TrusteesÕ Meeting Minutes of March 2023. A motion was made to approve the Mid-Year TrusteesÕ Meeting Minutes by Trustee Dutton and seconded by Trustee Myers. Motion carried.
Pending Board Actions
Marketing Committee member Judy Caletti stated that the second board action item on the agenda under marketing could be deleted as it has become standard protocol for this committee. This action described the protocol for contacting new MBSI members who joined via the website. Trustee Bob Caletti indicated that the Publications Committee board action for purchase of a translation program to help reprint articles from non-En.glish musical box society journals could be deleted as it is completed.
Vice President
Vice President Jaro oversees the annual awards selection process, which has been completed. Addition.ally, the vice president files the annual report from MBSI to the Board of Regents of the University of New York by the July 1 deadline each year. MBSI updates to the IRS are also under the purview of the vice president. The vice president provides guidance for and advice to chapters of MBSI, stays informed of committee activities, and reviews and recommends revisions to the Policy and Procedures Manual as well as the MBSI bylaws. Report received.
Endowment Committee
Treasurer Ed Kozak indicated that the Endowment Fund balance, as of Dec. 31, 2022, was $162,460. This was an increase of $610 (from donations) from the previous year. This fund is made up of three certificates of deposit totaling $161,000, and a money market account of $1,000. With the approval of the MBSI Board of Trust.ees, the Endowment Committee may distribute funds in the form of loans or grants, or for preservation of auto.matic musical instruments. The Dec. 31, 2022, compilation report showed a balance of $43,741 in the Endowment Interest Earned Fund. Two thirds of this figure ($29,161) is available for the above-listed distribution options.
An ongoing concern is the decrease in the number of MBSI members. Report received.
Finance Committee
Treasurer Kozak stated that the MBSI fund balance had decreased by $16,277. Net assets totaled $733,718 as of Dec. 31, 2022. The main items of revenue and expense were:
Income:
¥
Dues revenue $63,909.

¥
Advertising $17,902.

¥
Donations $15,249, with $10,000 of this amount coming from the Piedmont Chapter

¥
Interest $6,623.

Expense:
¥
Publishing $80,378.

¥
Accounting, tax preparation and Administration $40,216.

Interest income should increase next year, due to increased interest rates. The societyÕs investments consist of certificates of deposit and money market accounts. Maturing certificates of deposit are reinvested to continue the societyÕs investment laddering philosophy. On Dec. 31, 2022, the society had operating invest.ments totaling $383,351 and restricted investments totaling $318,668 with cash of $69,189.
Trustee Calendine moved and Trustee Poppe seconded a motion to purchase a safety deposit box only when needed. Motion carried. Trustee Calendine moved to amend the Policy and Procedures Manual regarding the safety deposit box. The motion was seconded by Trustee Poppe. Motion carried.
The proposed 2024 society budget is now being submitted to the trustees for their approval.
Treasurer Kozak will get back to Trustee Caletti regarding the schedule of activities in the CPAÕs report. Trustee Caletti stated that the society is paying $4,000 per year in credit card fees. He suggested that MBSI members pay for society items via personal check instead of using PayPal, Venmo or credit cards.
Trustee Calendine asked the board to consider covering the credit card processing fee by including an extra charge on the convention registration form.
Trustee Calendine moved and Pres.ident Corkrum seconded a motion to add a 5 percent processing fee to the annual meeting registration cost if paid by credit card. Motion carried.
Trustee Dutton moved that society dues payments and purchases made using a credit card will be subject to a 5 percent processing fee. This motion was seconded by Trustee Calendine. Motion carried.
Trustee Calendine moved and President Corkrum seconded that the new membership and membership renewal forms should contain a box indicating that a 5 percent processing fee will be charged for using a credit card. Motion carried. Report received.
AdministratorÕs Report
President Corkrum presented Administrator Jacque BeemanÕs report. The MBSI membership count as of Jun. 30, 2022, was 1,043. On Jun. 30, 2023, the membership count was 991. Forty new memberships were received between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jun. 30, 2023. Of these 40 new members, 30 of them joined via the website (75 percent). MBSI received 51 orders totaling 62 items, of which 44 were website orders (86 percent).
President Corkrum added that the sponsor and the gift/sponsor program continue. The current $15 off program is discontinued and replaced with a 50 percent off for new members program. The voucher program is eliminated. Report received.
Audit Committee
Audit Committee Chair Cooley indicated that Trustees Caletti and Calendine are now Audit Committee members. The MBSI net membership revenues for an average of 1,042 members during the period from January through September 2022 was $63,849. Using 2022 membership data, 90.07 percent of members are from the USA, 1.60 percent are from Canada, and other international members make up 8.33 percent of the membership. The total estimated revenue given these assumptions would be $63,420. The $429 difference in actual revenue amounts to a posi.tive 0.68 percent variance meaning the estimated revenue is extremely close to the actual membership revenue. This is the first time that this report has revealed the society received more dues revenue than the analysis projected. Report received.
Meetings Committee
Meetings Committee Chair Jaro introduced the MBSI Annual Meetings schedule as follows:
¥
2024 MBSI/AMICA joint meeting with AMICA taking the lead in Los Angeles, CA, with half day tour of Reagan Library and half day tour of the Nethercutt Museum.

¥
2025 MBSI/AMICA joint meeting with MBSI taking the lead in Chicago, IL, for the 76th Anniver.sary of MBSI.

¥
2026 MBSI/AMICA joint meeting with AMICA taking the lead in Princeton, NJ. The East Coast chapter must be contacted.

Report received.
Marketing Committee
Marketing Committee member Judy Caletti noted that current members of the committee are herself, Don Caine, Ed Cooley, and committee chair Bob Smith. The Marketing Committee meets monthly by phone. This committee has announced a half-price offer for new members on six mechan.ical music related Facebook group pages as well as in the Mechanical Music Digest. A donation was made to Mechanical Music Radio, which is now making an announcement daily about the societyÕs half-price offer and the benefits of membership. A banner has been placed on the society website announcing the half-price offer. A promotional program for restorers/dealers and antique dealers to acquire new members, which includes a list of 155 names has been developed. Adver.tising swaps with COAA, NAWCC, AMICA, ATOS and MBSGB have been initiated.
Two additional testimonial videos have been produced and are awaiting uploading to the website. Report received.
Museum Committee
President Corkrum presented a written report from Museum Commit.tee Chair Sally Craig. The majority of the MBSI instrument collection is still located at the American Treasure Tour (ATT) museum in Oaks, PA. There were no new acquisitions in 2023. The committee continues to monitor the collection and the music boxes on display at ATT. Other locations continue to maintain loaned items. No new loans were requested or granted. Robert Pollock oversees the MBSI Ohio collection of loaned instruments.
Currently, the Policy and Procedures Manual section XVII Museum, b2 says, ÒThe proceeds from the sale of collec.tion items shall be used to acquire other items for the collection or for the restoration of items currently in the collection.Ó
Vice President Jaro made a motion to change the Policy and Procedure Manual to read, ÒThe proceeds from instrument sales could be used for the Museum Committee expenses, including insurance, advertising sales or shipping of instruments for sale or display and database maintenance.Ó
Trustee Caletti seconded the motion. Motion carried. Report received.
Nominating Committee
Nominating Committee Chair Judy Caletti indicated that the current members of the Nominating Commit.tee are herself, Tom Kuehn, Bob Caletti, Mary Ellen Myers, Tracy Tolzman, Rob Pollock, and Mark Pichla. After the conclusion of the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting, Tom Kuehn will be replaced by Dave Corkrum.
The Nominating Committee submitted the following slate of offi.cers for approval at the 2023 Mid-Year TrusteesÕ Meeting and for confirma.tion by the membership at the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting.
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President: Matt Jaro to serve a two-year term;

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Vice President: Bob Caletti to serve a one-year term;

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Treasurer: Ed Kozak to serve another one-year term;

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Recording Secretary: Linda Birkitt to serve another one-year term.

Rich Poppe and Rick Swaney have been approved by the board to be added to the slate of trustees. Both will be serving four-year terms.
Bob Caletti, Matt Jaro, and Dave Corkrum have been added to the slate to serve as trustees for another four-year term.
The Nominating Committee has selected its nominee for the Darlene Mirijanian Award and will be present.ing the award at the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting. Report received.
Special Exhibits Committee
Special Exhibits Committee Chair Mary Ellen Myers said she would like more people to get involved in the committee. There has been an increase in the number of exhibits currently, some sponsored by people not on the Special Exhibits Commit.tee. This is very positive, Myers said. Work continues to encourage a local opera house to get a music box located in the lobby to be played prior to an opera being performed.
Trustee Calendine indicated that he is working with the Michigan Opera Theater in Detroit, MI, to display and play a music box with the pertinent music in their lobby when an operetta is performed. Report received.
Publications Committee
Publications Committee Chair Bob Caletti said a special subcommittee shall be formed to study the question of publication costs.
Trustee Poppe noted that the society needs to be sure no one can download the journal from the website. Report received.
Editor/Publisher Report
Editor/Publisher Russell Kassel.man joined the meeting via Zoom. From November-December 2022 to September-October 2023, 30 authors contributed articles, columns, chapter reports or in-memoriam tributes to the journal. Additional contributors will be needed to keep the quality and size of the journal the same, going forward. Thirteen different photographers contributed images which enhanced the journalÕs layout. The editor thanked all authors and photographers who contributed to this effort which keeps the journal interesting and engaging. Articles of interest that might be reprinted from other mechanical music societies from around the world are continuously sought. Articles from the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Asso.ciation, Carousel Organ Association of America, and the Gesellschaft fŸr Selbstspielende Musikinstrumente have been reprinted recently.
Advertising percentages were down slightly from last year, filling on average 15.26 percent of journal pages compared to 18.75 percent last year. The editor thanked Nancy Fratti, Marty Persky, Steve Stanton, Porter Music Boxes, Bob Caletti, Renais.sance Antiques, Breker Auctions and Morphy Auctions for their support this year. Efforts to find the right market.ing approaches to attract new and consistent advertising will continue.
Printing costs for each 68-page issue in 2023 are as follows:
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Jan-Feb: $4,762.44 for 1,081 copies;

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Mar-Apr.: $4,721.85 for 1,051 copies;

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May-Jun.: $4,501.93 for 1,045 copies

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Jul-Aug: $4,705.35 for 1,041 copies.

Several options are available to reduce costs. These include printing fewer pages, delivering fewer printed copies (with an increase in digital copies), and/or using lesser quality paper. There is an approximate cost of $4,520 to print 1,000 copies of the journal. The use of other, lower-cost printing companies is also an option.
As website editor/manager, the editor has continued to keep the websiteÕs core code (WordPress) and all plugins that provide additional functionality (like language trans.lation) up to date with each major release so that site security is as tight as possible. A few minor logic flaws affecting the functionality of the membership management tools used by the administrator were corrected by the editor. Report received.
Website Subcommittee
Website Subcommittee Chair Rick Swaney noted that it is not possible to give an estimate on when the new website design will be rolled out, as several issues have delayed it. Soon more storage will be needed than is available with the 60 GB website hosting plan MBSI is currently using. The current service is $330 per year. The next upgrade is 120 GB of storage costing $560 per year. Other options for hosting the website are being considered, including using a cloud-storage service for journal archives and other large files.
A banner for the half-off member.ship price is on the front page of the website.
The exponential growth of the MBSI Facebook Forum has finally tapered off. Since the mid-year meeting, the forum has gained 155 members which now total 1,781. In the last month there were 440 posts and 12,600 views on the forum. Five to 10 spam posts are removed every day by the Website Subscommittee chair.
The MBSI websiteÕs stats remain consistent with approximately 3,000 visits per month, corresponding to approximately 1,000 people per year. The all time view count is up to 290,854. Report received.
Old Business
President Corkrum said that regarding the ATT collection, the society should choose one example of a music box and sell the duplicates. Additionally, a new database which accurately reflects the contents of the ATT museum needs to be created. The Museum Committee chair needs to send all the catalogue numbers to Dave Calendine, who will create the database. This cost of the new database can come from the Museum Committee budget.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Trustee Calendine and seconded by Trustee Dutton. The meeting was adjourned at 3:14 p.m.
New Business
President Corkrum stated that there was no New Business.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Birkitt
MBSI Recording Secretary

The board of trustees working session with in-person and remote attendees prior to the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

MBSI 74th Annual Business Meeting Minutes

Sept. 2, 2023 Ñ St. Paul, MN
President Corkrum called the 2023 MBSI Annual Business Meeting to order. He welcomed all MBSI members in attendance. He announced, as per the MBSI bylaws, that a quorum for this meeting was reached. The quorum consists of the number of members present plus the number of proxy votes received from members not present.
In keeping with MBSI tradition, President Corkrum presented the list of members and friends who passed away since the last annual meeting. They are: Rex Burgett, Ray Dickey, William ÒBillÓ Endlein, Lydia Levy, Russell Nery, Ruth E. Ramey, Wayne Wolf, Robert Lloyd, Michael Richard Perry, Donald Wayne Edmonston, Peg Herman, Richard Hales, Roberta Maxim, William Schutz, and Chet Ramsey. He then asked if he had forgotten anyone. A moment of silence was observed in remembrance of those who have passed.
President Corkrum extended whole.hearted gratitude to Tracy Tolzmann and Tom Kuehn, as well as the Meetings Committee of the Snowbelt Chapter, for the tireless work invested into creating a top-notch convention.
MBSI officers and trustees were then introduced. Officers included:
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Vice President Matt Jaro

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Recording Secretary Linda Birkitt

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Treasurer Ed Kozak

Trustees, in order of length of service, included:
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Tom Kuehn

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Mary Ellen Myers

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Edward Cooley

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Bob Caletti

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David Corkrum

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Matt Jaro

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Dave Calendine

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Richard Dutton

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Rich Poppe

President Corkrum acknowledged the MBSI past presidents and trustees, members who are attending an annual meeting for the first time, and distinguished guests from sister organizations. Sister organization guests included:
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Arlette Baud and Michel Bourgoz of MusŽe Baud, LÕAuberson, Switzerland

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Peter Both, president of the Swiss Friends of Mechanical Music

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Michel Tremouille, vice president and redactor, and Jean-Marc Lebout, vice president and redactor of the Association of Friends of Instruments and Mechanical Music, AAIMM

Officer Reports
Vice President Matt Jaro noted that the duties of the vice president include presenting awards, obtaining chapter reports, updating the IRS and collecting chapter information. Report received.
Treasurer Ed KozakÕs report docu.mented the following financial status for MBSI:
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Current total assets, $780,444.

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Current total liabilities, $46,726.

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Total net assets, composed of restricted donor assets ($321,818) and unrestricted donor assets ($411,900). Added together these equal $733,718.

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Total liabilities and net assets are $780,444.

Report received.
Committee Reports
Administrator: President Corkrum presented the AdministratorÕs report. MBSI membership as of Jun. 30, 2022, was 1,043. Membership as of Jun. 30, 2023, was 991. Forty new member.ships were received between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jun. 30, 2023. Of these new members, 30 joined via the website (75 percent). MBSI received 51 orders totaling 62 items, of which 44 were website orders (86 percent).
The sponsor and the gift sponsorship programs continue as is. The $15 discount for new members has been replaced by a 50% discount for new members. The voucher program is eliminated.
Report received.
Audit Committee: The Audit Commit.tee report was not presented at the annual business meeting, but it was presented at the annual trusteesÕ meet.ing where the report was received.
Endowment Committee: Chair Ed Kozak reported that the Endowment Fund balance, as of Dec. 31, 2022, was $162,460. This is an increase of $610 from the previous year. This fund is made up of three certificates of deposit totaling $161,000, and a money market account of $1,000. With the approval of the MBSI Board of Trustees, the Endowment Committee may distrib.ute funds in the form of loans, grants, or for the preservation of automatic musical instruments. As of Dec. 31, 2022, the compilation report shows a balance of $43,741 in the Endowment Interest Earned Fund. Two thirds of this figure ($29,161) is available for the above-named distribution options.
An ongoing concern is the decrease in the number of MBSI members. Report received.
Finance Committee: Chair Ed Kozak reported that the MBSI fund balance decreased by $16,277. Net assets totaled $733,718 as of Dec. 31, 2022. The main items of revenue and expenses are listed below.
Income:
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Dues revenue $63,909

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Advertising $17,902

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Donations $15,249 ($10,000 of this was from the Piedmont Chapter closure)

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Interest $6,623

Expenses:
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Publishing $80,378

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Accounting, tax preparation and Administration $40,216

On Dec. 31, 2022 the society had operating investments of $383,351 and restricted investments of $318,668 with cash of $69,189. Report received.
Marketing Committee: Marketing Committee member Judy Caletti (standing in for chair Bob Smith) informed the group that the current members of the committee are Don Caine, Edward Cooley, Bob Smith and herself. This committee has promoted the new 50 percent discount offer for new members on six mechanical music-related Facebook group pages as well as in the Mechanical Music Digest. A donation was made to Mechanical Music Radio, which is now making an announcement daily about the half-price offer and the benefits of membership. Report received.
Meetings Committee: Chair Jaro intro.duced the upcoming annual meetings schedule as follows:
1. 2024 MBSI/AMICA joint meeting with AMICA taking the lead in Los Angeles, CA

2. 2025 MBSI/AMICA joint meeting with MBSI taking the lead in Chicago, IL, for the 76th Anniver.sary Meeting of MBSI

3. 2026 MBSI/AMICA joint meeting with AMICA taking the lead in Princeton, NJ.

Report received.

Museum Committee: Chair Sally CraigÕs report was read by President Corkrum. The majority of the MBSI musical collection is still located at the American Treasure Tour (ATT) museum in Oaks, PA. There were no new acquisitions during 2023. The committee continues to monitor the collection and the music boxes on display at ATT. Other locations displaying loaned items continue. No new loans were requested or granted. Robert Pollock oversees the MBSI Ohio collection of loaned instruments. Report received.
Publications Committee: Chair Bob Caletti noted that a special subcom.mittee will be formed to study the questions of publication costs. Report received.
Editor/publisher Report: Editor/publisher Russell KasselmanÕs report was read by President Corkrum. From November-December 2022 to September-October 2023, 30 authors contributed articles, columns, chapter reports or in-memoriam tributes to the Mechanical Music journal. Addi.tional contributors will be needed to keep the quality and size of the journal the same, going forward. Thirteen photographers produced images which enhanced the journalÕs layout. The editor gratefully thanked all those who made contributions. Articles of interest that might be reprinted from other mechanical music societies from around the world are continuously being sought. Articles from the Auto.matic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association, Carousel Organ Associa.tion of America, and the Gesellschaft fŸr Selbstspielende Musikinstruments have been reprinted currently.
Advertising percentages were down from last year, filling an average of 15.26 percent of journal pages, compared to 18.75 percent from last year. Printing costs have escalated. Report received.
Website Subcommittee: Chair Rick Swaney stated that it is not possible to give an estimate on when the new website design will be rolled out, as several issues have delayed the rollout. Added storage will be needed for the website. This issue will be investigated as to how best to obtain more storage capacity.
The exponential growth of the MBSI Facebook Forum has finally tapered off. Since the mid-year trusteesÕ meet.ing, the forum gained 155 members for a total of 1,781. In the last month there were 440 posts made and 12,600 views on the forum. Report received.
Special Exhibits Committee: Chair Mary Ellen Myers requested that more people get involved with the Special Exhibits Committee. There has been an increase in the number of exhibits lately, some sponsored by people not on the Special Exhibits Committee. This is a very positive occurrence, Myers said. Report received.
Old Business
President Corkrum noted that regarding the societyÕs instrument collection, one example of a music box should be chosen while duplicates are sold. Additionally, the database of information about the contents of the collection needs to be updated.
Nominating Committee: Chair Judy Caletti noted that besides herself, her committee includes Tom Kuehn, Bob Caletti, Mary Ellen Myers, Tracy Tolzmann, Rob Pollock and Mark Pichla. After the conclusion of the 2023 annual business meeting, Tom Kuehn will be replaced by David Corkrum on this committee.
The Nominating Committee submit.ted the following slate of Officers for approval:
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President Matt Jaro to serve a two-year term

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Vice President Bob Caletti to serve the first year of a two-year term

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Treasurer Ed Kozak to serve an additional one-year term

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Recording Secretary Linda Birkitt to serve an additional one-year term

New Trustees nominated to the Board were Rich Poppe and Rick Swaney. David Corkrum, Bob Caletti and Matt Jaro were nominated for a second four-year term. It was moved and seconded to approve the proposed slate.
Members present and proxy votes approved the new slate of officers and trustees. Report received.
Installation of the President
Vice President Jaro was given the official MBSI Presidential Medallion and gavel by Immediate Past Presi.dent David Corkrum to inaugurate JaroÕs presidency. Newly-confirmed President Jaro gave the MBSI Past PresidentÕs pin to David Corkrum.
New Business
President Jaro indicated that there was no New Business to report.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Trustee Dave Calendine and seconded by Trustee Richard Dutton. The meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Birkitt
MBSI Recording Secretary

2023 MBSI Annual Meeting recap

A Wurlitzer pianino next to an Lšesche flute and violin solo piano that is prominently featured in the music room at Kiven and Cheryl LukesÕ farm.

By Tom Kuehn and Tracy Tolzmann
More than 80 members and guests, including 13 from outside the U.S., gathered in St. Paul, MN, for the 74th Annual Meeting of MBSI. For some reason, gatherings in St. Paul seem to be accompanied by events outside the plannersÕ control that make these meetings especially memorable. This year was no exception. As Minnesota is known for having two seasons, winter and road repair, the city of St. Paul made sure that the attendees knew it was NOT WINTER by tearing up the street in front of the hotel the week before the meeting. This posed challenges for accessing the parking ramp and loading the buses. However, some creative thinking resolved these issues satisfactorily.
Attendees who took the first optional tour found themselves visit.ing Kiven and Cheryl LukesÕ farm in southern Minnesota near the Iowa border. Guests were introduced to a variety of livestock before entering a magnificent music room that contains a Weber Unika, a Lšesche flute and violin solo piano (a.k.a. Lazarus), a Steinway concert grand piano, a band organ and several other instruments. Kiven and Cheryl use the space for fundraising events and other commu.nity activities where many people are introduced to mechanical music. After enjoying a delicious home cooked meal, the MBSI group boarded a bus for a trip to a nearby farm where Kiven exhibited his latest equipment purchase and provided an opportunity for a few lucky souls to drive one of the largest farm tractors in the area. Upon returning to the hotel, everyone was invited to attend a welcome dinner that included traditional Minnesota fare such as Walleye, Swedish meat balls, pot roast and wild rice soup.
A second optional tour included both the Bill and Stacy NunnÕs collec.tion of organs at Skyrock Farm and the Tom and Hongyan Kuehn collec.tion. The Nunn collection focuses on large European dance and fair organs, all restored to impeccable condition. Manufacturers include Gavioli, Limonaire, Mortier, Marenghi, Hooghuys, and the only known Mahauden organ. A recent addition to the collection is a Ruth & Sohn style 38 organ. Visitors could see the work Bill and Stacy are doing to restore the faade while the organ is at Dick LokemonÕs shop in Wisconsin. The Kuehn collection includes various examples of mechanical music with an emphasis on pneumatic instruments. Tom has done much of the restoration work himself following completion of a Wurlitzer 105 band organ replica he built from scratch 30 years ago. Recent work has focused on several Lšesche instruments with the current project being a keyboardless Lšesche orchestrion with six ranks of pipes, xylophone and percussion.
That evening, all attendees were taken by bus to nearby Como Park for carousel rides and a picnic supper. The carousel is PTC #33, built in 1914 and is one of only two in existence with its wooden horses in their original paint. Mike Merrick was on hand to operate the Wurlitzer 153 band organ that he restored. The original band organ was lost in a fire at the carousel in 1939 and its identity unknown. Fred Dahlinger presented his research and his best idea of what the original organ might have been. Ice cream sundaes topped off the evening with a sweet note.
Saturday was workshop day. Work.shops are usually provided in morning and afternoon parallel sessions. This year the format was changed to four workshops presented sequentially in the morning and an optional tour in the afternoon following the awards luncheon. The first speaker was Fred Dahlinger who presented his research on Ruth organs that he is incorporat.ing into a new book. He was followed by John Miller who gave his view of mechanical music from a young collec.torÕs point of view. John made several suggestions for reaching a wider and younger audience. Nate Otto gave a highly-entertaining performance on his American Style 15 Fotoplayer by providing musical accompaniment to a live comedic performance by Neal Skoy, a former clown with Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The fourth workshop was presented by Nancy Fratti who discussed options for dispersing a mechanical music collection.
Most of the attendees opted to go on the Gangster Tour in the afternoon. It is known that the St. Paul city mayor and police chief were taking bribes during Prohibition, so the city of St. Paul became quite the safe haven for gangsters between jobs. The tour included stops at several locations where notorious gangsters hid out. Visitors also got to see the man-made caves across the river from St. Paul where bootleg liquor flowed freely. Professional actors in period costume led the group through a realistic, entertaining setting.
The evening was devoted to classic comedy movies provided by Tracy Tolzmann. After a few shorts, the silent Buster Keaton film, ÒOne Week,Ó was shown with musical accompa.niment provided by Nate Otto on his American Style 15 Fotoplayer. NateÕs performance was outstanding and exhibited the skills he achieved by practicing this routine at least a dozen times beforehand. The remainder of the evening was filled with sound comedy movies from a bygone era.
The breakfast MBSI general busi.ness meeting was held the following morning where the societyÕs finances, committee reports and a review of chapter activities were presented. The slate of officers up for election was presented to the membership for a vote and approved unanimously. Congratulations were offered to Matt Jaro, the new society president, Bob Caletti, the new vice president, and Rick Swaney, a new trustee on the MBSI Board of Trustees.
A flurry of activity followed the conclusion of the business meeting when various items for sale were moved into the room that held the mart. The mart is one of the highlights of the annual meeting when members can view items for sale, ask questions and make offers on items of interest. Several new treasures were purchased and left the mart with different owners than with whom they had arrived.
The meeting formally ended with a banquet, as is the custom for these gatherings. A cash bar provided liba.tions for those so inclined including bottles of table wine. Entertainment was provided by world-famous magi.cian Frederick Baisch, who delighted the crowd with his sleight of hand and astonishing feats of legerdemain. Rick Swaney lent a $10 bill for one of the acts. He finally got his 25 cents back by the end of the show.
A treat for those who wished to engage was spending an extra day visiting various open houses that were not on any of the collection tours. Armed with maps, addresses, phone numbers and sign-up sheets made available in the hospitality room, anyone who wished to visit one or more of the collections was able to do so, often by sharing rides.
In summary, the meeting this year was another memorable one, not for tornadoes and floods, but for the hard work by members of the Snowbelt Chapter and the camaraderie of all those who attended. The meeting next year will be over the 4th of July weekend in Los Angeles, CA, hosted by the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association as another joint meeting between AMICA and MBSI.

A Seeburg KT nickelodeon, Regina Dragonfront changer and Wurlitzer pianino in the LukesÕ collection. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

A Weber Unika Piano orchestrion in the LukesÕ home. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

A Mermod Frres cylinder box is artfully displayed in the LukesÕ home.

Jean Lequy, Michel Tremouille, Cotton Morlock and Jean-Marc Cerutti play a competitive game of fooseball.

This calf was one of many farm animals that were part of the optional tour to Cheryl and Kiven LukesÕ farm.

A view inside the 1929 Steinway Concert Grand showcases its beautiful craftsmanship.

Cheryl and Kiven Lukes with their 1929 Steinway Concert Grand Piano.

MBSI Trustee Rich Poppe waves from the cockpit of one of the largest farm machines in the area.

Kiven Lukes talks about his Seeburg KT nickelodeon featuring the eagle glass front.

Guests were invited to pick corn on the tour of the Lukes farm.

Michel Tremouille, Dorothy Smith, Jean-Marc Cerutti and Trustee Dave Calendine look on as Jacqueline Both plays an arcade game on the Lukes tour.

Bill Nunn, center with hands clasped, leads guests on a tour of his music hall during the visit to Skyrock Farms. (Photo by B Bronson)

A demonstration of horse jumping was held during the Skyrock Farms tour. (Photo by B Bronson)

Guests could take a ride on a scale-model passenger train during the Skyrock Farms tour. (Photo by B Bronson)

The Ruth style 38 dance organ faade in the Nunn collection. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

The 62-keyless Wilhelm Bruder dance organ is attractively lit from above. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

The 89-key Gavioli organÕs impressive faade never fails to impress visitors to the Nunn collection. (Photo by B Bronson)

Members enjoy a tune played by the Hooghuys dance organ after a satisfying lunch served by the Nunns. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

The faade that came with the Ruth & Sohn style 38 fairground organ is a relatively new addition to the Nunn collection. (Photo by B Bronson)

A Mortier dance organ in the Nunn collection features carved figurines of horses, dancers and angels. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

A Limonaire Frres amid carnival lights at Skyrock Farm. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Stacy Nunn describes the painting techniques she uses in the restoration of the Ruth faade while Bill Nunn looks on. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

The Nunns collect mechanical music but also miniature car.ousels that they display on shelves in their music barn. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Members watch as carved carousel animals parade by at Skyrock Farm. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Backlit art glass makes an attractive presentation as the Seeburg style B piano plays a tune at the Kuehn home. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

A North Tonawanda style 146 band organ in the music room at the Kuehn home. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

The Popper Konzertist piano with covers and doors removed is a fascinating maze of tubing, belts and pulleys. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Carved figurines represent fashionable clothing styles of yesteryear while the 52-key Gasparini carousel organ plays a tune. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Tom Kuehn talks with members about the restoration work performed in his shop. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Members browse a collection of cylinder music boxes in the Kuehn home. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Hyongan and Tom Kuehn with their 7-foot Mason & Hamlin Ampico B reproducing piano. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Tom Kuehn talks with guests about his Wurlitzer 105 band organ. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Members listen as Tom Chase operates the Lšesche violin solo piano the Kuehn home. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Tom Kuehn and Bob Caletti discuss the Lšesche model 9 orchestrion being restored in TomÕs shop. (Photo by B Bronson)

Jean-Marc Cerutti holds the reins of his carousel horse while Michel Tremouille waves to friends. (Photo by Edward Cooley)

Marty Persky enjoys a ride on the carousel.

Lyle Merrithew rides a spirited carousel horse.

Dick Hack and Lyle Merrithew ride behind Cheryl Hack and Sandy Swirsky in a carousel car.

One of the more fanciful carousel horse designs.

International members gathered for a photo during the annual evening banquet at the annual meeting.

Ted Fivian and Steve Unland pose with Maria and B Bronson prior to dinner. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

Larry Gustafson talks with Bob Yates during the social hour before the evening banquet.

Marilou VanZanten, Marti and Dan Wilson and Martin VanZanten enjoy visiting before the evening banquet.

Bob Smith and Jeff Ingebrigtson examine music boxes at the popular mart during the annual meeting.

Linda Gray-Moin listens as Jeff Ingebrigtson talks with Marty Persky at MartyÕs mart table.

Larry Rink talks with David Corkrum about a cylinder box for sale at the mart.

Jeff Ingebrigtson talks with Rich Poppe about a cylinder music box for sale at the mart.

Jeremy Stevens talks with Bear Schultz in front of a display of disc music boxes at the mart. (Photos by Edward Cooley)

Nate Otto plays his American Style 15 Fotoplayer while Neal Skoy, a former clown with Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, performs a comedy routine.

Richard Dutton talks with Nancy Fratti during the mart.

More photos on the way!
This issue isnÕt big enough to hold all the fantastic images taken at this yearÕs convention. Look for addi.tional photos from the 2023 MBSI Annual Meeting in our next issue.

MBSI 74th Annual Meeting AWARDS

Sept. 1, 2023 Ñ St. Paul MN
There was a great slate of awards issued at the annual meeting.
Darlene Mirijanian Award
The Darlene Mirijanian Award for creativity in the field of mechanical music to stimulate and encourage interest in new mechanical music areas was presented to Wayne Finger.ÊÊ
Wayne created a unique music production using MIDI files to format a duet featuring an Automatic ÒFingerÓ Banjo that he both designed and built and a Violano performing a portion of the Turkish March from MozartÕs Sonata No. 8. As duets go, the two instruments do not play much in harmony or unison but literally ÒtalkÓ to each other throughout the presen.tation. Wayne has accomplished this effectively using an unusual instrumental threesome for this composition.Ê A brilliant idea!
A video titled ÒRondo Alla TurcaÓ can be seen on YouTube under the ÒHappytque Channel.Ó
Q. David Bowers Literary Award
The MBSI Publications Committee has awarded the Q. David Bowers Award for outstanding literary achievements in the field of automatic music to Paul Bellamy for his new book entitled ÒThe Cylinder Musical Box Ð Tune Sheets- Makers Ð Agents & Dates.ÓÊ The new book is compre.hensive, containing information on a wide variety of music box makers and the tune cards they used. It is an excellent reference book and source for determining the date cylinder music boxes were made. The book is self-indexing and each chapter is headed by the names of makers and agents. There are 28 chapters which have dating charts with relevant tune sheet examples collated accordingly. Chapter 29 deals with makers and agents for whom there are no dating charts. Chapter 30 collates tune sheets that have not been attributed to a maker or agent.
The Roehl Ambassador Award
The MBSI Nomi.nating Committee gave the Roehl Ambassador Award for consis.tently endeavoring to introduce people to the field of mechanical music to Arnold Chase.Ê He has opened his home to many organizations and individuals over the span of many years and his wonderful collection of mechanical music certainly has encouraged and educated many people to fondly recall the era of mechanical music. This yearÕs nomination for the award was made by Robin Biggins.
Lifetime Service Award
MBSI Immediate Past President David Corkrum conferred the Lifetime Service Award, which is given for a lifetime of service to the ideals and goals of MBSI, to Robin Biggins.
ÒIt is very difficult to select one member for this award without offending others,Ó Corkrum said. ÒThis member is well known throughout musical box collectors. He has written more than 25 articles for the societyÕs journal since the first submission in 1998. I know this because I went through every magazine since 1965.Ó
He has served on many committees and has been the chair of one of them. He received the Trustees Award in 2007 and the PresidentÕs Award in 2016. He was a trustee and has been the chair of his chapter many times. He has also helped with the organiza.tion of several annual meetings.
ÒThis member is also an excellent restorer of musical boxes,Ó Corkrum continued. ÒI know this because I have used his services many times as have many others. He is liked or loved by most everyone, and I cannot think of anyone else who would deserve this award. Therefore, I am privileged to grant the Lifetime Service Award to Robin Biggins.Ó
Nancy Fratti also nominated Robin for this award.

Arnold Chase

Robin Biggins accepts the Lifetime Service Award from Immediate Past President David Corkrum.

Nickel Notes

By Matthew Jaro

This is Part Two of a series on music roll perforating machines. I am covering three types of machines: home machines for making single rolls manually, industrial machines for mass roll production and modern machines made by producers of recut rolls. By far, the most popular home machine was the Leabarjan Perforator. This machine was heavily advertised and had a long life.
Home Machines
The Leabarjan Perforator
On Oct. 7, 1911, the formation of the Leabarjan Manufacturing Company of Hamilton, OH, was announced. The name was derived from parts of each of the foundersÕ names. They were John C. Lease (LEA), Carl Bartels (BAR) and Franz Jansen (JAN). The capitalization was a whopping $1,500 (paltry even for that day). By Dec. 9, 1911, things got rolling and the Music Trade Review (MTR) announced that Leabarjan Òhas begun the manufacture of a special punch for cutting play.er-piano rolls, the invention of Franz Jansen, and which it is claimed, will permit the owner of the player-piano to make his own rolls at home.Ó The company built a new building specif.ically for this purpose and received a patent. By September 1912 Leabarjan was advertising in MTR.
The machine sold for $30. It included paper, spools and supplies. It could cut from one to eight rolls at a time. MTR published a whole column explaining the machine. They wrote: ÒThe machine is not a toy, put on the market to create business, but the direct development of a music-loving mind, to promote a higher standard of the player-piano.Ó
In 1913, Leabarjan announced an attachment with which a 65-note roll could be copied to an 88-note roll and vice-versa. This was important since many people exchanged 65-note for 88-note player pianos. Leabarjan started a special service to cut rolls on demand (for people who did not own a Leabarjan machine themselves). The cost of this service was $2 per roll. Also in 1913, Leabarjan presented an exhibit at the Butler County Fair in its home city of Hamilton, OH. A big banner over their display said, ÒMake Your Own Music Rolls.Ó
In March 1914 Leabarjan announced a new model that simplified the cutting process but broadened its capabilities. The article did not elab.orate how this was done. Throughout 1913 and 1914 Leabarjan ran ads in MTR every month. They were usually display ads which typically cost more than just a text ad. Could this account for the sumptuous editorial coverage received by the company in MTRÕs pages? Come 1914 to 1916, however, there were no more ads for the company (and no coverage, either).
In 1917, Leabarjan began discussing a model that could cut 16 copies of a roll. The company was also excited by the possibility of using its machines to cut rolls for film (photo) players. New rolls could be cut for each film being shown. Leabarjan officials stated at one point that their original model could only output one roll (but that contradicted photos from earlier advertisements where the machine is shown with eight paper spools mean.ing it could cut multiple rolls at once).
In 1918 the company once again placed ads in MTR and the editorial coverage by the magazine suddenly increased! In 1919 J. Lawrence Cook bought a style 5 Leabarjan perforator that he used to make initial copies of his rolls. This increased the companyÕs status.
In 1920 the company seemed to be interested in marketing its machines to music schools and students. That same year Dr. Edward Schaaf created original compositions by punching a roll first (without first writing down the music in the traditional fashion). This tidbit received an entire column in MTR, entitled ÒComposing with the Leabarjan.Ó MTR also reported that the company incorporated ÒThe Leabarjan Sales Corporation,Ó but there was no additional comment on what this new venture was or how it was different than the original company.
In August 1920 Leabarjan announced its model 8 (or industrial model perfo.rator) that could make up to 16 copies of a roll and had the capability to copy master rolls. Despite this innovation, the copying of master rolls was by no means automatic since the punches still had to be located with a stylus. The style 8 cost $150 and the electric Style 8 cost $295.
In March 1921 Leabarjan opened a sales office in Japan. The company moved its New York sales office and set up demonstration stations in many music stores. The article talks about how large the crowds attending these demonstrations were. By 1922 the companyÕs advertisements in MTR became very small. They continued like this for the entire year.
Then an article in Presto magazine on Mar. 5, 1927, reported that the company had been sold to two indi.viduals. The article states:
An effort was made to market the machine to the public, with little effort to interest the music dealers. And the public is not interested in directly making music rolls.
The retail music dealers might have handled the perforator to advantage, but not a large proportion of them knew that it existed. Nevertheless, the machine was so well made and so ingeniously adapted to the work, that it proved a success and has remained an object of musical interest.
It is understood that the new owners of the business will continue to make the perforators in connection with other articles.
Leo F. Bartels wrote an extensive manual on using the Leabarjan perforator and transcribing music to piano rolls. This included encoding various rhythms and note durations. The manual can now be found on the website of the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association (AMICA) in the members-only section. Find it in the original literature under ÒPlayer Pianos.Ó The Vestal Press also reprinted the manual. L. Douglas HendersonÕs former Musical Wonder House, in Wiscasset, ME, once had a collection of Leabarjan perforators but now there are only pictures on its website under Artcraft music rolls at this website address http://wiscasset.net/artcraft/. Douglas wrote an article on the subject in the November-De.cember 1986 issue of the AMICA Bulletin. He has made many rolls himself on a Leabarjan perforator.
As late as the 1940s, Frank Emenaker, a former employee of Lebarjan, continued to make parts and assemble perforators.
The Star Perforator
The Star Perforator was a much more advanced machine than the Leabarjan but it received no attention in the music trade press while it was in production. My thanks go to Ed Gaida for making me aware of this machine and for sharing his photographs of it. In the May 1975 AMICA bulletin Bob Baker wrote a comprehensive article about this machine. This section of my column consists largely of infor.mation from his article. The amazing thing about this machine is that it can punch 88 notes at one time!
Albert Suchy, Jr. was a mechanical engineer and an inventor. After World War I, Suchy and Ernest Hopper began developing a hand-operated machine for punching piano rolls. They were granted a patent in 1922 and proceeded to have a number of roll frames cast and a larger number of the smaller parts machined. On a very limited basis, they had many 88-note punch and die assemblies made. They sold their small perforator on a custom-order basis. Despite being displayed in the John Wannamaker Department Store in Philadelphia, PA, sales were very limited. Production of the Star perforator came to a final close with AlbertÕs death in 1935. The unassembled perforator parts were stored in the basement of the Suchy home from 1935 to 1960, when they were moved to his sonÕs house.
Ernest Hopper died in 1964 and his widow sold the machine that Hopper used plus two other completed models to Carl Barker. The machines had three types of paper advance Ð one for making slots, one for making chain perforations and one to advance the paper without punching. Poised above each of the 88 punches is a small rotat.able lever. All the 88 levers sit on top of the punch ram bar. When any lever is pulled forward, its bottom projec.tion pushes its own punch through the paper roll when the ram bar is pressed down. Punching advances the paper to the next position. You can move as many levers forward as there are holes to punch at one time. It was quite superior to the Leabarjan, which could only punch one hole at a time. The levers looked like a miniature keyboard (painted black or white). There was also a sheet with the scale and the keyboard notes near the levers to make the operation easier. Unlike most other production perfora.tors, say the Acme machine, the Star Perforator unit is not much wider than the paper itself. See the illustrations to get an idea about how the perforator worked.
In October 2007, Paul Manganero wrote in Mechanical Music Digest (https://www.mmdigest.com/) that he had obtained several machines from the Robert Barnes estate. Barnes acquired the machines from Ed Freyer (the maker of recut nickelodeon rolls). Ed Gaida acquired his Star Perforator from Paul Manganero.
Modern Machines
Ed Gaida was a real force in the roll recutting industry for many years. I had an extremely interesting conver.sation with this very intelligent and energetic man. I asked how he got started in mechanical music. He said he first got interested in player pianos. His folks bought a player piano when he was 12 years old. One hundred fifty rolls came with the piano. Ed said he and his brother did their very best to try to play all 150 rolls the first day.
In the 1960s Ed worked for a man (David Griffin) who owned a store that repaired player pianos. They had nickelodeons and coin pianos as well. They found them all over San Antonio, TX, in barns, bars and wherever else they happened to be. The first rolls they got were from J. Lawrence Cook. The rolls had a lot of mistakes and there was Scotch tape over holes and the paper wasnÕt the best (usually it was butcher paper). The first buyers of nickelodeons wanted modern music. So, David contracted with Cook to record ÒBury Me Not on the Lone PrairieÓ and other songs like that.
Ed started his own player piano repair business in June 1976. He rented a store-front building and had a showroom.
In less than six months he had five employees and they were refurbishing player pianos (and selling them) as fast as they could.
Rolls for Busker Organs
Ed first got into perforators when busker organs came into vogue. Every.one was building busker organs and he saw that there would be a demand for the rolls. Ed started punching the rolls out by hand. He did not do any arrang.ing. He paid royalties to the originator of the arrangements. Punching by hand was a very tedious process. In search of a solution to this problem, Ed went to Richardson, TX, to visit the Tonnesens and see their perfora.tor. Ed said, ÒI want to build one of those.Ó Richard Tonnesen replied, ÒI will help you.Ó That was in 1999. The Tonnesens owned the ÒCustom Music Roll Company, LLC.Ó They specialized in high quality Ampico, Duo-Art, Welte and 88-note rolls.
Ed began by buying a milling machine, so he could do his own machining of the perforator parts. He learned machining in his college days. His first perforator only had 20 punches to punch the organ rolls. It was a reciprocating punch and the interposers were activated by solenoids. He used a controller board that was designed by Wayne Stahnke. For the punch files, Ed used StahnkeÕs software suite and then Richard Bran.dleÕs WIND program to edit the rolls and to make them into a file that the perforator could understand. Ed was restoring player pianos at the time and he would run the punch at night.
Nickelodeon Rolls
Sometime around 2001 Ed decided to build a six-to-the-inch perforator, so he could cut nickelodeon (A, G and 4X) rolls. He went back to his shop, built a punch head, then built the frame and all the peripheral parts. Then he needed a way of scanning the rolls. Optical scanning really wasnÕt in much use yet, so Ed built a pneu.matic scanner and Richard Brandle wrote software to run it. It was good software.
The software program allowed the user to enter the desired size of the hole in the paper and the size of the hole in the tracker bar so the scanner could produce accurate readings. When optical scanning was introduced between 2004 and 2005, Canadian Terry Smythe became the main resource of information for people who wanted to build an optical scanner. Ed ordered all the electronic parts from Terry and built a roll trans.port mechanism along with the rest of the machine. This meant that Ed could start producing nickelodeon rolls.
Orchestrelle Rolls
Near that same time period some.one called Ed wanting 58-note Aeolian Orchestrelle rolls. There were several obstacles to producing such rolls. First, the rolls took pin-end flanges. Next, EdÕs punch machine was set up to trim the paper to 11 inches as it punched the music but he needed paper that was exactly 101/8 inches wide. This problem was overcome by locking down two of the punches so that he could get a roll exactly the width he needed. He had a company make the pins for the flanges. He then modified player-piano flanges to accept the pins. Ed sold more Orchestrelle rolls than he did nickelodeon rolls. He sold them all over the world. No one else was making them. Ed sold many to Australia, where there are a lot of Orchestrelles. As business increased, people sent Ed rolls that he could scan. Ed got modern Orchestrelle music from an arranger in the Netherlands (Hiddo van Os). Hiddo was the same arranger that made busker organ files for Ed. Hiddo would send Ed digital MIDI files. Ed asked Hiddo for some medleys. So, Hiddo made Ed a medley using tunes from ÒOklahoma,Ó ÒMy Fair LadyÓ and others.
In September 2010 Ed shut his busi.ness down to take care of his mother who lived 120 miles away. He would still do sporadic work as time permit.ted. Once, someone with a Tangley Calliaphone contacted Ed asking for a roll of the ÒStar Spangled BannerÓ to use in parades. Nobody had ever cut this. Ed arranged it himself and punched it, and as far as Ed knows, it is still being used on the Fourth of July.
Acquiring the Tonnesen operation
In 2013 Ed learned that the Tonnesens were no longer punching rolls because Richard was unable to do the maintenance on the punch. Ed asked Janet Tonnesen if they wanted to sell their business. Richard said to Ed, ÒI want you to have the business.Ó Two days later, Ed flew to Dallas, TX, and stayed with the Tonnesens for five days. He learned how to run the punch and use their scanner. Ed had to clear space in his own shop to accommo.date all this new equipment. He rented a big truck and took everything to San Antonio, TX. ThatÕs when Ed went into 9-to-the-inch roll production business. He would punch Ampico, Duo-Art, Welte, 88-note and Recordo rolls.
Technical Considerations and Software
Richard Tonnesen was a real pioneer. He built his roll reader in 1976, three years before he built the punch. Technical information about the Tonnesen system is provided in the next section of this article. Ed used TonnesenÕs Linux software for about a year and a half, but then Rich.ard Brandle wrote a piece of software that allowed Ed to run TonnesenÕs program from the command prompt on Windows machines. Later, Brandle decided to write a much more flexible software suite. He continued to make updates, which then allowed Ed to punch a file from many sources (MIDI, Tonnesen format and others). Ed had Richard add a feature for O rolls where the tympani would be two punches, the bass drum was three punches and a single tap of the snare drum was one single punch. This greatly improved the accuracy of the percussion.
Richard also took care of problems involving chain perforations. If you look at a Capitol A roll, the sustaining pedal track has no chain bridging. It is just a slot. The soft pedal, the extra instrument and mandolin rails are all chained. All of this can be specified in the RichardÕs WIND program. One drawback to the Tonnesen system was that once a roll was started it could not be stopped, but that seemed a minor inconvenience.
Ed was able to print leaders with a Hewlett-Packard printer that allowed you to feed paper from the back and it would come out the front. Duo-Art rolls required Òsnake biteÓ punches (close together). The Tonnesen perfo.rator did this by punching two holes side-by-side.
The Market for Music Rolls
When Ed first started selling rolls, it was mainly to collectors, and nobody really knew he was doing it. Then he started selling rolls on eBay and every.one knew that Ed was making rolls and they would contact him directly. Then Ed stopped and then he started making rolls again. He completely tore his perforator apart and installed new punch heads, solenoids, etc. Shortly before he quit the business for good, decreased demand had him only punching four copies per roll instead of the eight copies he used to produce. If he sold all four copies and there as a request for more, he would punch another four. At the end of his busi.ness, Ed found the biggest demand were for 4X and late G rolls. He would take orders from the old-timers (like me), but he said he was also getting orders from people unknown to him. Ed had one customer who was only 21 years old. Sometimes, he said he sold rolls so quickly he didnÕt have time to put them on the website. (The website no longer exists.)
The demand for rolls has now built up again since there has not been a lot of production of nickelodeon rolls lately.
Carl Lambie has been making a few rolls for Dave Ramey, Jr., and thatÕs about it. Ed said he thinks that if more people start producing rolls it will generate interest. A collector friend of EdÕs told him once that Ed was saving instruments by punching rolls, but Ed responded with, ÒNo, IÕm saving music.Ó This specific collector told Ed that in 30 years there might be a resurgence of interest and instrument owners would need rolls for their instruments to play. He surmised that none of the current digital formats would be around, so a paper copy would be excellent insurance. Ed called it Òpreserving music by punch.ing holes in paper.Ó
I mentioned to Ed that original nick.elodeon rolls have lasted a long time. He said itÕs because of the excellent paper they were cut from. He believes poor quality paper produces most problems with nickelodeon rolls. Like Bob Billings, Ed used paper from Burrows (now owned by Twin Rivers Paper Company) but he used the paper the company sells for wrapping hamburgers. He said he found it to be extremely stable under varying humidity conditions.
Ampico Rolls
Larry Givens was the first person to buy original Ampico perforators. He sold them to Harold Powell in Cali.fornia. Bill Flynt coded some modern music for Ampico that Harold sold. Bill also transcribed Duo-Art rolls to Ampico. When Ed did a retrospective on Bill FlyntÕs work, he called Bill on the phone and got Bill to sign ÒBest wishes, Bill Flynt.Ó Ed made this into a rubber stamp and put this on the leader of every roll (just like in the old days). Ed purchased about 40 rolls that Bill had coded and some of the transcribed rolls. Since it had been so long since these rolls were available, Ed sold out of them quickly. Richard Groman was next in line to buy the Ampico perforators. Groman once had Play-Rite nickelodeon rolls cut for him by Harold before he got the perforators himself.
Dave Saul was another person who cut Ampico rolls for some time. When Dave quit making rolls, Ed called him to ask what he would do with his perforator. Dave told Ed, ÒIÕm going to keep it because I donÕt want to spend the rest of my life on the telephone doing tech support.Ó
Roll Quality
One thing Ed and I discussed was the issue of quality found in some of the older recut rolls. Ed said he once visited Ed Freyer. What puzzled Ed Gaida (and myself) most was why Ed Freyer used a perforator that punched the holes so small. They were more like nine-to-the-inch holes with six-to-the-inch spacing. Similarly, another former roll recutter, Don Rand, made rolls with punches that were one hole off so that you would have to move an instrumentÕs tracker bar to play a Rand roll.
Richard and Janet Tonnesen
IÕm going to back up a bit here for a moment and talk a little more about Richard and Janet Tonnesen who made high quality rolls for many years. Their technology was really the foundation for all the modern machines that followed. I gratefully acknowledge Mechanical Music Digest (https://www.mmdigest.com/) for granting permission to use their text and photos in this article. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Ed Gaida who supplied photographs.
Richard provided this very interest.ing account of his life:
Hello to all…
In keeping with the spirit of this list, I will briefly introduce myself. I already know many of you through AMICA, but this is a good forum to meet others with similar interests.
I joined AMICA in 1972 and bought a Weber Duo-Art grand a few months later. I started to look for a good way to apply computer technology to automatic music, either to preserv.ing the music in machine readable files, or perhaps to operating a piano in real time from computer files. I quickly decided that it would be too much work, too expensive, and too inconvenient to have a minicomputer attached to a piano, so I started to consider building a computer-op.erated roll reader and companion punch. It took several years, but I designed and built a 100-channel roll reader based on pneumatic switches, and a 100-channel roll punch. Both were operated by a 16-bit mini.computer (one at a time) and used punched paper tape as an interme.diate storage mechanism. The roll punch operates at 15 steps per second and punches 45 steps per inch. The reader operates at about two feet per minute. In the reader, the paper is driven by rubber covered capstans which generate a clock signal as they turn to provide equally spaced samples regardless of reading speed. The system was complete in 1979 and used an Interdata 7/16 minicom.puter with 16Kb of core memory that I purchased at a bankruptcy auction. Late in the 80s, I converted the main logic of the reader control program to run on a Macintosh computer and converted the real-time part (scan.ning contacts and synchronizing with paper motion) to run on an Intel 8031 microcomputer. My main goal was to take advantage of disk storage instead of paper tape and to use the on- screen display capability to edit roll images. As the years went by, the Interdata machine failed and was beyond economical repair, so I had to convert the punch program to the Mac. I got a second Mac so I could run the reader and the punch at the same time. I had initially written a primitive editor to run on the Mac, but recently have been using an editing program written by Richard Brandle of Dallas. The new program features conversion of the various reproducing roll data formats to MIDI output by emulation of the reproduc.ing mechanism.
Roll reading is one of my favorite subjects. It seems to be very fashion.able lately but is harder than many seem to realize. What are the require.ments for a transcription quality reader? How many samples per inch is enough? How fast is fast enough? How can you tell when you have a good file short of punching a new copy and comparing the original and copy end-to-end, hole-for-hole?
The roll reader
The reader has a 100-hole tracker bar connected to 100 vacuum-op.erated switches. Paper tension is maintained by separate torque motors on the supply and take-up spools. The paper is advanced by capstan rollers which generate a clock signal each time the paper has advanced the selected distance. This triggers the input circuit to sample the state of the switches. The reader program reads the switch state and generates a perforator control file. The file records a start and stop event for each hole but does not preserve chain bridging or any visual information from the roll.
The music roll in the transcribing assembly is moved by rotating iden.tical capstans above and below the tracker bar. The paper wraps about one-quarter turn around each rubber-coated capstan; a pressure roller is not used. One hundred hoses from the brass tracker bar connect to vacuum operated pneumatic pouches which operate tiny wire switch contacts. A rotating shutter connected to the paper drive system interrupts a light beam at each 0.022 inch of paper travel. This signal causes the elec.tronic commutator circuit to read the state of the pouch switches. The tran.scriber system has been in continuous use since 1979, and it requires no more maintenance than a well-maintained player piano.
Figure 9 shows the right side of the reader. Two AC torque motors are mounted on an aluminum plate. Both apply torque to turn clockwise as seen from this end. The upper motor has a low voltage applied, and supplies pay-out tension to the supply spool as it unwinds against the torque. The lower motor turns the take-up spool clockwise. It is operated at nearly maximum torque because it drives a much larger diameter spool. Driving this spool clockwise increases the angle of wrap around the lower capstan roller and provides an increas.ing angle of wrap as the take-up spool gets full during the reading process. This helps prevent paper slipping on the capstan. The variable transform.ers to the left provide power to the torque motors. The paper is pulled by the capstan rollers. These are driven by the variable speed DC motor at the bottom. It drives the lower capstan by a toothed belt. That capstan drives the upper capstan via a second toothed belt and equal-sized pulleys.
Figure 10 is a close-up of the vari.able speed DC motor showing an optical disk attached to the end of the armature shaft. This disk interrupts the light passing between the arms of the sensor mounted at the bottom. This sensor generates corresponding electronic pulses which are related to the paper motion. The pulses control the sampling of the reader contacts so that the sampling distance is equal to the step advance on the punch. Thus, the paper may be driven at any speed or be stopped and restarted, and still be sampled at exactly the selected spacing.
The wooden contact blocks at the top were the very first part of the whole project to be built. Vacuum is supplied to each block through a manifold at the top. Tubes from the tracker bar enter the front side of the blocks. Red wires from the contacts are routed down the back to the electronic boards. A small single-board computer at the left generates scanning signals to read the state of the contacts. If a change of state is detected, the computer gener.ates an ON or OFF event code for the appropriate channel. These events are queued in the computer until they can be sent to the reader program in the control computer, which eventually writes the output file on disk.
Each tube from the tracker bar is connected to a 1-inch diameter pouch in the lower part of the block. The pouch pushes up on a 1/8-inch wooden dowel which slides up through a brass tube in the top block. A 1/4-inch leather disk is glued to the top of the dowel on the outside. The contact assemblies are mounted on the outside of the pouch boards where the wooden dowel pushes the lower contact up against the upper one. The contacts can be cleaned and adjusted as needed. The lower contact is 3/16-inch phosphor bronze. It provides the restoring force to the pouch. The upper contact is a u-shaped piece of silver wire. When the contacts are closed, the lower part and the upper part have a different radius. This provides a scraping motion at the point of contact, which helps keep them clean. The contacts are operated at 21 volts DC.
The Roll Punch
A bank of 50 solenoids is at each side of the punch assembly. In Figure 17, the end of the main crankshaft can be seen to the left of the main drive motor. Below the motor is the isolation transformer. Richard had to add it to keep the motor starting transient from crashing the computer in the punch. Five or six sheets of paper are pulled by two crown-faced iron pulleys which are held against the paper (and each other) by two screws that mash the bottom pulley against the top one. The 3/4-inch pulley shafts become slightly bowed from the force. Since the paper advance per step is small (.022 inch) it is not necessary to stop the capstan drive while punching Ñ the paper simply stretches slightly.
Wires from the solenoids pull the interposers into the gap between the punches and the oscillating ram. The vertical wires are return springs.
Figure 15 shows the pull wires alternating with the return springs. The interposer bar is shown with centering spring on the left and pull wire on the right. The bar at the top of the interposer bar represents the punch ram that pushes the interposer bars and punches down on the down stroke of the punch cycle. The notch in the interposer is aligned with the head of the punch as it normally is at the start of a non-punching down stroke.
The punch head slips up into the notch on the down stroke, and there.fore does not get pushed down far enough to penetrate the paper.
To punch a hole, the interposer bar is pulled to the right so that the solid part of the bar is over the punch head. This forces the punch down and through the paper on the down stroke. On the up stroke, the whole interposer assembly is lifted. This causes the punch heads to seat in a recess in the interposer support bar. This allows the solenoids or the return springs to move the interposer without having the bar catch on the punch head as it moves to its new position.
There are flat face iron pulleys for flywheels. The square counterweight bar at the bottom, below the crank.shaft, weighs the same as the punch ram in the upper assembly. The coun.terweight is moved the same distance as the ram on each rotation of the crankshaft, but it is 180 degrees out of phase to cancel the vibration. The main shaft turns at 15 revolutions per second.
Conclusion
This concludes the second part of my series on perforators. Some of the information may be a bit technical, but virtually nothing has been written on the subject in more than 20 years and itÕs important to preserve all this information.

Figure 1: Leabarjan 1912 ad – Music Trade Review.

Figure 2: Leabarjan 1920 ad – Music Trade Review.

Figure 3: Leabarjan Style 5 Perforator.

Figure 4: Star Perforator.

Figure 5: Star Perforator – closeup view.

Figure 6: Ed Gaida by his perforator.

Figure 7: Ed GaidaÕs perforator.

Figure 8: The roll reader.

Figure 10. Paper Motion Clock.

Figure 9: Reader paper drive.

Figure 11: Back of roll reader.

Figure 12: Close-up of reader contacts.

Figure 14: The punch assembly.

Figure 13: The perforator assembly.

Figure 15: Close-up of the punch assembly.

Figure 16: Interposer bar detail.

Figure 17: The perforator drive motor and the main crankshaft.

Email Matt Jaro at mjaro@verizon.net if you would like any information about style ÒAÓ, ÒGÓ, Ò4XÓ, ÒHÓ or ÒOÓ rolls. Also, comments and suggestions for this column will be appreciated.
Reprinted with permission of the author and The Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association (AMICA). Originally printed in the March/April 2018 issue of The AMICA Bulletin.

The Pietschmann Firm of Berlin

(Part IV)

Reflection at Several Mirrors

By Dr. Albert Lštz

On Aug. 4, 1894, the following report appeared in Musical Instruments Journal:11. Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-1894), p. 829.

ÒThe music-shop G. Tschentscher22. G. Tschentscher, music shop, 19 Alte Schšnhauserstr. (Berlin-Center).
in Berlin is exhibiting a surpris.ing novelty in its window. It is a mechanical musical instrument put on the market by the well-known Berlin Musical Instruments Factory (formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons). The instrument has the shape of an elegant cabinet with built-in niche, and is driven by a motor (gas, petroleum, spirit etc.). The tempo can be regulated faster or slower by an ingenious device, while the dynamics from soft piano to loud forte are played by a swell box. The music sounds quite beautifully, each note is played clearly. An artificial bunch of flowers moving mechanically in the niche fascinates the spectators. The device is designed in such a way that the colours of the individual flowers are refracted in a thousand ways by prismatically arranged mirror plates, and then emitted again.Ó
The high multiplication of the indi.vidual flowers obviously reminded the editor of the effects that are visible in a kaleidoscope because he used the term Òprismatically arranged mirror plates,Ó and these are a characteristic feature of the kaleidoscope invented in 1816. He obviously assumed their presence in the exhibited device. The expression Òthe colours É are refracted in a thousand waysÓ suggests refraction, however this would have imaged the different colour compo.nents of the flowers at different spots in the eyes of the spectator, and thus would have resulted in distorted and blurred images of the flowers. Obvi.ously, refraction was confused with reflection.
Figure 59 shows a kaleidoscope assembled from three mirror plates (aluminium foil on polystyrene plates33. Obtained from Modulor GmbH (Berlin). For a qualitative demonstration of mirror effects, these polystyrene plates of 1 mm thickness, laminated with aluminium foil, can be used quite simply. They can be cut with plate-shears and mirror well, yet do not have such a perfectly smooth surface as mirror glass does. For a first-class kaleidoscope, glass mirrors should be used that have their metal layer upon, not below the glass plate.
) in form of a prisma on the left side. The photo on the right side was taken by a camera whose lens was inserted into one of the two openings of the kaleidoscope while a little artificial rose was lying inside on the paper that served to block the opposite opening. Simultaneously, an LED flashlight held close to the camera illuminated the interior of the prisma. Normally in kaleidoscopes, a chamber with transparent windows containing small multicoloured objects is fixed in front of the closed end, and the chamber is illuminated through this window, while the observer looks through the other opening of the kaleidoscope. In Figure 59, the focus of the camera was set in such a way that only the original rose and a few of its reflections in the neighbourhood were photographed. The original rose appears in the first row with complete triangles from above, and in the third complete triangle from the left, with the rows not running horizontally but inclined clockwise by about 10 degrees. In the next row below, the rose in the first triangle from the left is nearly invisible when the axis of vision is perpendicu.lar to the plane of triangles while the rose appears when this axis deviates from that orientation. The physical cause for this will be given below.
The multiplication of the rose results by reflections of higher order, i.e. mirror images of the original object (reflections of first order) are again reflected (reflections of second order) which can be reflected anew, and so on. The specific circumstances of the case determine how many reflections will be possible. These multiple consecutive reflections of moving objects at two or more mirrors, combined with a cylinder music box, were favourite show pieces of the 19th century delighting eyes and ears (Figure 60).
As early as the middle of the 17th century the director of the papal collections, Athanasius Kircher, had specified the number of reflections at two mirrors forming an angle of 360 degrees divided by n, where n is an integer, and with the position of the mirrored objects on the angle bisector.44. Athanasius Kircher, Ars magna lucis et umbrae (Rome, 1646), p. 890.
The theory of reflection of objects at two mirrors for any case was published first in a French scien.tific journal of 1850,55. M.A.Bertin, Sur les images multiples dÕun objet placŽ entre deux miroirs plans inclinŽs lÕun sur lÕautre [On the Manifold of Images of an Object placed between Two Mirrors forming an Angle], Annales de chimie et de physique, 3e sŽrie, Tome XXIX (Paris, 1850), p. 257.
where the author developed a graphical procedure for the easy determination of the number and position of the mirror images. The scheme of Figure 61 is valid for the case when the two mirrors form an angle of 60 degrees, as is the case in the kaleidoscope of Figure 59. Three real objects appear below the two bold lines indicating the mirrors. The full circles and their inscribed numbers indicate the position and the order of the reflections, the full semicircles their orientation. The circles of zeroth order are real objects. An object and its mirror image are equidistant from the mirror and lie on a straight line perpendicular to the mirror. Let us follow the series of mirror images in one representative case. The object on the angle bisector (blue/yellow, 0) is reflected at the left mirror, and its mirror image of the first order (blue/yellow, 1) appears to stand behind the left mirror. In the next step, this mirror image is reflected at the right mirror, because even an image located sideways in front of a mirror can be reflected. The resulting mirror image of the second order is indicated by the right circle of the two blue/yellow circles with the number 2. In the third step this mirror image is again mirrored at the left mirror creating mirror image 3 on top of the circle with the object and its mirror images. This image cannot be reflected at the right mirror once more because it is located at the back of the right mirror, or expressed differently, this mirror image sees the non-reflecting rear side of the right mirror. This means, the series of reflections is finite. The series of reflections proceeds correspond.ingly when the object is reflected first at the right mirror. The final mirror image of third order is generated exactly at the same place as that of the first series. The reflections of the two other objects (red/green and light blue/violet) can easily be understood according to the same principles.
As a general rule, it can be stated that with 360 degrees divided by n as the angle between the mirrors, and n being integer, the object appears n times, be it as original or mirror image, if n is even or the object located on the angle bisector. Else, the number of appearances of an object can be higher by one or two units, with non-integer n replaced by the next lower integer number.
Certain mirror images may be visible only in a small range of angles of sight. This phenomenon was explained in a publication of 1874 which also derived mathematical formulae for the posi.tions and number of mirror images.66. H. Klein, Ueber die Anzahl der Bilder bei zwei gegeneinander geneigten Planspiegeln [On the Number of Mirror Images at Two Plane Mirrors inclined against each other], Annalen der Physik und Chemie, Bd. 228 (Leipzig, 1874), p. 506.
The range of visibility is given by the two straight lines running through the mirror image and the edges of the mirror that created the mirror image. In Figure 61, these ranges of visibility are indicated in yellow for the image of third order generated by the left mirror. It is clear that this mirror image can only be observed in the left half of the 60 degree angle between the two mirrors, or the right half in the other series starting with reflection at the right mirror. In both cases there is a limit of visibility along the bisector of the 60-degree-angle. If the two mirrors do not fit perfectly, with a non-mirror.ing gap along their line of intersection, the mirror image of third order will not or only partially be visible when observed along the bisector. This is the case in Figure 59. The triangle with the real rose has three neighboured triangles that have only one vertex in common with the triangle of the real rose. In all these neighboured triangles the gaps between the mirrors (adhesive tape) is visible. The rose is not placed exactly on all three bisectors of its triangle, but only on the bisector starting at the common vertex with the left triangle. This left triangle contains the reflection of third order (see Figure 61), and thus the rose (nearly) disappears. When one of the three mirrors of the kaleidoscope is covered with white paper, just six triangles with one common vertex appear, corresponding to the blue/yellow part of Figure 61. When the third mirror is not covered, the image generated by the two other mirrors is reflected at the third mirror, and the reflections thus resulting are reflected again at the two other mirrors etc. so that an infinitely extended plane is generated.
ÒMissingÓ mirror images also exist in the case of the music box of Figure 60. Figure 62 shows the scheme of reflections for a configuration of two mirrors forming an angle of 100 degrees. Thirteen ballerinas are expected from the scheme, but only 11 can be seen in Figure 60 looking along the bisector of the angle, because the limits of visibility of the two blue/yellow mirror images of second order do not enclose the viewing direction. These two ÒmissingÓ mirror images will, however, be visible when the scene is viewed from the right or left corner of the stage with the ballerinas.
Quite a complicated arrangement of mirrors for a miniature ice-rink was presented in the U.S. patent 91437 of 1869 by Cordelia C. Hall (Figure 63). The numerous reflections could be viewed from above through the open arches. The patent specification mentioned that mirror arrangements with moving figures were already quite well known. A high multiplica.tion of figures by multiple reflection may often be desirable for keeping the number of mechanically moved figures as small as possible. Yet the construction of such a complicated system of mirrors as in Figure 63 is disadvantageous. According to the rule above, the number of mirror images (n) should be very high, when two mirrors are nearly parallel. Such an arrangement appears to have been the ÒIllusions-Musik-AutomatÓ exhib.ited by the Leipzig wholesaler Peters at the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1895,77. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 881.
and depicted in a catalogue of the choco.late factory Stollwerck of Cologne.88. Preisliste der Deutschen Automaten-Ge.sellschaft Stollwerck & Cie Kšln [Price List of the German Society for Slot-Machines, Stollwerck & Cie, Cologne], CD ÒHolzweissig & Zuleger Gro§handelskatalogeÓ [Holzweissig & Zuleger wholesaler catalogues], Musikmu.seum Werner Baus (Helsa-Eschenstruth near Kassel, 2016), p. 89.
According to the catalogue descrip.tion, the device had just two dancing dolls, yet a whole ballet company appeared to be present. The rather small optical show piece with a width of about 13 centimeters and a height of twice the width was incorporated in a large cabinet of 80 centimeters width and 240 centimeters height that was also equipped with a Swiss cylinder music box. Four vertical mirrors were arranged like the letter ÒMÓ with its middle part not drawn down to the bottom line. Between two nearly parallel door wings, opened towards the spectator, and covered inside with mirrors, there were two mirrors in the background inclined by 45 degrees to the door wings. The numerous mirror images of the door wings were reflected to the spectator by the two other mirrors. Just one dancer showed her art in each of the two corners formed by the mirrors.
Yet the ÒPalais des IllusionsÓ by architect E. HŽnard at the 1900 Paris World Exposition, carried it to extremes (Figure 64). The long colonnades are all mirror images except each first arch of the vaults, as the ground plan reveals (Figure 65). The exterior hallway was accessible only to the technical service workers. The interior hall had a diameter of 23 meters and could hold 1,000 people. The walls were completely covered by mirror plates of about 3 meters by 4 meters, 12 of them for each edge of the hexagon. In addition to the numer.ous sources of light in the hall (even the ÒcolumnsÓ could be illuminated from within with different colours), light streamed through six large floor openings bordered by low wooden walls. The performances of 10 minutes duration showed spectacular light effects, and finally a dance of artificial butterflies and dragon-flies with a span of 90 centimeters. This highlight of the exposition was observed by more than 22,000 people per day.99. Alfred Picard, Exposition universelle internationale de 1900 ˆ Paris. Rapport gŽnŽral administratif et technique, Tome troisime (Paris, 1903), p. 56.
A smaller mirror hall of the same kind exists still today in the waxworks MusŽe GrŽvin (Paris).
Athanasius Kircher already had a similar idea when he described and depicted a cabinet housed in Villa Borghese in Rome that was completely covered with mirrors inside (Figure 66). The cabinet was equipped with a barrel whose cross section was a regular polygon instead of a circle. The barrel could be turned so that one of the planes forming its surface was positioned opposite to the mirrors. Various small objects were fixed at these surfaces, and thus a few artificial miniature trees were turned into a wood, a few jewels into a treasury, and a few books into a library. Kircher proposed the princely readers of his book the construction of a room with 6 meter length and 4.50 meter height covered by mirrors that would provide unique apperceptions to persons walking inside.1010. Athanasius Kircher, op.cit., p. 895.

The Flower-Reflector-Manopan
The Flower-Reflector-Manopan was
depicted for the first time in a Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung article reporting from the Berlin Autumn Fair 1894. This depiction can be found in Part III (Figure 45, right) of this series of articles on the Pietschmann firm of Berlin. A short time later, an adver.tisement appeared in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau that also depicted the Flower-Reflector-Manopan (Figure 67, Page 35). The text on the Berlin Autumn Fair said:
3. The Reflector Ð Manopan
The Motor-Orchester just described is also manufactured in a variety called ÔReflektor-ManopanÕ. The accompanying instruments are replaced by a circular prismatic mirror in front of which a bunch of flowers or a coloured object rotates automatically so that a wonderful reflection of colours results. This effect can be doubled by increased exterior illumination, e.g. by placing a gas flame in front of the mirror. The instrument arranged in that style is excellently suited for shop-win.dows, for advertising, generally for attracting the public. The operation of the motor is the same as that of the Motor-Manopan I, and the common Manopan music M.A.B is used for this instrument. The 24 half-double reeds are made from best music steel and produce quite a strong trumpet-like sound, because the instrument is equipped with special resonating cavities. The dimensions are exactly as those of the Motor-Orchestrion.1111. Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-1894), p. 948.

According to the above quoted description, the Motor-Orchestrion had a width of 66 centimeters (proba.bly measured at the inferior part of the cabinet). Thus, from the depiction, the diameter of the reflector between the exterior ends of the mirror segments can be estimated at 40 centimeters, and the diameter including the deco.rations of the exterior brim at 46 centimeters.
The text of the advertisement in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau in Figure 67 does not give any details on the reflector, while the above quoted text from Musik-Instrumenten-Zei.tung mentions a Òcircular prismaticÓ mirror. This term that is contradictory in itself is not cleared up by the depiction of the reflector. The word ÒprismaticÓ was probably meant as Òkaleidoscope-likeÓ as in the report on the shop window of the Berlin music shop Tschentscher quoted at the beginning of Part IV of this series. In any case, it is clear from the text and the depiction that an artificial bunch of flowers rotated in the center of the reflector. The bunch of flowers could also be replaced by a multico.loured object that caused interesting reflections in the mirror. Because the reflector made the best effect when it was illuminated with a gas flame, neither the bunch of flowers nor the multicoloured object can have emitted light. The text of the utility model that Berlin Musical Instruments Factory was granted for the reflector is not helpful in fully explaining the mechanism:
No. 27980. Mechanical musical instrument with a reflector in whose center a bunch of flowers or something similar is mounted on a rotatable shaft. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc, formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons in Berlin N., Brunnenstr. 25, 4. July 1894. Ñ B. 3015.1212. DRGM [Imperial German utility model], Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 791.

The 23 segments of the reflector appear to lie in a plane, and to be sepa.rated by radial walls of small height perpendicular to the plane. The profile of each segment perpendicular to the radius of the reflector would thus be a rectangle without upper edge whose width increased with larger radius. In that case, the two radial walls enclos.ing each segment would form an angle of 360 degrees divided by 23. It is clear from the previous discussion of reflec.tion at two mirrors that an object on the angle bisector should appear 23 times by reflection at the two radial walls. Further reflections would result by a mirror on the bottom of each segment. Yet these mirror images would approach the intersection lines of the mirrors with increasing order of reflection. The opposite course from the center of the reflector to the outer end of the segments, as necessary for the flower-reflector, is not possible.
The assumption that the reflector might have had the form of a cone is suggested by the gramophones with the name ÒHeloisophonÓ that were sold by the firm Ludwig Bracker of Hanau (an industrial town 20 kilometers east of Frankfurt) from 1908.1313. Phonographische Zeitschrift (Berlin, 1908), p. 1049.
Their horns were designed like the reflector shown in Figure 68. A comparison of the flower-reflector of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory and of the Heloisophon of the firm Bracker (Figure 69) shows how similarly the segments of the reflectors with their interplay of light and shadow were drawn by the two artists so that an equal principle of construction appears to be present in both cases. In fact, such a device was patented with the name ÒKaleidoscopic LanternÓ by Frederick Hartmann in 1874 (U.S. patent No. 155085, Figure 70 left). The reflector, A, was illuminated by a burn.ing wick, E, and a small reflector, D. The wick was supplied with a combus.tible liquid from the area marked with a C. The parts, F, were coloured glass plates. In 1913, Karl Edison filed a patent for a device that was constructed essentially like the reflec.tor by Bracker but could additionally be rotated about a vertical axis (U.S. patent No. 1071900, Figure 70 right). Karl Edison had been granted a patent with a similar reflector moving back and forth already in 1912 (U.S. patent No. 1014958). While the reflector of the two patents of Karl Edison had single strip-like segments, the segments of the patent from 1874 consisted of several staggered parts, and this facetted design resulted in corre.spondingly more reflections. Each facet reflected the object forward to the spectator, the difference between these reflections being the individual sight of the object by the correspond.ing facet. These reflectors yield only reflections of first order from every segment. Reflections of higher order resulting from adjacent segments can be excluded, because the angles of inclination between the segments are too large. Reflections of higher order by segments on opposite sides of the cone are cut off by the reflected object on the axis of the cone.
Because there was hardly any hope of finding a surviving flower-reflector, a reconstruction was performed from paper, cardboard, the mirror foil on polystyrene plates above mentioned in connection with the kaleidoscope, and small textile roses. The recon.struction is approximately half as large as the historical original and has a diameter of 21 centimeters, the decorative white brim not taken into account (Figure 71, Page 38). The reflector has the form of a conus with an aperture of exactly 90 degrees so that all mirror images lie in one plane perpendicular to the axis of the cone and running through its apex. From the photo, it can therefore practically not be inferred that the reflector is a conus.
Wonder Lamps, Artificial Flames, and Displaying Peacocks
It appears that Berlin Musical Instruments Factory was not the only manufacturer who put an effective optical device of this kind on the market, but it probably was the first one. In 1899, Fabrik Leipziger Musik.werke filed the following model of utility:
No. 127508 Automatically or by other appropriate means driven mechanical musical instrument that images suitably mounted moveable or unmoved objects by a concave mirror. Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments formerly Paul Ehrlich & Co. Inc., Leipzig-Gohlis. 13. 12. 99. Ñ. F. 6291.1414. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1899-1900), p. 357.

This firm obviously exhibited a product with this device at the Leipzig Easter Fair 1900:
We first mention an automaton with images in form of a childrenÕs billards as one of the novelties. The objects are reflected at a mirror that is illuminated by a lamp in the evening. The effect is new and inventive.1515. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1899-1900), p. 492.

At the Leipzig Easter Fair 1903, the report from the stand of the orches.trion factory Franz Hanke & Co. of Berlin, 82 Chausseestr., said:
The major of the two mechanical musical instruments makes a great show by exhibiting a rich splendour of mirrors, gilding, paintings and electric bulbs. A female figure with a garland of small electric bulbs in the center niche moves to and fro, and is presented quite beautifully by mirror plates covering the walls of the niche, thus reflecting the figure multiply from all sides.1616. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p. 473.

The archive of Deutsches Museum in Munich possesses a catalogue of the firm Ludwig Bracker already mentioned above. Ludwig Bracker at Hanau on the river Main, 43 Hospi.talstr., was a factory for devices of illuminated advertising and for special illumination effects. The firm had three departments making Òwonder lampsÓ, gramophones with light effects, and wind-rotated advertising. The catalogue from 1910 with 30 profusely illustrated pages in black-and-white1717. Unfortunately, the text and the figures faded to light violet, probably by a treatment against mildew a few years ago. This could be brought back to near the original state by digital treatment of scans. An enclosed page of smaller dimension has been preserved in perfect state.
writes about the wonder lamps that corresponded to the flower-reflector, but had coloured light sources of their own:
It must be appreciated that the inventor of the Òcolour-reflecting wonder lampÓ has managed to combine the four basic principles for effective advertising, namely auto.matic mechanical movement, light, change of colours, and mirroring in quite an effective and perfect way. The resulting device is exceedingly impressive, and because its mecha.nism is an absolute enigma for the spectator, the advertising effect is further increased. It is simply impos.sible for the passer-by to not stop at a shop-window presenting a wonder lamp.1818. Ludwig Bracker, Hanau a. Main, Fabrik fŸr Lichtreklame-Apparate und Effektbeleuchtung [Factory for illuminated advertising and special illumination effects], catalogue (c. 1910), Archive of the Deutsches Museum, Munich, p. I.

The catalogue quotes from journals:
Now he looks up, and is dumb.founded with delight seeing this view that is beautiful beyond every imagination. On the reflector, there is a stream of vivid and multicoloured fire that spreads as in a kaleidoscope, always returns, and shows new beauty again. (Hamburg Trade and Export Journal) A phantastic play of colours is generated on the reflector, like in a kaleidoscope, that rolls by as if it were a stream of fire. (The Department Store, Berlin).1919. Ludwig Bracker, op.cit., p. II.

The firm delivered wonder lamps with rotation of the coloured lamp shade about a horizontal axis for electric bulbs, and with rotation of a ring-like shade around a vertically burning flame supplied with gas, petroleum, or acetylene. The heated gases from the flame turned the shade by means of a screw wheel. A gramo.phone with a shade of the latter kind is on exhibit in Deutsches Phonomu.seum St. Georgen in the Black Forest. The Bracker catalogue said that many thousand wonder lamps had already been delivered to all countries on earth in the course of the years. The reflectors had diameters from 15 to 64 centimeters, and cost from 33 to 115 Mark. One wonder lamp with a reflector of 18 centimeters diameter and illumination by flame was offered as Òtravel modelÓ.2020. Ludwig Bracker, op.cit., ÒModell 7Ó on an inserted smaller page.
Various models of shades were offered, mostly set with coloured glass chunks, but also painted with flowers, or made from blossom-like glass pieces mounted on a wire support. Figure 72 shows the wonder lamp of an orchestrion with blossoms directly painted onto the electric bulb.
Another light effect offered by Bracker was an artificial flame. A vertical glass cylinder was painted with the colours of fire, and rotated directly underneath a flat, irregularly indented, and horizontal glass star of fourfold diameter. A polished metal screen formed like a flame and of smaller diameter than the star was mounted above the latter. The flick.ering light movement in the glass star was reflected at this screen.
A special highlight of the Bracker series of products was depicted in the catalogue in front and side view and described in the following way:
One of the most beautiful light effect devices which is excellently suited for decoration of mechanical musical instruments consists of the body of a peacock, cast from zinc and painted in natural colours. The rear part of the peacock body cannot be seen from outside. It is an artistically painted glass shade in the form of a truncated cone. Illuminated from inside, its light is reflected by 17 radially arranged mirror facettes, thus presenting as many of the well-known wonderful feathers from the peacockÕs fan, the most beautiful and proudest feature of all birds. In a similar way as with the so-called orchestrion wonder lamps, the lamp shade is turned by a belt and pulley hidden behind the mounting board, thus moving the image on the reflec.tor (peacockÕs fan), and imitating the vibration of the feathers of the real peacock. Diameter of the reflector (peacockÕs fan) c. 50 cm, price 100 Mark.2121. Ludwig Bracker, op.cit., p. 6 (new page numbering in the chapter ÒWunderlampen fŸr MusikwerkeÓ).

Figure 73 shows such a peacock in an orchestrion of the firm Philipps. On the photo, the painted truncated cone of the lamp shade, which projects the peacockÕs feathers onto the reflector, can clearly be seen behind the front part of the peacockÕs body. It appears that a mechanical musical instrument with such a peacock was exhibited for the first time at the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1903 by the wholesaler Holzweissig:
In view of our preliminary report from the fair, we can wave a listing of the items exhibited. Instead, we would like to point out to just one extraordinary specialty of the firm, something exceedingly charming and new, that has been set up behind a locked door, withdrawn from the eyes of common people, in a specially arranged ground floor room. It is a large orchestrion, called ÒMusicaÓ which has been equipped with really charming light effects fascinating the spectator to such a degree that he would not like to turn away his eyes. É Ahead, at the front side, a black corrugated glass pane can be seen. When the instrument has been set in motion (electric drive and accumula.tor), suddenly a peacock in wonderful iridescent colours appears behind the black glass pane. The peacock moves and displays, then folds up his feathers again, and finally vanishes completely.2222. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p. 977.

Figure 74 shows the instrument, on the left image before the peacock appears, on the right during the peacockÕs appearance. This device could also be purchased as a pediment for automatic pianos in 1906.2323. Fabrik aller Arten Musikwaaren [Factory of Musical Merchandise of all Kind], Ernst Holzweissig Nachfolger, catalogue (Leipzig, 1906-1907), p. 31.
The English and French descriptions of the peacock in the Holzweissig cata.logue speak of reflection of colours, while the Spanish text describes it as a Òreal peacockÓ so that the peacock must have been present as a three-di.mensional object, not as an image. As the black and corrugated glass pane at the front side must have impaired the brilliance of the colours and presented blurred contours of the displaying peacock, the glass pane obviously had a certain important purpose, according to the conjecture of the author as the support of a one-way mirror (in German ÒVenetian mirrorÓ) functioning as an optical switch. By that device, a sudden change could be made between the view of the black glass plane and of the magnificent peacock, and thus an effect of surprise be brought about. A one-way mirror has a very thin layer of metal so that the incident light is partly reflected and partly transmitted. At the side of the mirror with the brighter light of the environment, the reflected light surpasses the light transmitted from the darker side in splendour so that just a reflecting plane can be seen. On the darker side, the opposite is true, i.e. on that side the objects present on the brighter side can be seen. At the locations of orchestrions in pubs, the light during the day was somewhat darker than outside, else the rooms were lightened by lamps. With the thin layer of metal on the inner side of the glass pane, the reflected light from outside had to cross the black glass pane twice. Thus, if a reduction of light to half its intensity is assumed by one crossing of the pane, the total reduction of the mirrored light is one quarter, whereas the light transmitted from inside is only reduced to half which thus surpassed the outside light in splendour. In September 1902, one year before the Leipzig Fair at which the peacock orchestrion was shown for the first time, the U.S. patent No. 720877 was filed. It described the simple preparation of a one-way mirror with a reflecting tin layer for window advertising. The advertise.ment mounted inside behind the mirror was made visible at the outside by switching on lamps present inside. As a much later further development of the black and corrugated glass pane, the U.S. patent No. 3280701 of 1966 described a one-way mirror, both sides of which were covered by a material whose transparency could be switched at will. Thus, an auto mirror for the windscreen could be created that could be switched either as window forward or as rear mirror for all lighting conditions.
The firm Philipps of Frankfurt sold the model 47 of their Pianella orches.trions with the light effect device ÒPeacockÓ without a black glass pane.2424. Philipps Pianella-Orchestrions, elektrische Klaviere, Reproductions-Klaviere, Pianetta-Walzen.werke, catalogue of the firm Philipps (Frankfurt am Main, after 1910), p. 36.
It might be possible that the orchestrion ÒMusicaÓ originated from Philipps as an early model, because the firm was not present at the Leipzig Fair, neither in autumn 1903 nor at Easter 1904 when the orchestrion was offered by the wholesaler Holzweissig according to the reports in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau. In addition, the firm Philipps filed a utility model in 1904 that could have described the peacock or a similar device:
DRGM 228092. Mechanical musical instrument with projection device mounted in the rear, by which mechanically moved images are projected onto an appropriate area of the front side of the instrument. J. D. Philipps, Frankfurt a/M., Solmsstr. 9. 24/5 04. Ð P. 9082.2525. Patentblatt (Berlin, 1904), p. 998.

Because a large part of the produc.tion of Philipps was sold by the firm Wurlitzer in the United States, several surviving orchestrions with the peacock can be found there in collec.tions today. In most cases the peacock devices were missing when the instru.ments were bought by responsible merchants or collectors for the first time. In one case, however, the painted lamp shade was essentially preserved allowing the device to be recon.structed for instruments where it was missing (Figure 73). This particular instrument is the only one presently in the U.S. that was originally located in Europe (Belgium). Cases, electric components, and percussion instru.ments were made by Wurlitzer in the USA except during the initial period of importation from Germany.2626. Terry Hathaway, The Philipps Pianella and The Wurlitzer PianOrchestra, <> read on 5 August 2018.
The light effect ÒPeacockÓ with the black glass pane was also available from Holzweissig for 300 Mark as pediment for electric pianos.2727. Fabrik aller Arten Musikwaaren, Ernst Holzweissig Nachfolger, historical catalogue, (Leipzig, 1906-1907), p. 32.
Because approx.imately the tenfold sum would be the price in Euro today, Philipps offered a cheaper version of the peacock device with their Pianella model No. 41. A lamp in the interior illuminated small openings in the wooden feathers of a peacock in changing colours2828. Philipps Pianella-Orchestrions, elektrische Klaviere, Reproductions-Klaviere, Pianetta-Walzen.werke, catalogue of the firm Philipps (Frankfurt, after 1910), p. 28.
(Figure 75). Figure 76 shows the more elabo.rate version of the displaying peacock in the model 47.
Acknowledgments
The Author is much obliged to the two collectors B. Bronson (USA) and R. HŠfele (Austria) for their kind interest and photos that were made especially for this article. The merchants and restorers James Free.man (London), and D. C. Ramey (USA) obligingly permitted the free use of photos already published on the inter.net. The Author is indebted to Werner Baus in Helsa near Kassel, founding member of the German Society for Automatic Musical Instruments, for images from historical catalogues by Holzweissig and Stollwerck that are stored on a CD sold by him. Two images and further useful information originate from Bibliothque nationale de France Ð Gallica (Paris), and one image from Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (Berlin). The State Library of Berlin Ð Foundation Prussian Cultural Possessions, Music Department with Mendelssohn Archive permitted the free use of mate.rial from Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung for this article. The State Library of Berlin also has digitized the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, the Berliner Tageblatt (Berlin Daily), both search.able (OCR) from the online library Europeana, and the Phonographische Zeitschrift. In addition to historical lists of patents and utility models, a variety of literature could be viewed at the library of Deutsches Museum in Munich. The patent specifications are accessible in the data bank Depatisnet of the German Patent Office (Munich). Above all, thanks go to the Staatliches Institut fŸr Musikforschung (State Institute for Music Research) in Berlin Ð Foundation Prussian Cultural Possessions, the Munich Digitization Center at the Bavarian State Library, and the German Research Council for the online issue of Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau, from which numerous images were reproduced (license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://simpk.de/zeitschrift_fuer_instrumen.tenbau_818.html).

Figure 59 Left: A kaleidoscope made from three mirror plates (6 centimeters by 32 centimeters). Right: the image as it appears through one opening of the kaleido.scope while a small artificial rose made of satin lies on the paper that closes off the other end. Only the reflections near to the original rose are photographed with an appropriate focus. The complete pattern generated by the kaleidoscope is an infinitely extended plane seamlessly composed by triangles. The sides of the tri.angles were digitally redrawn on the photo for emphasis. (Photos: Author. Rose: ÒDeko-StreuÓ of the drugstore chain Rossmann, made in China).

Figure 60: Historical cylinder music box with ballet dancers, copyright Vincent Freeman Antiques, specialist in 19th Century Music Boxes, 354 Upper Street, London N1 0PD, with kind permission. Photo digitally edited by the author. The curtain is not a part of the instrument and just served for hiding the camera and the
photographer. Further images and a video at https://www.vincentfreemanantiques.com/cylinder-music-box/conchon-0.

Figure 62: The limits of visibility of the second-order reflections (blue/yellow, 2) of an object (blue/yellow, 0) on the bisector of a 100 degree angle formed by the two mirrors.

Figure 61: Scheme for the determination of the mirror images with two mirrors forming an angle of 60 degrees (Drawing by the author).

Figure 63 From the U.S. Patent No. 91437 (1869) for a miniature ice-rink covered inside with mirrors.

Figure 64: Contemporary photograph of the Palais des Illusions at the Paris World Exposition 190011. Maurice Baschet and Neurdein frres, Le Panorama: Exposition universelle 1900 (Paris, 1900), no page numbers, Le palais des illusions, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53023926s/f220.item.
(Bibliothque nationale de France Ñ Gallica).

Figure 65: Ground plan of the Palais des Illusions11. Le GŽnie civil, vol. XXXVII, no. 14 (Paris, 1900), p. 251.
(Bibliothque nationale de France Ñ Gallica).

Figure 67: The Flower-Reflector-Manopan in an autumn 1894 advertisement of Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 128.
The text says: ÒSensational Novelty! Patented Motor Manopan, self-playing, by safe hot air motor. Plays for unlimited time, no wind.ing-up necessary as with musical boxes and orchestrions, ready to play by simple lighting of the flame. No smell, no soot, no smoking. Loud music, replacement for orchestrion and dance band. Most rugged construction. The reeds of the instrument are made from steel, the bearings from metal, bellows without cardboard. Our com.mon Manopan music is used. Each instrument can also be played without motor by a crank. The Motor-Manopan in the automaton variety only plays after insertion of a coin (patent pending) for a certain predetermined time. The Motor-Manopan is deliv.ered as Concert-Motor, Motor-Orchester with drum, bass drum, and bell, piece of effect! Ð Flower-Reflector Ð piece of effect!, and as Organ-Motor with genuine organ pipes. Demand prospects and price list from Berlin Musical Instruments Factory, formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons, Berlin, Brunnenstr. 25. Biggest and oldest fac.tory of accordeons and mechanical musical instruments. Permanent exhibition and specimen storage at Ritterstra§e 84, ground floor.Ó

Figure 66: The ÒTheatrum catoptri.cumÓ described by Athanasius Kircher11. Athanasius Kircher, op.cit., Iconismus XXXII Ð Folio 892.
(Library of the Max-Planck-Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, http://echo.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/MPIWG:9WZNM3XV, licence CC-BY-SA).

Figure 68: Left, gramophone ÒParlophonÓ with horn in form of a reflector. Right, reflector and rotating lamp shade with multicoloured glass openings at daylight (© R. HŠfele, Austria, with kind permission).

Figure 69: Left, flower-reflector of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory11. Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-1894), p. 947.
(with kind per.mission: State Library of Berlin Ð Prussian Cultural Possessions, Music Department with Mendelssohn Archive). Right, section from an advertisement of the firm Ludwig Bracker of Hanau22. Phonographische Zeitschrift (Berlin, 1909), p. 287.
(State Library of Berlin Ð Prussian Cultural Possessions, www.dig.itale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=sammlung&projekt=1386147579&l=en&l=de, licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Figure 70: Left, U.S. patent No. 155085 (1874) by Frederick Hartmann. For the mean.ing of the letters see text. Right, U.S. patent No. 1071900 (1913) by Karl Edison.

Figure 71: Left, reconstruction of the flower-reflector by the author. Right, bunch of flowers on the axis of the reflector cone. (Photos: Author). See also the video accompanied by ÒRoses from the SouthÓ by Johann Strauss in an arrangement for organ by the author (music recorded from Midi with Winamp and Microsoft GS Wavetable). Visit https://youtu.be/SNSbGPzTLZ8 to watch the video.

Figure 72: Wonder lamp of the orches.trion Imhof & Mukle Badenia II (© D. C. Ramey Piano Company, Restorers and Manufacturers of Automatic Musical Instruments, Marysville OH 43040, USA, http://dcramey.com/index.html, with kind permission).

Figure 73: Peacock of a Pianella orchestrion of the firm Philipps, Frankfurt on the Main (© B. Bronson, Dundee, MI, with kind permission).

Figure 74: Orchestrion ÒMusicaÓ of the firm Holzweissig (1903),11. Fabrik aller Arten Musikwerke und Musik-Automaten, Ernst Holzweissig Nachfolger (Leipzig, 1903-1904), CD ÒHolzweissig & Zuleger Gro§han.delskatalogeÓ, Musikmuseum Werner Baus (Helsa-Eschenstruth, 2016), p. 47 und 48.
left without, right with illumination of the peacock in the niche behind the black corrugated glass pane.

Figure 75: Top, the Pianella model 47 with peacock and two wonder lamps. Bottom, the Pianella model 41 with simplified construction of the peacock by holes in the feathers that were illuminated with changing colours from within. From a historical catalogue of the firm Philipps of Frankfurt (Germany).

Figure 76: Displaying peacock of a Pianella orchestrion from the firm Philipps (© B. Bronson, Dundee (MI), USA, with kind permission).

This article previously appeared in Das Mechanische Musikinstrument, vol. 135 (August 2019), p. 9-18. It is reprinted here with the kind permission of the author and the German Society for Self-Playing Musical Instruments.

Seeking your stories for ….

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?
Answer these questions and you will have the perfect story for ÒThe HuntÓ column in Mechanical Music.
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 write it down and pass it on for the enjoyment of others.
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

The Hunt

Lake Michigan Chapter

Chapter Chair: Mark Pichla
Reporter: Marty Persky
Photographers: Aaron Muller
and Sandy Persky
Sept. 30, 2023 Ð Chicago, Lincolnwood, Park Ridge & Des Plaines, IL
All Lake Michigan Chapter meetings since December 2020 were held at the Sanfilippo Estate, meaning our chapter has not visited other member collections in quite some time. So, we decided to catch up using what we called a ÒWhirlwind Tour and luncheon meeting.Ó It was an 18-mile sweep starting on the north side of Chicago, IL, and ending in the northwest suburbs. The schedule afforded only 50 minutes at each of four member collections. This enabled hosts to join the tour when they were not showing their collection.
Touring started at the beautiful.ly-renovated home of James Huffer. Spread over two stories, his collection primarily focuses on coin pianos
and orchestrions. A Stickley cased Farrand Cecillian piano with LX player system looks quite proper in the living room. Among the other instruments are a Mills Violano, Seeburg KT with dancing girl art glass and a Cremona G with flute pipes, music boxes and phonographs. His collection also includes a Rockola jukebox.
Next was the Persky home where a Regina changer with clock was set to play a new disc every half hour and the 14-bell Regina hall clock played a tune before striking the hour. The first member through the door was music box restorer Alan Godier from London. He was in the United States to work on Margaret Bisberg and Richard VanMetreÕs collection. Alan headed directly to the back room for a hands-on inspection of Charles PaillardÕs 1874 U.S. Patent model for Sublime Harmony.
Most of the guests walked with Marty through the house as Sandy greeted later arrivals. Three hand-cranked instruments with automata and a music box with singing bird were played.
How quickly 50 minutes passes! After playing only two of the cylinder music boxes in the dining room, time was up and the group never made it to the second floor to see the instru.ments there. Not to worry, though, there will be opportunities for return visits to each of the collections at future chapter meetings.
Our third stop was at the original location of Lou MalnatiÕs, a Chica.go-style pizza mainstay for more than 50 years. Two hours were scheduled for lunch and business meeting. The menu included beverages and Malna.tiÕs signature salad followed by three deep-dish and one thin crust pizza varieties. After we finished the meal, there was plenty of pizza to be boxed up for the hosts as well as a few happy members.
Chapter chair Mark Pichla called the meeting to order. The primary business at the meeting was plan.ning for the 2025 joint MBSI/AMICA convention which will be held over Labor Day weekend. We are fortunate in that there is significant overlap between our chapter and the Chica.go-area AMICA chapter membership. A key player in the upcoming planning will be one of our tour hosts, Marga.ret Bisberg, who is president of the AMICA chapter.
Following lunch, we visited Marga.ret and RichardÕs home. In their living room is a 1926 Steinway XR Duo-Art and a variety of music boxes including an exquisite four-overture forte piano with 161/2-inch by 31/2-inch diameter cylinder, an Orphenion and a 203/4-inch Regina Dragonfront changer. Music boxes occupy most rooms in the house. The kitchen is where MargaretÕs motherÕs serpentine 151/2-inch Regina resides. An 181/2-inch New Century Shifter is in the dining room, an 181/2-inch Empress is on the third level and various fine cylinder boxes are seen throughout the house.
The last home on the tour was that of Mark and Barbara Weyna and their son, Nick. Coin pianos and orchestri.ons include a Wurlitzer BX, a Pianino with flute and violin pipes, Wurlitzer 103 and Wurlitzer 104 band organs, a Western Electric Mascot and a Mills Violano. Downstairs is an amazing arcade of coin-ops and pinball machines dating from the 1930s through the present day. Both Mark and Nick are experts in the restoration and history of these machines as well as the design of new machines. This being the last tour, the Weynas invited members to stay, which some happily accepted.

Host James Huffer with Carol Veome by the Stickley Farrand.

Members discuss James HufferÕs Seeburg KT and Mills Violano.

Chapter Chair Mark Pichla and Chapter Secretary Beverly Chatfield pose with the Stickley Farrand.

Marty Persky demonstrates the Regina 335 Autochanger.

Chapter members discuss the 2025 MBSI/AMICA joint convention before lunch is served at Lou MalnatiÕs.

A 241/2-inch Polyphon and Regina Hall Chime Clock with the Persky dining room table set for the day.

The usual suspects plus a few rarities in the Persky library.

Margaret Bisberg playing the four-overture Forte Piano cylin.der box.

Margaret Bisberg Playing the Regina 203/4-inch Dragonfront changer.

Mel Septon and Alan Godier pose by the four-overture Forte Piano.

Richard VanMetre at the Orphenion.

Far left: Mark Weyna opening the Pianino.
Middle: Mark Weyna in his pinball arcade.
Above: Ken Carlson checking out MargaretÕs Regina 27-inch as Mark Pichla watches from afar.

Mary Jo Bopp

Mary Jo Bopp, wife of Ron Bopp, passed away on the morning of Sept. 6, 2023, after a prolonged neurological illness following cardiac surgery in May 2022. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Ron (Jon Ronald Bopp, M.D.), as well as three daughters: Kelly Williams Goldin and her husband Mark, Kimberely Bopp Tiregol, Kristi Bopp Harper, and a son, Jason Bopp and his wife, Amy. Additionally, there are nine grandchildren.
She retired to Florida in 2008 previously working as an obstetrical/office nurse. Mary Jo was active with the Sara.sota Shell Club, as membership secretary; as secretary of the Carousel Organ Association of America; she was active in the Grand Lake Sail and Power Squadron, acting as Bridge Officer; she was a past member of ESA sorority; and a member of the All Angels Episcopal Church in Longboat Key, FL.
She loved outdoor activities with her husband, including kayaking and going RVing with friends. She was a crafter, especially with seashells, and participated in the yearly Sarasota Shell Show. As a result of her interest in seashells, she won several top awards at shell shows, including the coveted Conchologists of America Award, and the du Pont Trophy. She loved to travel and along with her husband, Ron, made multiple tri-annual trips to Europe to see and listen to mechanical music. Prior to her illness, she partic.ipated in several organ rallies each year, many of which were out-of-state. She and Ron were awarded the MBSI TrusteesÕ Award in 1996 for outstanding contributions to the field of automatic music.
She loved animals and was a foster mother to several dogs and cats including Gracie, a Golden Retriever, and Jamie and Cyndy, two house cats. The family asks those who wish honor Mary Jo to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project or the Sarasota Shell Club.

Ron and Mary Jo Bopp at the 2021 MBSI Annual Meeting pro.moting a Bumbling Bruder tour.

Mary Jo Bopp shows guests how to crank the Verbeeck organ during a Southeast Chapter meeting in 2017.

Our Condolences
MBSI has learned that the following members have passed away:
Richard and Nancy Hales of Vacaville, CA

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 BOX with 6 cylinders, 6 tuned bells, fitted on original table. This instrument is in excellent mechanical condition and sounds beautiful. Price: $22,500. Contact JOSEPH SIGMON, at jkentsigmon@gmail.com or 828.381.9048
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. Price $15,000. BOB STANOSZEK 330-467-8271 or cell 216-217-2860
OTTO ACCORDION build by the Dave Miner Company, cabinet made out of solid cherry wood with Stainglass in the upper and lower parts of cabinet. Machine plays off of a G roll. Instruments are bass drum with 3 beaters, small drum with 2 beaters, wood block, xylophone, a very high quality Accordion. Has a set of swell shutters built into the cabinet. Willing to sell at a great loss for $8000. LARRY REECE (763) 442-6121
MARVELS OF MECHANICAL MUSIC – MBSI Video. Fascinating and beautifully-made film which explains the origins of automatic musical instruments, how they are collected and preserved today, and their historic importance, MBSI members and collections are featured. $20 USD. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Additional postage charges apply for other locations. Purchase now at www.mbsi.org
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
SERVICES
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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2……….Renaissance Antiques
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60……..Mechanical Organ and Clock Works
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ORDER EXTRA COPIES
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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:
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Regina Certificates:
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Librarian:
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Historian:
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Members can donate to these funds at any time.
Send donations to:
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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 Dec. 1, 2023, for the January/February 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
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Phone/Fax (417) 576-4280
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editor@mbsi.org
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Lancaster, PA 17601
Phone (717) 295-9188
rosebud441@juno.com
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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 $5 to Roger Wiegand
281 Concord Road
Wayland, MA 01778
or pay via PayPal, send to
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: Ken Gordon
(301) 469-9240
Dues $5 to Florie Hirsch
8917 Wooden Bridge Road
Potomac, MD 20854
Northwest International
Chair: Rick Swaney
(425) 836-3586
Dues $7.50/person to Kathy Baer
8210 Comox Road
Blaine, WA 98230
Piedmont
Temp Chair: Dan Wilson
(919) 740-6579
musicboxmac@mac.com
Dues $10 to Dan Wilson
4804 Latimer Road
Raleigh, NC. 276099
Snowbelt
Chair: Tracy Tolzmann
(651) 674-5149
Dues $5 to Bill Nunn
2825 Willow Drive
Hamel, MN 55340
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: Vacant
Dues $10 to Diane Caudill
14015 Spindle Arbor Road
Cypress, TX. 77429

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

Volume 69, No. 5 September/October 2023

Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments

Journal of the Musical Box Society International

Volume 69, No. 5 September/October 2023

5 PresidentÕs Message
7 EditorÕs Notes
55 In Memoriam

MBSI News

On the Cover
A view inside Judy and Bob BurtscherÕs music room in their Southern California home. Their collection is extensive as can be seen in the Southern California Chapter report on Page 47.

Mechanical music is a fascinating hobby! It appeals to the artist, historian, craftsman, and musician all at the same time. Play an automatic musical instrument in a room full of people and all else will stop as the machine enraptures the audience with the sparkling melodies of yesteryear!
Mechanical music instruments are any sort of auto.matically-played machine that produces melodic sound including discs and cylinder music boxes that pluck a steel comb; orchestrions and organs that engage many instru.ments at once using vacuum and air pressure; player and reproducing pianos that use variable vacuum to strike piano wires; phonographs; and self-playing stringed, wind, and percussion instruments of any kind.
The Musical Box Society International, chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, is a nonprofit society dedicated to the enjoyment, study, and preservation of automatic musical instruments. Founded in 1949, it now has members around the world, and supports various educational projects.
Regional chapters and an Annual Meeting held each year in different cities within the United States enable members to visit collections, exchange ideas, and attend educational workshops. Members receive six issues of the journal, Mechanical Music, which also contains advertising space for members who wish to buy, sell, and restore mechanical musical instruments and related items. Members also receive the biennial MBSI Directory of Members, Muse.ums, and Dealers.
The only requirements for membership are an interest in automatic music machines and the desire to share infor.mation about them. And youÕll take pride in knowing you are contributing to the preservation of these marvelous examples of bygone craftsmanship.
More information online at www.MBSI.org, or
Call: (417) 576-4280, or
Email: jbeeman.mbsi@att.net

By David Corkrum
MBSI President
I would like to extend my gratitude to all of you for allowing me to serve as your president these past two years. Your support, your confidence and your friendship mean so much to me.
Looking back 47 years ago to when I joined this society, I find it is a deci.sion I will never regret. If my husband, Paul, were still alive he might have something profound to say about my dedication to this hobby. I believe he loved it as much as I do.
By the time you read this, Matt Jaro will be your new MBSI president. Matt has been such an active member in the society and I cannot think of anyone more qualified to succeed me. Throughout these past two years, I have relied on his experience when I have been challenged by a dilemma that requires more than one person to solve it. I have no doubt that Matt will do an extraordinary job in this position. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the MBSI Board of Trustees for giving their time and effort to the society. They are a wonderful group of people whom I have relied on to give me the best advice possible.
I want to thank our treasurer, Ed Kozak, and recording secretary, Linda Birkitt, for their efficient work and willingness to serve in these positions. Although I do not have direct experi.ence in finance, I do have it in keeping track of what is said at our meetings. While serving as recording secretary, I found it was a position I enjoyed very much. And, no, Linda, I do not want it back. Both positions can be difficult at times, but I feel that we have the best people filling these positions.
There are so many other members who keep this organization running so smoothly that I want to thank. Ed Cooley, our Audit Committee chair, makes sure we do not cut any corners and corrects any mistakes. Finance and Endowment Committee Chair Ed Kozak who makes sure that the society spends its money wisely. Bob Smith, our Marketing Committee chair, helps us find ways to market our society and obtain some of the best collec.tors. Matt Jaro, our Meetings Committee chair, ensures that our annual meetings are the best they can be. He will be succeeded by Rich Poppe, another dedicated member and a good friend.
Sally Craig, our Museum Committee chair, is really dedicated to this posi.tion. Sally has agreed, once again, to continue as chair and I cannot thank her enough for doing this. Bob Caletti is another member who has agreed to continue service as the Publications Committee chair. He will, however, need to find a replacement in two years. Our Special Exhibits Commit.tee chair, Mary Ellen Myers, is another member who is dedicated to her posi.tion. Mary Ellen you do a fantastic job in this position. Our newest committee chair, Judy Caletti, who oversees the Nominating committee is showing she is up to the task of filling this difficult position. Thank you!
We have two sub-committee chairs; Rob Pollock who oversees our Ohio operations under the Museum Sub-committee, and Rick Swaney, our Website Sub-committee chair who does fantastic work in helping to keep our site up to date.
I also want to express my special thanks to three people who do so much for our society in a paid capacity. Our editor, Russell Kasselman who is just a fantastic person who does so much for the society. Cinda Rogers, our new accountant, who really keeps us on track financially. Our administrator, Jacque Beeman, who works very hard for us in many capacities. I believe we would be dead in the water without you. Thank you!
I realize this is a long message, but there are so many people I wanted to thank for working for our society. You and the members who work with you have all done superb work.
The society has come a long way since its founding in 1949, which, by the way, was the year I was founded, well, er, born. We are both the same age and we both plan to live on for many years. When I look back on my 47 years as a member, I find I have learned much about mechanical music. Out of all my hobbies, this is the one I treasure the most. I have said to many people that if you have an interest in mechanical music, this is the organization to belong to. The people who make up MBSI all have something important to say about the machines we love. There is an unlim.ited source of information contained in the MBSI. You want to know about a certain area, this is the place to come to.
Okay, I have probably said too much but this is how I feel. My sincere thanks to you all. You are definitely ÒMy Family!Ó

Mechanical Music

43 Golden Gate
47 Southern California
51 East Coast

Sharing the sound
Members of the American Council of the Blind enjoyed tours of the San Filippo collection. Page 42.

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 2023. 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:
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Or, make corrections on the website at www.mbsi.org.
POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO
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Springfield, MO 65808-0196

Features

8 Nickel Notes
18 The Pietschmann firm of Berlin (Part III)
36 A Polyphon 43 N
40 Building a stand to show off our music box
42 Sharing mechanical music with the American Council of the Blind

Chapter Reports

MBSI has replanted 230 trees so far as part of the Print ReLeaf program.

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EditorÕs Notes

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By Russell Kasselman
MBSI Editor/Publisher
As the high temperatures of Summer fade into the brisk winds of Fall and we watch leaves drop off the trees to create a completely different picture of our daily world itÕs a good time to change things up inside too. Find a new roll to play, or consider ordering a new disc that evokes the coming holiday season. Prepare a cup of your favorite hot drink and think about hosting a holiday party where you might invite neighbors and friends to come share in the joy of mechanical music with you.
Gathering together to share mechan.ical music is one of the best ways to ensure that the appreciation of such wonderful mechanical marvels are preserved for the future generations. Who knows what young child might hear a tune and become forever entranced with the idea that they might, one day, own a such a machine of their own to lend an air of joviality to any party atmosphere.
Transitioning back to the indoors for the winter often means finding activities that can be done in a work.shop or craft room. Are you working on a restoration project? What kind of maintenance tasks do you undertake to be sure your collection is well taken care of in the cold versus the warm weather? Do you have tips for others that might help them keep their collection in the best possible condi.tion? Please share! Your knowledge is welcome here.
My view is that this magazine is a collaboration among all of us. No one person is ÒtheÓ expert on mechanical music and anyone who enjoys the hobby probably has a little something to share with the group. I look forward to hearing from any of you with feedback on what you might like to see more of in these pages.
I hope that everyone who had the chance to attend this yearÕs MBSI Annual Meeting in St. Paul, MN, had a wonderful time. I look forward to seeing the photos and reading about the activities enjoyed by the group. Look for a report in the next issue along with minutes from the Board of Trustees meeting and the meeting of the general membership.
All chapter chairs are encouraged to send in notices of any holiday parties planned for this year so chapter members will see them in the calendar and attend.

Upcoming Deadlines

ADVERTISING
Advertisements for the November/December 2023 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Oct. 1, 2023.
Advertisements for the January/February 2024 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Dec. 1, 2023.

EDITORIAL
Articles and photos for the November/December 2023 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by Sept. 25, 2023.
Articles and photos for the January/February 2024 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by Nov. 25, 2023.

Welcome new members!

June 2023
Kyle Rode & Anna Bernstein
Barrington, IL
Thu Huong Huynh
Carrollton, TX
Deimantas Cepe
Panevezys, Panevezio raj., Lithuania
Dani Kline
South Boston, MA
John Hastings
Ellsworth, MI
Kimberly Horst-Parker & Noah Parker
Red Lion, PA
Yves Gros
Saint Raphael, PACA, France
Thomas & Paula Soniat
River Ridge, LA
July 2023
Katrina Foll & John Carroll
Brooksville, FL
Marie Hall
Oak Park, CA
Randy Guyer
Minnetonka, MN

Nickel Notes

By Matthew Jaro

Music Roll Perforating Machines Ð Part I

For years I have talked about machines, music and people. With this issue of Mechanical Music, I begin a series of articles on the perforating machines used to cut music rolls. There are basically three types of machines: home machines for making single rolls manually, industrial machines for mass roll production and modern machines made by producers of recut rolls. I will try to cover all three.
For this issue I will cover the oldest known home machine and one of the newest modern machines.
Home Machine
The Seville Perforator
The Seville Music Perforator Co., was organized in the spring of 1903 in New Castle, IN. According to the Music Trade Review, (MTR), ÒThe company will manufacture a small and simple machine with which any one can cut the music for the various self-playing piano instruments, and the company has great possibilities before it.Ó In June 1903, MTR announced that the first musical piece was cut on a Seville machine. It was played back with no mistakes. No instruction was needed except a simple explanation. They received a patent for a perfora.tion spacing device. There were round punches for short notes and oblong punches for long notes. Seville had another invention whereby the user could set the key signature of the piece and the machine would indicate the proper position for the note. The company would even supply the paper in the proper width.
In 1905 MTR had an article entitled ÒEveryone Can Cut Music.Ó (The arti.cle assumed that the reader could also read music). Illustrated in Figure 1 is a 1903 advertisement in the St. Louis Republic for a Seville Perforator. After the 1905 article there is complete silence. I guess the perforator didnÕt sell well. There was no notice of the dissolution of the company or any further word. I have never seen one of these perforators and I donÕt know of anyone having one.
Modern Machines
The Billings Perforator
Bob Billings (and his wife Ginny) made countless contributions to AMICA and the automated musical instrument hobby in general. Bob was president of AMICA in 1970. Ginny was editor of the bulletin beginning in September 1970. Bob and Ginny compiled a fabulous database of piano rolls which they shared with all AMICA members.
Our subject today, however, is the perforator and certain aspects of the roll cutting business that Bob wanted to share with us. I am presenting this information in much more technical detail than we usually print because these insights are so valuable and important to anyone contemplating building such equipment.
The music roll perforator Bob designed and built himself was used for many years to produce super-high-quality Sierra Music Rolls and Jazzola rolls that were then sold by John Mottoros. When Bob retired from the roll business, he sold his perforator to Tim Baxter.
Figure 2 shows the perforator.
I asked Bob if he could supply me with information about the machine, and what he answered was far beyond my wildest expectations.
My first request was to ask him to explain the history behind the machine. BobÕs response is reproduced here with only minor edits to improve readability.
History
I was first exposed to player pianos when I was around 10 years old and have tinkered with them off and on ever since. When Ginny and I were married in 1967 we got more seriously into the hobby. Like many other folks, I thought making rolls was something IÕd like to do. It didnÕt take long until I found that making a roll perforator was a major job, so it remained a fantasy for years.
About 1995 I began seriously thinking about making a perforator. I was inspired when I received a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program from the company I worked for after they upgraded their software. My brother, who is a fine machinist with a machine shop full of precision equip.ment, has years of experience and a practical mind. We kicked around various ideas for making rolls and concluded a traditional perforator like the one QRS uses was the best approach. We thought it would be least the expensive, rugged and easy to maintain. We also thought it was something we could build without a major development program. At the time laser equipment was very expen.sive and making more than one roll at a time was a problem. Today we might have gone with a laser system, but that was not a practical solution in 1996.
Richard Tonnesen had a perforator based on the traditional model. It had been running quite well for years making high quality rolls. He let me visit his operation and take pictures and ask endless questions. He was very supportive of the project. After a year of spare time design on the computer, I ran the design by Richard who made many good suggestions, spotted flaws and continued to be supportive. After another year the design started look.ing like it had a chance of working. Again, another iteration with Richard, and many hours of talk and exper.imentation with my brother. Now the final design began to take shape. One very important part of using the CAD program is that it allowed me to assemble everything in cyberspace and check fit the parts, tolerances and general operation. With well more than 1,000 pieces it was necessary to get it all right before actual construction or we would have been cutting and fitting for a long time.
In 1999 we began construction on the core part of the perforator, where the hole punching is done. It worked well, and thanks to the CAD program everything fit as planned the first time. Next, we added the frame and paper handling parts. The paper handling was planned in two stages. First, we used two paper supply rolls to prove out the system, then we added a six-roll frame so eight roll copies could be punched at one time. Stage one was working by 2001. Stage two, with the full complement of paper, was operating by 2002.
After a year of sorting out the bits and pieces, and throwing away lots of paper, the machine was finally able to punch production rolls starting in 2003. Some of the assumptions we made in the beginning were not right, so evolution continued through 2003. By 2004 the quality of punching was quite good, and we had reached our goal.
Design targets
¥
Rugged and easy to maintain.

¥
Operating speed up to 30 punches per second, margins designed to handle 60 per second in the future.

¥
Balanced to minimize vibration.

¥
Handle roll widths up to Welte T-100.

¥
Punch up to 8 copies at a time.

¥
Easily changeable punches and dies to handle any roll format.

¥
Paper advance step size accu.rately settable to any format.

¥
Total length no more than 9 feet, due to shop space limitations.

¥
Paper supply spools to be load.able by one person.

¥
Any paper supply spool change.able without moving any other.

¥
Computer controlled.

¥
Interposers operated by sole.noids, two banks on each side of the punch assembly.

On Jan. 24, 2000, Bob wrote the following to Richard Tonneson:
Dear Richard,
Here are the current drawings for the perforator. They are only for the ÒcoreÓ part – the paper transport and solenoid assembly will come after we prove out the ÒcoreÓ. Please keep these drawings confidential.
The punches are on order and should arrive soon. I got a sample of one, but havenÕt tweaked the dimen.sions for the new flat bottom punches. The tweaks will be only in the inter.posers (I hope!), which havenÕt been made yet in their final form.
Machining starts on the cam and connecting rod assemblies in the next week or so. I will be taking the prints to my brother when we go to the Bay Area later this week. As you will notice, everything is quite robust. If this were a production design I would make prototypes and reduce many of the dimensions, but for a one-off itÕs belt and suspenders time. If this version works well, I will probably build another to handle the monster width rolls, such as the Aeolian organ rolls. Then I can leave one set up for standard 100-hole rolls, and the other for Duo-Art, changing for the occasional run of odd stuff. ThereÕs been a surprising amount of interest in 6-to-the-inch rolls.
All the precision parts are located by pins. In the case of the hammer bar the pins also carry the load, with bolts only holding the assemblies on the pins. Bracing of the slide bars may be necessary, but if so the braces can be made as part of the solenoid support structure.
There are bevels on the edges of the die plate and stripper to facilitate paper loading. Hammer bar stroke is 0.18Ó, which I believe will be sufficient. This allows for 1/32Ó paper slot, punch retraction of 0.012Ó into the stripper, and punch travel 0.012Ó below the die plate. Stroke is as small as possible in anticipation of higher punch speeds in the future. If the stroke needs to be increased it means new cams and increasing the slot depth in the interposers, all of which are allowed for in the design.
Paper handling
I asked Bob how he got clean punches with multiple layers of paper. His reply, again only lightly edited, follows.
It was clear early on that the best way to get clean punches in multiple paper layers was to keep the paper under tension as it passed through the punch area. Any slack meant position errors, as well as paper bunching at the punch location, which would cause fuzzy punches. So, I placed the stepper paper drive in the output path, pulling the paper from a drag bar (Figure 3) at the input side of the punch station. This kept a constant tension on the paper as it passed through the punching area.(This picture is from the developmental period, so it is rather crude). Figure 4 shows the mechanism that pulls the paper from the supply spools to the paper drag. Its motor speed is controlled by a sensor arm on the paper after the pinch roller, so that a service loop is created between the roller and the paper drag. Figure 2 shows the paper puller under the punch bed at the paper feed side of the punches, and shows the stepper drive under the punch bed at the output side of the punches. Additional tension on the output side came from the slip drives for the take-up spools, reducing slippage at the stepper. These are some of the reasons for the clean and well-positioned holes in the rolls.
We considered clamping the paper at the punch site each downstroke of the punch head. This would be a plate with holes for each punch pin, that would press spring loaded on the paper just prior to punching. Experi.ments showed that there was minimal positive effect from the clamp, and it would have unnecessarily compli.cated the mechanism.
Figure 5 shows the paper supply rack under construction in IvanÕs (BobÕs brotherÕs) shop. You can see the built-in winch to load the 40-pound paper spools into position. Figure 6 shows details of the paper spooling mechanism. The motor runs at a constant speed, driving the take-up spools through slip contact with the spool rims.
Figure 7 shows the rig for spooling piano rolls. The paper is vacuumed, passing over the spooler table for stamping and label. Not shown is the leader trimmer. When spooling nickel.odeon rolls the roll spool is placed in the slot at the right end of the spooler. Stamping and labels are done on the integral table.
The punch cycle
I asked Bob to explain how a punch cycle works. He sent me the following reply.
A punch cycle starts with the move.ment of the paper one step forward under the punch head. The distance the paper moves is controlled by parameters set in the punch file. This movement starts when the punch head reaches a point in its upward travel, and is triggered by a sensor that reads the position of the punch head. At the same time any interposers that were operated during the previous punch cycle are then programmed to their proper positions for the next punch stroke. If the programmed position is the same as for the current stroke, the interposer remains in the punching mode, otherwise it is released and returns to the non-punch position. And correspondingly, inactive inter.posers are activated if the next step calls for a punch. The punch hammer then starts its downward travel. So, the interposer positions must be set to their programmed positions in the interval between the sensor trigger and the point where the punch hammer contacts the interposers. The punch pins are then pressed by the interposers to punch the paper. After the pins are extracted from the paper the next punch cycle begins.
To be more specific, the punch pin guide plate is mounted on a moving head (up and down) and an interposer either keeps the punching pins from moving down to the paper or allows them to punch through. The interposer has a notch which is over the punch if it is not selected or a solid section that forces the punch down if it is selected. A picture of an interposer is shown in Figure 8. The pull wire to the operating solenoid inserts into the hole closest to the end of the interposer, the return spring inserts into the other hole.
Punching mechanism
Figure 3 shows the solenoid bank, interposer pull wires and the punch head. Figure 9 is a larger oblique side view of the same area. The paper trim can be seen leaving the punch head and passing through the guides to drop in a collector box (not shown).
Figure 10 shows the interposer ends, with the pull wires inserted and the return springs in place. Figure 11 shows the plate that keeps the pull wires from rising out of the interposers.
Figure 12 shows the punch head, punch pin guide plate and the die plate. The guide plate is fixed to the die plate, with spacers to allow the paper to pass between them. The punch pins are always inside the guide plate holes, retracted from the paper path until called by their solenoids. Then they are pushed out by the hammer bar in the punch head during the time the paper movement is stopped.
Figure 13 is the operatorÕs position. The picture on the wall is from our farm days Ð a 20-year-old cat and a pygmy goat kid.
Figure 14 shows the perforator in full production form.
Solenoids
Solenoids are used to move the interposers into position. Below, Bob discusses his choice of solenoids.
The solenoid I used for testing the interposer system is made by WPI in Warner, NH, part number SAA0406D2. I wonÕt be using this one, since it costs $17.21 each in hundreds. IÕm waiting for a similar part sample from Shinde.gen (SK325 or SK425, distributed by Deltrol in the U.S.), which will cost about $8 in hundreds.
These are rather high prices for use in most perforators I know about, either real or planned. The reason for using this type is that I need a very fast acting solenoid, operating either close or open in about 6Ð8 milliseconds to work at my planned possible maximum speed of around 50 perforations/sec. This requires a quite small solenoid that has a low mass plunger (about 1 gram) and sufficient Ampere-turns to drive it in the time required. My target speed for the first model is 30 perforations/sec, with the design allowing for a possible 50 perforations/sec.
The solenoid is rated at 6 volts, with a 100 percent duty cycle rating of 1.9 watts. Overdriving it to 9.5 volts achieved the required operating time, using the masses and spring tension in my system. This would allow about a 50 percent duty cycle, though my plan is to keep it closer to 25 percent. If the duty cycle circuit can be adjusted to operate in the 5Ð10 millisecond range after drive start, the ÒoffÓ timing of the solenoid drive wonÕt be critical, though it must shut off within the 16 millisecond . cycle time of the punch head.
Scanning
As important as the hardware that makes the paper copies of original rolls, the process that precedes it is just as important. This was BobÕs process.
It started with scanning the original roll, then converting the resulting CIS file to the WEB file, editing the WEB file as necessary, which then drives the perforator. IÕll skip the scanning part, as that is well-known and documented.
Warren Trachtman created a suite of three applications that converts the CIS files to WEB files. The first is RollScan Converter, which converts the CIS file to an intermediate MIDI file, called the ScanImageMIDI file. Next is ScanMidiToPunchMidi, which (rather obviously!) creates the Punch.MIDI file. This suite is tailored for the 88-note scale, so when processing nickelodeon rolls it is necessary to shift the notes up six positions to place the notes correctly. This is done with the PunchMIDI file. Last is the PunchMIDItoWEB/ANN converter, which creates the Web/Ann files that can be edited in Wind (a roll perforat.ing preparation program). The edited files then drive the perforator.
The editing process sometimes took longer than all the other parts of the roll creation process together. Sometimes editing consisted only of fixing obvious mechanical problems, such as missing perforations in a chain. But when it came to judging musical matters it could be a long process indeed. Popular music was usually easy to fix in this respect, but where the artistÕs interpretation was concerned it sometimes took the opinions of others to come up with the most likely corrections, if any. Fixing scans of damaged rolls could also be quite a challenge.
Creating accurate roll
reproductions and error correction
We have been collecting automatic musical instruments for many years, as well as the media that runs them. Rolls of paper with holes punched in them, mainly. The paper has held up remarkably well in most cases, but it eventually deteriorates to the point where it canÕt (or shouldnÕt!) be used to play music. Early on I became intrigued with the problem of accurately copying the paper rolls to new paper. After seeing other folksÕ efforts to do so, I decided to try my hand at it. Building on the pioneering work done by Richard Tonnesen and Wayne Stahnke, I started with a clean slate and designed a roll perforator and a roll reader. After a couple of years, I had an operating perforator and reader, using modern electronic and computer technology. Essential to making this equipment work were the suites of software programs developed by Wayne Stahnke, Rich.ard Brandle and Warren Trachtman. Their programs gave measurement, processing and production control of remarkable precision. And eventually insight into the original production and editing of the rolls.
When we started collecting piano rolls in the 1960s, we assumed they were accurate copies of an artistÕs playing. It wasnÕt long before we discovered that there were rolls that were obviously laid out on a drafting board and those that sounded more like they were played by a real person. After that the categories grew: Artists we liked; different roll makes; types of music; and so on. We didnÕt question whether a roll was an accurate copy of what the manufacturer intended, though it became clear that an artistÕs playing was usually edited. Occasion.ally a defective roll would show up, but this was rare.
When I started designing my perfo.rator and reader in the late 1990s, Wayne Stahnke gave me a suite of programs for processing the results of scanning rolls and operating a perforator. Wayne discovered that the distance between punch holes in a chain, for instance, were not necessar.ily evenly spaced, and punches might wander from side to side relative to the paper edges (slew), or the paper might be tilted relative to the tracker bar (skew), to name a few anomalies. He designed programs that analyzed the punches and figured out where they should have been placed by the original master roll. Later Warren Trachtman designed another suite of programs to do the same functions, and others have since added to the programs that try to put the punches back in the intended positions. They all do a remarkable job, but may not do a perfect one, due to roll defects and program limitations that cause ambiguous punch placement. Human judgment is needed to resolve these problems.
It soon became apparent that the manufacturing process for the origi.nal rolls was often inaccurate. Some manufacturers made consistently good rolls, others ranged from good to quite poor. For instance, QRS until the late 1920s made rolls with very few problems, the Aeolian rolls of the 1930s often had glaring defects. Some defects are more subtle, such as variation in tempo and skew. Missed or extra punches are easy to detect by eye or ear, but the restoration programs have no way to do so. When the variations in tempo (step size between punches) are large, the restoration programs can be fooled into adding or subtracting rows of punches. Skew can cause otherwise identical rolls to sound different. Skewing the treble notes ahead cause them to sound brighter or louder than the bass notes, skewing them behind causes the music to lose Òlife.Ó
Variations in step size are quite common in rolls. Some variations are random, others are cyclic, such as those caused by the paper feed mech.anisms. Some manufacturers had little variation, others could be bad enough to confuse the restoration programs. Where this happens, it takes human judgment to decide where the punches should have been.
Some problems are due to sloppy editing, such as leaving too little space between repeated notes, not aligning chords properly, not catching obviously wrong notes, advancing the master roll too few or too many steps between beats, to name a few. Some of problems of this sort can be found by visual inspection, some require listening with a Òmusical ear.Ó
So how can we restore the original musical intent of the rolls?
Most popular music follows regular and predictable patterns. The music will be on a beat of many punch rows that is consistent throughout, as will be the artistÕs or arrangerÕs style. There are exceptions, of course, but usually this is true. Using roll editing programs, it is then relatively easy, but tedious, to count the rows between beats and find the places where the restoration programs or the original roll has added or lost rows. There are shortcuts to the counting process, so it is rarely necessary to count each row. It takes less effort if one can use this approach rather than the alternate one of overlaying a copy on the original and visually locating step errors. When the original roll has added or lost rows it can be due to manufacturing defects, or occasionally editing errors. When it becomes a judgment issue of what to do I will usually edit so the music sounds right. If it is questionable I will leave it as is.
Classical music is usually not edited to play the notes on a regular pattern of punch rows. Where there is no regular Òbeat,Ó row adds and slips can be found only by visual inspec.tion. Where there are regular chain patterns in the music such errors can be seen with editing programs, though sometimes pattern errors are due to inconsistency of the machinery that generated the patterns. With that exception, the only way to find row adds and slips in this type of music is by overlaying a punched copy of the roll over the original roll. This requires punching a copy with the same punch step size as the original. In practice, a slight difference in step size can be compensated by the eye.
My perforator uses digital stepping with a resolution of about three thou.sandths of an inch. Wayne StahnkeÕs perforator control program controls the step size in much smaller incre.ments, which allows making copies that can be compared accurately to the original rolls.
A copy at this point has been processed by restoration programs, and the punches have been restored to fall on a regular grid pattern. This does not mean that they are on the pattern of the original master that made the rolls, only that they are on the same step intervals as the master. If a punch on the original roll is not exactly on the original step interval, (a regular grid pattern) it may be seen by the restoration program as displaced by a step from where it should be. For instance, if the original punch is a half-step from the intended location, the restoration program may put it a full step from where it should have been. The restoration programs calculate the step size and placement and then make the best fit for each punch.
Paper
The choice of proper paper is essential to obtaining an excellent finished product. Many of the nickel.odeon rolls survive today in excellent condition, while rolls manufactured by Duo-Art and Ampico, for example, have become brittle over the years. Bob explains some of the problems with paper and what he did to over.come these.
Burrows Paper Corporation has a distribution facility in Reno, NV, so they were the folks we worked with on paper issues. We thought the dry wax paper called out in the first purchase order would be a good choice, partly because we thought that the wax would lubricate the punches, and also because it was not too expensive. As we found out, the wax had a slight coefficient of friction, causing the paper layers to stick together slightly as they rolled up on the take-up spool in the playing mechanism. If the drag at the supply spool was less than what would cause the ÒstictionÓ to be overcome, the paper wound some.what loosely on the take-up spool. Often the resulting loose layers would momentarily unstick, causing the paper to stop moving over the tracker bar until the slack was taken up. This of course caused the music to pause until the paper was tight enough on the take-up spool. Another problem was the hygroscopic nature of the paper, which caused dimensional changes with changes in humidity. Reno has a dry desert climate, with low humidity, so the paper expanded when taken to the higher humidity areas where we sold most of the rolls. We compensated for this by storing the paper and punching rolls in a humidity-controlled environment.
This led to the choice of the ÒPlas.tawaxÓ coated paper (the second purchase order), which was slick enough to allow the paper to spool tightly on the take-up spool, and it was much more dimensionally stable. And, as we found, it punched cleaner than the dry wax type, and we didnÕt have to control the humidity of storage and production areas. Not unexpectedly, it was about 50 percent more expensive, but worth the cost. This is the paper we used until we sold the perforator to Tim Baxter.
Bob wrote a letter to the Burrows Paper Corporation requesting help after the first batch of paper brought out the problems mentioned above:
5 November 2004
Burrows Paper Corp
1722 53rd Street
Fort Madison, IA 52627
Attention: Audra
Dear Audra,
At last IÕve gotten around to getting you some paper samples and some thoughts about player piano paper. Please have your engineers see what they can come up with.
Enclosed are two samples of orig.inal paper from the 1920s. They are from rolls that have held up better than most. The one marked ÒCapitalÓ is from a nickelodeon roll, the one marked ÒImperialÓ is from a piano roll.
The paper we have been buying from you, the 30/36 DW BLEA, has been working well for piano rolls, with two exceptions: They are not dimensionally stable with humidity changes, and with very long rolls there is intermittent layer-to-layer slippage as the paper builds up on the take-up spool.
We live in the high desert, where the humidity is often below 20 percent. When I first started making piano rolls I sent samples to people in high humidity areas and they found that the rolls had expanded enough to cause problems on marginal pianos. Since then, I have made the piano rolls in a controlled humidity environment, about 35Ð 40 percent humidity. With rolls wider than the 11 1/4 inch size we trim to, it can expand (or shrink) enough to cause unacceptable opera.tion. Carl Lambie says he canÕt make the 15 inch or larger rolls required for some instruments for this reason. I understand that there will always be some dimensional change, but I (and the rest of us perforator people) would like to minimize it. The samples are acceptably dimensionally stable.
Most of the people we sell to also play old original rolls, which are getting fragile today. For this reason, they set the drag on the supply spool quite low. When playing rolls made with the new paper the paper doesnÕt slide snugly against each layer, I think because it has more friction than the original. At any rate, with long rolls eventually the layers Òcatch up,Ó and the supply spool stops while the take-up spool continues to rotate. This causes the music to halt, which is not a good thing. On very long rolls, such as the nickelodeon rolls, many folks stop part way through and take up the slack. The Capital sample, for instance, doesnÕt do this.
Another requirement is that the paper punch cleanly in our perfo.rators. Typically, we punch up to eight layers of paper at a time using round punches about 0.060 to 0.100 inches in diameter. One type of roll uses punches about 0.045 inches in diameter in some spots. ÒFuzzÓ is not acceptable, as is hanging chad. I suspect this means low rag content, but IÕm no expert on this sort of thing.
Paper thickness must be 0.003 inches, or at least close to it.
Color is not important if it isnÕt too dark. My preference is for something very similar to what we buy now, but that takes a back seat to the require.ments above.
Looking toward the future, it would be desirable to be able to print or screen on one side. Many original piano rolls had words screened on them with an ink that dried extremely fast.
Summing up, what we want is, in order of importance:
1) Dimensional stability with humidity change
2) Paper thickness 0.003 inches
3) Clean punching
4) A surface with low friction
5) Color similar to what we buy now
6) A surface that will take printing or screening
Of course, we want it cheap and if it can walk the dog too that would be nice.
Best regards, Bob Billings
Final paper order
Bob found good paper from Burrows and here is the latest purchase order:
Date: 17 June 2009
Number: 0906171
To:Burrows Paper Corporation
Item: 1. Per your Supply Agreement of 17 June 2009
¥
4,000 lbs. 30/34# Bleached, Plas.ta-Wax One Side, Wet Strength Paper PBL-030-4800 No Color/No Printing

¥
12Ó W x 12Ó Dia. x 3Ó Core

¥
Packed 1 Roll per Carton

¥
Price $1.59/lb., FOB Reno, NV

¥
Wind Rolls Wax side down (wax side toward core).

¥
Paper must be slit to 12Ó wide, tolerance not exceeding +/- 1/16Ó. The closer the better!

¥
Tears from slitting must not exceed 1/8Ó deep.

Delivery: 4 weeks or sooner
Ship to: Burrows Reno Plant. Sierra Music Rolls will pick it up there.
Signature: Robert Billings
Conclusion
This ends our very detailed examina.tion of all aspects of the roll business. It is very important to preserve and share this information since it is a central aspect of our hobby. It is a guide to future roll recutters. The perforator story will be continued in the next issue of the Mechanical Music.

Figure 1

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Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

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 January/February 2018 issue of The AMICA Bulletin.

The Pietschmann Firm of Berlin

(Part III)

Deutsche Musikwerke System Pietschmann (German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann)

By Dr. Albert Lštz

The resolution of liquidation of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory took place on Nov. 19, 1896. One and a half months later it became known that Ferdinand Pietschmann had acquired the companyÕs two estates at 25 Brunnenstr. and 45 Fehrbelli.nerstr.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1896-1897), p. 267.
On Mar. 25, 1897, the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal reported that debts of 245,000 Mark, which were the cause of the company liquidation, had been paid off after the sale of the two factory estates and the recovery of outstanding claims.22 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 25 March 1897, evening issue, p. 2, third column bottom.
Speculators got wind of the news and rushed to buy shares of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory, which were traded again starting March 20 after quite a long time on hold.33 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 20 March 1897, evening issue, stock prices VIII, second column.
Prices varied within a few days between 244 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 23 March 1897, evening issue, stock prices VIII, second column.
and 6.50 Mark for the old shares, and between 30 and 40 Mark for the preference shares. On March 29, the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal warned speculators that the old shares would be considered worthless.55 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 29 March 1897, evening issue, p. 3, second column.
On May 5, 1897, a meeting of the shareholders, led by Ferdinand Pietschmann, took place. During the meeting the following actions were explained and resolved.66 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 6 May 1897, evening issue, p. 2, second column bottom.
Ferdinand Pietschmann could exchange one of the two factory estates for equity in a newly revived company with the name ÒDeutsche Musikwerke System PietschmannÓ (German Mechanical Musical Instru.ments System Pietschmann). As a stock exchange prospectus77 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 28 June 1897, evening issue, p. 8.
shows, the factory estate he exchanged was that at 45 Fehrbellinerstr. Five previous preference shares could be exchanged for three shares of the new company.88 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 23 May 1897, morning issue, p. 11.
The name ÒDeutsche Musikwerke System PietschmannÓ was recorded in the trade register on 23 June 1897.99 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 26 June 1897, evening issue, p. 12, first column.
The director was the merchant Emil Rittner. The stock exchange prospectus said that the factory employed 200 workmen, that the turnover of the last business year in organettes (Herophon, Manopan, Dolcine etc.) had been 221,000 Mark, and that Ferdinand Pietschmann was the managing engineer.
Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau reported in its issue of Aug. 1, 1897, that Ferdinand Pietschmann had replaced Emil Rittner as director of the company.1010 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1896-1897), p. 811.
Then, on Nov. 16, 1897, an extraordinary general meeting took place to decide on whether to take out a loan of 100,000 Mark.1111 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 17 November 1897, morning issue, p. 9, third column.
This was necessary because the company did not have enough working capital, and for this reason it could not deliver on all orders made for products. Ferdi.nand Pietschmann had contributed 37,500 Mark as working capital at the foundation of the new company. In exchange, he had received 150 shares 25 percent partly paid-up.1212 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 6 Febru.ary 1898, morning issue, p. 14, first column.
Though some shareholders demanded the full paying-up of the partly paid-up shares, and a revision committee that should examine all operations during the foundation and the business there.after,1313 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1897-1898), p. 131.
the loan was approved by the majority, and the full paying-up and the revision committee were declined. In addition, the first business year was extended to Apr. 30, 1898.
A month later, on Dec. 27, 1897, the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal reported both in its editorial part and in the trade register excerpts that Ferdinand Pietschmann had left the management board of German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann, and had been replaced by a previous member of the board of supervisors, Rudolph TrŸbe.1414 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 27 December 1897, evening issue, p. 7, third column, and p. 10, first column.
Further information on this event can be obtained from an open confronta.tion between Ferdinand Pietschmann and Rudolph TrŸbe in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau published one year later in the beginning of January 1899. TrŸbe wrote in an open letter to the journal:1515 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1898-1899), p. 335.

Dear Sir, There is a notice on our company copied from ÒBerlin Stock Exchange CourierÓ on page 303 in issue no. 10 of your esteemed journal that does not correspond completely to reality. Not the managing board, but Mr. Ferdinand Pietschmann, who has been dismissed from his position with the company, has made commu.nications on an alleged meeting of shareholders. In order to gain support for his obstructionism, Mr. Ferdi.nand Pietschmann shall have invited a few shareholders, who are also his friends, to a purely private meeting which cannot and will not at all influ.ence the decisions of the company. Absolutely biased as the meeting are also the communications that Mr. Ferdinand Pietschmann launches in the public. There is absolutely no connection between the leading bodies of the company and these goings-on. We would just like to remark that our company boasts an extraordinary good result since the dismissal of Mr. Ferdinand Pietschmann. We would like to ask you most politely, to kindly make use of this correcting communication in an appropriate manner. Safeguarding the interests of the company by a special committee is not necessary, because, as I said, the current management cares about these interests very well. Berlin, 6 January 1899. Yours sincerely, German Mechanical Musical Instru.ments System Pietschmann Inc., TrŸbe.
The response by Ferdinand Piet.schmann was:1616 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1898-1899), p. 429.

The correction concerning me in no. 11 of your esteemed journal was sent to you by Mr. TrŸbe without knowledge and authorisation by the board of supervisors, and it is stated in an absolutely wrong and spiteful manner. Mr. TrŸbe, who, by the way, has been dismissed by the board of supervisors four weeks ago, has made a cooperation between us impossible by his obstructionism, and caused me to leave the company on 7 November last year by a settlement with the board of supervisors. The meeting of shareholders called by me was by no means generally biased in favour of my opinions, but the shareholders accepted my invitation only in the interest of their holdings in order to obviate further dangers that were caused by the management of Mr. TrŸbe. Though the assembly could have enforced decisions on account of its majority, the established commit.tee is going to reach an agreement with the board of supervisors on the basis of an impartial discussion of the problems with the latter. Thus a good development of the business can be hoped for. This agreement is made possible essentially by the past dismissal of Mr. TrŸbe. The alleged improvement of the business since my retirement is obviously an imag.ination of Mr. TrŸbe. In the months November and December, the turnover is always higher than else during the year. Berlin 31 January 1899. Yours sincerely, Ferdinand Pietschmann.
The dismissal of TrŸbe is confirmed by a trade register excerpt in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau, according to which Rudolph TrŸbe had withdrawn from the management and merchant Heinrich Hermann became director of German Mechan.ical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann Inc.1717 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1898-1899), p. 459.
Hermann would play a big role in the history of the company. Ferdinand Pietschmann officially retired from the company on Nov. 7, 1898. He had been demoted to technical manager in December 1897 (proofs of this position below) after he lost the director position to TrŸbe, who was at that time a member of the board of supervisors, in a struggle for power.
Ferdinand Pietschmann burnt the candle at both ends when he founded German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann exhausting all his personal funds. This caused him to ask his creditors for a delay of payment in the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal on Feb. 6, 1898, a little more than one month after his demotion by the board of directors:1818 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 6 Febru.ary 1898, morning issue, p. 14, first column.

The factory of musical instruments Pietschmann & Sons, later company on shares, directed by me successfully since 1861, was liquidated in Novem.ber 1896, because it had to raise loans of 200,000 Mark for the installation of a necessary new branch (musical boxes) and could not reimburse them. According to the business report of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory of 15 September 1896, the share capital amounted to 914,000 Mark, including preference shares for 529,000 Mark. In order to avoid the loss of the preference shareholdersÕ funds, and to save a 56-year old factory producing good and modern articles by efficient equipment, I decided to pay off the debts, even by sacrificing my own funds, and to reorganize and stabilize the factory. The attempts in spring last year to transform the company into a limited corporation failed, because the neces.sary capital of 500,000 Mark could not be raised. Then I decided to make all preference shareholders with their capital of 529,000 Mark partners in the new company by exchange of their shares for shares of the new joint-stock company. The success was brilliant, because all shareholders except those of 15 shares participated in the new enterprise, the present German Mechanical Musical Instru.ments System Pietschmann. The new company received the total equipment of the former factory and the estate 45 Fehrbellinerstrasse with a value of 1,058,606 Mark minus the mortgage of 390,000 Mark, thus 668,606.38 Mark, for just 420,000 Mark free of debts. The new company was founded on 15 June 1897. In addition, it was my task, to provide the new company with sufficient operational reserves. In a first step, I paid in 37,500 Mark from my private money for 150,000 Mark operational funds 25% partly paid-up. In a second step, in November last year, I succeeded in raising a loan of 100,000 Mark with a term of several years for the new company, and simultaneously in interesting and engaging a new and wealthy commercial director for the enterprise, so that the company has now been reorganized on a favourable basis and might again be able to reach its former well-known prosperity. In order to reach this aim, I first have paid off the debts of the former company with 243,695 Mark in cash. Then the liquidators, the foundation, and the raising of capital required an expenditure of 70,529 Mark, which I paid in cash and in shares. In addition, I had to care for the payment of 37,500 Mark for the operational fund of 150,000 Mark. In total, I paid 351,724 Mark for the reorganization of the former indebted factory into a new factory free from debt. It was not possible for me, to raise this large sum from my own funds, and thus I have pawned my shares and my estates, and spent my liquid resources. This entailed my getting in payment difficulties, and I must appeal to the leniency and patience of my creditors. I do stress that my difficult situation did not result from personal consumption, speculation, or loans, but from my well executed decision to save the money of the preference shareholders, and to save a traditional and highly reputed business. I own more than one half of the shares of German Mechanical Musical Instruments and 4 estates that are all pawned, and currently cannot be used to reimburse the claims of the creditors. As soon as the shares can be listed at a stock exchange after the one-year lockup period that will finish on the 1st of May this year, and after the ensuing balance, I will be able to fully satisfy the claims of my creditors by selling the shares. In case the requested payment delay will be accepted, I will be able to devote myself fully to my position as technical manager of the reorganized factory, like 36 years before, and to contribute decisively to a good profit of the enterprise and thus to a better price of the shares. If the payment delay should be declined, I will go bankrupt as the reward for my devotion. This will entail quite a big and far-reaching disadvantage for my creditors and especially for the company. I therefore ask you to grant my delaying of all payments to the end of the year 1899 with the condi.tion that I will have to fully satisfy all your claims within two months, if the shares should meanwhile be listed at a stock exchange.
The administration of German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann had a cool reply to this appeal published in the same journal:1919 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 10 Febru.ary 1898, evening issue, p.10, first column bottom.

The representation of the debts of Mr. F. Pietschmann contained in no. 61 of Berlin Stock Exchange Journal states at the end that bankruptcy proceedings initiated against the assets of Mr. F. Pietschmann would also have far-reaching disadvan.tageous consequences for German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann Inc. This allega.tion is quite incorrect. The company has absolutely nothing to do with the private debts of Mr. F. Pietschmann so that an opening of bankruptcy of the considered kind would not have the slightest influence on the business of the company.
In reading the text by Ferdinand Pietschmann asking for a delay of payment, the fourth to the last sentence implies that he had not left the company, but was working as a managing engineer below the level of a director. This is also confirmed by a report of the executive board and the board of supervisors at the general meeting in September 1898 stating that deductions were made from Ferdinand PietschmannÕs salary in order to pay off a debt with the company amounting to 45,000 Mark.2020 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 20 September 1898, morning issue, p.13.

The request by Ferdinand Piet.schmann for a delay of payment to his personal creditors was obviously unsuccessful. In what must have been a peculiarly humiliating situa.tion for Ferdinand Pietschmann, the ownership of the estate at 24 Brun.nenstrasse passed to Rudolph TrŸbe at an enforced sale in October 1898.2121 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 26 Octo.ber 1898, evening issue, p.11. The newspaper reports as purchaser ÒRentier Adolph TrŸbe in Schšneberg, Hauptstr. 10Ó, thus with wrong Christian name and wrong address, however the Berlin Directory confirms Rudolph TrŸbe as the new owner of the estate.
The estate at 25 Brunnenstr. was like.wise sold at an enforced auction in May 1899.2222 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 13 May 1899, evening issue, p.11. Also here quite a distorting mistake with ÒBlumenstr. 25Ó.
The two other of the four estates in Ferdinand PietschmannÕs possession as mentioned in the request for a delay of payment were the estates at 9 and 10 Barbarossastr. in Berlin-Schšneberg. He must have sold them in 1900 according to the Berlin Directory, probably also by enforced sale, because he had purchased them only in 1897 and was penniless, as the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal reported in May 1902.2323 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 25 May 1902, morning issue, p.10.

In the general meeting of German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann on Sept. 19, 1898, an adverse balance of 56,000 Mark was announced.2424 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 20 September 1898, morning issue, p.13.
With a side-blow at the former administration, it was indi.cated that the balance sheet had been drawn up on the basis of conservative principles (Òwithout whitewashingÓ), and also previous abuses had been remedied, e.g. sales with too low profit. It was mentioned that a new hand-cranked instrument had been launched. That would have been one of the two organettes, ÒLibelle,Ó with 27 steel reeds or, ÒLux,Ó with 16 steel reeds based on the construction principle of the Ariston whose patent had expired. The similarly constructed organette, ÒIris,Ó with 24 or 48 steel reeds (24 notes) was added to the product range only later. All these instruments worked with circular perforated metal discs (Figures 31 and 32). In the beginning of June 1899, Director Hermann of German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann visited Leipzig presenting the improved Manopan and the new organette, ÒIris,Ó to the local wholesalers. Instead of a Forte flap, the Manopan was now equipped with a lever for the adjustment of the spring of the reservoir bellows, and thus with the setting of the wind pres.sure. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau wrote:2525 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1898-1899), p.760.

This mechanism, which increases the price of the instrument only by a small amount, puts it on top of all organettes with respect to beauty of sound and variety of expression. It will certainly win the favour of many buyers in spite of the oversupply in the market. The main customers will probably be people in the countryside, lords of manors, and hosts, because the instrument produces quite a strong sound by its 39 double reeds, more than sufficient for e.g. dance music. É It may still be mentioned here that Mr Pietschmann has absolutely nothing to do with the company any more, even though his name is still connected with it. This has already created confusion several times, especially because Mr. P. has recently founded a sort of competing company. Therefore, the absence of any connections between him and the company may be stated here.
The competing company founded by Ferdinand Pietschmann and bear.ing the name Berliner Musikwerke (Berlin Mechanical Musical Instru.ments) A. Pietschmann & Co. was recorded in the Berlin Trade Register on Apr. 10, 1899.2626 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 13 April 1899, evening issue, p.13, third column bottom.
The partners were merchant Richard Martienssen and Mrs. Anna Pietschmann, nŽe Mart.ienssen. As Ferdinand Pietschmann had the company officially managed by his wife, his creditors could not take measures to seize any assets. The enterprise was renamed Berliner Musik-Industrie (Berlin Music Indus.try), A. Pietschmann & Co. in spring 1900. It was located in 25 Brunnen.stra§e, where Ferdinand Pietschmann had also lived since 1899. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau wrote in the announcement of the name change:2727 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1899-1900), p.479.

The new company announces by a circular that its workshop shall manufacture novelties of musical instruments and similar products, as well as automatic musical instru.ments. The workshop is managed by really experienced and professional specialists. It hopes to be able to present its new products already very soon.
Figure 33 shows an advertisement of the company in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau.2828 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1899-1900), p.802.
In August 1900, Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau reviewed two new developments by Ferdinand Pietschmann, an accor.dion and a harmonica in form of a clarinet, both of which were played according to the chord zither prin.ciple with a music sheet from which the keys to press could be read easily (Figure 34).2929 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1899-1900), p.915.
Ferdinand Pietschmann presented these instruments with the designation ÒIdealÓ on the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1900, in addition to quite an inexpensive and well working phonograph with coin insert (Figure 35), and a vending machine for mouth organs that cost 10 Pfennig (Å 1 Euro) per instrument including a playing instruction.3030 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1899-1900), p.1024.

Meanwhile at Ferdinand Piet.schmannÕs former company, German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann, the business year that ended on Apr. 30, 1899, resulted in only a small operational profit of 2,688 Mark. This meant that the companyÕs negative asset balance could only be reduced slightly to 53,000 Mark. By eliminating a second director position, a noticeable finan.cial improvement and a better climate in the company were expected. The companyÕs production of the Celesta music box made the least profit, but during the course of the business year the company was able to decrease production costs and simultaneously improve the quality of their products to the same level as comparable prod.ucts of other leading companies.3131 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1899-1900), p.111.

Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau wrote about German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Piet.schmann during the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1899:3232 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1898-1899), p.1021.

German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann of Berlin eagerly strives to recover from the previous setbacks, and the new director relentlessly eradicates all those abuses from which the factory suffered for years under the previous management so that prosperity could not result. The management sent a nice collection of accordions of newest design, fine organettes, and Celestas to the companyÕs exhibition stand in Hotel Central. É The family of Celestas has been extended by some new models. The instruments begin to gain a good market share, because they are made quite well, nevertheless inexpensive, and have a good sound. The presentation on the fair has in any case shown that the shareholders have finally found the appropriate person, director Hermann, with the ability and the absolute determina.tion to make the enterprise entrusted to him successful.
At the general meeting on Sept. 24, 1900, the only four shareholders present were confronted with a big deterioration of the cumulated balance.3333 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 1 October 1900, evening issue, p. 12.
The business year 1899/1900 had ended with an operational loss of 44,000 Mark, so that the adverse balance increased from 53,000 to 97,000 Mark.3434 Allgemeine Zeitung [General Newspaper] (Munich), 18 October 1900, p.5.
The shareholders decided to form a committee that should participate in the meetings of the board of supervisors. Ferdi.nand Pietschmann agreed to collect registrations for a meeting of the shareholders which should set up this committee. As it became known only after the bankruptcy at an extraor.dinary general meeting in May 1902 which the shareholders had to enforce by legal action, director Hermann and another investor made a contract with the board of supervisors on Feb. 19, 1901, by which they had granted a loan of 100,000 Mark. Assets of the company served as security.3535 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 25 May 1902, morning issue, p.10.
The company was likely insolvent already by the time this loan was made. In the beginning of May 1901, an extraordi.nary general meeting was called for the Jun. 6, at which a decision should be made on a purchase offer.3636 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 4 May 1901, morning issue, p.13.
Direc.tor Hermann, however, had already filed for bankruptcy on May 11, 1901.3737 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 25 May 1902, morning issue, p.10.
The bankruptcy proceedings were instituted on May 18, 1901.3838 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1900-1901), p.641.

The second-tier and successor firms
Former director Hermann took over the factory of German Mechan.ical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann on Jun. 15, 1901, and renamed it Heinrich Hermann.3939 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1900-1901), p.747.
A liquidator disclosed that a treaty had been made with Hermann according to which the latter took over the estate and the factory and paid 75 percent of the claims of the creditors.4040 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1900-1901), p.795.
In the issue of Sept. 11, 1901, an adver.tisement appeared in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau announcing the new ownership of the former Pietschmann factory between two big exclamation points (Figure 36).4141 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1900-1901), p.922.
Its design derived from the corresponding former adver.tisement of the Pietschmann firm. The angel was replaced by a depiction of the Hermann Monument in Teutoburg Forest (Westphalia), thus alluding to the name of the new firm owner. On the top right, the Dolcine had been replaced by the organette Lux, in the bottom left, the organette Iris appeared instead of the two instruments Fluto.pan and Motor-Orchestrion.
On Jun. 15, 1902, Hermann moved the whole firm to the small town Bernau, 22 kilometers north-east of the center of Berlin,4242 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.719.
and sold the estate at 45 Fehrbellinerstra§e. This meant the final end of the former firm Piet.schmann in Berlin, but it did not mean the Pietschmann family was done there. The family was still involved in the Berlin Music Industry A. Piet.schmann & Co. at 25 Brunnenstr. and the music shop Schulz, Pietschmann & Co. which had moved from 25 Brunnenstr. to 26 Brunnenstr. in 1899. The shop of musical instruments G. Martienssen & Co., founded in 1885 together with the two Pietschmann brothers as partners at 194 Friedrich.str., had become the sole property of Gustav Martienssen in 1890.4343 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 10 July 1890, evening issue, p.11.
In 1891, Ferdinand Martienssen became a partner, which is known from the Berlin Directory mentioning him in this position the first time in the issue of 1892. In March 1892 he took over the business completely.4444 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 17 March 1892, evening issue, p.18.
In 1896, the shop moved to 59/60 Friedrichstra§e, but in 1898 it went bankrupt.4545 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1897-1898), p.683.
It was started again at 54 Friedrichstra§e., but the Berlin Directory mentioned the business for the last time in 1902 with the following assets for sale, Òmechanical musical instruments, Organola, gramophones.Ó Ferdinand Martienssen obviously gave up the business because he joined Berlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co. in late summer 1901 as a person.ally-liable partner, while Richard Martienssen simultaneously left the company.4646 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1900-1901), p.929.

The ÒOrganolaÓ mentioned among the assets sold by the music business in Friedrichstra§e is not the well-known automatic organ-player built since 1904 by the traditional organ builder Walcker of WŸrttemberg4747 Bernhard HŠberle, Die Organola von Walcker als zeitgeschichtliches PhŠnomen [The Organola by Walcker as a Contemporary Phenomenon], Das Mechanische Musikinstru.ment no. 32 (Baden-Baden, 1984), p.11.
but a product of American Organola Co. Menzenhauer, Spierling & Co., which was mentioned on Sept. 5, 1901, in the Berlin trade register, and whose partners were the chord zither manufacturer Menzenhauer, the merchant Spierling, and Mrs. Anna Pietschmann, nŽe Martienssen.4848 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.21.
Figure 37 shows the instrument,4949 German utility model DRGM no.163050. Musical instrument with reeds, the melodies being played by pressing down rods, and the accompanying chords played by buttons. Menzenhauer & Schmidt, Oscar Schmidt, holder, Berlin. 7 October 1901, Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.153.
which was described and depicted in an editorial contribution in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau.5050 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.140.
The bellows for the wind supply was integrated in the instrument itself, and was moved by a strap with stirrup (lying right of the instrument on the table in Figure 37), or by a knee lever in a different version, after the instrument had been clamped to the table. On its right side, the instrument had keys for the melody notes in form of rods (Figure 37), upon which a book of thin cloth pages bound on its upper border was put. A zig-zag line was printed from top to bottom on the pages like in the case of chord zithers. The line connected the notes to be played in succession, lying directly over the corresponding rods. After a page had been played, it could be turned over upwards, and the next page could be played. At the left, there were the keys for the accompanying chords. The sound of the instrument was described as being quite loud but pleasant. The trademark ÒOrganolaÓ was registered for Berlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co.5151 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.183.
The company also filed patents for this instrument that describe the details of the construction (DRP 128395, DRP 128568, DRP 131283). The corre.sponding English patent no. 15970 was filed by Ferdinand Pietschmann in 1901 (depatisnet GB000190115970) so that he would have been the inven.tor. On Feb. 18, 1902, bankruptcy proceedings of American Organola & Co., Menzenhauer, Spierling & Co. were instituted.5252 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.405.
The company listed 400 finished and 100 partly-finished Organolas in stock.5353 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.629.

On Aug. 30, 1902, private company Berlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co. was transformed into Berlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co. Limited. Merchant Emil Stein became its manager. Ferdinand Martienssen was partner and contributed stock, claims, utility models and rights. The corresponding press notice said:
The new firm still communicates in its circular that the support by Mr. F. Pietschmann, so valuable in technical issues, will also further be available to the firm.5454 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.993.

The inventions by Ferdinand Piet.schmann, protected by patents and utility models, were to be evaluated economically by Berliner Harmoni.um-Fabrik GmbH [Berlin Harmonium Factory Ltd.] founded on Nov. 15, 1902. Merchant Eduard Scheidel was a partner and the manager. Ferdinand Martienssen, as partner, contributed a series of patents and utility models that were valued at 25,000 Mark.5555 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p.311.
The company produced a miniature harmonium with the name ÒSkalaÓ that was played similarly to the Organola (Figure 38). Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau wrote that the instrument had a full and pleasant sound.5656 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p.393.
At the Leipzig Easter Fair 1903, many contracts were awarded for the instrument.5757 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p.445.

In the issue of 21 March 1903 of Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau, the following news was published on page 491:
The manufacturer of musical instruments, Mr. Ferdinand Piet.schmann of Berlin, passed away after a short illness in Leipzig, where he stayed for the Fair, on Sunday 8 March, at 11 am. A life rich in ups and downs found an end. The mortal remains of the deceased were trans.ferred to Berlin and laid to rest in St. Mary Old Cemetery on the 12th of the month.5858 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p.Ê491.

The church record of St. Mary (located between the Royal Castle and Alexanderplatz) says that Ferdinand Pietschmann died of pneumonia.5959 Archive of the Berlin Protestant Church, Berlin-City I, St. Mary, Interments 1899-1907, March 1903, p. 85, no. 7k.
In addition, the uncommon remark can be found that his flat in 25 Brunnenstr. had already been cleared out. The Berlin Directory lists him for the years 1900 and 1901 as living in 25 Brunnen.str., but from 1902 he cannot be found in Berlin anymore. It is possible that he could have lived at Bernau and worked for the firm Hermann. His wife is listed in all these years as living at 25 Brunnenstr. As a further annota.tion it must be said that the ÒobituaryÓ in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau is decisively too short for a manu.facturer who had led a big factory of musical instruments for several decades. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumen.tenbau published far longer editorial articles at important birthdays, jubi.lees, deceases, and even for each ten thousandth fabricated instrument of far smaller firms. Deutsche Instrumen.tenbau-Zeitung (German Journal for Instrument Making) did not publish any notice at all after the death of Ferdinand Pietschmann, although this journal appeared in Berlin. ItÕs possible that the reason for this was Ferdinand Pietschmann might have had the reputation of a bankrupt. Then there was the not-so-well hidden imitation of the Ariston by the Hero.phon, and patent litigation following for years and finally lost that further damaged the reputation of Ferdinand Pietschmann. He indeed appears not to have been a skillful merchant, but mainly a maker of instruments. For example, the shareholder Beck, a previous member of the board of supervisors, charged Ferdinand Pietschmann at the general meeting in November 1892 with having set up a private workshop for developments in which the best workmen of the firm were busy.6060 Berlin Daily, 28 November 1892, evening issue, trade journal of Berlin Daily, second page.
Thus, the main interest of Ferdinand Pietschmann obviously was the development of new instru.ments and of improvements, which cannot be judged as a negative, but it would have helped if he did not neglect caring for the production and the commercial side of the enterprise at the same time. This is exactly what the chairman of the board, Neuburger, accused him of at the general meet.ing where Neuburger declared that Pietschmann was unable to manage such an enterprise successfully.6161 Ibidem.
This widely-held view of Ferdinand Pietschmann is confirmed by a highly suggestive remark and the reaction of the shareholders at the general meeting of German Mechanical Musi.cal Instruments System Pietschmann in November 1897, at which it was agreed that a skillful and experienced merchant should be installed as second director in addition to Ferdi.nand Pietschmann.6262 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1897-1898), p.Ê159.

On the other hand, it must be said that times had changed since the 1880s and even well-managed firms were having difficulties. For example, the Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments, formerly Paul Ehrlich & Co., had to record an operating loss of 30,000 Mark for the business year 1898.6363 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1898-1899), p.Ê749.
The two following years were also adverse and a capital reduction at the ratio of 4-to-1 became necessary.6464 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.Ê155.
Even this measure, however, could not save the company. At the general meeting of April 1904 it was decided to liquidate the assets,6565 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1903-1904), p.Ê641.
leading to bank.ruptcy in July 1905.6666 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1904-1905), p.Ê883.
Also Symphonion Inc., Factory of Lochmann Mechanical Musical Instruments, had to reduce its capital in a ratio of 4-to-1 in May 1902 on account of the 700,000 Mark losses attributed to its participation in the American Symphonion Manufacturing Company. The reason for the losses were stated as the inability of the Swiss firm Paillard to deliver parts for the production of a table model of a disc music box with automatic disc changer.6767 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1901-1902), p.Ê649.
The Polyphon company closed with a loss first in 1903. The stated loss amounted to 128,000 Mark and was caused by the sales declines in mechanical music.6868 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1904-1905), p.Ê597.

The bankruptcy proceedings of Berlin Harmonium Factory were initiated on Aug. 17, 1903.6969 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p.Ê927.
Shortly afterward, the Skala Harmonium Company Ltd. was founded in Hamburg and took over the manu.facturing and the sales of the ÒSkalaÓ instrument.7070 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p.Ê959 and p.Ê987.
Yet, this company did not last long either. It was liquidated on Apr. 3, 1905.7171 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1904-1905), p.Ê653.

In spring 1904, Heinrich Hermann sold the inventory and all rights in the former Pietschmann organettes to the firm Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments Euphonika7272 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1903-1904), p.Ê457.
(FigureÊ39), because he intended to change his business activities into harmonicas that he sold together with patented novelties like curtain tighteners and potato peeling machines (Figure 40 bottom). Yet he went on using the traditional trademark of the firm Piet.schmann which the latter had used since 1875 (FigureÊ40). The Leipzig firm Euphonika had been founded in 1895 to produce and market an accordion playing with perforated metal disks and a spring motor turning the disk (German patent DRP 79Ê003, Figure 41).7373 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p.Ê527 and pÊ881.
The firm Euphonika had soon also offered organettes with steel reeds and metal discs branded ÒAmoretteÓ in several sizes. The former Pietschmann organettes that were taken over from Heinrich Hermann were produced by the firm Euphonika for a number of years (FigureÊ42) until the firm went bank.rupt in May 1910.7474 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1909-1910), p.Ê911.
The inventory was then purchased by the well-known Leipzig wholesaler Holzweissig, who continued the production of discs for the instruments ÒEuphonikaÓ (half-au.tomatic accordion) and ÒAmoretteÓ and also sold the instruments.7575 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1909-1910), p.Ê1219 and p.Ê1301.

Berlin Music Industry A. Piet.schmann & Co. Ltd. ended turbulently. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau published a report that is printed below. It mentions a sensational trial that took place in Berlin in 1885.7676 Paul Lindau, Der Proze§ Graef [The Graef Trial] (Berlin, 1985), new edition of ãInteressante FŠlle. Criminalprocesse aus neuester ZeitÒ [Interesting Cases. Criminal Proceedings from the Newest Time] (Breslau, 1888).
The trial focused on a report of a sexual relationship between a married academic painter, Professor Gustav Graef (1821-1895), and his model, Bertha Rother. The trial was initiated by the father of another model, a girl of 13 years. She was underage according to Prussian law. This girlÕs father, working as a model himself, had introduced his daughter into the ateliers of Graef and of another academic painter. The parents then accused both artists of seducing of their underage daughter. Later it was discovered that the parents made the accusation to extort money from the painters. The girlÕs mother even.tually was sentenced to two years in prison, because she had demanded a bribe of 1,000 Mark. Professor Graef denied under oath any intimate physical relationship with the girl or with Bertha Rother. One piece of incriminating evidence against Graef was his financial support of Bertha Rother and her mother, amounting to 30,000 Mark over three years. Both women denied any conduct of a sexual nature by Graef and he was ultimately acquitted even though lyrical letters in his handwriting addressed to Bertha Rother were found during a search of the Rother house as ordered by the court. The court also considered as evidence the painting ÒMŠrchenÓ (fairy tale) by Graef that shows a young naked woman (Bertha Rother) outdoors in side-view, just having stripped her scaly skin after the meta.morphosis into a fish.7777 Black-and-white depiction under

The connection of the above-men.tioned trial to the bankruptcy of Berlin Musik Industry A. Pietschmann & Co. Ltd., became clear when Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau cited a report from the Berlin Daily:7878 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1903-1904), p.Ê759.

Berta Rother, who once posed for Professor GrŠfÕs ÒMŠrchenÓ, and became world-famous by the sensa.tional artist trial, married the now 41 years old merchant Emil Stein 15 years ago, three years after the trial. For a while, the couple had a wine shop in Frobenstrasse in Berlin. Three years ago, they changed to the retail sale of musical instruments for a wholesale firm in 25 Brunnen.strasse. They lived in no. 160 of the same street on the third floor. They remained childless. A certain Henny G. had already been an assistant in the music shop since one year before the takeover by Mr. Stein. Soon Stein began a love affair with his shop assistant. Since that time the previously unclouded marital bliss was over. Five weeks ago, there was a vehement familial incident. On the next morning, the spouse left the flat and did not return. Also the shop assistant remained absent. Mrs. Stein has been searching her husband since that time, yet in vain. Accord.ing to her investigation, he appears to lead a jolly life with his beloved. He can do so financially, because he has only recently received a major inheritance.
Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau added ironically that the vanishing of Emil Stein with his shop assistant, followed by the immediate bankruptcy of the company where he worked appeared to be a strange coincidence. The fortune of the firm had apparently vanished together with the two. The disappearance of Emil Stein was also recorded in the trade register, because his power of representation was withdrawn, and Bertha Stein was appointed company manager.7979 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1903-1904), p.Ê673.
Two months later, Bertha SteinÕs power of representation was finished, and Emil Stein was again appointed manager.8080 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1903-1904), p.Ê861.
Nine months later, the two Steins changed their role again.8181 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1904-1905), p.Ê597.
Bertha Stein suggested the creditors a settlement three months later.8282 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1904-1905), p.Ê855.
The text says that the couple had been divorced for quite some time, and that Emil Stein had taken more than 5,000 Mark for private purposes from the till without being able to pay the money back. Bertha Stein had purchased the stocks from the bankruptcy assets and had continued the business. The bank.ruptcy proceedings were canceled after a final distribution on Sept. 14 1905.8383 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1905-1906), p.Ê59.
The Berlin Directory lists the firm A. Pietschmann & Co, manager Bertha Stein, in 1906 for the last time. According to the Berlin Directory, Anna Pietschmann, nŽe Martienssen, had an agency business in 44 Alexan.drinenstr. in 1903, then a mail-order business of phonographs in 1904, and an employment agency in 1908 in 77 Potsdamer Str. As of 1909 she had no business of her own anymore. She can be found in the directory of 1915 unambiguously, and an entry in 1920 still relates to her with considerable certainty.
Paul Schulz, the husband of Auguste Schulz nŽe Pietschmann, died in 1905.8484 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 14 November 1905, evening issue, p.Ê15.
Thus Auguste Schulz became the sole manager of the music shop at 26 Brunnenstr. for four months, until Emil Schulz, possibly a son, was recorded as the new proprietor.8585 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 27 March 1906, evening issue, p.Ê15.
He is listed with this function up to 1919, yet the business Schulz, Pietschmann & Co. can be found in the directory up to 1933 with an unchanged address.
While that may have been the end of Pietschmann business firms, Ferdinand PietschmannÕs inventions continued to influence the mechanical music industry for many years after.
The musical instruments with hot-air motor
Small hot-air motors (Stirling motors) were often used in various applications in households and small businesses in the last quarter of the 19th century and beyond when electric current was not yet available. There were different types of this motor, but only the .-type (Figure 43) was used for Pietschmann instruments. The lower part of the air-filled cylinder is heated from outside by a petroleum or gas flame (wave symbol), and its upper part is cooled by water (star symbol). The lower one of the two pistons, the so-called displacer, that is moved by the flywheel and whose rim does not fit the cylinder walls tightly, causes periodic heating and cooling of the major part of the total air volume, simply by changing the partial cylinder volumes in contact with the heating and cooling sources. On dominant heating, the air in the cylinder expands and drives the upper piston (power piston) in the cylinder upwards. On dominant cooling, the power piston is pushed back by the external air pressure. The best result is obtained with a 90-degree lead of the displacer in the cycle of movement of the power piston. In total, a certain part of the thermal energy of the flame is converted into mechanical energy of rotation of the flywheel, and the remaining part gets lost to the cool.ing at the upper part of the cylinder. Hot-air motors run quite silently which is important for musical applications. The leading manufacturer of small hot-air motors in Europe was the firm Heinrici at Zwickau (Saxony).8686 Roland Rei§ig, Die Stirlingmotoren der Firma Heinrici aus Zwickau und der Firmen Lochmann und Raab aus Zeitz [The Stirling Motors of the Firm Heinrici at Zwickau, and of the Firms Lochmannn and Raab at Zeitz], 2. edition (Zwickau, 2014).

The application of a hot-air motor for a mechanical musical instrument requires certain additional devices for the customerÕs convenience. Accord.ing to the Berlin Directory, the holder of the following two utility models was a mechanic living on the third floor of the house at 45 Fehrbellinerstr., on the estate of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory:
No. 24 714. Mechanical musical instrument, whose drive shaft is turned by one or two motors on both ends. E. Thiele in Berlin N. 10 April 1894. Ð T. 730.8787 Mitteilungen aus dem Kaiserlichen Patentamt [Communications from the Imperial Patent Office], Anmeldestelle fŸr Gebrauchsmuster [Registration Office for Utility Models] (Berlin, 1894), p. 207.

No. 25 534. Motor-driven mechan.ical musical instrument, whose shaft can be turned from without at the start and can be braked. E. Thiele in Berlin N, 45 Fehrbelliner Str. 10 April 1894. Ð T. 729.8888 Ibidem, p. 241.

It is not known whether E. Thiele was employed by Berlin Musical Instruments Factory, but the design of this quite special unit would almost certainly have been an activity at the factory. Ferdinand Pietschmann was blamed at the general meeting in November 1892 of filing inventions developed in the firm under the name of men who worked for him. He gave as reason for this practice the smaller number of objections lodged by competitors.8989 Berlin Daily, 28 November 1892, evening issue, trade journal of Berlin Daily, second page.
A further utility model for motor-driven mechanical musical instruments was filed four months after the two above utility models from April 1894:
No. 29 797. Mechanism for the control of heating flames in motor-driven mechanical musical instruments, in order to stop the heating when the instrument is not playing. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc. formerly Ch. F. Piet.schmann & Sons, Berlin N, 24 August 1894 Ð B. 3223.9090 Mitteilungen aus dem Kaiserlichen Patentamt, Anmeldestelle fŸr Gebrauchsmus.ter (Berlin, 1894), p. 417. The documents of the Imperial Patent Office concerning the util.ity models filed before 1934 were burnt by the bombardment of Berlin in World War II. Apart from the information given above that was printed and widely disseminated, nothing exists any more (maybe corresponding foreign patents). Ñ> remove tick before Ônur Objekte mit DigitalisatÕ Ñ> Reichspatentamt (Bestand).

In addition, Berlin Musical Instruments Factory received a patent with the following title:
No. 82 824. Berlin Musical Instru.ments Factory Inc. formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons, Berlin N., 25 Brunnenstr. Mechanical musical instrument with coin insert, worm-gear and brake. 22/8 1894.9191 Verzeichnis der von dem Kaiserlichen Patentamt im Jahre 1895 ertheilten Patente [List of Patents granted by the Imperial Patent Office in the Year 1895] (Berlin, 1896), p. 83. According to the quotation, the application was filed on 22 August 1894.

The mechanical musical instru.ments constructed according to these utility models and the patent were presented at the Berlin Autumn Fair 1894:
The Berlin Autumn Fair. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc. formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons had a favourable stall on the first floor at BuggenhagensÕ .9292 The estate in 147 Oranienstr. at the cross.ing called Moritzplatz (Berlin-Kreuzberg), with indoor and outdoor restaurant and halls for arrangements of many kinds, a property of the brickworks owners Buggenhagen, a place known all over the town.
Yet it proved to be much too small for the rich selec.tion of exhibited objects, although it was the largest of all. The novelties presented, and about which we will report later, were: Motor-Manopan, Harmonium-Manopan, Minia.ture Harmonium, Chord Organ, Drum-Manopan with motor, newly constructed table for zithers etc. There also was much interest by visitors at this stall, and the number of given orders was pleasing.9393 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-1894), p. 879.

The contribution announced in the preceding quote for a later time said:9494 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-1894), p. 946.

Motor-Manopans. As we have already written in the report from the Berlin Autumn Fair, Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc. formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons launched various important novelties on the market. Among them, there are espe.cially the Motor-Manopans.
After many attempts, the firm succeeded in manufacturing the self-playing Manopan. The Motor-Manopan does not need being cranked any more. A double hot-air motor is heated by the flames of two petroleum or gas burners within five minutes. They replace the human power and play each piece of music of the rich selection pleasantly, as is character.istic for the Manopan.
The instrument is quite safe, can be stopped immediately without any inconvenience, can be played at any time slowly or quickly by a simple manual setting, and runs with abso.lutely even speed because of the two connecting-rods. The playing time of the instrument is unlimited. When desired, it will play without stop or interruption, until the two burners run out of petroleum, and must be refilled. If the motor is purchased with gas burners that are connected to the gas main by rubber hoses, no interruption of the playing will result any more because of limited fuel.
The Motor-Manopans are available in 3 different models.
1. The Concert Ð Motor (Figure 44, Page 30)
This instrument in a beautifully made case with a gallery on top has a width and depth of 75 cm each. The height amounts to 156 cm, and the weight including transportation chest will reach c. 200 kg.
The double reeds of the Motor-Manopan are made from best English reed material, and can be specified as unbreakable, nor do they change their pitch. Ð The folded music is a special advantage for the motor-driven Manopan, because whole overtures, quadrilles, waltzes etc. can be played and render the instrument capable for dance and concert music. Ð A maroon painted case with gold ornaments that hides the mechanism except the chest with the reeds and the book music provides a tasteful appearance and the possibility of placing the instrument in the drawing-room, the restaurant, and the tea garden.
The music used for the 39-note Manopans can be used also for this instrument. A special drawer for the music is integrated in the case.
2. The Motor Ð Orchestrion (Figure 45, left)
The design of this instrument is similar to the ÒDrum ManopanÓ. A single motor plays the Manopan II with 24 half-double steel reeds and the accompanying instruments drum, bass drum,9595 The German text uses the designation ÒPaukeÓ [tympani] which popular usage mistooks for bass drum.
bell and cymbal.
The music is absolutely sufficient and fitting for restaurants and small ball-rooms, because the sound of the instrument is loud, even piercing with pulled Forte stop, while the closing of the Forte flap causes a dampened sound for solemn melodies and overtures. As in the case of the simple Drum Manopan, the accom.panying instruments can be switched off by a lever.
The motor is started in the same way as in the Motor-Manopans described above. Likewise, all else is valid for the Motor-Orchestrion that was said about the Concert-Motor, especially the even and unlimited playing.
The case of the Motor-Orchestrions is delivered painted with oil in a look like aged oak with gold trims. The bottom part of the instrument with the motor can be closed by a door, while the upper part with the Manopan and the accompanying instruments shows an open design in elegant style.
The T-music9696 ÒTÓ obviously is an abbreviation for the German ãTrommelÒ [drum].
for the Motor-Orches.trion is the same as that used for the Drum-Manopan. The dimensions are as follows: width 62. cm, depth 66 cm, height 196 cm.
The third instrument reviewed in the above reference is the Flower-Re.flector-Manopan (Figure 45, right). It corresponds to the Motor-Orches.trion, but without the percussion instruments that are replaced by a very attractive rotating mirror effect. These will be discussed in Part IV of this article. Figure 46 is an advertise.ment from October 1894 in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau also showing the Concert-Motor, together with the Flower-Reflector-Manopan in a rough drawing.
The patent DRP 82824, filed in August 1894 and concerning the automatic action of the motor-driven Manopans with coin insertion, was mentioned above. A drawing from this patent is shown in Figure 47 (Page 32). The drawing shows two smaller detail drawings from the patent speci.fications as inserts at the right margin, below the crank m. The two hot-air motors with their cylinders B have a common shaft and a second coupling between them in form of a bar connecting the two inner flywheels excentrically. The hot-air motors drive the Manopan (C, at the top) by a belt transmission which reduces the relatively high rotation velocity of the motor shaft to the typical rotation frequency of a hand crank. The motors are heated by two gas flames (bottom) with a valve to the gas supply at q. The heat screens A keep the heat near to the motor cylinders B. Hot-air motors do not start themselves, but must be started by a short turning of the motor shaft. The crank m (top right) serves for that purpose. It starts the motor through the belt transmission. The patent says that two to three full turns of the crank will start the motor. According to the index of patents filed in 1895 that was printed in 1896, the patent had already been canceled.
For a better understanding of the interpretation provided in the follow.ing for the further parts visible in Figure 44, a three-dimensional draw.ing of the hot-air motor is shown in Figure 48 (page 33). The hot-air motor is a .-Stirling model by Heinrici with a power piston driving the motor shaft using two connecting-rods (green) protruding from the cylinder and uniting in a bow just below the crank so that the connecting-rod of the displacer (blue) can be accommodated on the center-line of the cylinder. The drive for the displacer is likewise a typical construction by Heinrici. A rod eccentrically mounted by a joint on the left side of the left flywheel drives the Ònodding shaftÓ located in front of the flywheels through an intermediate joint and a second rod. The nodding shaft thus performs small angle turns to and fro that drive the connect.ing-rod of the displacer through a rod and a joint. The oiler appearing in Figure 45 left of the flywheel is located between the two motors in Figure 44.
In Figure 44, a shaft runs horizontally above the two motors over the whole width of the motor compartment. This shaft has six ring-like extensions. Immediately below the shaft with the six extensions, 10 wheel-like objects can be seen. Four of them, those with a smooth glossy surface, are assigned massive bearings of the motor shaft, because their screw connections to the rear panel of the motor compart.ment are visible immediately under the cover plate of the motor compart.ment. The other six wheel-like objects are flywheels. The two outermost of them drive the displacers. This is also confirmed by the six ring-like exten.sions of the long shaft located exactly over the flywheels, and are interpreted as brakes. They probably had brake pads that contacted the wheels on turning of the shaft by a certain angle.
Between the rightmost bearing of the motor shaft and the next wheel to its left, a gap can clearly be seen, not present in the other three sets of wheels. It might well be that this is the place of the belt wheel for the transmission to the Manopan shaft. This belt wheel must have been small in order to reduce the speed of rota.tion and does probably therefore not appear in the gap between the bigger bearing and the flywheel.
As the short horizontal shaft of the joint from the connecting-rod of the power piston to the flywheels appears to be in a different position for the two motors in Figure 44, they will have a phase shift of 90 degrees, as is optimal for the overcoming of the dead points (turning points) of the crank drive, a fact well known from steam locomotives. In Figure 44, there is no handle at D on the upper side-panel of the instrument but simply a wheel in contrast to the patent DRP 82 824 (quite obvious in Figure 44 for the instrument with open doors). The instrument depicted might therefore not have been equipped with a mech.anism according to the patent DRP 82 824. The manufacturer of the hot-air motor says in his catalogue that a turn by 90 degrees of the flywheels is sufficient to start the motor.9797 Louis Heinrici, Heinrici Motoren (Zwickau, 1910), reprint in ÒRoland Rei§ig, Die Stirlingmotoren der Firma Heinrici aus Zwickau und der Firmen Lochmann und Raab aus ZeitzÓ [The Stirling Motors of the Firm Heinrici at Zwickau, and of the Firms Lochmannn and Raab at Zeitz], 2. edition (Zwickau, 2014), p. 105.
Due to the belt transmission from the rapid rotation of the motor shaft to the slower rotation of the Manopan shaft, a start of the motor from the Manopan shaft would require an even smaller rotation angle so that a simple hand wheel on that shaft should be sufficient. The two to three turns required according to the patent are most probably necessary for the coin mechanism. The brake of the flywheels requires an exterior control by which the music can be stopped and its tempo be adjusted. Because control B is near to the shaft with the brakes, it might serve this purpose. The function of control E is uncertain.
C and A are two sockets for the gas supply and the cooling water. There is a cooling jacket with tap for the water connection on both upper ends of the two cylinders in Figure 44, yet without attached hose in the drawing. In order to avoid a pump for cooling water, one of two possibilities as recommended by Heinrici9898 Ibidem, p. 104.
had to be chosen. The motor could be cooled with slowly running tap water, or a cooling circuit could be used that was driven by convection of the warm water from the motor flowing through a big water container above the motor.9999 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (1894-95), p. 432.
According to the above quoted text from Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung, only the case for the reeds, the keys, and the music transport is visible as separate unit from outside, so that the bigger upper part of the instrument must have contained the bellows and the wind reservoir. Its size in relation to the case with the reeds does not deviate much from that of the hand-cranked Manopan. Therefore, the upper part of the instrument cannot have contained a cooling water tank. Thus either tap water was used or a cooling circuit outside of the instru.ment had to be set up.
The reason for the double Stirling motor of the Concert Motor in contrast to the single motor of the Motor Orchestrion is of course the different number of reeds that had to be supplied with wind. The Concert Motor had 78 reeds, while the Motor Orchestrion had just 36 reeds. The Concert Motor is not the only instru.ment that was delivered (for a certain time) with two motors. Also GermanyÕs top firm in mechanical music, Hupfeld, used them for its mechanical piano. Heinrici succeeded in constructing more powerful hot-air motors with 15 centimeter piston diameter and 1/5 HP only in 1895.100100 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 536.
In the beginning of 1896, the firm Pietschmann tried to sell the small hot-air motors that had been used as double motors and were still in stock:
ÒA number of small hot-air motors for driving sewing machines, ventila.tors etc. are for sale at Pietschmann, Brunnenstr. 25.Ó101101 Berlin Daily, 22 February 1896, morn.ing issue, General-Anzeiger, first page, last column.

As can be read in the advertisement in Figure 46, and is also mentioned in Part II of this article (Figure 26), Berlin Musical Instruments Factory marketed a pipe organ which was driven by belt transmission from a double hot-air motor in an external case (Figure 49, Page 34 left). This organ with the name ÒHenry-OrganÓ had 39 notes of two pipes each, and was played with Manopan music. The height of the case was 190 centimeters, the width 95 centimeters, the depth 50 centimeters, and the weight 80 kilograms. The pipe versions of orga.nettes had come into fashion with the ÒFlute AutomatonÓ shown first by the Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments formerly Paul Ehrlich & Co. at the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1893. It was played with Ariston music of 24 notes. There was also a quite successful variant of this instrument in form of a cabinet with height 188 cm (Figure 49 center). The instrument was presented with hot-air motor at the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1894.102102 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 855.
It is designated ÒFlute Music Automaton MarsÓ in the Holzweissig catalogue of 1893-1894.103103 Ernst Holzweissig Nachf. Leipzig, Engros-Preisliste Ÿber Musikwerke [Wholesale Price List for Mechanical Musical Instru.ments] 1893-1894. CD ãHolzweissig & Zuleger Gro§handelskatalogeÒ, Musikmuseum Werner Baus (Helsa-Eschenstruth, 2016), p. 6.

At the Leipzig Easter Fair 1895, even the firm Hupfeld launched its version of a similar, but as always somewhat more sophisticated instrument named ÒAeolionÓ (Figure 49 right). It had the stops Lieblich Gedackt 16Õ, Flauto-traverso 8Õ, and Wienerflšte 4Õ, in all 100 wood and tin pipes. The instrument was played with perfo.rated paper rolls, whose perforations served as valves to the pipes, i.e. the instrument did not have any valves for the notes inside. Accordingly, the roll had to run over the tracker bar in an air-tight chest supplied with wind. The response of also the semiquaver shall have been excellent.104104 Der verbesserte Pfeifen-Musik-Automat ÒAeolionÓ [The improved Automatic Pipe Organ ÒAeolionÓ], Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumenten.bau (Leipzig, 1895-1896), p. 387.
Initially, the instrument was driven by a weight, but was available also with hot-air motor since the Leipzig Easter Fair 1897,105105 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1896-1897), p. 370.
and with electric motor since the Easter Fair 1898.106106 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1897-1898), p. 477.
According to an advertisement in autumn 1901, the Aeolion had been equipped with percussion instruments.107107 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1900-1901), p. 810.

Figure 31: The three organettes Lux, Libelle and Iris of German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann11 Libelle, Lux, Iris, Ernst Holzweissig Nachf., wholesale catalogue, Leipzig, 1903-1904, p.118.
(CD ÒHolzweissig & Zuleger Gro§handelskataloge [wholesale catalogues]Ó, Musikmuseum Werner Baus (Helsa-Eschenstruth, 2016), with kind permission).

Figure 32: Range of products of German Mechanical Musical Instruments System Pietschmann
(Bavarian State Library, Munich, Digitizations online. Also the following Figures in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau are from Bavarian State Library).
The design of the advertisement by Berlin Musical Instruments Factory from autumn 1894 (Mechanical Music vol. 69, no. 4 (July/August 2023), p.Ê26, Fig.Ê27) was used without change.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1898-1899), p.1023.
The text of the advertisement says:
ÒCompany on shares Deutsche Musikwerke [German Mechanical Musical Instruments] System Pietschmann. Foundation 1835. Many awards. Ð Berlin N. [North] Ð Fehrbellinerstr. 45. Accordeons, Herophons, Manopans, Dolcines, Seraphines, Libelles, Lux. Miniatur-harmonium. Big selection of Celesta musical boxes, also with coin insert. Completely new: ÒIrisÓ. Rich stock of music of the new.est and most favourite musical pieces of all nations. Torpedo pipes. Catalogues and price lists gratis, no postage.Ó

Figure 33: Advertisement by Berlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co. The text of the advertisement says:
ÒBerlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co. Berlin, Brunnenstr. 25. Sale of accordeons, mouth organs, phono.graphs and other kinds of musical instruments. New! Vending machine for mouth organs, protected by law, tuned harmonica with manual and fine card.board case 10 Pfg. [1 Pfennig = 1/100 Mark Å 0.1 Euro]. Proven enormous success! New! ÒPreciosaÓ, cheapest phonograph with coin insert, with and without glass cover. New! ÒTriumphÓ, self-playing musical instrument, equipped with all modern advantages, cheaper than the competing products, easily working wind-up crank.Ó

Figure 35: Phonograph with coin insert by Berlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1900-1901), p.149.
The text of the advertisement says:
ÒBerlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co., Brunnenstrasse 25. Accordeons, mouth organs, phonographs etc. New! Vending machine for mouth organs, pro.tected by law, 500 instruments sold per month and machine. New! ÒPreciosaÓ, phonograph with coin insert, protected by law; 5 models, prices starting at 36 Mark, unrivalled, working reliably. New! Ideal Harmonica, can be played immediately by reading the music from cardboards. Interesting. Prices start at 1.50 Mark. Ask for prospectus.Ó

Figure 34: The easily playable accordion (left) and harmonica (right) with the chord zither principle. Berlin Music Industry A. Pietschmann & Co.

Figure 36: Advertisement of the firm Heinrich Hermann in September 1901. The text of the advertisement says:
ÒHeinrich Hermann. Berlin N., Fehrbellinerstr. 45. Factory of accordeons and mechanical cranked instruments. Specialties: Universal and Regina accordeons, Herophons, Manopans, Iris, Libelles, Favorite, Lux, miniatur harmoniums etc. Torpedo pipes. Illustrated catalogue gratis.Ó

Figure 37: Left: the table harmonium ÒAmerican Organola.Ó Right: console (from DRP 131283).

Figure 38: The harmonium ÒSkalaÓ of Berlin Harmonium Factory Ltd.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1902-1903), p.Ê345.
The text of the advertisement says:
ÒSkala Harmonium, without knowledge of musical notes playable by everybody. Transported easily. Strong organ-like sound. Unlimited repertoire of classical and light music. Price for No. I 50 Mark, for No. II 75 Mark. Music per page 0.25 Mark. Berlin Harmonium Factory Ltd., Berlin SW 13, Alexandrinenstr. 22.Ó

Figure 39: Advertisement of the firm Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments Euphonika when it took over the former Pietschmann organettes from Heinrich Hermann (Bernau).11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1903-1904), p.Ê463.
The text of the advertisement says:
ÒLeipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments ÔEuphonikaÕ, Leipzig. We have the hon.our to inform you that we have purchased the whole inventory and stock of the factory Heinrich Hermann at Bernau as far as the known cranked instruments Lux, Favorites, Libelles, Iris, Manopans, and Herophons are concerned, and that we have moved the manufacture of these instruments to our current address in Leipzig, Friedrich-List-Str. 11. We will deliver the above instruments together with our known and approved Amorettes and Mandolinatas, and we are therefore able to offer a selection of cranked instruments of most different systems like nobody else. A sample stock comprising all our products can be found during the Leipzig Fair at Petersstrasse 20, H™tel de Russie, room 59.Ó

Figure 40: The trade mark of the firms Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons,11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1888-1889), p.Ê39.
Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc.,22 Waarenzeichenblatt [Trade Mark Gazette] (Berlin, 1895), p.Ê611.
and Heinrich Hermann.33 Waarenzeichenblatt (Berlin, 1904), p.Ê2025.
The text of the trademark specifications say:
Top: ÒCh. F. Pietschmann & Sons in Berlin. Royal City Court of Berlin. Application on 6 July 1875, 10:20 am, with no. 88, for accordeons. Center: No. 6034. B. 1047. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc. formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons, Berlin. Application on 26 November 1894/6 July 1895. Recorded on 4 May 1895. Business: Manufacture and sale of musical instruments. Merchandise: accordeons.Ó Bottom: ÒNr. 73768. H. 9885/25. Firm Heinrich Hermann, Bernau (Mark). Application on 2 May 1904. Recorded on 10 November 1904. Business: Factory of musical instru.ments and of patented and protected novelties. Merchandise: accordeons, mouth organs, organettes, embroi.dery-frames, curtain stretchers, rasps, potato peeling machines, fruit peeling apparatus, fruit chipping machines, paper cutting machines, potato rasping machines. A description is attached to the application.Ó

Figure 41: The half-automatic accordion by Euphonika.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p.Ê944.
The text of the advertise.ment says:
ÒEuphonika! Self-playing harmonica, playable by everybody without any previ.ous experience. Highest expression capability by being able to play piano, forte, crescendo, and decrescendo. Elegant, easy, with unlimited repertoire. Beautiful sound and cheap. Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments ÒEuphonikaÓ, Leipzig, Friedrich-List-Str. 11.Ó

Figure 42: Advertisement of the Leipzig firm Euphonika from the year 1909 offering organettes of the former firm Pietschmann.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1908-1909), p.Ê1332.
The text of the advertise.ment says:
ÒLeipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments ÔEuphonikaÕ, Leipzig. Productive fac.tory of bandoneons of all systems. Guaranteed pure intonation. Immediate delivery. Lowest prices. Manufacture of the known cranked instruments Amorettes, Manopan, Herophon, Iris, Lux etc. Demand special catalogues.Ó

Figure 43: The hot-air motor of the .-type (drawing by the author).

Figure 44: Concert-Motor11 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-1894), p. 947.
(with kind permission: Berlin State Library Ð Prussian Cultural Heritage, Music Department with Mendelssohn-Archive). Left: Concert-Motor while playing. Right: Concert-Motor opened.

Figure 46: Advertisement from October 1894 showing the Concert-Motor and the Flower-Reflector-Manopan.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 76.
The text of the advertisement is as follows.
ÒSensational novelty! Ñ Patented Motor-Manopan, Ñ self-playing, Ñ by safe hot-air motor; unlimited playing time: no winding-up necessary as for musical boxes or orchestrions; ready for working by simple lighting of the heater. No smell, no soot, no smoke. Long-range audible music: replacement for orchestrion and dance music. Most solid construction. The reeds of the instru.ments are made from steel, the bearings from metal; bellows without cardboard; our common Manopan music is used. Each instrument can also be played with crank instead of motor. Ñ The automatic Motor-Manopan Ñ with coin insert plays a certain fixed time only when a coin has been inserted (patent pending). The Motor-Manopan can be delivered as Ñ Concert-Motor, Ñ Motor-Orchester Ñ with drum, bass drum and bell, Ñ instrument with effect! – flower reflector – instrument with effect!, Ñ and as Organ-Motor with genuine organ pipes. Ask Berlin Musical Instruments Factory formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons, Berlin, Brunnenstr. 25 for prospectuses and prices. Biggest and oldest factory for accordions and mechanical musical instruments. Permanent exposition and sample stock: Ritterstrasse 84, ground floor.Ó

Figure 45: Motor-Orchestrion (left) and Reflector-Manopan (right)11 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-1894), p. 947.
(with kind per.mission: Berlin State Library Ð Prussian Cultural Heritage, Music Department with Mendelssohn-Archive).

Figure 47: From the patent DRP 82 824 of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory.11 Patent data bank ÔDepatisnetÕ of Deutsches Patentamt [German Patent Office], Munich.

The coin insertion mechanism: The crank is only coupled to the shaft E of the Manopan, when a coin has been inserted. In order to bring about the coupling, the coin drops through the chute N, and then (insert bottom right) onto a sleeve coupled to the crank. The sleeve has eight radial incisions into which the coin fits. After short turning of the crank, the coin will have fallen into one of the incisions. The sleeve fits loosely onto a cylindrical rod connected with the shaft E of the Manopan. The rod has many short incisions, into one of which the coin drops partially, thus coupling rod and sleeve. Because the coin is jammed in the two incisions of rod and sleeve when the crank is turned against the load of the idle motor, the coin does not drop from the slits when they are directed downwards. In con.trast, when the motor has started and the manual cranking has stopped, the motor has to turn the coin only against the weak load of the sleeve and the crank. The coin hits the chute once at every full turn, in order to support loosening the coin in the slits. Therefore, the lower part of the chute is fixed to the upper part by a spring-loaded hinge, so that it can give way to the coin, and is reset afterwards. This loosens the coin which drops into the collection tray, when the slits with the coin are directed downwards.
The automatic On/Off action of the motor and the gas supply: The shaft of the Manopan is coupled by a worm-gear to a wheel H (insert center right) with a pin h fixed excentrically on the wheel. A spring holds the curved lever with pivot at i in such a position that the upper end of the curved lever is within the area of the wheel H, and the brake K is positioned off the flywheel of the motor. The brake stops the motor, as soon as the pin h on the wheel H shifts the curved lever outwards after a certain number of motor revolutions required to sound a musical piece. Simultaneously with the braking, the curved lever I (in the main drawing) and a second lever P, pivoted at p and connected to the lever I by a joint, turn in opposite directions in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the main drawing. The lever P turns the gas tap down for a low flame. If liquid fuel is used, the wick of each burner is drawn down. On starting the machine, the shaft of the Manopan can be turned by the crank after insertion of a coin, so that the pin h on the wheel H moves away from the lever I. Thus the spring-loaded lever rotates a bit counter-clockwise which releases the brake and increases the fuel supply.

Figure 48: Interpretation of the parts of the double Stirling motor visible in the histor.ical woodcut (Figure 44). Green: connecting-rods of the power pistons, blue: drives of the displacers, red: brake for setting the velocity, grey: unmoved parts (bear.ings, cylinders, oiler). (computer drawing with FreeCAD (): author).

Figure 49: Mechanical pipe organs with hot-air motors. Left: the 39-note Henry-Organ of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory driven by an external double hot-air motor11 Drei harmoniumartige Musikwerke [Three Harmonium-like Mechanical Musical Instru.ments], Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1894-1895), p. 43.
(with kind permission: Berlin State Library Ð Prussian Cultural Heritage, Music Department with Mendelssohn-Archive), center: The flute automaton ÒOrchestrionÓ of Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments formerly Paul Ehrlich & Co. playing with 24-note Ariston music,22 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 511.
right: The Aeolion of the firm Hupfeld playing 100 pipes grouped into three stops, with the perforations of the music roll acting as valves.33 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1896-1897), p. 475.

Reprinted with permission
This article originally appeared in Das Mechanische Musikinstrument, the journal of the Society for Self-Playing Musical Instruments, Germany. Translated by and reprinted with the kind permission of the original author, Dr. Albert Lštz.

Interesting Tidbits

Spreading the joy of mechanical music

Snowbelt chapter member Jeff Ingebrigtson, aka Mr. Tweezle, plays ÒThunder and BlazesÓ on a Raffin 31/84 behind his circus train at the Shriner’s children’s picnic held at the St. Croix Railroad in St. Paul, MN, on Jul. 23, 2023.

Polyphon Model 43N

By Harold Wade
Having purchased a Polyphon Model 43N 15.-inch disc music box with a spiral or helical/coil spring in late 2022, I decided to write an article about this unusual music box.
In the late 1990s, Larry Karp wrote an article in Mechanical Music (Vol. 44, No. 1, Page 12, Spring 1998) describing spiral spring music boxes with several black and white pictures.
It is difficult to pinpoint when this type of music box first started to appear on the market. In Larry KarpÕs article he notes that one authoritative source states that the first appearance of these boxes was in the 1890s. Then he follows up with the fact that a different authoritative source says these type of music boxes were not available until after 1900. I like to believe my music box was made somewhere between 1892 and 1893, but I may never know for certain.
The first Model 43N spiral spring music boxes had the single comb on the left-hand side of the bedplate, driven by the drive gear on the left-hand side so the disc is mounted backward to the normal disc music box with the comb on the right hand as we are used to today. The spiral spring, which looks like a modern-day garage door spring, is mounted in the back of the cabinet near the base behind the bedplate and across the entire width of the cabinet. The spring is wound from a shaft inside the spring coils on the left-hand end from the winding assembly in the back right hand corner of the cabinet. The crank is on the outside of the cabinet on the right side toward the back.
The drive gear is driven by a small chain from the drive motor and the governor is mounted on top of the drive motor. The chain on the right-side comb machine has a tension idler while the left side comb machines do not. A small wooden cover on the inside right side covers the drive motor assembly. The motor assembly is mounted on the inside right side, but four mounting screws are located on the outside of the cabinet with the winding crank between the screws. The start knob is on the outside right side near the bottom of cabinet.
The serial number is stamped in the center of the bedplate just above the center spindle.
Another interesting feature is that the bedplate mounting feet have small locating pins on each foot into the sounding board below. I have not seen this feature in non-spiral spring machines. The bedplate is mounted very close to the sounding board which helps the music box speak sharp and loudly.
All the early Polyphon spiral spring music boxes were left hand comb and left-side drive gear until near the end of this type of drive spring. My machine, serial number 1497, is right hand single comb and drive wheel as we normally think of table-top music boxes. I found in Kevin McEl.honeÕs book ÒThe Disc Musical BoxÓ that serial number 1804 (right-hand comb) is the highest serial number machine with a spiral spring. IÕve found less than a dozen spiral spring music boxes on YouTube, LiveAuctioneers.com or the internet dating back more than 20 years. Kevin McElhoneÕs ÒSupplement to The Disc Musical BoxÓ book states that PolyphonÕs serial number listings have less than 10 serial numbers for spiral spring music boxes.
The start knob lever is on the outside of the cabinet, lower right side, and the disc is stopped with a small arm in the slot on the disc start/stop position so only discs with slots will function correctly for starting and stopping. There is a speed control lever which is in the right side of the inside cover. The inside lid print was copied from the original dirty print.
Polyphon also made a few double left hand comb spiral spring music boxes. The bedplate is a bit wider to acquire the double combs. I only found one spiral spring double comb right hand side Polyphon music box.
I have seen a spiral spring in a 22.-inch upright Polyphon disc music box but these are very rare. There were several Polyphon 141/8-inch bell boxes with spiral springs made but IÕve not seen one.
I believe Kevin McElhone says that he saw only one double-comb spiral-spring Polyphon disc music box in his travels. This is the list of spiral-spring disc music boxes from his ÒSupplement to The Disc Music BoxÓ book.
Serial 2
Table Top Spiral Spring

Serial 41
Table Top Spiral Spring

Serial 159
Table Top Spiral Spring

Serial 161
Table Top Spiral Spring

Serial 166
Table Top Spiral Spring

Serial 238
Table Top Spiral Spring Duplex combs

Serial 1422
Table Top Spiral Spring

Daniel Davis did the restoration on my Polyphon 15.-inch spiral spring music box. He owns and restored both a single comb (left hand side-serial no. 57) and a double comb (left hand side-serial no. 7) music box.
The Polyphon spiral spring music box plays very brightly and functions perfectly after its restoration. I thank Daniel Davis for the beautiful work he did to restore this music box for our enjoyment.

The drive gear and chain at the back right of the cabinet. In the photo on the facing page, this motor assembly is hidden by a wooden cover that fits along the right side of the interior of the music box.

A close-up photo of the wooden cover that hides the motor assembly. The speed control lever is visible on the right.

An exterior view of the crank on the right side of the music box. The start/stop knob is below and left of the crank.

Building a stand to show off our music box

Article and photos by G. Emory Warren
Our music box was a Christmas gift from my dad to my mom in the late 1960s. I inherited it after they both passed away. The first time I played it, it didnÕt sound exactly right so I began a search to find someone who could repair it. I ran across Bob CalettiÕs name and called to arrange for the work to be done. We shipped our music box to him and received it back in perfect working order. Our music box always sat on a shelf or a table. For several years we looked for an antique stand that might better set it off as the unique antique it is but we could not find one we liked (or could afford!). After multiple internet searches, plugging in key words, I finally ran across a music box stand I liked. My choice had to do with the overall look and size that seemed appropriate for our music box. Most importantly, the design was one that I felt I was capable of reproducing based on my skill set. A big bonus was that I already had a more than an adequate amount of oak wood available to me. We had milled the wood from trees we harvested in 2020 to build a barndomenium on a friendÕs property.
I made measurements based on my best guesses from the photos I found online and construction was relatively simple using a specialized Kreg pocket hole jig tool. The other tools I used included a table saw, band saw, miter saw, router, drum sander and orbital sander. I matched the stain as closely as possible to the color of the music box case then top-coated it with several coats of lacquer satin finish. The hardware included a lock and hinges obtained at a hardware store called Rockler. The project turned out better than expected and the music box looks outstanding on the stand.

Sharing Mechanical Music with members of the American Council of the Blind

By Marty Persky
In October of 2019 I had the pleasure of taking music box collector and MBSI member Jim Kracht on a tour through the Sanfilippo collection. Jim is a director for the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and he was in town planning the groupÕs 2020 convention that was to be held in Chicago.
Jim and I spent more than seven hours experiencing and discussing instruments just in the house. It was an amazing visit as much for me as for him. Blind since just after birth, Jim has a special appreciation for the music, but I also learned that by touching he ÒseesÓ the instruments.
We discussed several possibilities of having ACB members visit the collection. Upon his return to his small planning group, they requested a Sanfilippo site visit. Recognizing this to be a worthy humanitarian effort Jeffrey Sanfilippo agreed to a visit for that Saturday afternoon. Of the approximately 10 people and two service dogs attending, three were sighted volunteers. It was difficult to imagine how excited and appreciative these people were. One woman shared that she was in tears listening to the theater organ.
With the onset of COVID the ACB convention was placed on hold. Fast forward to 2023 when the convention would finally come to Chicago. One morning and one afternoon tour on July 7 were worked into the convention offerings. Each group would have a total of three hours on site. Sadly for Jim and for us, he was not able to attend the convention due to medical issues but he did learn of the dayÕs happen.ings via email.
In my opinion, the tours went wonderfully! In spite of bus delays, Sanfilippo Foundation director Greg Leifel, docent Laura DÕArgo, my wife, Sandy, and I were able to give each group pretty close to three hours. Minimizing time for moving room to room and bathroom breaks, most of the house visit was in the theater with all visitors seated on the main floor.
The day before we brought in a number of instruments to set up at the front of the theater. Items included a French serinette, a six-cam singing bird call box, a Kalliope table.top disc music box with bells, a cylinder orchestra box with hidden bells, drum and wood block, a fine musicalÊsnuff box, a modern manivelle playing ÒYou are My SunshineÓ and a sound box to acoustically amplify the latter two.Ê The largest piece was a Jager & Brommer paper roll-operated flute pipe organ celebrating the 200th anniversary of the first Bruder barrel organ. We also used a cylinder of EdisonÕs only recordedÊvoice for the public, his speech supporting America and its Allies of WWI, ÒLet Us Not Forget.ÓÊÊ
Already in the theater was the monumental 24-inch MermodÊFreres interchangeable cylinder box, Frati barrel monkey trumpet organ, and an Edison Opera cylinder phonograph. A cordless microphone enabled me to give a musical introduction to mechanical music instruments. Greg continued the music with an Enrico Caruso recording on a Victor Style 6 phonograph and a selection on each, the Weber Otero orchestrion and the 112-key Mortier.Ê Then it was time for a few pieces on the 5 manual, 80 rank Wurlitzer theater organ, finishing with ÒPhantom of the Opera.Ó The last house experiences would be a selection on the Home Model Mills Violano and then another on the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina in the foyer.
The bus loaded and unloaded relatively quickly with the driver wisely instructing all to move to the rear of the bus. With only 30 minutes remaining all were seated in the open area of the pavilion as the Verbeeck street organ played. Greg described the room, the organs and facades vividly and followed with a brief history of the Eden Palais from 1890 to the present day.
There was not sufficient time to safely give rides, so we gathered all around the carousel and started it up. The warning bell rang, the rubber drive wheels squealed and the 89-key Gavioli started to play. Then came the sound of the galloping horses and rocking gondolas on the circular track. For those closest, a slight breeze could be felt as each passed by. We played Jasper SanfilippoÕs first organ, the 80-key Bruder (with waltzing dancer automaton).Ê As theÊsmiling faces made their way out, weÊfinished with OffenbachÕs ÒCan CanÓ on the worldÕs largest American band organ, the Wurlitzer 180.
The two tours were all but carbon copies. The main difference was twice as many questions from the smaller afternoon group. This was a most rewarding and memora.ble day for our guests as well as the four of us.Ê

Marty plays the Sanfilippo Frati trumpet organ for ACB members

Golden Gate Chapter

Chair: Judy Caletti
Reporter: David Corkrum
Photographers: Rob Thomas and Bob Caletti
Jul. 29, 2023 Ñ Woodside, CA
The Golden Gate Chapter held its July meeting at the home of Marc and Marguerite Kaufman. Due to vacations and other engagements, it meant only eight members were able to attend but this did not stop anyone from having a great time. Marc and Marguerite provided a main course of turkey, ham and salmon and members provided all of the trimmings, which, from this reporterÕs view, was perfect. We were all so busy visiting with each other that we failed to get a picture of our meal or a picture of the group.
Marc and MargueriteÕs home is located in the redwood studded hills above San Francisco Bay in an area known as Woodside, CA. The day was perfect, and we all enjoyed the outdoor deck. Marc and Marguerite have a considerably large and quite diverse collection of cylinder and disc boxes and two grand pianos. There are boxes from B.A. Bremmond, Mermod Freres, Nicole, Regina, Polyphon, and Symphonion. The Bremmond was a four-cylinder revolver with six tunes each. The numerous Nicole boxes were of various formats. Two were a grand format cylinder box and one was a large key-wind piano forte box. These were all definite showstoppers.
A beautiful Mermod Ideal Soprano with wonderful sounding tunes built into a desk with an interchangeable box incorporated into the top is attributed to Karrer. The disc boxes included a 133/8-inch Imperial Symphonion with edge drive, a 15.-inch Regina in an ornate oak case and a 27.-inch Symphonion with 12 bells in an art nouveau case. In the living room was a grandfather clock with a 151/2-inch Polyphon installed in the base. There was also an automaton attributed to Decamps and a necessaire complete with all of its tools and a sectional comb music box. All in all, it is a truly fantastic collection. Marc even pulled out some of his snuff boxes for guests to see.
Marc, once a volunteer fireman, also has collected and restored an old fire engine. Marguerite is active in the weaving community. She owns and runs five looms in her home and travels the world to see and talk with other avid weavers.
Chapter members, having had their fill of great food and desserts, attended the business meeting. We talked about future meeting sites. Dave Corkrum conducted the meeting on behalf of our chair, Judy Caletti, who had a bad head cold and could not attend. It was sad to report that Richard Hales, a longtime member, had passed away. The chapter has 44 dues paid members including two from Virginia and one from Connecticut.
After the meeting adjourned, the members went back to enjoying the many instruments that Marc has collected including a pocket watch with a Sur Plateau movement.

Marc Kaufman shows David Corkrum a Symphonion disc storage binder.

Snuff boxes with sectional combs (three and four per screw).

Pocket watch with Sur Plateau movement.

Interior of Pocket watch.

Inside of a necessaire.

The winding key for the musical movement of the necessaire.

This photo shows the details inside a Symphonion disc stor.age binder.

A silver bird box with bird-shaped winding key.

An overture cylinder music box in the Kaufman collection.

Marguerite Kaufman with embroidered jacket cuffs by Edith Head.

A Symphonion Eroica with clock and carved dome top.

Marguerite Kaufman and Jenny Hoyt in front of a loom and 27 inch Regina Changer.

From left to right: A Symphonion Eroica, a grandfather clock, a Sirion and Marc Kaufman.

A 1920s street barrel piano from New York. The tune sheet on the side iden.tifies the maker as Isabelo Velazquez, Afinidor Mech‡nico de Pianos with an address in Madrid Spain.

Southern California Chapter

Chair: Robin Biggins
Reporter: Robin Biggins
Photographer: Lowell Boehland
Jul.15, 2023 Ñ Fullerton, CA
Since our last meeting at the lovely home of Judy and Bob Burtscher in 2021, they have expanded their wonderful collection of antique musi.cal boxes to the point that I would say it is one of the most outstanding collections in the United States. Their collection now includes everything from small fusee and Sur-Plateau cylinder music boxes to singing bird boxes, singing birds in cages and even ranges all the way up to huge disc playing machines. They have a Violano, several organs and musical clocks as well. All examples are restored to their original beauty. The exciting thing about the Burtschers is that they donÕt just collect these musi.cal boxes, but they enjoy playing them daily. They have also taken the time to acquire knowledge so that they are able to describe the function and the historical evolution of the various makers.
As you will see from the photos in this article, they have displayed all their machines for the best possible presentation.
Music boxes are not the only amaz.ing thing they collect. The Burtschers have a beautiful Koi pond and a spec.tacular garden of rare ferns, palms and exotic plants from around the world.
Judy personally put together a lovely variety of snacks including interesting food and beverages for all chapter members to enjoy after we had been thoroughly educated by BobÕs amaz.ing descriptions and history lessons. Satiated, we were able to visit with each other in the patio area and have a short business meeting.
Chapter Chair Robin Biggins encouraged members to consider attending this yearÕs MBSI Annual Meeting in St Paul, MN. Our chapter meeting hosts were then applauded, and several long-time members were recognized, such as Dianne and David Reidy, Diane Lloyd, John Gaughan and Phyllis DeSio. We then took more time to tour the fantastic garden before heading home.

Our hosts. Judy and Bob Burtscher, in front of a Regina changer with art glass door.

Bob discusses the line-up of small musical boxes displayed on his dining room table.

Bob demonstrates one of the large Mermod Frres boxes.

Helen Chin admires some singing bird boxes.

Bob works his way down a row of cylinder music boxes, playing each as he goes.

Bob demonstrates a Regina to Rick Moyer.

Bob shows off some caged singing bird automatons.

A pair of wide-angle views showing many parts of the BurtschersÕ collection. Top photo is the dining room and bottom photo shows a view of the main music room.

The chapter meeting on the patio where members applauded Judy in thanks for the wonderful food and drink available.

Bob guides a parade through the garden.

Our group photo in front of the Koi pond.

Coco eyes the photographer

East Coast Chapter

Chair: Elise Low
Reporter: Elise Low
Photographers Brooks Low and Joe Wineburgh
Jul. 1, 2023 Ñ Succasunna, NJ
On July 1, 14 East Coast Chapter members emerged from their COVID ÒcocoonsÓ and met at the home of Bill and Carolee Wineburgh in Succasunna, NJ. We enjoyed lovely weather, enabling us to eat our boun.tiful catered luncheon outside on their tree-shaded patio. Five guests joined us for the day: the WineburghsÕ son Joe and his wife and son, and two neighbors. After many Zoom meetings, it was nice to see folks in-person for what once was a regular ECC event, a Summer picnic.
We began the dayÕs activities with demonstrations of two monkey organs provided by members. Claudia Molinari brought one of the smaller organs from her collection, made in Brooklyn, NY, by her paternal fore.bears. She is collecting stories and anecdotes from relatives about the Molinari factories to add to known facts, and we all encouraged her to write an insiderÕs history. Barbara and Glenn Crater brought their Jaeger & Brommer roller organ and allowed others to play its Mozart arias for our listening pleasure.
The Wineburghs are gracious and experienced hosts, having organized and hosted many ECC and/or MBSI meetings over some 40 years, mainly in New Jersey. Bill enjoys sharing his collection and led us on two tours, first on the lower level before lunch and our business meeting, and then in the living and dining rooms afterward.
Bill began our first tour by playing a magnificent sounding 153/8-inch Lochmann disc box. Other impressive disc boxes we heard were: an upright 27-inch Style 5 coin-op Regina; a double comb, short bedplate 151/2-inch Style 50 Regina in a serpentine mahogany case on a matching disc storage cabinet; a 17-inch Stella ÒGrandÓ by Mermod Frres, also set on a matching disc storage cabinet; an Adler 141/2-inch double-comb disc box; and a 121/4-inch double-comb Regina in an oak case. Other pieces included a rare Paillard six-air ÒPolytypeÓ Zither cylinder box and an Ami Rivenc eight-air box playing sacred airs. This room is loaded with mechanical wonders, including a complete Regina Model A vacuum cleaner, appropriately placed on the floor.
Our second tour began with a 17-inch Stella disc box in a console case. Next was a rare 15-inch single-comb Tannhauser with an unusual disc-shifting mechanism that requires two revolutions to complete a discÕs two tunes. Arrayed on the dining table were small disc boxes and various size cylinder boxes.
Especially notable were a 131/8-inch Nicole Frres eight-tune key-wind operatic box, a four-air Ducommun- Girod reverse sectional-comb cylinder box made circa 1830, a Ducommun ˆ Charles Ullmann ÒMultiphoneÓ interchangeable cylinder box with 13/4-inch cylinders, two manivelle (hand-cranked) disc boxes (Arion and Polyphon), and a master tuning comb.
Returning to the living room, Bill played his 151/2-inch Style 35 Regina glass-front changer and 1929 Steinway DuoArt piano. Several piano pieces were ÒplayedÓ by known olden-day artists. This concert brought our delightful musical day to a close.
As they prepared to leave, members were invited to take table favors left over from the 2017 MBSI Annual Meeting, made by ECC host-members. Bill Guimes had stored them for us and was very happy to unload them! Those remaining can be distributed to newer members.

Claudia Molinari played her familyÕs organ for us.

Barbara Crater, Carolee Wineburgh and Mike Falco check out the CratersÕ Jaeger & Brommer crank organ while Bob Penna listens in.

Gavin Wineburgh cranked the CratersÕ organ for all to enjoy, especially Bob Penna.

Bill prepares to play the Lochmann and the Regina manivelle for us.

The WineburghsÕ magnificent coin-op Style 5 Regina.

Glenn Crater listened closely as Bill played the Stella ÒGrand.Ó

The Ducommun Multiphone has very small interchangeable cylinders.

Our business meeting had a very pleasant setting.

Ken Clayton watches as Bill Wineburgh plays a manivelle from his collection.

Bill adjusted the rear controls of the Ducommon-Girod reverse-comb box before playing it. His master tuning comb is on his left.

Mike Falco leans in to see a small disc box.

The 151/2-inch Regina bow-front changer and piano-roll cabinet.

BillÕs motto and an automaton.

Brooks Low and Bill Wineburgh shared restoration tips at the end of the day.

The Steinway DuoArt piano awaits our concert.

Michael Richard Perry 1943Ñ2023

By Richard Dutton
Mechanical music enthusiast and collector and longtime MBSI member Mike Perry passed away suddenly and unexpectedly upon suffering a heart attack at his home in Marion, OH, on May 13, 2023. He was 79.
Mike lived in Marion from the time he was 2 years old and was married to his beloved wife Linda for more than 51 years. He was a hard-working individual who held down two jobs for most of his working life. Following his retirement, he and Linda operated the Victoriana Bed and Breakfast in Marion.
While visiting a car museum in 1969 Mike saw a brochure printed by mechanical music dealers Hathaway and Bowers. He called them, bought his first music box over the phone and joined MBSI. His love for mechanical music grew. He began collecting and continued to collect for the rest of his life, ultimately assembling a large group of instruments and other items that included both substantial and valuable pieces as well as many smaller items like organettes. He was always active in MBSI, serving as chair of the Mid-America Chapter twice. He also belonged to the Automatic Musi.cal Instrument CollectorsÕ Association and the Carousel Organ Association of America. He and Linda traveled widely to attend mechanical music events and activities. They journeyed to Europe on three occasions, visiting many MBSI collections.
Mike had a number of other collect.ing interests, including phonographs, postcards and photographs of early Marion. He regularly displayed his collections around the community and enjoyed recruiting new collectors all over the country to join him in his hobbies. He encouraged them to develop substantial collections of their own. He was a strong and ener.getic supporter of the city of MarionÕs history and was instrumental in the restoration of a reproducing grand piano that was in the White House when Marion native Warren G. Hard.ing was President. That piano is now in the Harding Library and Museum.
In addition to the joy of collecting, Mike and Linda cherished the lifelong friendships they made in the mechan.ical music world. Mike was always happy to visit with fellow enthusiasts in person, to engage in long telephone conversations with his many friends on mechanical music subjects and to help other collectors find items for their collections. He will be missed.
Here is a link to a lengthy obituary article about Mike which is followed by a video of slides with views of him, his family and friends at all times of his life, many involving mechanical music:
https://www.snyderfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Michael-Richard-
Perry?obId=27928461#/obituaryInfo

Mike Perry discussing his collection with visitors.

MBSI has learned that members Peg Herman passed away in January and Richard Hales passed away recently. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and friends.

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 BOX with 6 cylinders, 6 tuned bells, fitted on original table. This instrument is in excellent mechanical condition and sounds beautiful. Price: $22,500. Contact JOSEPH SIGMON, at jkentsigmon@gmail.com or 828.381.9048
MARVELS OF MECHANICAL MUSIC – MBSI Video. Fascinating and beautifully-made film which explains the origins of automatic musical instruments, how they are collected and preserved today, and their historic importance, MBSI members and collections are featured. $20 USD. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Additional postage charges apply for other locations. Purchase now at www.mbsi.org
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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PLEASE NOTE:
The first two words (or more at your choice) and the memberÕs name will be printed in all caps/bold and charged at 60¢ per word.
Mechanical Music
Mechanical Music is mailed to all members at the beginning of every odd month Ñ January, March, May, July, September and November.
MBSI Advertising Statement
It is to be hereby understood that the placing of advertisements by members of the Society in this publication does not constitute nor shall be deemed to constitute any endorsement or approval of the busi.ness practices of advertisers. The Musical Box Society International accepts no liability in connection with any business dealings between members and such advertisers.
It is to be further understood that members are to rely on their own investigation and opinion regarding the reputation and integrity of advertisers in conducting such busi.ness dealings with said advertisers.

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call (253) 228-1634 for more details.

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2……….Renaissance Antiques
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Advertise in The Mart
Have some spare parts or extra rolls taking up the space where you should be installing your next acquisition? Ready to trade up, but need to sell one of your current pieces first? Get the word out to other collectors in The Mart, an effec.tive advertising tool at an inexpensive price. Copy or cut out the form below and mail it in to get started. All ads are published in Mechanical Music and on the MBSI website at www.mbsi.org
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Call MBSI Administrator Jacque Beeman at (417) 886-8839 or send a check to:
Musical Box Society International
P.O. Box 10196
Springfield, MO 65808-0196

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Back Cover
8.75Ó x 11.25Ó
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Add a 10% surcharge to the prices shown above if you are not a member of MBSI.

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OFFICERS, TRUSTEES & COMMITTEES of the
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL¨

OFFICERS
President
David Corkrum
5826 Roberts Avenue
Oakland, CA 94605
musikwerke@att.net
Vice President
Matthew Jaro
24219 Clematis Dr
Gaithersburg, MD 20882
mjaro@verizon.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
Tom Kuehn
Mary Ellen Myers
COMMITTEES
Audit
Edward Cooley, Chair, Trustee
Dave Calendine, Trustee
Matt Jaro, Vice President
Endowment Committee
Edward Kozak, Treasurer, Chair
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Dave Calendine, Trustee
B Bronson
Executive Committee
David Corkrum, Chair, President
Matthew Jaro, Vice President
Tom Kuehn, Immediate Past Pres.
Dave Calendine, Trustee
Bob Caletti, Trustee
Finance Committee
Edward Kozak, Chair, Treasurer
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Peter Both
Marketing Committee
Bob Smith, Chair
Judy Caletti
Don Caine
Meetings Committee
Matt Jaro, Chair, Vice President
Judy Caletti
Tom Chase
Cotton Morlock
Rich Poppe
Membership Committee
Chair, TBD
David Corkrum, President
Richard Dutton, Trustee
Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee, Southeast
Robin Biggins, Southern California
Judy Caletti, Golden Gate
Julie Morlock, Southeast
Rob Pollock, Mid-America
Florie Hirsch, National Capital
Dan Wilson, Piedmont
Gerald Yorioka, Northwest IntÕl
TBD, East Coast
TBD, Lake Michigan
TBD, Snowbelt
TBD, Sunbelt
Museum Committee
Sally Craig, Chair
Matt Jaro, Vice President
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
Tom Kuehn, Immediate Past Pres.
Bob Caletti, Golden Gate, Trustee
Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast
Jonathan Hoyt, Golden Gate
Robin Biggins, Southern California
Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan
Publications Committee
Bob Caletti, Chair, Trustee
Richard Dutton, Trustee
Steve Boehck
Christian Eric
Kathleen Eric
Publications Sub-Committee
Website Committee
Rick Swaney, Chair
B Bronson
Knowles Little, Web Secretary
Special Exhibits Committee
Chair Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast
David Corkrum, President,
Golden Gate
Donald Caine, Southern California
Jack Hostetler, Southeast
Knowles Little, National Capital
Judy Miller, Piedmont
Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan
Wayne Myers, Southeast
Rick Swaney, Northwest IntÕl
MBSI Editorial Office:
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
editor@mbsi.org

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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Museum Fund (supports museum operations)

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

2025
MBSI Annual Meeting
TBD
Lake Michigan Chapter

Send in your information by Oct. 1, 2023, for the November/December 2023 issue.
Ask your questions on our Facebook discussion group Ñ the Music Box Society Forum.

Please send dates for the Calendar of Events to editor@mbsi.org

CONTACTS

Administrator Jacque Beeman handles back issues (if available) $6; damaged or issues not received, address changes, MBSI Directory listing changes, credit card charge questions, book orders, status of your membership, membership renewal, membership application, and MBSI Membership Brochures.
P.O. Box 10196
Springfield, MO 65808-0196
Phone/Fax (417) 576-4280
jbeeman.mbsi@att.net
Regina Certificates: Cost $5.
B Bronson
Box 154
Dundee, MI 48131
Phone (734) 529-2087
art@d-pcomm.net
Advertising for Mechanical Music
Russell Kasselman
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone (253) 228-1634
editor@mbsi.org
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 $5 to Roger Wiegand
281 Concord Road
Wayland, MA 01778
or pay via PayPal, send to
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: Ken Gordon
(301) 469-9240
Dues $5 to Florie Hirsch
8917 Wooden Bridge Road
Potomac, MD 20854
Northwest International
Chair: Rick Swaney
(425) 836-3586
Dues $7.50/person to Kathy Baer
8210 Comox Road
Blaine, WA 98230
Piedmont
Temp Chair: Dan Wilson
(919) 740-6579
musicboxmac@mac.com
Dues $10 to Dan Wilson
4804 Latimer Road
Raleigh, NC. 276099
Snowbelt
Chair: Tracy Tolzmann
(651) 674-5149
Dues $5 to Bill Nunn
2825 Willow Drive
Hamel, MN 55340
Southeast
Chair: Wayne Myers
(407) 333-9095
Dues $5 to Bob Yates
1973 Crestview Way Unit 147
Naples, FL 34119
Southern California
Chair: Robin Biggins
(310) 377-1472
Dues $10 to Diane Lloyd
1201 Edgeview Drive
Cowan Hgts, CA 92705
Sunbelt
Chair: Vacant
Dues $10 to Diane Caudill
14015 Spindle Arbor Road
Cypress, TX. 77429

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

Volume 69, No. 4 July/August 2023

Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments

Journal of the Musical Box Society International

Volume 69, No. 4 July/August 2023

5 PresidentÕs Message
7 EditorÕs Notes
35 In Memoriam

MBSI News

On the Cover
Linda and Sanford Friedenthal share their story of finding mechanical music together. This photo is of a keywind cylinder box with two teeth per comb, produced somewhere between 1815 and 1820. Page 31

Mechanical music is a fascinating hobby! It appeals to the artist, historian, craftsman, and musician all at the same time. Play an automatic musical instrument in a room full of people and all else will stop as the machine enraptures the audience with the sparkling melodies of yesteryear!
Mechanical music instruments are any sort of auto.matically-played machine that produces melodic sound including discs and cylinder music boxes that pluck a steel comb; orchestrions and organs that engage many instru.ments at once using vacuum and air pressure; player and reproducing pianos that use variable vacuum to strike piano wires; phonographs; and self-playing stringed, wind, and percussion instruments of any kind.
The Musical Box Society International, chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, is a nonprofit society dedicated to the enjoyment, study, and preservation of automatic musical instruments. Founded in 1949, it now has members around the world, and supports various educational projects.
Regional chapters and an Annual Meeting held each year in different cities within the United States enable members to visit collections, exchange ideas, and attend educational workshops. Members receive six issues of the journal, Mechanical Music, which also contains advertising space for members who wish to buy, sell, and restore mechanical musical instruments and related items. Members also receive the biennial MBSI Directory of Members, Muse.ums, and Dealers.
The only requirements for membership are an interest in automatic music machines and the desire to share infor.mation about them. And youÕll take pride in knowing you are contributing to the preservation of these marvelous examples of bygone craftsmanship.
More information online at www.MBSI.org, or
Call: (417) 576-4280, or
Email: jbeeman.mbsi@att.net

By David Corkrum
MBSI President
It is almost time for our annual meeting. Like many of you, I am looking forward to this meeting. It has been almost 10 years since I have been to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and as in the past it will be a lot of fun. If you are coming early or staying after the meeting, then you probably know that there is a lot to see and do in the area. I know that you will enjoy yourselves in the land of Ten Thousand Lakes.
As you probably read in my last message, our society is facing many challenges and the trustees are work.ing very hard to solve some of the problems associated with them. One area where we face some problems is in the appointment of committee chairs. Although I encourage current committee chairs to find their own replacements, sometimes that duty falls on the president. Currently, the society has no membership chair. Fortunately for the society, Judy Caletti stepped forward and is doing a great job as our nominating committee chair. The nominating committee is a very important part of the society. These are the people who find members willing to take on the position of trustee.
We are very fortunate that Trustee Rich Poppe has agreed to stay on as trustee. Last year, he was appointed to the position to replace G. Wayne Finger, who retired early. But, we also have another new trustee to elect. Rick Swaney has agreed to take on the position of trustee. He will be replacing Tom Kuehn who has finished his 10-year term. Most trustees serve only eight years, but the end of TomÕs presidency occurred at the end of that eight-year term, and he had two more years to serve as imme.diate past president. Thank you, Tom. It was great to follow in your footsteps, but those shoes were definitely hard to fill.
Our vice president, Matt Jaro, had a tough time finding someone to replace him, but our publications chair, Bob Caletti, stepped up and will become our next vice president. Treasurer Ed Kozak and Recording Secre.tary Linda Birkitt have agreed to serve another year. Once again, we will have the full compli.ment of officers and trustees.
I would like to thank Sally Craig and Bob Caletti for volunteering to continue in their present positions as committee chairs. They both work very hard to keep our society healthy and I cannot thank them enough for all their hard work! I cannot, however, leave out all the other members who comprise our committees. Each has a particular job to perform, and they all do it very well. Mere words do not express the gratitude I have for all of them. Thank you!
This is all that I have for you in this issue. The picture is of me with my Raffin 31/84 street organ. It has trav.eled to several venues to entertain the public. It is a lot of fun to crank out some lively music although it can be tough on my right arm, especially if it is a long tune!

Mechanical Music

36 National Capital
40 National Capital
44 Golden Gate
46 Southern California
50 Lake Michigan

Outreach effort
Alvin Zamba shares the joy of mechanical music with his commu.nity. Page 35

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
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editor@mbsi.org
Publications Chair
Bob Caletti
All manuscripts will be subject to editorial review. Articles submitted for publication may be edited or rejected at the discretion of the Publications Committee and the Editorial Staff. The article will not be published with significant changes without the authorÕs approval. All articles are considered to be the authorÕs personal opinion. The author may be asked to substantiate his/her statements.
Mechanical Music (ISSN 1045-795X) is published by the Musical Box Society International, 130 Coral Court, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 six times per year. A Direc.tory of Members, Museums, and Dealers is published biennially. Domestic subscription rate, $60. Periodicals postage paid at San Luis Obispo, CA and additional mailing offices.
Copyright 2023. The Musical Box Society Inter.national, all rights reserved. Mechanical Music cannot be copied, reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form whatsoever without written consent of the Editor and the Executive Committee.
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Or, make corrections on the website at www.mbsi.org.
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Features

8 Nickel Notes
15 The Pietschmann firm of Berlin (Part II)
31 The Hunt
35 A collections outreach presentation

Chapter Reports

MBSI has replanted 230 trees so far as part of the Print ReLeaf program.

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Welcome new members!

April 2023
Michael & Nancy Walizer
The Villages, FL
James Dutton
Saint Augustine, FL
Kent Johnson
Fallbrook, CA
Sponsor: Don Caine
Tim Romano Tim
Madison, WI
Dennis Mathes
Jacksonville, IL
May 2023
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Winona, MN
Larry Reece
Minnetonka, MN
Craig Robson & Grazyna Tuszynski
Darling Point 2027, Australia
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Sponsor: Robin Biggins

EditorÕs Notes

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By Russell Kasselman
MBSI Editor/Publisher
I hope you all will be as happy as I am to see the number of chapter reports in this issue. Smiling faces enjoying mechanical music at in-per.son gatherings is so wonderful after the bleak years of the pandemic. If you have yet to attend a local chapter meeting, please get out and visit with your fellow mechanical music enthusiasts. I have a feeling it will lift your spirits to hear the music, see the machines and talk with fellow friendly society members.
For those without a local chapter, perhaps you might take a moment with the most recent Directory of Members, Museums and Dealers or use the online membership directory to see how many folks are within reasonable driving distance from you and start a chapter of your own.
Speaking of getting together, donÕt forget to turn in your registration for this yearÕs annual meeting, hosted by the Snowbelt Chapter. Hospitality in that part of the country is second to none and there are many marvelous places to see and things to do in St. Paul, MN.
Of course there are many other reasons to travel since it is Summer and this is the time for it. Should you happen to find yourself on the road, donÕt forget to take a copy of your membership directory with you or use the internet to search for fellow MBSI members wherever you are. My experience tells me you will receive a warm welcome at many homes and you might even get some hints about where to search locally for an antique shop or a member looking to make a deal on a music box.
I hope you enjoy this issue and find yourself inspired to contribute your own article for a future edition. Tell us the story of your restoration project, or let us know about your favorite tune and why you like it so much. This hobby is full of fantastic bits and pieces and people who are interested in it all.
My many thanks go out to our regu.lar contributors and chapter report writers for consistently helping fill the pages of this journal. Also, I must convey my gratitude to Sanford and Linda Friedenthal who shared their collection and story with us for our regular The Hunt column. Alvin Zamba also reports on a public presentation he made about mechanical music. In my opinion, spreading the joy of this hobby is never a bad thing. Thanks go too to Dr. Albert Lštz, who provides Part II of his thoroughly-researched report on the Pietschmann firm of Germany. Enjoy!

Upcoming Deadlines

ADVERTISING
Advertisements for the September/October 2023 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Aug. 1, 2023.
Advertisements for the November/December 2023 issue of Mechanical Music need to be submitted by Oct. 1, 2023.

EDITORIAL
Articles and photos for the September/October 2023 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by Jul. 25, 2023.
Articles and photos for the November/December 2023 issue of Mechanical Music should be submitted by Sept. 25, 2023.

Morris Museum appoints new director

The Morris Museum announced Tom Loughman will be its next executive director. Loughman is a global arts professional with extensive experience in museum management. Most recently, he spent five years as director and CEO of the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT, overseeing a series of critically-acclaimed exhibitions, the creation of a free access program for the cityÕs residents, major acquisitions and gifts, and the modernization of the museumÕs digital and physical presence.
ÒThe Morris Museum is the regionÕs most impactful, community-focused cultural insti.tution,Ó said Loughman. ÒI am energized by the museumÕs commitment to connecting with people throughout New Jersey and nationally.Ó
Born in Morristown, NJ, Loughman is a grad.uate of Delbarton School (1989), Georgetown University (A.B. 1993), Williams College Gradu.ate Program in the History of Art (M.A. 1995), and Rutgers University (Ph.D. 2003).

Nickel Notes

By Matthew Jaro

For this issue of Nickel Notes, we feature Frank Himpsl. Frank was active in almost all facets of mechan.ical music. He had a profound love for ragtime and blues, and he could identify pretty much any song from the era we all know and love. He has scanned thousands of rolls of all sorts. In addition to his love for nickelodeon and player piano music, he loved classical music and was a fine pianist. As always, I ask people how they got started in mechanical music.
Early Years
FrankÕs earliest recollection of a player piano was one that he had seen in an old junk shop that wasnÕt working. There was a roll on it. Frank asked his parents about it and they said, ÒThatÕs a player piano.Ó He was probably 6 or 7 years old at the time. Frank never heard mechanical music until he saw a nickelodeon when he was about 8 years old in a fast food restaurant called Bonanza. It was a fire-engine red nickelodeon. FrankÕs dad put a nickel in the machine, a gutted Seeburg E that just played the piano. Frank remembered it playing the song ÒIÕll Get ByÓ all of his life.
Frank was 3 or 4 years old when his dad bought him a spinet piano. His grandmother had played the piano, but she died a year after Frank was born and in deference to her, FrankÕs dad wanted Frank to learn the piano. Frank was born in West Orange, NJ, in 1954 and the family moved to Matawan, NJ, when Frank was 3 years old. Frank said he canÕt honestly say that he took to the piano naturally. He would sit down and try to pick out simple tunes. His parents hired a teacher to come in once a week for a half an hour. Frank trudged through the stuff that was assigned (like the John W. Schaum book). Frank said that he was more interested in playing baseball than piano at that time. He was supposed to practice piano half an hour to an hour a day. His mother had an old German timer with a dial in the front. She would set the time to 30 minutes, but Frank would turn the dial forward so it only read 15 minutes!
The Piano
One day, when Frank was 10, his teacher bought him a book of 34 world-famous classics. The book had a piece called ÒThe Maple Leaf Rag.Ó As he always did, FrankÕs teacher played the piece before giving it to Frank to learn. This changed his life. When he heard him play ÒThe Maple Leaf Rag,Ó some kind of bell went off in FrankÕs head. Frank really couldnÕt play very well, but after he heard the rag, he knew he wanted to play the piano. Not just ragtime piano, but all the repertoire. Except for going to school, Frank practiced the piece day and night. In a weekÕs time, he played it for his teacher and blew his socks off.
When he was 12, Frank stopped taking formal lessons and learned on his own. Frank knew he had to learn the technical aspects of piano playing and ragtime wasnÕt going to be the route and so he developed an interest in classical music.
His first love was Beethoven and he learned the easier sonatas and worked his way up to the ÒAppassio.nata Sonata.Ó Frank was a Beethoven addict until he discovered Bach and the ÒWell Tempered ClavierÓ when he was about 12. Along the way, Frank discovered Chopin. Listening to a broadcast of the pianist Vladimir Horowitz in 1968, Frank heard two Scriabin pieces. This introduced him to Russian classical music and started a love that remained throughout his life. After the broadcast, Frank bought the Scriabin pieces at ShirmerÕs in Manhattan and learned them.
College Years
In 1972, Frank began attending classes at Rutgers. They had a music library and he got the rest of the Scriabin works. It took quite an effort for Frank to make heads-or-tails of them. He was able to find inexpensive LP records at the Princeton Record Exchange and studied many record.ings. He would buy one hundred LPs at a time for 99 cents each. He then could learn how the pieces were supposed to sound and how different they were from the way he was playing them.
FrankÕs father, an executive vice president of a steel fabricating company, saved a fortune so Frank could go to medical school. Frank didnÕt really have a knack for biology. Chemistry, on the other hand, he loved from an early age and therefore decided to major in that field of study. He would check out reference books from the library when he was a kid. At one time, he memorized the atomic weights and melting points of all the elements. He even checked out books from the 1930s, including one called ÒThe Home ChemistÓ that described experiments that no one should try at home, or perhaps even in a laboratory. He finally got his own laboratory setup in the basement of his house. In his senior year at Rutgers, Frank got a job with a professor working on the Manhattan Project. It was work that interested Frank and got him hooked on Boron-Hydrogen chemistry.
During his time in college Frank collected all the ragtime books he could find, including the complete rags of Scott Joplin. In his first year at Rutgers, Frank met ragtime pianist Eubie Blake who was visiting the school as a guest artist. After the performance, Frank got up his cour.age and went to talk to him. Frank told him how much he loved his music and playing style, and Blake asked Frank to play the piano for him. Frank felt that he gave some joy to Eubie. Frank describes Eubie as the kindest man you would ever want to meet.
Piano Rolls and Nickelodeons
Even though Frank didnÕt have a player piano, he started collecting piano rolls in the 1960s. It wasnÕt long after Frank had seen the fire-engine red nickelodeon in the Bonanza restaurant that he started asking who else had these machines. He was referred to the Freehold Music Company in Freehold, NJ. The place was filled with player pianos and there were several guys working on restoring them. This was in 1967 or 1968. They had a Duo-Art piano and they played GershwinÕs ÒRhapsody in BlueÓ for him. Frank had never heard anything like it. Frank asked who knew more about things like this. They told him he might want to meet Eddie Freyer. Eddie made nickelodeon rolls and lived in Flemington, NJ. FrankÕs dad took him to meet Eddie. During the visit Frank saw EddieÕs perforator and his many machines. Frank heard a Seeburg E with pipes and a Seeburg G. The next time Frank visited Eddie, Mike Montgomery (a well-known roll collector) came in. Mike put on some Capitol A blues rolls which blew Frank away. (The Capitol rolls were known for their arrangements by the greatest black musicians of the day, including Jimmy Blythe, Clarence Jones, etc.). Mike spent the next five days visiting Frank and his parents! Mike lived in Michigan. They became very close friends. After that time, Frank would periodically fly to Michigan to visit Mike. Frank got to hear his piano roll collection, which was a lot to take in for a kid going on 16 or 17 years old.
In 1970, Mike Montgomery was approached by Arnold C. Caplin, the founder of Biograph Records, for recording piano rolls made by Scott Joplin. They proceeded to do other reissues, such as rags by James P. Johnson and James Scott. Mike was still getting royalties on these up until the end of his life.
One of the things Frank would do at Eddie FreyerÕs would be to play back a tune that Eddie would play on a nickelodeon. Frank managed to play the interpolations that are common in nickelodeon music. Eddie would be punching rolls and Frank would play the pianos. Eddie would often curse after three or four songs were punched because he would have to change the ÒstepÓ gears. Eddie got a lot of grief from his customers since the holes were small, being equivalent in size to nine-to-the-inch, and in the 1960s there were practically no decent nickelodeons, so people would have difficulties. Eddie never wanted to spend the money to have the dies retooled. His Acme perforator was loud since Eddie would punch 10 to 12 copies at a time. The quality of nick.elodeons is quite different today and most people today have no trouble playing Eddie Freyer recuts.
Frank was also put in touch with Trebor Tichenor. (ÒTreborÓ is ÒRobertÓ spelled backwards!) Frank flew to Saint Louis, MO, to meet him. Trebor was a well-known authority on Scott Joplin and the ragtime era. He published rags and books about ragtime.
From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Frank bought rare 78 rpm recordings from the famous record collector Robert Altshuler. Robert died in 2007.
Frank would make many trips to the Library of Congress searching for ragtime sheet music and he got to know the music librarian, Wayne Shir.ley. On WayneÕs day off from work, he would let Frank drive him to the stor.age facility in Landover, MD. Frank could pick and choose music to photo.copy. Frank thought there must be several million pieces of sheet music there. You couldnÕt really go through the collection at random. So, Frank spent hours in the Copyright Office and wrote down the numbers of the pieces he wanted to photocopy. Frank would have a sack full of nickels and he spent an entire day photocopying these things. Regrettably, Frank did not photocopy the covers, only the music. He did this for the better part of 10 years during his vacations from his job.
Early Career
Frank didnÕt get a player piano until 1981. His parents were dead set against it. They said, ÒYou play the piano, you donÕt need a player.Ó Despite this, after Frank got his job at the Engelhard Corporation, he earned enough money to buy a player but he had to put it in the washroom downstairs.
Frank got his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1979. It was the first doctorate in chemistry that Rutgers had awarded in three years. Frank was recently surprised to learn that a paper he published for his Ph.D. has been extensively referenced and still is to this day. FrankÕs work was the basis for producing solid rocket fuels. Frank worked at Engelhard until December 1997. He was laid off because of a reorganization after 17 years there. His mother died three months later.
Frank Meets Amanda
Frank was looking for a job online and he used America OnlineÕs social network. This is how he met Amanda, his future wife. She lived in Grand Junction, CO. They exchanged phone calls and found that they had a lot in common, including science fiction. Frank flew to Grand Junction on her birthday. This was in 1998. Frank was 44 and Amanda was 27. They got married.
Don Nielson
In October 1998, Paul Manganero introduced Frank to Don Nielson. Paul said, ÒFrank, you got to see this guyÕs collection.Ó Don went around playing machines and Frank would tell him what song was playing, including obscure stuff. Then Frank played the piano for him. Don said, ÒYou should work for me.Ó Don needed a database of his roll collection. So, Frank and Amanda moved to Audubon, PA, to be near DonÕs shop. He continued to work for Don in cataloging rolls, obtaining rolls and machines on eBay, making musical arrangements, going on the road to pick things up and many other assorted tasks. He met most of the collectors in this capacity.
Paul Manganero built a pneumatic scanning system to scan DonÕs A rolls. Frank met Gene Gerity who made an optical scanner in 1999. Frank used this scanner until his passing. Gene made two scanners. The other scanner was used by Jack Breen for his Mills Violano project. There came a day in 2000 that Don asked Frank about a non-mechanical perforator. Frank suggested lasers. They obtained a laser perforator that was too slow and too prone to burn the paper. It would take 12 hours to cut one A roll. It clearly wasnÕt a venture you would continue. So, they tried a different laser system. The idea was to be able to cut any roll at all, regardless of format. They needed a laser unit plus a precision sheet feeder, plus the spooling units. Gene wrote all the software to control the machine and to correct geometric distortions.
At this point Frank started the Valley Forge Music Roll Company. Don generously let Frank use the laser perforator without charge for operating his business. Frank did the work to set up a web site.
The Family
In 2004, Frank and Amanda wanted a family. They couldnÕt have children of their own, so they decided to adopt and went to an agency. They looked at different countries. In China, the waiting time was two years. Russia then was still open for adoption, but it too had a long wait time. They were interviewed multiple times. Adop.tion agencies asked if the Himpsls would rather have a boy or girl. They decided on a girl. They asked if the Himpsls would be open to adopting more than one child. Frank always wanted a sibling, so he thought two children would be ideal, but they would consider more. That turned out to be a key word. Instead of waiting two years, the Himpsls got a call in six months saying there were three biological sisters ready to be adopted and their ages were two, three and five. The adoption agency overnighted the Himpsls a video tape and the next day the Himpsls said Òbook the airline tickets, weÕre going to do this.Ó (The tickets were more than $6,000 per person just to fly to the remote part of Siberia). They had to go to Russia twice to settle all the affairs.
While at the orphanage, Frank played ÒMidnight in MoscowÓ and a Russian lady who heard the music stepped into the room to sing the lyrics at the top of her lungs in Russian. The HimpslsÕ second trip to Russia included a court date with state officials. Court officials asked Frank, ÒIf the Himpsls adopted the girls, would the girls be taught about their Russian culture?Ó Frank said he loved Russian literature, art and especially music and proceeded to talk about the Russian composers and how he would teach them to embrace their heritage. Out of the blue, the woman that sang ÒMidnight in Moscow,Ó and who it turned out was the head of the orphanage, stood up and said to the court, ÒWhat he said was true. He was playing Russian folk.songs for the girls at the orphanage on the piano.Ó The court decided in the HimpslsÕ favor and the three girls, Mila, Alyssa and Rhiannon returned with Frank and Amanda to the United States.
Scanning and Arranging
Frank started collecting rolls 10 years before he had a player piano, but it was really meeting Eddie Freyer, Mike Montgomery and Trebor Tichenor that got Frank into it. When he started earning money he found he could increase his collection. Frank amassed about 36,000 rolls! He also made about 480,000 database entries. He has about 79,000 roll scans to date. He scanned 88- and 65-note rolls, APP and PianOrchestra rolls, band organ rolls, nickelodeon A, 4X and G rolls. His scanning project was possible because of the generosity of collectors. For example, Bob Gilson let Frank scan a whole trailer-load of nickelodeon rolls. Don Nielson opened his entire collection for scan.ning. I even loaned Frank many of my rolls for scanning. Frank had materials loaned from the Milhous Brothers, the DeBence Museum and the Nethercutt Collection. Trebor Tichenor loaned Frank hundreds of rolls. Frank spent weeks there taking any roll he didnÕt have. It took him six months to scan all of them.
The Moves
In October 2009, Frank and Amanda sold their house in Audubon, PA, and moved to Pueblo West, CO. It was quite a task with three daughters, 13 dogs, five pianos, rare records, stamp collections and thousands of rolls. They wanted to live closer to Aman.daÕs parents in Grand Junction, CO, and they also thought employment opportunities might be better.
In 2016, the Himpsls moved to Geor.gia. Like the move to Colorado, this move required two moving vans plus a large U-Haul trailer for the valuable possessions. Sadly, Amanda passed away in May, 2016 at age 44. Amanda was a truly wonderful person and anyone that knew Frank knew and admired Amanda.
Frank had a 1910 Weber 65/88 note player piano, a 1920 Steinway Duo-Art upright, a 1925 Marshall-Wendell Ampico upright, a concert grand Seiler and a concert grand Baldwin with the PianoMation system.
Frank loved the rural setting in Georgia. At the end of his life, Frank made Wurlitzer 165 organ arrange.ments for Don Neilson and Glenn Thomas. He learned the proper tech.niques so that the songs sound like the original Wurlitzer rolls. I wrote Frank a Cakewalk CAL program to create a MIDI listening file so he could hear what the arrangements would sound like on the organ. This helped him make good sounding selections with the appropriate counter melodies so common in band organ music.
And so, we conclude this visit to Frank Himpsl, truly a renaissance man of music.

Frank Himpsl in a favorite pose.

FrankÕs grand piano room.

One of FrankÕs pianos and another section of the roll collection.

A section of FrankÕs roll collection and some sheet music as well.

Frank and his Òheroes.Ó

FrankÕs roll scanner.

Above: Frank Himpsl and his daughters, Rhiannon, Mila and Alyssa. Right: Frank and Amanda HimpslÕs wedding picture.

Another section of rolls from FrankÕs collection.

Another section of rolls from FrankÕs collection.

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 November/December, 2017 issue of The AMICA Bulletin.

The Pietschmann Firm of Berlin

(Part II)

The foundation and the first three business years of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc.

By Dr. Albert Lštz
On May 18, 1889, Berliner Musik-In.strumenten-Fabrik AG (Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc.), formerly called Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sšhne, was recorded in the Berlin trade regis.ter. The stock exchange prospectus contains a wealth of important infor.mation on the firm.11 Stock Exchange Prospectus [Bšrsenpros.pekt] of Berliner Musik-Instrumenten-Fabrik Inc., vorm. Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sšhne, Berliner Tageblatt [Berlin Daily], June 2, 1889, fourth supplement, p.4. Also in: Berliner Bšrs.en-Zeitung [Berlin Stock Exchange Journal], June 1, 1889, evening issue, fifth supplement, p. 13.
At the time of the change to a joint-stock company, the factory employed 480 workmen. Since 1886, Herophons and their music had been sold annually at an average of 400,000 Mark, and Manopans and their music had been sold for 331,000 Mark in 1888, in the first year of their production. Among the assets of the initial balance sheet, the companyÕs real estate holdings were its biggest assets. The two premises at 28 Brun.nenstra§e and 45 Fehrbellinerstra§e with an area of 4,757 square meters were valued at 1,294,300 Mark by a certified expert, but valued at just 1,153,750 Mark in the balance sheet. The properties were encumbered with collective mortgages of 725,000 Mark. In addition to the three-wing tenement in Brunnenstra§e and the two-wing tenement in Fehrbelliner.stra§e, with four floors each, there were four factory buildings, four boiler-houses, and two store sheds on the premises. The machines and tools, including a printing-office, were valued at 220,000 Mark. The raw mate.rials in stock had a value of 153,384 Mark. Approximately 250,000 pieces of cardboard music with 3,000 titles were listed in the balance sheet with a value of 67,707 Mark. The cost price of finished and partly finished instru.ments was 229,448 Mark. Merchandise by other manufacturers for 50,741 Mark was in stock. An establishment in New York, NY, opened in Septem.ber 1887, appeared among the assets with a 120,804 Mark value. Accounts receivable was listed as 214,808 Mark. Company patents were taken into account with a symbolic value of just 100 Mark. The whole firm had a value of 1,300,000 Mark after deduction of the debts. In compensation for their contribution, Carl and Ferdinand Pietschmann received 3,000 Mark in cash, and 1,297 shares with a nominal value of 1,000 Mark for the remaining balance of 1,297,000 Mark.
The two Pietschmann brothers voluntarily paid 100,000 Mark into a special reserve fund of the company without the title of restitution. They took all financial risks still pending from the lawsuits of their former firm. In addition, they obliged themselves to be liable with their private means, if a dividend of at least 10 percent could not be paid for the business year 1888-1889, whose results should already be included in the balance sheet of the new company, and for the two following years. For this they gave security of 200,000 Mark in shares of the company. The guarantee of their dividend was dependent upon them remaining as directors of the company for a period of three years.They provisionally bound themselves to this function for the next five years. The members of the supervisory board were two bankers, a factory-owner, and a private person.
Simultaneously with the foundation of the company, 1,000 shares from the possession of the Pietschmann broth.ers were offered publicly for the value 145 percent, i.e. for 1,450 Mark per share. This high price was of course a bill on the future, and was therefore criticized by Cologne Newspaper which was joined by the Journal for Musical Instrument Making.22 Die GrŸndungs-Periode in der Musikinstrumenten-Industrie [The period of foundations in the industry of musical instruments], Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumenten.bau [Journal for Musical Instrument Making] (Leipzig, 1888-1889), p. 340.
The starting-point for the criticism was the profit of the past years. Approxi.mately 85,000 Mark had been earned annually in the last four years, and 125,000 Mark in the two years before them, each time with a turnover of approximately 1 million Mark. It was true that extraordinary expenses had been necessary in the last four years on account of the introduction of the Herophon and Manopan, yet the company would have to earn 130,000 Mark annually just for the projected dividend of at least 10 percent. As seen by Cologne Newspaper, the prof.its of the past years were Òtruly not high in view of the rapid fluctuation of the fancy to such toys, and the steadily necessary introduction of novelties!Ó In a response to that critique, the Pietschmann brothers pointed to the fact that the profit in the years 1886 to 1888 plus the expenses for the new production lines actually represented a collective profit of 176,000 Mark per year, and that the balance sheet for the business year 1888-1889 to be expected shortly showed a very favourable result.33 Vermischtes [Mixed News]. Berlin. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1888-1889), p. 384.
The balance sheet thus announced boasted a profit of 222,380 Mark. Therefore a dividend of 13 percent could be paid after paying various other expenses like bonuses and setting aside reserve funds.44 Berlin Daily, Oct. 25, 1889, morning issue, second supplement, first page.

This raises the question of why the change from a privately-held company to a joint-stock company was made. It seemed the conversion of the factory to accommodate the production of the new Herophon and Manopan instruments could be paid for with current profit, and the stock exchange prospectus had asserted in bold type:
ÒOn account of the expensive new equipment of the factory, the latter now complies with the requirements of modern technique, and such unique extra expenses will therefore not be required for years.Ó
Normally a joint-stock company is established when a new company is founded or a considerable expansion needs be financed by an influx of capital. Occasionally, the personal situation of a proprietor can play a role in such a decision, for example when there are problems of succession for a single enterpreneur. It appears improbable that the Pietschmann brothers just wanted to convert their property into cash, because Ferdi.nand Pietschmann founded the rescue company ÒDeutsche Musikwerke System PietschmannÓ in 1897, sacrific.ing his wealth in order to prevent the ruin of the former Pietschmann firm. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory was established just two months after the death of Christine Friederike Pietschmann, so that a relation to this event can be conjectured. Yet from the heirs only the sister Auguste might have demanded a securing of her hereditary portion, because the two brothers must have been interested in a continuation of the private partner.ship Pietschmann & Sšhne under their exclusive direction. One other signifi.cant event, however, may have played a role in this seemingly odd decision. On Jan. 7, 1892, Carl Pietschmann died of tuberculosis at the age of 49 years55 Archive of the Berlin Protestant Church, Berlin-City III, St.Elisabeth, Interments 1891-1892, No. 23 A.
(Figure 17). It is possible that his disease was diagnosed several years before and that he had to stay in sanatoriums for long periods. It is conspicuous that the annual balance sheet, published in October 1889, was signed only by Ferdinand Pietschmann and vice-chairman Wilhelm Wittig, the long-time manager66 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, May 21, 1889, evening issue, p. 4, second column.
of the Piet.schmann firm. Considering this fact, it would be understandable that CarlÕs family wanted to divide up his portion of the wealth from the company instead of leaving it invested. Yet the Pietschmann family kept a major part of the publicly-offered 1,000 of the 1,300 shares instead of receiving the money from the sale, because the family possessed 653 shares, and thus a majority, when in 1892 a quarrel between the directors and the supervisory board broke out.77 Berlin Daily, Nov. 28, 1892, evening issue, Handels=Zeitung [trade journal] of Berlin Daily, second page.
The majority will mainly have consisted of Ferdinand PietschmannÕs initial share.
After the foundation of the joint-stock company, the house at 28 Brunnenstra§e was no longer a property of the Pietschmann brothers and they moved to a new addresses. According to the Berlin directory, Carl Pietschmann successively lived at three different places in the years 1889 to 1891, first in 46 Fehrbellinerstra§e, then in the suburb Pankow, and finally in 5 HŠndelstra§e (today HŠndelallee) in the district Tiergarten. The house at 46 Fehrbellinerstra§e had been a property of Pietschmann & Sšhne since 1876, but it did not become a part of the Berlin Musical Instruments Factory. According to the Berlin directory of 1890, the new proprietor was ÒPietschmann, Fbrk. [Fabrikant = factory-owner].Ó In 1891, an addition in parentheses to this statement of ownership said ÒPankow.Ó Therefore, Carl Pietschmann was the owner. The Berlin directory of 1893 lists his widow with the abbreviated Christian name ÒM.Ó, thus Maria, as results from the three Christian names in the marriage-certificate. The entry for the proprietor of the estate 46 Fehrbelli.nerstra§e changed to ÒPietschmannÕs Erben [heirs].Ó
Ferdinand Pietschmann moved from 28 Brunnenstra§e to 101 KurfŸrs.tendamm (a most elegant address in Berlin-West) in 1890, three years later back to a district in the vicinity of the factory, and further three years later again to a new address in the same district. He is listed as proprietor of the estate 24 Brunnenstra§e for the first time in the directory of 1894. In that year, the Berlin Musical Instruments Factory was not located any more in 28 Brunnenstra§e, but had moved to 25 Brunnenstra§e. The estates 26 to 29 Brunnenstra§e had been sold to an architect and were building-sites. The estates 25 Brunnenstra§e and 45 Fehrbellinerstra§e were a property of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory. The firm Schulz, Pietschmann & Co. with Ferdinand PietschmannÕs sister Auguste as co-partner likewise moved to 25 Brunnenstra§e. The directory of 1893 says in the rubric ÒMechanical Musical InstrumentsÓ about Schulz, Pietschmann & Co. ÒShop for accor.dions, Manopans, Herophons, etc., musical boxes, Symphonions, violins, flutes, etc.Ó
A drawing of Berlin Musical Instru.ments Factory can be found in the festive edition of Musical Instrument Journal of 1896 (Figure 18) that must have been made after the move from 28 Brunnenstra§e to 25 Brunnenstra§e in 1893. This follows from the absence of a house along the street left of the house bottom right in the drawing, in contrast to the preceding years for the house 28 Brunnenstra§e. Instead, a site fence higher than a person can be seen left of the house. According to the location of the estates 25 Brunnen.stra§e and 45 Fehrbellinerstra§e, the sideline of the two estates must have formed an angle with Brunnenstra§e of distinctly smaller than 90 degrees, as is the case still today for the adjoin.ing court between Brunnenstra§e and Fehrbellinerstra§e (see Figure 6 in part I). This cannot be detected with certainty from Figure 18 because of the perspective, however the wall with the company inscription joining the front building appears to be inclined to the left in comparison to the wall of the front building. The inclined wall was obviously provisional with windows in illusionistic painting.
In January 1890, the following statement appeared about the first business half-year 1889-90 of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory:
In the first half-year, the orders were so plentiful that their execution was only possible with overtime hours. It must especially be stressed that there was mainly increased demand for better instruments which yield a higher profit. Thus, as we were told, e.g. 1,383 Manopans of the biggest model were sold in compar.ison to 1069 Manopans in the same period of last year. In last December, the total turnover of Herophons and Manopans rose to 2,622 pieces, a number never reached in the 50 years history of the company. Ñ The new organette ÒSeraphine,Ó invented by director Pietschmann and recently patented, had a tremendous success, having been sold 2,700 times from September to December of last year.88 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Jan. 29, 1890, evening issue, p. 3, third column.

The ÒSeraphineÓ (Figure 19) was a small 18-note organette with the size 30 centimeters by 29 centimeters by 30 centimeters. There was also a some.what larger model called ÒExcelsiorÓ with 18 notes and 36 reeds. The music strips were 117 centimeters in length with endless form (closed loop), 284 centimeters in length with straight form, or folded cardboard in book form. The price of the simple model was lower by 25 percent than that of the simplest Manopan with 24 notes.
At the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1890, the firm presented two novelties.
ÒThe Berlin Musical Instruments Factory formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sšhne presented an Excelsior Manopan with not less than 142 reeds, i.e. each key controls three reeds of the same pitch. This, of course, produces a mighty sonority approaching the sound of an harmonium. The common sound of the hurdy-gurdy is thus avoided most fortunately, and the musical arrangement sets off the good sound properties of the instrument. The firm also exhibits an ÔOrgue flautinaÕ that can be made to order with 24 or 39 notes. The sound that is likewise generated by reeds is very soft and low, and will probably have been designed for more delicate nerves.Ó99 Die diesjŠhrige Leipziger Michaelismesse [This yearÕs Leipzig Michaelmas Fair], Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1890-1891), p. 6.

The ÒOrgue FlutinaÓ is depicted in the Holzweissig catalogue 1893-941010 Ernst Holzweissig Nachf., Engros-Preis.liste Ÿber Musikwerke (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 86.
and is designated Òdeeply voiced orga.nette in a highly elegant case.Ó It is a small instrument in black with golden engraving and a base of 38 centime.ters by 38 centimeters, and a height of 33 centimeters. The front half of the lid including a part of the side walls can be tilted up like a folding desk thus allowing access to the keys for inserting the music. The keys are a part of a separate music case that is not mounted on the side of the chest with the bellows as in the standard Manopan, but mounted in a bay of the upper front half of the chest with the wind supply.
A catalogue with 250 pages of the firm, published on Nov. 1, 1890, was designated as examplary by Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau.1111 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1890-1891), p. 112.
At the Leipzig Easter Fair of 1891, Berlin Musical Instruments Factory presented a chord pipe working with reeds. The major or minor triad on all 12 notes of the octave could be blown after appropriate mechanical switch.ing (for details of the construction see German patent DRP 43874 (1887) by Hans Krenn). At the same fair, Berlin Musical Instruments Factory presented also a new mechanical musical instrument:
ÒIn addition to the already mentioned miniature Ariston, there was another novelty called ÒCelestinaÓ, a reed instrument by Berlin Musical Instruments Factory formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann that worked with suction-air and had the form of a scaled down upright piano. The instrument with its 117 notes had a particular, somewhat mystical sound of unquestionable beauty, yet the price is accordingly quite high.Ó 1212 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1890-1891), p. 282.

On Apr. 20, 1891, Ferdinand Pietschmann had two models of orga.nettes in form of cabinets recorded in the Berlin utility model register with number 11262 for three years.1313 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1890-1891), p. 349.
These were the ÒSchrank-ManopansÓ (Cabinet-Manopans) depicted in the Holzweissig catalogue 1893-1894,1414 Ernst Holzweissig Nachf., Engros-Preis.liste Ÿber Musikwerke (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 85.
smaller successors of the ÒVerdi-ManopanÓ of 1888, already mentioned in Part I of this article. The case had a width of 43 centimeters, a height of 48 centimeters, and a depth of 33 centimeters. It had a front door with two wings and a door in the left side wall (for comparison: the front of the Verdi-Manopan had the approximate size 1 meter by 1 meter). A 24-note Manopan was mounted at half-height, yet the keys and the reeds were not housed in a small case attached to the side of a bigger case with the bellows, but were located on the top panel of the Manopan. Within the cabinet, an endless music strip was looped back under the Manopan. The crank protruded outwards from the right side panel of the cabinet.
In May 1891, Zeitschrift fŸr Instru.mentenbau reported that Berlin Musical Instruments Factory had founded a branch of its products in London E.C., 62 Holborn Viaduct. The agent was Mr. A. Paillard.1515 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1890-1891), p. 323.

It is striking in the balance sheet for the business year 1889-901616 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Dec. 8, 1890, evening issue, p. 11.
that the production account (on the credit side) of 282,000 Mark was lower than in the previous year by approximately 80,000 Mark. In addition, the costs of sale had increased by 15,000 Mark. The management explained these changes with the uncertainty of the situation in South-America, a main sales area of the firm, and with higher expenses for agents and travels with the objective of increasing the sales.1717 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 15, 1890, evening issue, p. 6, first column, bottom.
From the profit, a dividend of just 7. percent was possible so that the Pietschmann brothers had to stand in the gap with 35,750 Mark according to the contract in order to pay the guar.anteed dividend of 10 percent.
The balance sheet of the following business year 1890-18911818 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Dec. 23, 1891, evening issue, fourth supplement, first page (p. 11), fourth column.
showed a loss of 104,000 Mark for the first time. The biggest changes with respect to the balance sheet of the previous year could be found for the outstanding debts of customers that had decreased from 389,000 Mark to 163,000 Mark. The business report1919 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Dec. 9, 1891, evening issue, p. 7, first column.
explained this reduction by saying that the company found itself constrained to take back merchandise from customers in order to avoid still bigger financial losses. In view of the reduced capacity of the customers to absorb merchandise because of the general slump, cheaper instruments and new kinds of instru.ments should preferably be produced. The Pietschmann brothers paid 104,000 Mark to cover the loss, and in addition 130,000 Mark for the payment of the dividend of 10 percent. After that third business year, their guaran.tee for the dividend had expired. The loss is in contrast with a statement that the management had made to the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal still in June 1891:
ÒThe management of Berlin Musi.cal Instruments Factory Inc. formerly Pietschmann writes that the current business year cannot be judged as unfavourable, even if the situation in America has slightly influenced the business in that area. Noteworthy losses have not been made so that one can be as satisfied with the business as in the last year.Ó2020 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, June 8, 1891, evening issue, p. 3, third column.

This was either a lie, or the manage.ment did not know from the actual business data what would give an unfavourable picture of the admin.istration. Further interesting details can be found in Zeitschrift fŸr Instru.mentenbau that reprinted a report by Leipziger Tageblatt (Leipzig Daily) on the general assembly of the company.2121 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1891-1892), p. 160.
According to that report, Òdirector Pietschmann,Ó which was Ferdinand Pietschmann in view of Carl PietschmannÕs death just two weeks later, rejected a candidate who had been proposed by the supervisory board for an empty seat on that board. He instead proposed a candidate of his own, who afterwards was elected, because the Pietschmann family possessed the majority of the shares. In addition, representatives of only 750 of the 1,300 shares were present. The election result caused three members of the supervisory board to step down. They only could be persuaded to stay in office up to an extraordinary general assembly to be convoked in the near future. It was rumoured that Ferdi.nand Pietschmann considered buying the factory back. Leipzig Daily also saw this as the best solution.
The extraordinary general assem.bly took place on Feb. 1, 1892. The four members of the supervisory board remained in office, and three additional members were elected, among them the candidate proposed by Ferdinand Pietschmann and elected previously, but not the former candidate of the supervisory board. Ferdinand Pietschmann made known that the factory had made a profit in the first half-year. In striking contrast to this statement, the chairman of the board declared that the sales had dropped considerably, the prices had to be reduced, and generally no good news on the current year could be given.2222 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Feb. 1, 1892, evening issue, p. 3, third column.

Berlin Musical Instruments Factory under Ferdinand Pietschmann
Some months after the death of Carl Pietschmann, the former vice-director Wilhelm Wittig became second direc.tor beside Ferdinand Pietschmann.2323 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, May 27, 1892, evening issue, third supplement, first page (p. 9), third column.
As a longtime coworker of the Pietschmann firm, he would not have been anything other than a puppet of Ferdinand Pietschmann, and the supervisory board had no other option but to wait for a favourable occasion to oust him from office so they could install an independent second director (see below). Nevertheless, Ferdinand Pietschmann (Figure 20) ruled the firm at that time, even if it was with a distressing relationship to the super.visory board and with a bad state of business.
The overproduction of harmonicas, their resulting price decreases, and the fact that harmonica development was already 70 years old would have made Ferdinand Pietschmann think that the best times of the harmonicas were over. Thus, the business report for the year 1890-1891 had announced the production of new kinds of instru.ments in order to increase sales. As the German patent DRP 59844 (1891) shows, corresponding developments had already been made. The patent protects a mechanism for the plucking of steel teeth. Leipzig manufacturers of disc musical boxes had done excel.lent business since some years ago, with one example being the Factory of LochmannÕs Music Boxes Inc. [Fabrik LochmannÕscher Musikwerke Aktieng.esellschaft] (ÒSymphonionÓ) that paid a dividend of 23 percent for 18912424 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1891-1892), p. 269.
so this production area appeared to have a bright future.
A considerable problem was the already existing patents for these instruments, so Ferdinand Pietschmann would obviously have wanted to avoid patent litigations as he had experienced formerly with the Herophon instrument. To avoid copyright infringement, he dispensed with the star wheel, which was at the time the standard solution for disc musical box movements. Pietschmann applied keys so that music without projections could be used. The patent DRP 59844 filed first was replaced by the improved patent DRP 62275 only three months later. The patent draw.ing is explained in a box together with Figure 21.
Both for musical boxes and orga.nettes, more robust music sheets of metal working according to the principle of folded cardboard music were introduced with the patent DRP 64005 (1892) and the supplementary patent DRP 69446 (1892). A further patent DRP 70177 (1893) simplified the construction by using one-layer instead of two-layer metal plates which were fastened to each other at the junctions by thin bands of cloth on both sides bridging the gap. Everywhere else the metal plates were covered with paper for a smooth transition between the paper and cloth covered surfaces. The covering with paper on both sides was also recommended for metal discs, mainly in order to eliminate the noise of the keysÕ sliding on the disk.
On account of newspaper reports in November 1892, the management of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory sent the Berlin Stock Exchange Jour.nal a letter denying that a criminal procedure initiated by the supervi.sory board was pending against the commercial director Wittig, and that he had been taken in custody. The letter stated that the supervisory board examined accusations against Wittig by coworkers, and that the latter had been given leave for the present. The letter also called Ferdinand Pietschmann technical director of the firm.2525 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Oct. 31, 1892, evening issue, p. 4, first column.
Approximately one week later, Julius Lindheim and Ado Lehmann were conferred joint power of representation.2626 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1892-1893), p. 123.
Shortly thereafter, the annual business report of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory appeared. The turnover had dropped by 129,000 Mark in comparison to the previous year. In order to reduce the debts, approximately one-third of the large stock had been sold with loss relative to the prices of last yearÕs inventory, partly after remodelling and modernization. A balance with total loss of 241,000 Mark resulted that was reduced to 105,000 Mark by complete use of the reserve funds.2727 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 29, 1892, evening issue, p. 14, fourth column.
The super.visory board accused the management of miscalculation and deficiencies. The loss had only become known at the inventory. The outlook said:
ÒIn the past business year we thought to realize a higher turnover by the introduction of new patented products. Yet this was regrettably not possible up to now. People now prefer the mechanical musical instruments of Swiss kind [disc musical boxes]. Guided by this taste we constructed such an instrument after many time-consuming problems, and we have protected it by a series of patents. The production line for this instrument is now ready so that we will be able to market the instrument in the course of this business year.Ó2828 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 16, 1892, evening issue, p. 3, second column, bottom.

The Pietschmann family, including Ferdinand Pietschmann, placed the dismissal of the supervisory board on the agenda of the general assembly,2929 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 22, 1892, evening issue, p. 4, first column.
which took place on Nov. 28, 1892. At that assembly, Ferdinand Pietschmann explained the decrease of the sales by the general slump in nearly all parts of the world, the increase of the import customs, and the dumping prices of the competitors. In addition, considerable losses had resulted at the partial sale of the big stock with partly out-of-date merchandise in spite of remodelling. He criticized the decision of the super.visory board to write off 167,000 Mark and regarded 31,000 Mark sufficient. In response to this point, the chairman of the supervisory board reminded of the high losses in the sale of stocks in spite of the allegedly most rigorous inventory performed the year before. There was a discussion between the chairman of the supervisory board, banker Neuburger, and director Ferdi.nand Pietschmann on the agenda item dismissal of the supervisory board, about which Berlin Daily wrote:
ÒBoth parties blamed each other to have acted against the interests of the company and the shareholders. The chairman of the supervisory board, Neuburger, stated that Mr. Pietschmann was unable to direct such an enterprise successfully, while Mr. Pietschmann said that his treatment by the supervisory board had caused his opposition, and thus a good cooperation was not possible.Ó3030 Berlin Daily, Nov. 28, 1892, evening issue, Handels=Zeitung [trade journal] of Berlin Daily, second page.

The move for the dismissal of the supervisory board was accepted with large majority, and a new supervisory board was elected of which the previ.ous chairman Neuburger was not a member any more. As can be learned from the report on the general assembly of the following year, 1893, the reserve captain and director of Invalidendank, Wilhelm Brenken, became chairman. Invalidendank [thanks to disabled soldiers] was a society supporting German disabled soldiers in making a living. The society received advertise.ments for all newspapers home and abroad, and sold tickets for theaters and extra trains for partial financing and providing positions for disabled soldiers.3131 A. Ludwig, Berliner Adre§-Buch fŸr das Jahr 1893 [Berlin Directory 1893], W. & S. Loewenthal ed., p. 588.
As already reported above, Mr. Brenken had been elected a member of the supervisory board at the general assembly 1891 by the Pietschmann family against the will of the chairman Neuburger. The parting chairman Neuburger warned the shareholders not to sell their shares at the current low price, because this would support the take-over plans of Mr. Pietschmann, and because the estates were worth at least 60 to 80 percent of the nominal value of the shares of 1,000 Mark. It was also made public at the general assembly that the accusations against director Wittig were mostly unfounded. It was admitted that Wittig had not kept the account books carefully, yet the loss of 800 Mark because of this action was relatively small.3232 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 28, 1892, evening issue, p. 4, first column.
Nevertheless, WittigÕs reputation was degraded, and he had to leave the company.3333 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Jan. 3, 1893, evening issue, p. 7, first column, and p. 11, first column.
Thus Ferdinand Pietschmann lost a confidant of long standing in the management.
Somewhat later, the Berlin Stock Exchange Journal published a communication Òfrom bankersÕ circlesÓ that pointed to the fact that the estates of the company were accounted with 1,200 Mark per Quadratruthe (14.4 square meter) although the actual value in that part of Berlin was considerably higher. In addition, the communication said:
ÒAs owner of a very big part of the shares, director Pietschmann is highly interested in the posperity of the company. He can very much hope for better results in the future, because, being familiar with the manufacture and sale for 30 years, he realised important profits in earlier years that made him and his rela.tives wealthy. Still in the near future, director Pietschmann plans to market a completely new product which might perhaps prove as profitable as previously the Manopan, Herophon etc. whose sale in many thousands of pieces resulted in big profits for the company.Ó3434 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Dec. 8, 1892, evening issue, p. 3, first column.

A joint power of representation that had been conferred to Julius Lindheim and Ado Lehmann in November 1892 after director Wittig was placed on leave was withdrawn in April 1893,3535 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1892-1893), p. 537.
and conferred to Georg Reichelt.3636 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1892-1893), p. 555.
In August 1893, Paul Schaetzell was given joint power of representation,3737 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1892-1893), p. 801.
which meant that Ferdinand Pietschmann was the sole director but he managed the enterprise with procurators.
The instrument with steel comb announced already by Ferdinand Pietschmann in the business report of November 1892 (see also the patent drawing in Figure 21 above), was launched at the Leipzig Easter Fair 1893 (Figure 22, Figure 23). It was a small instrument called ÒUnikonÓ that played with a long metal sheet without projections instead of a disc, and had 41 teeth.3838 Q. David Bowers, The Encyclopedia of Disc Music Boxes (Altona, Canada, 2016), p. 114.
Musical Instrument Jour.nal wrote:
ÒFollowing the trend of our time, the company also dared to experiment in the area of mechanical musical instruments with steel combs (Swiss instruments), and we left with the impression that the company was sufficiently skilled to solve the task surprisingly. We saw two models, one playing automatically and the other by cranking. Because these instruments can play whole overtures, waltzes etc. on account of the unlimited length of the strips, their advantages are obvious. They are marketed with the name ÒUnikonÓ, and the manufacture of bigger models is expected soon.Ó3939 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1892-1893), p. 545.

As Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau wrote, the music sheet ran free of noise, because it was covered with specially treated paper. However, the firms Thost & Richter (ÒLibellionÓ) and Plagwitzer Musikwerke R. M. Polter (ÒAriophonÓ) had already exhibited instruments similar to the Unikon at the Leipzig Easter Fair one year earlier. The Ariophon could already be purchased in three differ.ent sizes.4040 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1892-1893), p. 390.
At the Leipzig Easter Fair 1893, when the Unikon was presented first, Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau praised the beautiful pure sound of the Libellion, apart from the some.what weak bass notes. At that time the instrument was offered in several sizes by the firm SchŸtzold & Werner of Leipzig. A Libellion model with coin insert aroused much interest, because the long music sheet allowed the playing of six different music pieces without changing the sheet. The old competitor of Berlin Musical Instru.ments Factory, the Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments formerly Paul Ehrlich & Co., had developed a disc musical box that was presented with the name ÒMonopol.Ó According to Zeitschrift fŸr Instru.mentenbau, the instrument had quite a pleasant sound.4141 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1892-1893), p. 494.

Berlin Musical Instruments Factory also developed a disc musical box with conventional star wheels. Its patent DRP 69016 (1892) is related to the damping problem (Figure 24). The patent describes three different damping mechanisms. Two of them are quite similar so that they are not both discussed here. The explanation of the mechanisms is given in a box together with Figure 24.
The utility model DRGM 13132 filed on Mar. 30 , 1893, and entitled ÒMechan.ical musical instrument to which one or several supplementary instruments (drum, bell etc.) are attached for being simultaneously played by hand.Ó4242 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1892-1893), p. 553.
protected the ÒTrommel-ManopanÓ (Drum Manopan), an instrument already marketed since autumn 1892 (Figure 25). Different from what can be read in the advertisement, but in agreement with the picture, the instrument was equipped with bass drum (wrongly designated ÒPaukeÓ [timpani] in colloquial German), small drum, cymbal, and bell. The beaters for the bass drum and the cymbal were coupled so that three buttons were sufficient to play the four instru.ments.4343 The mechanism is described in the British patent No. 11672 of 1893 (GB000189311672 in the data bank of the German Patent Office).
The Drum-Manopan was available with 24 and 39 notes,4444 Ernst Holzweissig Nachf., Engros-Preis.liste Ÿber Musikwerke (Leipzig, 1898), p. 145.
and as an instrument for children with 16 notes.4545 Ernst Holzweissig Nachf., Engros-Preis.liste Ÿber Musikwerke (Leipzig, 1893-94), p. 71.

At the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1893, Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musi.cal Instruments exhibited a ÒMusical Flute-AutomatonÓ with two stops of wooden pipes for loud and soft playing, 24-note Ariston discs, and coin insert. This instrument was also available in a tall cabinet of the size 188 centimeters by 61 centimeters by 44.5 centimeters and a nicely-painted metallic door panel. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory also developed an instrument with pipes of 2 meters high played by Manopan music, according to an advertisement that appeared in autumn 1893 (Figure 26). Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments triggered a development by its musical flute automaton that even the firm Hupfeld followed. Hupfeld presented the corresponding instrument ÒAeolionÓ at the Leipzig Easter Fair 1895 (see Part III of this article in the next issue of Mechanical Music).
The new organette ÒDolcineÓ advertised in Figure 26 was presented at the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1893 and sold well. The instrument had a simple case with the size 27 centimeters by 21 centimeters by 18 centimeters, 16 steel notes and was played with long cardboard strips. The keys were on the top of the instrument.4646 Ernst Holzweissig Nachf., Engros-Preis.liste Ÿber Musikwerke (Leipzig, 1893-94), p. 71.
It appears top right in an illustration of the range of instruments of the firm in autumn 1894 (Figure 27). Musical Instrument Journal wrote about the Dolcine:
ÒA charming article for export, quite rugged and mainly constructed for tropical countries. Equipped with steel reeds, and, because all the other construction is quite thorough, repairs are practically excluded. As with the Manopans, manufactured by the same firm, the music is played by long perforated strips, and complete waltzes etc. can be performed also on this smaller instrument. In addition to all these advantages, the price is quite moderate!Ó4747 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1892-93), p. 545.

According to a report on the same fair by Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumenten.bau, the quality of the Pietschmann instruments had not always been satisfying in the years before:
ÒWe noticed that this firm has recently more cared about the exterior appearance of its instruments, and is also returning more and more to first-class manufacturing with respect to the quality of the sound.Ó4848 Me§bericht [Report from the Fair], Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 5.

The accumulated loss of the Berlin Musical Instruments Factory after the business year 1892-1893 amounted to 79,000 Mark, while the year before it had been still 105,000 Mark. However, in the balance sheet of the past year, the special reserve for defaults on receivables had been 71,000 Mark, while now just 20,000 Mark were put in the balance sheet. In addition, the depreciations were lower by approximately 70,000 Mark.4949 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 175.
It was obvious that the new chairman of the supervisory board Brenken balanced less cautiously than the former had done. The turnover had decreased further. According to a statement by Ferdinand Pietschmann at the general assembly, an operating profit of 123,000 Mark had nevertheless been made, in contrast to the loss of 23,000 Mark in the year before. The branch in New York had made neither profit nor loss, and a recommendation was made that it should be closed. Its stock had been valued at 72,000 Mark. The volume of manufacture was going to be limited, and the buildings thus not used any more should be let. The mechanical musical instruments were manufactured with profit, but not the cheap products in large quantities.5050 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Dec. 1, 1893, morning issue, p. 13, second column.

An article on the musical instrument industry of Vogtland (southwestern part of Saxony, especially in the towns Klingenthal and Markneu.kirchen)5151 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 749.
appearing in August 1894 in Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau stated that the sale of mechanical musical instruments with perforated music had not been as expected. In Klingenthal, e.g., the firm F. F. Hess produced the ÒViktoriaÓ-organette,5252 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 330.
a directly competing instrument for the Pietschmann Cabinet-Manopan. The main reason for the unfavourable situation of the reed instruments was the very strong competition by the instruments with steel combs.
The new 49-page catalogue of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory appear.ing in Autumn 1894 presented as new instruments the Drum-Manopan, the Excelsior-Seraphine (18 notes, 36 reeds), the Motor-Manopan (with hot-air motor, to be discussed in Part III), the Henry-Organ (a big pipe organ with Manopan music, likewise in Part III), a miniature harmonium, and a domestic pipe-organ.5353 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 897.
Details on the latter two instruments and depictions are given below.
The report on the business year 1893-1894 disclosed a further reduc.tion of the turnover by 110,000 Mark.5454 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 26 November 1894, evening issue, p. 7, second column.
This had especially been caused by the shut-down of the branch in New York that had made a turnover of the order of magnitude 200,000 Mark in the previous years. Its stock was sold, at what could only be described as dirt-cheap prices. The branch in New York was completely dissolved, and the still remaining instruments were transferred to a department store to be sold. Loans had to be raised for the development of new products so that the company debt increased by 41,000 Mark. The accumulated loss rose from 79,000 Mark in the previous year to 223,000 Mark in the 1893-1894 year. The accordion factory had been moved out of town in order to save costs. At the general assembly,5555 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 30 November 1894, evening issue, p. 3, second column.
the chairman of the supervisory board announced the end of new developments. It was announced that the high demand for the new instrument ÒCoelesta,Ó a disc musical box, could not be met with the present personnel. In the balance sheet5656 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, 30 November 1894, evening issue, p. 16, fourth column.
there was an item ÒremovalÓ with an amount of 9,000 Mark, caused by the removal of 28 Brunnenstra§e. Yet, the value of the estates and of the mortgage responsibilities were unchanged in comparison to the previous years.
The joint power of representation of the merchant Paul Schaetzell, conferred in August 1893, was finished on Mar. 15, 1895, and conferred to Eugen Vogel5757 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 525.
who became a member of the management on Jun. 27, 1895.5858 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 735.
Thus, two directors were again in office after a long time.
Two advertisements in October and November 1894 show novelties of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory at that time. The first advertisement presented only text and reads in English translation:
ÒNovelties in Musical Instruments! Just delivered to the trade:
Accordorgel: 4 octaves compass, similar to the harmonium, however can be learned to play as quickly as the known Accordzither.
Miniature-Harmonium: 3. octaves, common keyboard, cheaper by more than one half of the price of a common harmonium.
Pipe Organ (utility model), called Flutopan, with wooden pipes, no barrel. Plays thousands of musical pieces with the known Manopan music. Cheap and easy to transport.
Henry Organ with 78 wooden pipes for dancing saloons. No barrel, can be played with Manopan music.
Drum-Manopan with drum, bass drum, and bell that are played by the music sheet of the Manopan.
Excelsior-Seraphine: cheapest organette with two reeds per note and long music sheets.
Serinette, cranked pipe organ, plays only the melody, no barrel, plays hundreds of melodies with perforated music. Best bird organ.
Herophon in form of an upright piano. The music sheet is mounted on the rear panel of the instrument.
Music-stand from iron, collapsible, can be carried by hand, serves for storing music for Manopan and Herophon, but simultaneously also as music-stand.
Zither table with resonance chest, feet can be folded up, can be carried by hand as zither case.
Bamboo cane, serves as case for violin bows.
Available in all good shops for musical instruments and at whole.salers of the branch.Ó5959 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 48.

Among the instruments, there is an ÒAccordorgelÓ (an organ simple to play, equipped with pre-set chords for the accompaniment) in accordance with the published patents and utility models. The miniature harmonium had a compass of 3. chromatic octaves and the two stops Forte and Vox Coelestis.6060 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1894-95), p. 44.
The percussion instru.ments of the Drum-Manopan were no longer played with knobs, but by the music sheet (utility model DRGM 25710).
The second advertisement is shown in Figure 27. The instruments depicted in Figure 27 appearing from top right to bottom left are the Dolcine, the Manopan, and then the miniature harmonium (the latter identfied by comparison with a larger depiction6161 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1894-95), p. 44.
). Then follows the Drum-Manopan, in front of the angelÕs feet an accordion, and from the two instruments at the bottom, the one to the right is the ÒMotor-OrchestrionÓ that will be discussed in Part III. The instrument to the left is the pipe organ ÒFlutopan.Ó It has a horizontal support on the rear panel to read the Manopan music. The front is constructed in the design of a street organ with three round-headed windows. The center window shows a rank of pipes. On the left side, a part of the crank can be seen.
The Disc Musical Box Celesta
In the beginning of 1895, the first advertisements for the disc musical box ÒCelestaÓ of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory appeared (Figure 28). Yet neither the report published by Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau from the Leipzig Easter Fair6262 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 428.
nor that from the Leipzig Autumn Fair mentioned this new product. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory was obviously not present at the Easter Fair. At the Autumn Fair, its products were present only among the perma.nent sample stock of the Leipzig wholesaler Holzweissig.6363 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 885.
Musical Instrument Journal however wrote from the Berlin Spring Fair 1895 about the Berlin Musical Instruments Factory:6464 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1894-95), p. 463.

ÒThe effective novelty ÔCelestaÕ, the newest mechanical musical instru.ment with metal discs of the actively progressing firm was especially remarkable. Its advantages are
1.
The bottom of the Celesta can be taken off with one press so that the mechanics are comfortably accessible from below.

2.
An uncommon resonance is brought about by the special construction.

3.
The decoration of the discs and of the instrument is of artistic beauty.

4.
By a novel treatment of the steel combs the teeth are unbreakable.

5.
The projections of the discs are not punched but stamped, and are therefore likewise unbreakable.

The various models of the ÔCelestaÕ, for instance the Celesta automaton ÔGloriaÕ and the Celesta ÔMusic Cabi.netÕ with their powerful double combs, provide quite a loud, pleasant and full sounding, well arranged music.Ó
With regard to point two of the list of advantages of the Celesta musical box, Musical Instrument Journal wrote in its festive edition for the Berlin Industrial Exposition 1896 that the Celesta had a novel sound that was produced by various resonance devices consisting of double bottom, resonance bridges, and spring-loaded bottom. The mechanism was reported to be mounted on a piano-like reso.nance board without being fixed else.6565 Festive Edition for the Berlin Industrial Exposition 1896 of Musik-Instrumenten-Zei.tung (Berlin, 1896), p. 22.
This resonance board was protected by German utility models (DRGM 26616, DRGM 46298, DRGM 60132). Archives for these before 1934 have not been preserved. In Ferdinand Piet.schmannÕs British patent No. 12027 of 1894 (depatisnet GB000189412027) a corresponding simple resonance board is depicted. A plate-spring that can be turned and thus be removed from its holding slots presses the resonance board against the case. A similar resonance board had been filed by Factory of Leipzig Mechanical Musical Instruments in 1893 (DRP 74650). This board, however, had been slightly bent by long screws fixed to the metal plate carrying the comb. The small upright or wall model of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory (Figure 29) with probably 28.9 centimeter disc diameter,6666 Equivalent with the table model of 28.9 cm disc diameter depicted in Q. David Bowers, The Encyclopedia of Disc Music Boxes (Altona, Canada, 2016), S. 116.
depicted in advertisements of Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau since October 1895, was a respectable success at the beginning, but it could not compete, for example, with the upright model No. 54 (disc diameter 62 centimeter) launched at the Leipzig Autumn Fair in 1895 by Polyphon.
At the Berlin Autumn Fair 1895, Berlin Musical Instruments Factory exhibited a Celesta instrument with clown which had been filed as utility model (DRGM 41135, 1895).
ÒAt the entrance of the hall, there was a Celesta instrument in an elegant case, whose head-piece with columns surrounded a life-like moulded ÔclownÕ who started his performance when the magnificent instrument was automatically set in motion by insertion of a 5 Pfennig coin. Lowering his head gracefully and with cunningly smiling face, the clown dipped a small tube, which he held with his left hand, in a small pan with soap water standing in front of him, and blew real soap bubbles in the air Ð which could excite the envy of many a boy.Ó6767 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1893-94), p. 941.

In the patent DRP 82323 (1894) of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory, a new form of projections for disc musical boxes is proposed, and in DRP 82565 (1894) a machine for punching these discs is presented. The projections have the form of a small bridge, lifted out of the disc material in the direction of the disk rotation. These bridges unite seamlessly again with the disc sheet at both their ends. For forming the bridges, the metal must therefore be stretched and thus gets somewhat thinner. First, a bridge in the form of an isosceles triangle is formed in the punch. Immediately thereafter the bridge is reformed in such a way that the front part of the bridge along one fourth of its length runs flush with the disk, while the second fourth protrudes from the disk. For the latter reforming, the material must be stretched again.
The Berlin Musical Instruments Factory balance sheet of the business year 1894-1895 was presented to the supervisory board on Oct. 30, 1895.6868 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Oct. 31, 1895, evening issue, p. 3, second column.
The operational loss for the year was 206,000 Mark. Considering the deficit from the previous years, it was decided that a capital cut was needed and an extraordinary general assembly should vote on the proposal immediately after the ordinary general assembly. According to the business report of the manage.ment that was published some days before the general assembly,6969 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 20, 1895, morning issue, third supplement, first page (p. 13), third column.
and according to the report given at the general assembly itself,7070 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 23, 1895, morning issue, second supplement, first page (p. 9), third column.
the reason for the financial loss was a drastic decrease of the turnover in America. Outstanding, but irrecoverable claims in America amounting to 31,000 Mark had to be written off completely, and the remaining stock in New York with outmoded instruments had to be valued less by 21,000 Mark. It was recommended that these instruments be shipped to Berlin. The manufacture of the Unikon (musical box with long strips) had been discontinued, because the instruments revealed defects after longer use. The whole stock of finished and half-finished instruments of this type was written off as a loss. More than 100,000 Mark had been spent for the setting-up of the production-line of the Celesta, yet the orders for this instrument were so extensive that the number of workmen in this department had to be increased to 70 persons. The manufacture of harmonicas did not yield a profit but was necessary for keeping customers.
The immediately following extraor.dinary general assembly had to be adjourned because of the absence of more than a third of the capital, so the planned capital cut could not be approved. A new meeting date was set for Dec. 17 but it had to be cancelled also because the time between the deposition of the shares and the assembly had not been long enough. On Jan. 9, 1896, a more complicated capital measure than a capital cut was accepted and it was thought this new measure would supply the company with fresh capital.7171 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Jan. 10, 1896, morning issue, second supplement, first page (p. 9), third column; Feb. 12, 1896, evening issue, p. 15, first column.
There were three possibilities available to the share.holders. They could exchange three old shares of nominal value 1,000 Mark for one preference share with the same nominal value (capital cut 3:1), exchange one old share and 300 Mark cash for one preference share (capital cut 10:7, with subsequent recapitalization), or keep their old shares. The preference shares with three rights of voting per share had to be paid dividends up to 6 percent, and money from potential liquidations up to 100 percent, with first priority. This meant if shareholders decided to keep the old shares they could go away empty-handed if the company failed. The management and the supervisory board hoped to eliminate the deficit of 429,000 Mark and to get fresh money in this fashion. The capital (among the debts in the balance sheet) was reduced by 667 Mark per old share with the first variant. With the second variant, the cash increased by 300 Mark per share. After two prolong.ments of the term for the exchange,7272 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Apr. 1, 1896, evening issue, p. 10, first column bottom; Apr. 13, 1896, evening issue, p. 10, first column.
the stock exchange prospectus for the preference shares appeared in the beginning of June 1896.7373 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, June 5, 1896, evening issue, p. 10.
A total of 579 old shares were reduced to 193 preference shares, 336 shares had been exchanged for preference shares by additionally paying 300 Mark cash per share, and 385 old shares had been kept. This meant (193+336)*3+385=1,972 votes. After deduction of the costs for the capital measure, a book profit of 473,000 Mark resulted.7474 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Sept. 29, 1896, evening issue, p. 8, second column.

In the end of 1895, a Celesta disc musical box in form of an historical old-German bay from Nuremberg was marketed7575 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1895-1896), p. 251.
(Figure 30) after a corre.sponding utility model had been filed (DRGM 48318).
In a retrospective glance at the year 1895, the redaction of Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau reported that the known and well-established factories for disc musical boxes could not supply the demand, yet that the trade on the other hand ordered new brands only hesitatingly in order to avoid the establishment of further large stocks of discs.7676 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1895-1896), p. 282.

The Berlin Industrial Exposition 1896 had originally been planned as a world exposition, but had been declined by the German Emperor. This did not prevent him from inaugu.rating the exposition on May 1, 1898, with great pomp. The famous Berlin piano manufacturer Carl Bechstein directed the expositionÕs department for musical instruments. Ferdinand Pietschmann acted as vice-secretary.7777 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1895-1896), p. 767.
He also was the sole member in the five-member committee for the subdivision string and wind instru.ments and mechanical and automatic musical instruments, who represented the industry of mechanical music. Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau wrote about the display hosted by Berlin Musical Instruments Factory:7878 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1895-1896), p. 880.

ÒThe automatic musical instru.ment ÔCelestaÕ is presented in various models. It is in high demand home and abroad on account of its melo.dious, sweet and yet strong sound. A Celesta with a bajazzo as soap-blower makes great effect. He dips a small tube in a pan held in front of him, puts the tube to his mouth, and soon blows a soap bubble which he repeats in quick succession as long as the music plays. One Celesta case is a highly artful work of genuine Indian kind made from ebony and ivory.
Among the cranked instruments, there are also the ÔHerophonÕ and the ÔManopanÕ in several sizes and furnishings. Furthermore a weight-driven Orchestra-Manopan with drums, bells, and triangle of strong sound, likewise a Concert-Mo.tor of the same kind with coin insert. An Orgue Flutina has a sweet and soft sound generated by the American suction system. The firm has very well solved the task of manufacturing a cheap domestic pipe organ with exchangeable music. It is a splendidly furnished pipe organ with crank that can play pieces from the known program of Manopan music.
A miniature harmonium of good and solid workmanship has a remarkably strong sound with 2 stops and a compass of 3. octaves. The traditional specialty of the firm, the accordions, are very well represented by a collection of specimens.Ó
The Celesta musical box was available with five different disc diameters from 16.5 to 49.8 centi.meters.7979 Q. David Bowers, The Encyclopedia of Disc Music Boxes (Altona, Canada, 2016), p. 116.
The Orchestra-Manopan and the Concert-Motor will still be discussed later, because they were larger Manopan instruments driven by hot-air motor. The Orgue Flutina was a small table instrument that had first been exhibited already at the Leipzig Autumn Fair 1890 (see above). The domestic pipe organ and the minia.ture harmonium can be seen in Figure 27 above that shows the spectrum of products in autumn 1894. Musical Instrument Journal printed a plan of the arrangement of the firms in the hall with the musical instruments in the festive edition for the Berlin Industrial Exposition. The plan shows the position of Berlin Musical Instru.ments Factory at a prominent place in the center of the end of the hall.8080 Festive Edition for the Berlin Industrial Exposition 1896 of Musik-Instrumenten-Zei.tung (Berlin, 1896), p. 2.
The journal reported from this stand:
ÒAlso the older products like ÔHerophonÕ and ÔManopanÕ enjoy a high demand, as does the ÔHarmo.nium-ManopanÕ, which is not only similar to the harmonium in its exterior appearance, but also plays completely like that instrument.Ó8181 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1896-1897), p. 1.

The Harmonium-Manopan had three rows of 39 harmonium reeds, but only two registers, among them Vox Humana. The volume could be set Òaccording to wishÓ with a Forte stop.8282 Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung (Berlin, 1894-95), p. 43, with depiction.

The Berlin Musical Instruments Factory report on the business year 1895-1896 said that an operational loss of 114,000 Mark had resulted with a turnover of 646,000 Mark.8383 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Sept. 29, 1896, evening issue, p. 8, second column.
This meant a cumulative loss of 112,000 Mark in the balance sheet. The value of the stock had been reduced by 90,000 Mark in comparison to the previous year, and merchandise should only be produced on order. This reduction had obviously only been possible with considerable losses, as in the previous shut-down of the New York branch. As the profit and loss accounts8484 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Oct. 3, 1896, evening issue, p. 10, fourth column.
show, the value of the merchandise exceeded the production costs by only 15 percent. To these losses, the costs of sale had to be added with an amount of 80 percent of the production costs. The management thus recommended the liquidation of the company. In the profit and loss accounts, there appears also an amount of 4,306 Mark for the move of the harmonica factory Òfrom Bernau [a small town near Berlin in the countryside] to Berlin.Ó It must probably read Òfrom Berlin to Bernau.Ó
The general assembly on Oct. 2, 1896, elected a revision committee that would give a report to an extraordinary general assembly and should make proposals for the further advance.8585 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Oct. 3, 1896, morning issue, p. 9, second column.
The revision committee published its report8686 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Oct. 13, 1896, evening issue, p. 7, second column.
on Oct. 13, 1896, stating that management could not be blamed for the losses. It deemed the business would be profitable if the Celesta production was given up, and recommended the liquidation of the current company followed by the formation of a new company with limited liability [GmbH] that should continue the production of other profitable instruments. At the extraordinary general assembly held Oct. 24, 1896, the commercial director, Mr. Vogel, announced that a bank was ready to supply money if a capital cut was performed but indicated the conditions of such a cut were not yet settled. The assembly was adjourned until further negotiations with the bank could be concluded.8787 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Oct. 25, 1896, morning issue, p. 13, third column.

1,199 votes (shareholders of 61 percent of the capital) were repre.sented at the extraordinary general assembly on Nov. 19, 1896. Director Vogel declared that the negotiations with the bank had failed because the main shareholder director Pietschmann had declined the conditions. The proposed liquidation of the company was accepted, and liquidators were elected to sell the assets, including the premises by private contract with permission of the supervisory board. Ferdinand Pietschmann was not among the liquidators, because he intended to be a buyer. The factory was reported to be completely busy, and the operation of the firm should be continued.8888 Berlin Stock Exchange Journal, Nov. 20, 1896, morning issue, p. 14, first column.

Part III of this article will appear in the September/October 2023 issue of Mechanical Music. Part I of the article can be found in the May/June 2023 issue.

Figure 17: Obituary for Carl Pietschmann11 Berlin Daily, Jan. 10, 1892, morning issue, fourth page, second column. If the statement of 30 yearsÕ activity in the firm has to be taken literally, Carl Pietschmann must have been active already in the firm of his mother in Neue Kšnigstra§e.
(Berlin State Library Ð Prussian Cultural Possessions).
ÒObituary! On the 7th of this month our revered colleague and chief, director Carl Pietschmann, passed away after a long and severe illness at the age of 49. We are losing a member of our admin.istration who has excelled in energy and knowledge, and a chief with affable and humane character. He enjoyed the general respect, love, and esteem of all those closely connected with him during his activity of 30 years in our factory. Berlin, 10 January 1892. The board of directors and the clerks of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc., formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons.Ó

Figure 18: View of the Berlin Musical Instruments Factory published in 189611 Festive Edition for the Berlin Industrial Exposition 1896 [Festausgabe 1896 zur Berliner Gewerbeausstellung] of Musical Instrument Journal [Musik-Instrumenten-Zeitung] (Berlin, 1896), p. 22.
(Berlin State Library Ð Prussian Cultural Possessions, Music Department with Mendelssohn Archive).

Figure 19: The ÒSeraphineÓ by Berlin Musical Instruments Factory.11 Ernst Holzweissig Nachf., Engros-Preisliste Ÿber Musikwerke [Wholesale Price List for Mechanical Musical Instruments] (Leipzig, 1898), p.142.
The instrument was protected by the Pietschmann patent DRP 50193 (1889). The music strip was moved forward between two rubber barrels of small diameter. This drive, which avoided a worm-gear for the strip advancement necessary with thick barrels, was improved in patent DRP 59175 (1891) by a third free-running barrel for pressing down the strip onto the keys.

Figure 20: Ferdinand Pietschmann11 Festive Edition for the Berlin Industrial Exposition 1896 of Musical Instrument Journal (Berlin, 1896), p. 7.
(State Library of Berlin Ð Prussian Cultural Possessions, Music Department with Mendelssohn Archive).

Figure 21: Improved patent for musical boxes with steel comb by Berlin Musical Instruments Factory (DRP 62275, 1891). Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt [German Patent Office] Munich, online at https://depatisnet.dpma.de/DepatisNet/.
Explanation of Figure 21 from the German patent specification DRP 62275 (1891): A tooth k of the comb is plucked at the end of a perforation when the key b is pressed out of the perforation by the music sheet. The main problem is, how the plucking tip f (below the tooth) can be drawn off the tooth tip in order not to touch it when the key engages the perforation, and to shift the plucking tip back ready to sound the next note before the key leaves the perforation. The plucker c forks at its right end into the plucking tip f and the damper (above the tooth). The plucker is mounted on the key b by the pluckerÕs two rectangular holes into which two pins fastened on the key protrude in such a way, that the plucker must follow the tilting motion of the key but can move simultaneously along the pins, i.e. along the key. One of the pins is the pivot of the key and mounted on the center of the bridge a. An arm l fixed at the plucker follows the tilting motion of the key. When the key moves clockwise, i.e. into a perforation, the arm l stops at the left leg of the bridge, shifting the plucker to the right on further tilting of the key so that it dampens the tooth, and is able to later pluck it. This is the position shown in Figure 21. When the key is tilted back counter.clockwise at the end of the perforation, because its tip b is pressed under the music sheet, the tooth is plucked with the tip f. On descending of the key, the arm l stops at the right leg of the bridge thus shifting the plucker away from the tooth k. The spring i both presses the key against the music sheet and stabilizes the position of the plucker with respect to the key. When a new music sheet is inserted, all keys can be lowered and all pluckers drawn away from the teeth of the comb by pressing down the lever y whose shaft yL engages the pockets of all hooks x.

Figure 22: The musical box ÒUnikonÓ with book music from metal.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 48.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
ÒUnikon, first and eldest musical box with exchangeable long music sheets (fre.quently improved) with unlimited time of playing. In addition, endless cheap music sheets of cardboard or metal (DRP 70177). The only existing music from metal in book form. The ÒUnikonÓ plays complete overtures, medleys, opera melodies etc. Uncommon durability of the steel combs, powerful sound, elegant execution. General distribution: Plato & Co., Berlin SO., Kšpnickerstr. 106.Ó

Figure 23: The Unikon with open lid.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 98.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://creative.commons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
The text of the advertisement is identical with that of Figure 22. A fine full-page photo of an extant opened Unikon musi.cal box can be found in a book by Arthur Ord-Hume.22 Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume, The Musical Box, A Guide for Collectors (Atglen, 1995), p. 245.
A few small images are also presented in the book on disc musical boxes by Kevin McElhone.33 Kevin A. McElhone, The Disc Musical Box (The Musical Box Society of Great Britain, 2012), p. 86, 170, 283, 427.

Figure 24: Two damping mechanisms of the patent DRP 69016 (1892). Figure taken from the patents of German Patent Office online.
Explanation of Figure 24 from the German patent specification DRP 69016 (1892): In the upper part of Figure 24, the shaft of the star wheels B is pivot of the dampers s in form of two-arm levers. A spring i loosely protrudes into the opening at the left end of the damper s holding the damper tip h above the tooth f of the comb. When the star wheel is turned by the music sheet C, one of the teeth of the star wheel comes into contact with the spring i and presses it upwards which makes the damper tip h touch the tooth of the comb. Still before the next tooth of the star wheel reaches the tooth of the comb, the spring i falls back into its normal position by the turning of the star wheel thus ending the damping. In the lower part of Figure 24 with the other mechanism of damping, the damper k can be shifted horizontally to the right by the spring o. Yet this is normally prevented by a tooth of the star wheel which is in contact with the platelet b fixed at the damper. When the tooth of the star wheel leaves the platelet upwards, the damping happens, and is finished again shortly before the plucking of the comb tooth by another tooth of the star wheel contacting the platelet b.

Figure 25: The Drum-Manopan with buttons for playing the percussion instruments.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 41.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://creativecom.mons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
ÒNew! Manopan with orchestral accompaniment (drum, tympani [actually bass drum], bell). In two sizes. Novel! The three accompanying instruments are played with the left hand by means of buttons thus providing a variation of the music. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons.Ó

Figure 26: An advertisement for the new organette Dolcine and the big organ cabinet.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1893-1894), p. 45.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://cre.ativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
ÒNew! Dolcine. Miniature cranked organ with undestructible mechanism and steel notes (cannot be delivered directly to France, Russia, and England because of con.tracts). Playable with cardboard music.
Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc. formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sons, Berlin Brunnenstr. 28a Ð New York Chambers Street 91. First and greatest factory of musical instruments with steam power. Delivers all kinds of musical instruments for lowest prices. Specialty: accordeons, organettes called Herophon, Manopan, Seraphine. Export to all countries. Catalogues for retailers free.
New! Herophonette No. II cheapest organette with two reeds per note. Patented metallic music sheets in elegant design for Herophon, Herophonette, and Unikon.
Organ in cabinet form, height 2 meter, played by Manopan music. 78 tall wooden pipes. Perfectly replaces small church organs. Price per instrument 350 Mark.Ó

Figure 27: A part of the spectrum of products in autumn 1894 in pictures.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 119.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://creativecom.mons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
ÒJust delivered to the trade. Novelties in musical instruments. Just delivered to the trade.Ó
[The text characterising the instruments is identical to that of the text-only adver.tisement of the same time quoted above, with the following additions:]
Accordorgel: É Òwith one or two reeds per note.Ó Henry Organ: É Òalso with motor.Ó
ÒAvailable in all good shops for musical instruments and at wholesalers of the branch.Ó

Figure 28: Advertisement for the disc musical box Celesta of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1894-1895), p. 316.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
ÒCelesta, newest patented musical box. Very latest mechanical musical instru.ment with unbreakable steel combs and metal discs. Up to now unreached, surprisingly full sound, simplest con.struction. Patented resonance bottom that can be removed by one press, and thus makes the interior of the instrument accessible. Price low in comparison to all similar instruments. Request pro.spectus. Berlin Musical Instruments Factory Inc. formerly Ch. F. Pietschmann & Sšhne.Ó

Figure: 29: Disc Musical Box Celesta of Berlin Musical Instruments Factory.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1895-1896), p. 19.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://creativecom.mons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).
ÒCelesta. Newest self-playing mechanical musical instrument, patented in various states, with unbreakable É [The remaining text is identical to that in Figure 28 with the addition in small type after the text:] Ð Cases in various tasteful designs22 The photo of a small extant Celesta musical box with an attractive lid picture can be found as cover image of the September/October 2018 issue of Mechanical Music, vol. 64, No. 5 (The Musical Box Society International), being a part of an article by Steve Boehck, entitled ÒArt-Cased Disc Musical BoxesÓ in the same issue, pages 22-43.
, [and at the end:] Berlin N., Brunnen-Stra§e 25. Eldest factory for accordions and mechani.cal instruments, like Manopan, Herophon etc.Ó

Figure 30: Celesta disc musical box in form of a Nuremberg bay.11 Zeitschrift fŸr Instrumentenbau (Leipzig, 1895-1896), p. 190.
(Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library, Munich], https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). The text is identical to that of Fig. 29.

The Hunt

Story by Linda Friedenthal, Photos by Sanford and Linda Friedenthal

Column Graphic by Mary Clegg

This is a story about how we ÒdiscoveredÓ music boxes in an amaz.ing coincidence. It was the 1970s. Sanford and I were newly married and living in Southern California. He worked about 45 minutes from where we lived. I was a sales representative and happened to have an appointment not far from his office. I arrived about an hour before my appointment and decided to go into an antique store in the area which I had not been to before. I was looking at various items when I came across a beautiful music box with the inlay of a lion on the lid. I planned to go home and tell Sanford about my find.
He walked in later that evening and said he had something special he wanted to show me. It was the exact same music box I had seen that afternoon. Antique stores were not something that we normally spent our time pursuing so he had never gone into that store. It was such an amazing coincidence!
We no longer have any pictures of the first music box that we purchased, but it had several broken teeth. In order to learn more about music boxes, we joined the Southern Cali.fornia Chapter of MBSI and became friendly with Richard Baker who had an excellent reputation for music box repair. He provided some guidance on how to repin the music box. After repining the first couple of inches of the cylinder, I realized that I did not have the fortitude to complete the entire cylinder. As I recall, we ended up trading the lion box for another music box.
We do still have the second music box we purchased at another antique store in Studio City, CA, in the 1970s. It is an eight-tune Mermod Frres with a beautiful selection of tunes including a selection from the opera ÒBarber of SevilleÓ and ÒAmerica.Ó
Over the years we collected both cylinder and disc boxes. We purchased boxes while traveling in Scotland, Germany, and France, as well as across the United States. We have a Nicole Frres overture music box and an old keywind music box with segmented comb, two teeth per segment, dating to about 1815-1820, We also have an interchangeable organ box, a mandoline box, and Stella, Mira, and Olympia disc boxes. We have many other collectibles including an Edison cylinder phonograph, and a pianola.
Our interest in music boxes resulted in some very interesting experiences. For example, I sold laboratory equip.ment to research labs. Our first time in Scotland, we went into a shop that sold antique scientific equipment. The owner of the shop also had an interest in music boxes and had quite a collec.tion. He invited us to his ÒcastleÓ that he had purchased 20 years earlier. He served us dinner in the castle dining room and played a huge orchestrion that he had recently restored. We ended up purchasing an overture box from him. He also had an amazing collection of original televisions dating back to the 1920s.
We also had the opportunity to visit Chet Ramsey and his wife over the years at their old farm home near Coatesville, PA. Chet would take us into his workshop where he repaired a few of our music boxes. We also attended a couple of the RamseysÕ annual Tailgate and Swap Meets. I was saddened to read in the last issue of Mechanical Music that he passed away last November.
We now have three granddaughters. A highlight for them is our Swiss musical chair. We love seeing their faces when we play the sweet tune of ÒEdelweiss.Ó
My in-laws were avid clock collec.tors. When they moved out of their house in Carlsbad, CA, there was a grandfather clock with an organ and little soldier automaton at the top that Sanford loved. His parents sent it back east to our house but it was in disrepair when we received it. We were able to locate a clock shop in Hagerstown, MD, that was able to fully restore the clock and organ. The shop is owned by a Mennonite family that has done clock repair dating back generations.

The second music box, a Mermod Frres, that the authors purchased in the 1970s.

A Nicole Frres overture box in the FriedenthalsÕ collection.

An interchangeable organ music box.

A grandfather clock with organ that the Friedenthals inherited and had restored.

A mandoline cylinder music box on display at the FriedenthalsÕ home.

A Swiss musical chair that plays ÒEdelweiss.Ó

A keywind cylinder box the authors think was made circa 1815.

Community Collections Outreach

By Al and Mary Zamba
Photo by Robin Wuchina
On March 25 through April 8 a special event of community collec.tions was held at the Harmony Museum in Harmony, PA. Among the 13 collections exhibited, I displayed a collection of musical boxes ranging from some early musical boxes in the industry to more modern versions. Among the 15 items shown were a snuff box; an early plain fruitwood sectional-comb box; some Symphon.ion mechanical musical childÕs toys; a Regina childÕs bank; a Regina gum dispenser; a dancing-doll station box; and a musical decanter. There was also a continuing video which showed each item playing a tune along with a narrative describing the box.
In 1804 there was a religious separatist group that emigrated from Iptingen, Germany, to settle in Harmony, PA. It was the first of three such settlements. These were an industrious and hard-working group of people living in a communal society. They believed in the second coming of Christ and took care of one another in harmony, thus the town was named Harmony.
The idea of the exhibit was to broaden awareness of the museum and share a wide variety of collec.tions from the community. This was achieved from the number of people who attended. My being on hand during some museum hours to answer questions and demonstrate the boxes helped to enhance the visitorsÕ expe.rience. Everyone enjoyed the exhibit and the musical display.

MBSI has learned the following members or former members of the society have now passed on.
¥
Mike Perry of Marion, OH

¥
Donald Wayne Edmonston of Windermere, FL

¥
Robert (Bob) Lloyd of
Jacksonville, FL

Our deepest condolences are offered to their friends and families.

National Capital Chapter

Chapter Chair: Ken Gordon
Reporters: Donna and Gene Borrelli
Photographers: Gene Borrelli and
Paul Senger
Apr. 16, 2023 Ð Pasadena, MD
The National Capital Chapter held its Spring business meeting on Sunday, Apr. 16, at the home of Robert Barnett and Bob Zuern in Pasadena, MD. Thir.ty-nine people attended, including 10 guests. Chapter President Ken Gordon thanked our hosts and welcomed everyone to the chapterÕs Spring meet.ing. A special thank you was delivered to Paul Senger for all the work he does for the chapter, especially as he does not hold an elected position.
A warm welcome was offered to the Hardmans who announced that their Wurlitzer Theater Organ has found a new home at Dominican University in Columbus, OH. The building that will house the organ was purposely built for an organ including two pipe chambers, but never was an organ available until now. The organ has been delivered and the Hardmans plan to put their home in Great Falls, VA, on the market soon.
Ken and Paul welcomed Bob Schmitz to his first meeting. They also welcomed the guests of Bob Barnett who are members of the Antique Phonograph Society. Bob announced that one of his guests, David Giovannoni, using high-definition photography, had succeeded in trans.ferring the paper sound recordings of Edouard-Leon Scott De Martinville to a 7-inch Flexi Disc from the original paper storage medium in 2007. They were able to listen to recordings that predate Thomas EdisonÕs work by approximately 20 years.
Paul announced that the C&O Canal meeting would be Sunday, May 28. It was also noted that this will be the chapterÕs 25th performance.
Following the business meeting, host Bob Barnett gave us a tour of his collection. It includes a restored Mermod Frres Ideal Sublime Bell, Drum and Castanets music box, Regina Corona 27-inch changer, Polyphon and Regina 151/2-inch boxes, several Reginaphones of different sizes, including a restored 203/4-inch desk model in oak. Also in the collec.tion are many Edison and Victor cylinder and disc machines and early record-changer consoles.
Many members felt it was fasci.nating to see the early mechanized and somewhat elaborate attempts to develop what we all now recognize as a record changer. Some of the changers took a record from the top of a stack and some from the bottom. After transferring it to the turntable to be played, the record would be lifted from the turntable and slid into a stack of records that had already been played.

Robert Barnett demonstrates a rare Regina Music Desk with a beautiful horn.

A Mermod Frres Ideal Sublime bell, drum and castanets cylinder music box on display during the meeting.

This is a remote control for the Automatic Gramophone Changer.

An Automatic Gramophone Changer is demonstrated by Robert Barnett.

The coin box for the Capehart Orchestrope.

Ken Gordon and Knowles Little learn about a phonograph from a phonograph enthusiast.

Ken Gordon conducts the business meeting. As always we had plenty of goodies to nibble on.

Knowles Little, Matt Jaro and Paul Senger taking in all the phonographs. Notice the stained glass. The pattern matches the pattern on the wall paper and ceiling.

Robert Barnett, Paul Senger and Mary Patrick doing registra.tion and visiting before lunch.

Mildred and Jack Hardman get a special thank you. They have found a new home for their organ and are one step closer to moving to Oregon.

Chapter members enjoy lunch outside. Our host, Bob Zuern, is in the center in the dark red shirt.

A 27-inch Regina changer in Bob ZuernÕs collection.

Laura Bates checks out BobÕs miniature horse.

National Capital Chapter

Chapter Chair: Ken Gordon
Reporter: Paul Senger
Photographers: Knowles, Ginny and Brian Little, Paul Senger, Ken Gordon
May 28, 2023 Ð Potomac, MD
The National Capital Chapter (NCC) held its 25th Annual Organ Grind and Music Box Demonstration at the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal National Historic Park overlooking the Great Falls of the Potomac. We added to the festivities of the Art in the Park at Great Falls Tavern May event. This was a long-awaited milestone after multiple prior cancellations caused by the COVID pandemic. Nineteen members attended.
The weather was partially cloudy, with temperatures in the 70s, with just a few sprinkles. This was a welcome change since in many years past we have faced sweltering weather while participating in this event.
Terry and Jan Bender, who hosted the first rally on Jun. 23, 1996, demon.strated their R20/78 Konzertorgel custom ÒOriginal Raffin,Ó with six melody stops with tenor and bass accompaniment. They had a monkey marionette and action birds to enter.tain the kids. We were honored to have Jack and Mildred Hardman once again present with their JŠger & Brommer 20-note organ. The belt on their organ broke before the rally, but Dick Hack was able to make an emergency fix days before the rally.
Cheryl and Dick Hack demon.strated their Arthur Prinsen 32-pipe book-playing organ on wheels. They let many visitors from young to old play the organ. ItÕs always fun to watch the book music go through the organ.
Paul Senger brought his 20-note John Smith organ that he made 20 years ago: and which still functions well. Kids who played the organ got an official organ grinder certificate. Paul also brought some small organs including a circa-1790 serinette and his childhood Jack-in-the-Box. It has survived chapter rallies for nearly 15 years.
Ginny and Brian Little manned the Touch Table, with lots of mechanical music toys and small instruments for the kids to play with. This is always our favorite exhibit and attracts lots of families. Knowles Little brought his 1906 15.-inch Regina disc music box and a poster with a history of mechanical music. Joe Orens and Florie Hirsch brought their Hofbauer TanzbŠr 20-note accordion. With a top hat and formal attire, JoeÕs playing is so realistic he is often asked to play a special request. Richard Simpson was our Jack-of-All-Trades, helping others set up and tear down displays and demonstrating all the instruments to visitors. He is always a big help to all of us, traveling from Pennsylvania to attend. Chapter Chair Ken Gordon demonstrated instruments, explained mechanical music and organized our group picture.
We had a surprise visit from the Perskys: local members Susan Persky, Todd Hyman, and kids Zeke, Felix and Spencer Persky-Hyman. The kids had a great time trying everybodyÕs organs and organettes.
Our National Park Service contact Ranger Amanda Zimmerman thanked us for our performance.
Our chapterÕs thanks go out to every.body who came Sunday to display the instruments of our hobby and cele.brate the chapterÕs 25th anniversary. These have been great opportunities to bring mechanical music and joy to so many people.

Florie Hirsch, Ken Gordon and Jan Bender welcome visitors at the entrance.

Cheryl Hack instructs a visitor trying his hand cranking the Prinsen organ. He found it was hard work.

A group of young women learns what it takes to play the Prinsen organ.

Terry Bender on his Raffin organ with his facinating monkey marionette and action birds.

Mildred Hardman cranks out a tune on the JŠger & Brommer 20-note organ.

Paul Senger plays his John Smith Busker organ.

Brian and Ginny Little at the Touch Table ready for some more kids.

Ginny Little oversees the Touch Table. Visitors get to play the assortment of mechan.ical music toys.

Chapter members pose for a group photo to commemorate the 25th performance at the C&O Canal.

Felix Persky-Harman plays the HardmanÕs barrel organ as Todd (back), Spencer, Susan and Zeke look on.

Richard Simpson and Knowles Little ready to demonstrate the 15.-inch Regina.

Ken Gordon, the Hardmans, the Hacks and Richard Simpson get together in the shade for a chat as the day winds down.

Visitors play the GEM roller organ.

Joe Orens and Florie Hirsch entertained with their Hofbauer TanzbŠr 20-note accordion.

Mildred and Jack Hardman enjoying the beautiful day.

Golden Gate Chapter

Chapter Chair: Judy Caletti
Reporter: David Corkrum
Photographer: Bob Caletti
May 7, 2023 Ñ Menlo Park, CA
The Golden Gate Chapter held its second meeting of the year at the home of Judy and Bob Caletti. The chapter was joined by the Founding Chapter of the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association. Fifteen members attended. Our hosts provided a main course of roast chicken breasts. The attendees augmented this with an assortment of salads and side dishes and desserts.
The members were entertained by a large assortment of instruments in the CalettisÕ collection, including a Seeburg H located in our hostsÕ bedroom. I once asked Judy how she slept with Bob playing this instrument at all hours. She stated she slept just fine. Other instruments included a Symphonion Eroica disc box, a Cremona K orchestrion, a 15.-inch Regina changer in an art-glass case with a clock in the pediment, and a Knabe Ampico Grand in an art case.
Bob has two workshops, one in the basement and the other in a shed adjacent to the basement where Bob demonstrated the newest addition to his collection of tools, a Wazer waterjet cutting machine capable of cutting metal or any other material using a focused high-velocity water jet containing abrasive particles.
Dianne Field brought some items for sale from the estate of her late husband, Dr. John Field. A mart had been set up for this meeting and other members brought items to sell. Dave Corkrum brought along some table favors from the 2022 meeting to sell.
A business meeting was held, headed by Chapter Chair Judy Caletti, and there was some discussion about holding a meeting in October at MusŽe MŽchanique located in San Francisco, CA. Dan Zelinsky, the owner and member of the chapter, had extended an invitation for the chapter to come to his place of business. He is usually working when we have meetings and thought this would be a great way for him to attend.
It was a beautiful day in Menlo Park, CA, and this reporter felt that every.one had a great time.

Bob Gonzales and Matt Bjork enjoying the Seeburg H in the CalettisÕ bedroom.

Darryl Coe, Philip Strauss, Richard Hughes, Bob Gonzales and Matt Bjork listening to a 27-inch Symphonion with 12 Bells.

Bob Caletti welcomes members to his workshop in the basement of his home.

David Corkrum and Judy Caletti conduct the chapter business meeting.

Jonathan Hoyt with a 27-inch Regina changer.

Richard Hughes, Darryl Coe, Mark Williams, Russ Kriegel and Matt Bjork listening to the Banjo-Orchestra.

Marc Williams, Jared DiBartolomeo, Fred Deal and Bob Caletti listening to the Knabe Ampico grand piano in the CalettisÕ living room.

Lyle Merithew, Bob Caletti and Fred Deal with the 15.-inch Regina changer.

Southern California Chapter

Chapter Chair: Robin Biggins
Reporter: Robin Biggins
Photographer: Lowell Boehland
May 21, 2023 Ñ Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Mark and Gale WeberÕs collection includes phonographs, music boxes, organs, automata, and vintage magic lanterns along with many other inter.esting items collected over the years. Mark is also an amateur furniture maker and has many award-winning pieces that he made in his home workshop.
The highlight of Mark and GaleÕs collection is their replica of a Belgium dance hall organ in the style of Mortier. The organ plays 322 pipes plus several hundred digitally-sampled virtual pipes that can play in conjunction with the real pipes. The organ plays from a balcony above the kitchen area. The pipe chamber is located in the attic, and there is an attic room where the organ presents itself as a residence organ from the 1920s, complete with an original Robert Morton console from the Wilshire Ebell theater. Mark and Gale designed the organ and constructed it from parts gifted, scav.enged, or purposely built by Mark.
During the day, chapter members were entertained by the Philipps PC 10 Orchestrion with violin pipes, and several engaging automata. Some members sang the lyrics to a tune played on a Concert Roller Organ while others listened to a rare mando.line-expression musical box by Henri Joseph LeCoultre-Duperrut that was built circa 1845. The expression in that particlar music box is achieved by pinning long and short pins onto the 13-inch cylinder.
A monkey violin-player automaton made by J. Phalibois, Paris, France, was a real crowd-pleaser. Another complicated automated scene by Alexandre ThŽroude displays a monkey magician and two musicians. There are 18 separate movements made by this piece. Other items in the Weber collection included a Pathex motion picture projector developed in 1922, a Polyphon Tempo Regula.tor, and Magic Lanterns, which use transparent plates of painted, printed or photographically generated images using lenses and a light source.
It was a wonderful meeting, and we all enjoyed the generosity and hospi.tality of our hosts.

The music room entrance to the patio.

Our hosts, Mark and Gale Weber.

Sonja Johnson, Ken Rosen, Mark Weber and David Frank enjoy the Alexandre ThŽroude magician automaton.

Jerry Kaliser and Robin Biggins view two other automata.

Robin demonstrates the LeCoultre cylinder musical box, near the Phalibois automaton. Dennis and Camille Tynes and Jerry Kaliser relax on the couch.

Ken Rosen, Mark Weber, David Frank and Frank Nix play the Ferdinand Molzer organ.

David Frank enjoys the Weber residence organ.

Robin Biggins and Gale Weber discuss a roller organ.

The 27-inch Regina dragon-front disc music box.

The organ loft above the kitchen.

Some of the early projection items on display.

Food was enjoyed by all.

Examining one of the Praxinoscopes.

Robin Biggins conducts the chapter business meeting.

Everyone gathered for a group photo on the patio.

Lake Michigan Chapter

A SoirŽe at the Sanfilippo Estate

Chapter Chair: Mark Pichla
Reporter: Marty Persky
Photographer: Ken Walczak
May 27, 2023 Ñ Barrington Hills, IL
The Lake Michigan Chapter held what was billed as a ÒSoirŽe at the Sanfilippo EstateÓ this past Memorial Day weekend. Invites were extended to groups outside the Musical Box Society International. The 150 guests in attendance included members from the Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ Association, Carousel Organ Association of America, Amer.ican Theatre Organ Society, and Silent Film Society of Chicago.
As the doors to the grand foyer opened, guests were greeted with music of the 100-key Imhof Mukle barrel orchestrion.
James Huffer and Beverly Chat.field registered guests for the event. Sanfilippo Foundation docents and several chapter members played instruments throughout the house and theater on all levels. The Parisian Streetscape of Perfume Passage (www.perfumepassage.org) was open for viewing. On either side of this display are beautiful art-nou.veau-styled perfume shop windows. Through the storefronts you can view a fully restored 1890s apothecary and ice cream parlor. It is just one part of an 8,000 square foot addition to the Sanfilippo collection.
Experts from the Illinois Railway Museum had serviced the steam engines below the theater and came out to demonstrate them for us. Regu.lation of the engines enabled all to be run simultaneously, something we had not seen in the past.
The 5/80 Wurlitzer theater organ chambers were toured in groups of 20 at a time. At 5 p.m., Sanfilippo Foun.dation Director Greg Leifel welcomed us in the theater. ChicagoÕs foremost photoplay organist, Jay Warren, started his program riding the console up to the stage as he played the King Kong March. Jay accompanied Buster KeatonÕs 1925 classic film, ÒSeven Chances,Ó which was a hit with the audience. Jay had his version edited to fit our schedule so it was more precisely ÒFive Chances,Ó but nobody counted.
Then it was on to the Carousel Pavilion for a social hour with music, wine and soft drinks plus five tables of Mini-Mart items in the steam engine gallery. A new opening between the carousel pavilion and the steam engine gallery permitted easy access to the minimart.
At 7:15 p.m., tables were called two at a time for the buffet dinner of Chicken Kiev and chef-carved roast beef. Due to an issue with one of the organs on a common blower, several organs in the carousel pavilion could not be played. Fortunately, there was no shortage of organ music. Dessert was followed by a concert with most of the big fair organs up front.
The Eden Palais salon carousel with its galloping horses, rocking gondolas and 89-key Gavioli was fired up with rides for all. At the eveningÕs end, Ò76 Trombones in the Big ParadeÓ was played on the 110-key Gavioli as the last of us marched out to our cars.

Jerry Biasella discusses the Double Violano with visitors.

Beverly Chatfield and James Huffer registering guests.

Ken Walczak at the Banjo Orchestra.

The Illinois Railway Museum volunteers who operated the steam engines for the day.

Marty Persky checking on steam engines operation.

Bear Schultz playing instruments in the saloon.

Playing the Imhof Mukle orchestrion.

Organist Jay Warren with the Wurlitzer Console.

Guests enjoy the 115-key Mortier dance hall organ from the stairs.

FOR SALE
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REGINA 27 IN CASKET MODEL. Totally restored by Porter in Oct 2020. With ten new discs from England. Needs nothing, as new. Amazing sound and volume. Sitka Spruce sound board. Make offer. Contact JOHN LEUENBERGER, at jeleuen@gmail.com or 850 218 4800
PAILLARD INTERCHANGEABLE CYLINDER BOX with 6 cylinders, 6 tuned bells, fitted on original table. This instrument is in excellent mechanical condition and sounds beautiful. Price: $22,500. Contact JOSEPH SIGMON, at jkentsigmon@gmail.com or 828.381.9048
MARVELS OF MECHANICAL MUSIC – MBSI Video. Fascinating and beautifully-made film which explains the origins of automatic musical instruments, how they are collected and preserved today, and their historic importance, MBSI members and collections are featured. $20 USD. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Additional postage charges apply for other locations. Purchase now at www.mbsi.org

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Display ads may be submitted camera-ready, as PDF files, or with text and instructions. File submission guidelines available on request.
Errors attributable to Mechanical Music, and of a significant nature, will be corrected in the following issue without charge, upon notification.

Photos are only $30 extra per issue. Email editor@mbsi.org or
call (253) 228-1634 for more details.

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
NEW WEBSITE DEDICATED TO VIOLANO VIRTUOSO PRESERVATION Ð www.Viola.noPreservation.com features historic photos and original advertising and promotional materials from Mills Novelty, as well as the transcript and audio of Don BarrÕs interview with Bert Mills. Site also features restored Violanos for sale along with rolls and acces.sories. Contact JOHN ZUK, at coinopgeek@gmail.com or 626-840-4241

Display Advertisers

2……….Renaissance Antiques
54……..Golden Gate Chapter
55……..Porter Music Box Company
56……..Steve & Jere Ryder
56……..Automata Magazine
56……..American Treasure Tour
57……..John Luenberger
58 …….Miller Organ & Clockworks
58……..MBSGB
59……..Stanton Auctions
60……..Snowbelt Chapter
61……..Nancy Fratti Music Boxes
63……..Music Box Restorations
68……..Marty Persky Music Boxes

ORDER EXTRA COPIES
The 2022-2023 Directory of Members, Museums and Dealers is only $10 for members. (International shipping is extra)
Call MBSI Administrator Jacque Beeman at (417) 886-8839 or send a check to:
Musical Box Society International
P.O. Box 10196
Springfield, MO 65808-0196

Display Advertising Dimensions and Costs

Dimensions
1 issue
3 issues*
6 issues*

Back Cover
8.75Ó x 11.25Ó
$600
$540
$510

Inside Covers
8.75Ó x 11.25Ó
$450
$405
$382.50

Full Page
7.25Ó x 9.75Ó
$290
$261
$246.50

Half Page
7.25Ó x 4.5Ó
$160
$144
$136

Quarter Page
3.5Ó x 4.5Ó
$90
$81
$76.50

Eighth Page
3.5Ó x 2.125Ó
$50
$45
$42.50

Add a 10% surcharge to the prices shown above if you are not a member of MBSI.

*Display Discounts shown above are calculated as follows:

3 consecutive ads
10% Discount

6 consecutive ads
15% Discount

$10 for members. (International extra) Call (417) 886-8839

OFFICERS, TRUSTEES & COMMITTEES of the
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL¨

OFFICERS
President
David Corkrum
5826 Roberts Avenue
Oakland, CA 94605
musikwerke@att.net
Vice President
Matthew Jaro
24219 Clematis Dr
Gaithersburg, MD 20882
mjaro@verizon.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
Tom Kuehn
Mary Ellen Myers
COMMITTEES
Audit
Edward Cooley, Chair, Trustee
Dave Calendine, Trustee
Matt Jaro, Vice President
Endowment Committee
Edward Kozak, Treasurer, Chair
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Dave Calendine, Trustee
B Bronson
Executive Committee
David Corkrum, Chair, President
Matthew Jaro, Vice President
Tom Kuehn, Immediate Past Pres.
Dave Calendine, Trustee
Bob Caletti, Trustee
Finance Committee
Edward Kozak, Chair, Treasurer
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Peter Both
Marketing Committee
Bob Smith, Chair
Judy Caletti
Don Caine
Meetings Committee
Matt Jaro, Chair, Vice President
Judy Caletti
Tom Chase
Cotton Morlock
Rich Poppe
Membership Committee
Chair, TBD
David Corkrum, President
Richard Dutton, Trustee
Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee, Southeast
Robin Biggins, Southern California
Judy Caletti, Golden Gate
Gary Goldsmith, Snowbelt
Julie Morlock, Southeast
Rob Pollock, Mid-America
Florie Hirsch, National Capital
Dan Wilson, Piedmont
Gerald Yorioka, Northwest IntÕl
TBD, East Coast
TBD, Lake Michigan
TBD, Sunbelt
Museum Committee
Sally Craig, Chair
Matt Jaro, Vice President
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
Tom Kuehn, Immediate Past Pres.
Bob Caletti, Golden Gate, Trustee
Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast
Jonathan Hoyt, Golden Gate
Robin Biggins, Southern California
Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan
Publications Committee
Bob Caletti, Chair, Trustee
Richard Dutton, Trustee
Steve Boehck
Christian Eric
Kathleen Eric
Publications Sub-Committee
Website Committee
Rick Swaney, Chair
B Bronson
Knowles Little, Web Secretary
Special Exhibits Committee
Chair Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast
David Corkrum, President,
Golden Gate
Donald Caine, Southern California
Jack Hostetler, Southeast
Knowles Little, National Capital
Judy Miller, Piedmont
Aaron Muller, Lake Michigan
Wayne Myers, Southeast
Rick Swaney, Northwest IntÕl
MBSI Editorial Office:
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
editor@mbsi.org

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)
Ralph Heintz Publications Fund (special literary projects)
Museum Fund (supports museum operations)

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

May 20-21 2023
Mid-Am Chapter meeting & 46th Annual Band Organ Rally
Urbana, OH
Mid-America Chapter

May 27, 2023
SoirŽe at the Sanfilippo Estate
Barrington Hills, IL
Lake Michigan Chapter

Aug 29-Sept 3, 2023
MBSI Annual Meeting
St. Paul, MN
Snowbelt Chapter

Send in your information by Aug. 1, 2023, for the September/October 2023 issue.
Ask your questions on our Facebook discussion group Ñ the Music Box Society Forum.

Please send dates for the Calendar of Events to editor@mbsi.org

CONTACTS

Administrator Jacque Beeman handles back issues (if available) $6; damaged or issues not received, address changes, MBSI Directory listing changes, credit card charge questions, book orders, status of your membership, membership renewal, membership application, and MBSI Membership Brochures.
P.O. Box 10196
Springfield, MO 65808-0196
Phone/Fax (417) 576-4280
jbeeman.mbsi@att.net
Regina Certificates: Cost $5.
B Bronson
Box 154
Dundee, MI 48131
Phone (734) 529-2087
art@d-pcomm.net
Advertising for Mechanical Music
Russell Kasselman
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone (253) 228-1634
editor@mbsi.org
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 $5 to Roger Wiegand
281 Concord Road
Wayland, MA 01778
or pay via PayPal, send to
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: Ken Gordon
(301) 469-9240
Dues $5 to Florie Hirsch
8917 Wooden Bridge Road
Potomac, MD 20854
Northwest International
Chair: Rick Swaney
(425) 836-3586
Dues $7.50/person to Kathy Baer
8210 Comox Road
Blaine, WA 98230
Piedmont
Temp Chair: Dan Wilson
(919) 740-6579
musicboxmac@mac.com
Dues $10 to Dan Wilson
4804 Latimer Road
Raleigh, NC. 276099
Snowbelt
Chair: Tracy Tolzmann
(651) 674-5149
Dues $5 to Bill Nunn
2825 Willow Drive
Hamel, MN 55340
Southeast
Chair: Wayne Myers
(407) 333-9095
Dues $5 to Bob Yates
1973 Crestview Way Unit 147
Naples, FL 34119
Southern California
Chair: Robin Biggins
(310) 377-1472
Dues $10 to Diane Lloyd
1201 Edgeview Drive
Cowan Hgts, CA 92705
Sunbelt
Chair: Vacant
Dues $10 to Diane Caudill
14015 Spindle Arbor Road
Cypress, TX. 77429

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