Mechanical Music Mechanical Music
Journal of the Musical Box Society International
Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments
Volume 65, No. 6 November/December 2019
PuRchAse ¥ sAles ¥ consignment
of Quality Cylinder & Disc Music Boxes, Musical Clocks & Automata
For over forty years weÕve placed fine antiques in collections around the world.
Our reputation has been built upon appreciative buyers and satisfied sellers.
Pictured are a few of the musical antiques in our current and recent inventories.
496 First Street, California 93463 ¥ Ron & Julie Palladino
Open Seven Days a Week 10-6 ¥ 805-452-5700
www.renantiques.com
Visit the charming Danish Village of Solvang, half an hour above Santa Barbara in the beautiful Central Coast Wine Country
RENAISSANCE ANTIQUE S
Renaissance Antiques of solvang
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 The article will not be published with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 Directory
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 2019. The Musical Box Society International,
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
Mechanical Music
Journal of the Musical Box Society International
Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments
Volume 65, No. 6 November/December 2019
MBSI NEWS
5 PresidentÕs Message
7 EditorÕs Notes
8 Minutes of the 2019
Annual Trustees Meeting
15 Minutes of the 2019
Annual Business
Meeting
17 Annual Statement of
Financial Position
reports
Features
20 Nickel Notes
by Matt Jaro
28 Tales from the 2019
MBSI Annual Meeting
On the Cover
Matt JaroÕs Wurlitzer 153 Band
Organ was part of the 2019 MBSI
Annual Meeting tour this year,
organized by the National Capital
Chapter. See more from the event
on Page 49.
46 Interesting Tidbits
Craig Darlak shares his
love of mechanical
music
Chapter Reports
48 Northwest International
51 Snowbelt
MBSI has replanted 70 trees so far as part
of the Print ReLeaf program.
Sharing the music
Craig Darlak shares his experiences
with spreading the word about
mechanical music. See how you might
do it too. Page 46.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 3
The World of Mechanical Music The World of Mechanical Music
Copy this page, and give it to a potential new member. Spread the word about MBSI.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Last name First Name Initial
Last Name First Name Initial
Address
City
State / Zip
Postal Code / Country
Phone
Fax
Sponsor (optional)
A
A
fascinating hobby! It combines all the appeals of
art, history, craftsmanship, and music all into one.
Automatic music doesnÕt just sit there; it is ever
willing to perform for those who care to hear it. Play an
automatic music machine in a room full of people and all
else will stop as the machine enraptures the audience with
the sparkling melodies of yesteryear!
A ÒMusic BoxÓ is any sort of automatic music instrument
that plays music via the plucking of teeth on a tuned steel
comb through various mechanisms; musical automata;
orchestrions; player and reproducing pianos and organs;
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.
Check or Money Order Payable to: MBSI Treasurer (US Funds Only)
Mail to: New Member Registration – MBSI
PO Box 10196
Springfield, MO 65808-0196
Visa/MasterCard
Exp. Date CCV
Signature
Membership Dues
US members (per household)……………………………………….$60
Student Membership…………………………………………………….$20
(online journal access only)
Canada…………………………………………………………………………$70
Other International………………………………………………………$75
(Add $20 for International air mail.)
Join online: www.mbsi.org/join-mbsi
Member Benefits
Six magazines annually Ñ Mechanical Music plus the
Directory of Members, Museums, and Dealers (published
every two years). Membership also entitles you to participate
in the Annual Meeting and to join regional chapters.
New members receive a welcome letter, a Goods & Supplies
Order Form, Directory of Members, Museums, and
Dealers, and a list of the regional chapters.
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 the scholarly journal, Mechanical
Music, which also contains advertising space for members
who wish to buy, sell, and restore mechanical musical
instruments and related items; the Directory of Members,
Museums, and Dealers.
The only requirements for membership are an interest in
automatic music machines and the desire to share information
about them. And youÕll take pride in knowing you
are contributing to the preservation of these marvelous
examples of bygone craftsmanship.
More Information:
Phone/Fax: (417) 886-8839
Email: jbeeman.mbsi@att.net
4 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
By Tom Kuehn
MBSI President
You might notice thereÕs a new
face associated with this PresidentÕs
Message. I was elected as the 37th
MBSI President at the recent annual
meeting held in Rockville, MD. The
photo below mine is a closeup of
the medallion IÕm wearing that was
presented to MBSI by our sister
society, the Musical Box Society of
Great Britain (MBSGB), on MBSIÕs
25th anniversary in 1974. It has since
been handed down to each successive
president of our society and IÕll wear
it proudly as I represent MBSI for the
next two years.
For those who may not know me, let
me bring you up to date on some of
my more recent activities. I recently
retired from my professor of mechanical
engineering position at the
University of Minnesota. My interest
in mechanical music began at a very
early age visiting my grandfatherÕs
home and listening to a phonograph
that he designed, patented, built and
marketed in the early 1920s to farmers
in North Dakota and southern Canada.
Growing up near the site of a former
amusement park, whose rides had
been converted into a traveling carnival,
I became fascinated with traveling
shows and the band and fair organs
that provided their outdoor musical
entertainment. This led me to MBSI in
the 1980s. I built my own Wurlitzer 105
band organ replica and then expanded
my interest to include other types of
automatic musical instruments. As
a hobbyist who enjoys working with
my hands, I have restored several
instruments, many of them acquired
in deplorable condition. They now
look, operate and sound like new. This
required a significant amount of sweat
equity and also provided me with a
wealth of experience.
Introducing mechanical music
to those who are unfamiliar with
the instruments we know and love,
is a high priority for our society.
Encountering instruments by happenstance,
as described above for
me, rarely occurs these days so the
general public has little or no knowledge
that these instruments exist. It is
up to us to share our knowledge and
enthusiasm and in the process, make
new friends.
I wish to thank the National Capital
Chapter team, led by Chapter Chair
Matt Jaro, for helping to make our
70th Annual Meeting an especially
fun and memorable event. If you have
never attended an annual meeting or
have not joined us for some time, I
highly encourage you to come to San
Francisco, CA, next year for a joint
meeting including our friends in the
Automatic Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ
Association (AMICA). Mark your
calendars now for Sept. 2-7, 2020.
As our immediate past president
Clay Witt has mentioned before, MBSI
and MBSGB jointly sponsored the
translation from German into English
of the book ÒMusical Boxes from
Prague and ViennaÓ by Dr. Helmut
Kowar. MBSI was given 13 copies to
distribute. The MBSI Trustees decided
to provide a copy to the lending library,
one to the archives and give one to
each chapter. The most interesting
feature of the book to me is the large
number of tunes that have been transcribed
from pinned cylinders onto
sheet music. Truly a labor of love.
In another bit of news, Barry
Johnson, a longtime society member,
recently made a significant contribution
to the MBSI museum including
musical boxes and original disks. Sally
Craig, who chairs our Museum Committee,
has been working with Barry
to complete this donation. Contact
Sally if you would like to donate items
for our museum collection.
You may have read in the last
Journal that my wife, Hongyan, and I
traveled to England last May to attend
an MBSGB meeting in Kent where we
were introduced to MBSI and MBSGB
members in the UK, many of whom we
had not previously met. Our plans are
to travel to Japan next and meet with
several MBSI members near Tokyo to
assist them in forming a new Japanese
Chapter. I would like to meet as many
of you as possible over the next two
years. As mentioned above, attending
the annual meetings is a great opportunity
to meet with me and all your
officers and trustees who work very
hard to maintain the health and vitality
of our organization. As a bonus, it
is a really fun experience.
I look forward to serving as your
president during the next two years
and helping facilitate our love of
mechanical music in all its forms.
MBSI MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
EACH ONE/REACH ONE NEW MEMBER
MBSI is always interested in increasing its membership and is pleased to offer new members a $15
discount off their rst year’s membership. You are considered a new member if you have not been a
member in the past three years. This discount is also available on our website, www.mbsi.org.
Current MBSI members who sponsor a new member will receive a $5 discount off their next year’s
MBSI membership renewal for each sponsorship. Attach a copy of the discount voucher below to a
copy of the membership application form on Page 4 of this issue of Mechanical Music. Place your
name as ÒsponsorÓ on the application form.
Please make copies of these forms as needed and send the completed forms with checks to the MBSI
administrator at the address listed below.
.
.
..
¨.
(INTERNATIONAL)
ORGANIZED IN 1949
DEVOTED TO ALL MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
.
.
..
¨.
(INTERNATIONAL)
ORGANIZED IN 1949
DEVOTED TO ALL MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Musical Box Society International
P.O. Box 10196
Spring eld, MO 65808-0196
Phone/Fax: (417) 886-8839
Musical Box Society International
P.O. Box 10196
Spring eld, MO 65808-0196
Phone/Fax: (417) 886-8839
Dues Voucher Ð $15
New U.S. members may join MBSI for one year at $45 (instead
of $60); Canadians $55 (instead of $70; and, other International
members at $60 (instead of $75). This certi cate must accom-
pany payment and a copy of the completed membership
application from page 4 of this issue of Mechanical Music.
New Member Name(s):
Authorized by MBSI Administrator
NEW MEMBER
GIFT CERTIFICATE
New members are those who have never been members of MBSI
or those who have not been members for three years prior to
submission of this voucher.
New members are those who have never
been members of MBSI or those who have
not been members for three years prior to
submission of this certi cate.
Gift Membership Name
Address, City, State, ZIP
Phone Email
Sponsor
SPECIAL OFFER: Purchase one or more rst-year MBSI gift
memberships at $45 each U.S., $55 Canadian, or $60 other International
and you will receive $5 off your next year’s MBSI membership
renewal for each “New Member” gift.
Please mail this form together with your check made payable to ÒMBSIÓ to the MBSI Administrator at the address listed
above. Memberships are $45 for U.S. residents, $55 for Canadian residents, and $60 for other International residents.
EditorÕs Notes MAILING ADDRESS
MBSI Editorial/Advertising
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
EMAIL ADDRESS
editor@mbsi.org
PHONE
(253) 228-1634
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
IÕd like to start off by wishing everyone
a happy holiday season this year.
I hope each of you gets a chance to
gather with other mechanical music
enthusiasts during this upcoming season
and share the sounds and sights
of wonderful instruments amid lights
and decorations, cookies and candies,
and friends. Perhaps welcome in a few
new folks to your home to listen to
some merry music this year. DonÕt forget
to send in your photos and chapter
reports so we can all share in the joy.
I have a short space in this issue, so
IÕll get right to the business of thanking
the National Capital Chapter team
who put together a wonderful annual
meeting, sharing their homes and collections
with so many others. Special
kudos go to B Bronson for writing the
synopsis of the meeting and sending in
some fantastic photos. Other fabulous
photographers included Lowell Boehland,
Bob Caletti, Ed Cooley, Ginny
Little, and Sandy Lynch. As you might
imagine, the selection of images you
see on these pages represents only a
small portion of the activities at the
meeting, so if you didnÕt go this year,
perhaps consider attending next year
and add your smiling face to this
great-looking group of folks having a
fantastic time together.
Good vibes are also due to Craig
Darlak, who has now shared his passion
for mechanical music three times
with groups in his area. Check out
Page 46 to see more about his work to
educate others about this great hobby.
David Corkrum, newly-minted
MBSI Vice President, also deserves
a massive dose of respect for his
long-running tenure as recording
secretary for the society. His minutes
from the annual trustees and annual
business meetings are in this issue
and worth a read if you want to keep
up with whatÕs happening in society
business.
David will be handing his pen to his
replacement this year. Linda Birkitt,
from the Southern California Chapter,
starts her duties with the mid-year
trustees meeting in 2020. Be sure to
let them both know how much you
appreciate the hard work that they put
into making sure our society meets all
its obligations to inform its members
about the deliberations and decisions
of the trustees and officers.
MMLI transfered to Morris Museum of Marvin Polan, Glen Jedlika, Elise
Roenigk, Art Reblitz, Beatrice Farmer,
The Morris Museum in Morristown, The MMLI was created by William Joseph Gilbert, Edward Schmidt, and
NJ, has acquired the Mechanical Edgerton of Darien CT, a longtime col-Edgerton himself. It is believed to be
Music Library International (MMLI), lector and enthusiast of mechanical the third largest archive of such mate-
containing approximately 6,000 items, music and automata. MBSI provided rial in North America and will now
including books, journals, magazines, access to its extensive library and be called the ÒEdgerton Mechanical
newsletters, bulletins, directories, provided financial support to this Music LibraryÓ to acknowledge the
trade and auction catalogs, sound project in addition to contributions donor. Visit www.mechanicalmusimedia
and period prints, all related to from more than 60 donors including Q. clibrary.com to get access and start
mechanical musical and automata. David Bowers, Emery Prior, the Estate searching the library contents.
Welcome new members!
August 2019
Leon Alevantis & Tara Gauthier
Georgetown, CA
Sponsor: Bob Caletti
David Chapman
West Fargo, ND
Raphael Cole
Davie, FL
Mike & Nan Herrig
Locust Grove, VA
Diane Hopkins & Don Fowler
Vienna, VA
September 2019
Holly & Russell Bartley
Urbana, OH
Sponsor: Rob Pollock
Brian Albert
Wappingers Falls, NY
Giovanni Vitiello
Bologna, Italy
David Jackson
Miami, FL
Sponsor: David Meyer
Stephen & Susan Fox
Parker, CO
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 7
Minutes Of The Annual TrusteesÕ Meeting
Rockville, MD August 27, 2019
Back row, left to right: Trustee Ed Cooley, Recording Secretary David Corkrum. Middle row, left to right: Trustee Sally Craig,
Trustee Judy Caletti. Front row, left to right: Trustee Mary Pollock, MBSI President Clay Witt, MBSI Vice President Tom Kuehn,
Trustee Mary Ellen Myers.
These minutes will be official when
approved and voted on during the
mid-year trusteeÕs meeting in 2020.
The meeting was convened at 9:08
a.m. Present: Clay Witt, president
presiding; Judy Caletti, Tom Kuehn,
Sally Craig, Wayne Finger via teleconference
as approved by the board,
Ed Cooley, Mary Pollock, and Mary
Ellen Myers. (eight of nine present,
a quorum). Also, present: Recording
Secretary David Corkrum.
President Witt thanked Judy Caletti
and Mary Pollock for their many years
of service.
1. The minutes of the Apr. 5, 2019,
Mid-Year Trustees meeting, held in
Naples, FL, were published in Vol.
65, No. 4 of Mechanical Music. There
were no corrections, additions or
deletions. Trustee Craig moved, seconded
by Trustee Myers, to approve
the minutes. The motion passed.
2. Secretary Corkrum presented the
current Board Actions for review.
3. Trustee Kuehn presented the
vice presidentÕs report. All the award
recipients have been notified. All 5
8 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
award winners are planning to attend
the meeting and receive their award
personally. A PowerPoint slide presentation
is being prepared to provide
more background information on each
recipient as the awards are being presented
during the Awards Luncheon.
The plaques and engraved brass plates
for the permanent displays have been
received.
All chapter chairs have been notified
that they need to submit chapter
reports that will be available for viewing
in the hospitality room. The vice
presidentÕs report was received.
4. President Witt presented the
administratorÕs report. The current
membership as of Jun. 30, 2019, is
1,204. Memberships as of Jun. 30,
2018, were 1,273. For the 2019 calendar
year, to date there were 43 new
memberships, 23 of which came from
the website (53 percent).
Because of the voucher program,
MBSI gained 11 new memberships as
of June 2019. New member lists are
sent each month to the chapter chairs,
trustees, and Membership Committee
coordinators and to the Membership
Committee chair. The gift/sponsor
program was initiated in July 2008,
resulting in 125 new members through
Jun. 30, 2019. Each sponsor receives
a thank you post card and is added
to the $5 discount program. Also,
questionnaires were sent to those
members who are on the 90 days past
due non-renewal list.
For the period of Jul. 1, 2018 to Jun.
30, 2019, Don Caine is the member
recipient of a free renewal for sponsoring
four new members and Bob Caletti
is the dealer member recipient of a
free renewal for sponsoring six new
members. The report was received.
5. Trustee Cooley presented the
Audit Committee report.
An annual review was conducted
by CPA Cinda L. Rodgers on Aug. 13,
2019. CPA Rodgers found that the
societyÕs financial status is in order
and in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles in the
USA.
All remaining book inventories were
distributed at the 2018 convention or
transferred to the Musical Instrument
Museum (MIM) in Scottsdale, AZ, at
no charge. All other sales items were
inventoried by Jacque Beeman on Jan.
1, 2019 to facilitate an audit of 2019
year-end inventories next year.
The comparison of membership
data with amounts received for membership
dues was completed for 2018.
Net membership revenue for 2018 was
$78,763. Using 2018 membership data
the total estimated revenue should
be $79,440. The $677.00 difference
amounts to less than one percent
(-0.85 percent). This is considered an
acceptable variance.
All Conflict of Interest statements
for 2019 were received except for four
individuals. The report was received.
6. The Membership and Marketing
committee reports were reported by
Rob Pollock, who chairs both committees.
Membership continues to
decline at a rate of 3 percent per year.
The new offer of discounted student
memberships has not resulted in
many new members. So far, only one
student has accepted this offer.
The Marketing Committee searched
for but was unable to find a videographer
to make a promotional video
about MBSI that could be played on
YouTube.
The Marketing CommitteeÕs two
programs targeting free memberships
at mechanical music auctions and
dealers have resulted in 15 new memberships
in the last three years. The
goal was for 100.
Chair Pollock has submitted his
resignation to the board but will
provide whatever assistance the new
committee chairpersons may request.
The report was received
7. The Meetings Committee report
was presented by Chair Tom Kuehn.
The Annual Meeting schedule is as
follows:
¥ 2019-National Capital Chapter
¥ 2020-Golden Gate Chapter and
AMICA
¥ 2021-Southeast Chapter
¥ 2022-Southern California Chapter
and AMICA
The AMICA (Automatic Musical
Instrument CollectorsÕ Association)
board voted to have a
joint meeting with MBSI in 2022.
Chair Kuehn moved, seconded
by Trustee Caletti, to hold a joint
meeting with AMICA/MBSI in
2022. The motion passed.
¥ 2023-Lake Michigan Chapter
The report was received.
8. Museum Committee Chair Sally
Craig presented her report. The
society received a donation from
Barry Johnson. It consists of original
discs, master discs, and several blank
discs. The equipment received did
not include the punching machines
for making the tunes. They were
inadvertently discarded by those persons
who cleaned up his home. Chair
Craig and the American Treasure Tour
museum plan to have a display of this
equipment alongside a roll punching
machine.
Chair Craig also discussed the
restoration of the Guitaraphone with
member Jerry Wright. He will contact
Chair Craig once he has examined the
machine.
The contract with MIM will need to
be renegotiated in March 2020. The
society plans to make it a five-year
contract. The report was received.
9. Nominating Committee Chair
Dan Wilson presented his report. On
behalf of the society, he extended his
sincere thank you to Clay Witt, Mary
Pollock, Judy Caletti, John Bryant
and David Corkrum for their service
to the society. Judy served a total of
nine-and one-half years; Mary served
eight years; John served four years
and David served 14 years.
The Nominating Committee respectfully
submitted the following slate of
officers and trustees for confirmation
as presented and approved at the 2019
MBSI mid-year Trustees Meeting.
¥ President: Tom Kuehn to serve a
two-year term.
¥ Vice President: David Corkrum to
serve first one-year term.
¥ Trustee: David Corkrum to serve
first four-year term.
¥ Trustee: Matt Jaro to serve first
four-year term.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 9
¥ Trustee: Bob Caletti to serve first
four-year term.
¥ Treasurer: Ed Kozak to serve
another one-year term.
¥ Recording Secretary: Linda
Birkitt to serve first one-year
term.
All nominees have confirmed that
they are willing to accept these positions.
The report was received.
10. Publications Committee Chair
Bob Caletti presented the reports for
publications and the editor. Positive
comments about the quality of the
journal continue to come in. Our editor
does an excellent job and always
goes above and beyond.
The committee made a request
through the journal for someone to
help with converting our Presto and
MTR publications on the website from
multiple single-page PDF files to a
single page PDF and then to text files
that would be word searchable like
our current journal. The committee
believes they have found someone
and with help of the editor, the text
could be extracted from these publications.
So instead of having to search
over 1,000 PDF files separately, a user
could do a single search that would
bring up all the relevant information
requested.
The committee is looking into being
able to digitize the societyÕs lending
library, but there may be copyright
issues that would prevent this. The
committee will be looking into this.
Advertising on the societyÕs website
is now being offered to our big display
advertisers in Mechanical Music. This
is an added perk and will help them
reach more people who view our website.
The report was received.
Chair Caletti presented the editorÕs
report. Our editor, Russell Kasselman,
reports that a total of 43 writers
contributed to the journal this year.
He encourages us all to think about
writing an article, especially those
covering pianos, clocks, bird boxes,
phonographs or any other type of
mechanical musical items in their
collections.
Advertising percentages have
declined slightly in the past year
reflecting publishing industry trends.
To keep our advertisers happy, we
are posting their display ads on the
societyÕs website with the hope of it
reaching more individuals and not just
our members.
Russell has made some improvements
to the website to help
standardize the display of member
names in the online directory and in
reports that the administrator produces
and sends to the trustees. The
improvements will make production
of the biennial Directory of Members,
Museums and Dealers more efficient.
Printing and mailing costs have
remained steady, but the price of
paper will be increasing next year.
Please continue to encourage all your
chapter members to send in their
articles Ð long ones and short ones,
technical or historical, or just plain
fun ones Ð so that we can all enjoy
them on the pages of Mechanical
Music. The report was received.
11. Treasurer Ed Kozak gave
the Finance Committee report via
teleconference. For the year ending
Dec. 31, 2018, total fund balances
increased by $30,546. Net assets without
donor restriction increased by
$23,047, while net assets with donor
restrictions increased by $7,499. Net
assets totaled $744,989. Dues revenue
continues to decline from $81,012
to $78,583. Convention income of
$69,012 exceeded convention expense
of $49,674. Publishing revenue was
$21,835 and publishing expense was
$74,603. Accounting, tax preparation
and administrative expense totaled
$25,454.
The Endowment Committee
reported the fund balance to be
$153,165 which was an increase of
$1,065. There are two certificates of
deposit totaling $152,000 that mature
in August 2020 and May 2021 at a rate
of 1.9 percent and 2.9 percent. The
accumulated interest income for the
fund is $46,248 of which two-thirds,
or $30,832, is available for approved
projects or programs. No project
or program requests have been
submitted.
The Finance Committee discussed
the 2020 budget and email was sent
to all trustees and committee chairs
on Jun. 25, 2019, requesting input
and comments for the budget. After
receipt of responses the proposed
budget was completed. There was
only a minor change to dues revenue.
The budget is now submitted to the
trustees for their approval. Treasurer
Kozak asked if there were any adjustments
to be made. There were none.
Trustee Kuehn moved, seconded by
Trustee Craig, to approve the 2020
annual budget. The motion passed.
There was also a discussion among
the trustees about the need to raise
awareness of the existence and purpose
of the Endowment Fund among
our MBSI members. The reports were
received.
12. Website Subcommittee Chair
Rick Swaney presented his report.
Updates to the following sections of
the website have been completed.
The Mechanical Music archive is now
up-to-date with each journal being
posted shortly after being mailed. The
meetings manual has been updated
since the mid-year meeting. A minor
ÒbugÓ was found in the classified ad
submittal form. The form has been
disabled until the error can be found
and corrected.
The MBSI collection gallery is
growing and the committee has asked
the editor to divide the instruments
into categories just as in the member
instrument gallery does.
Chair Swaney stated he has been
investigating translation programs or
plug-ins that could be used online to
translate our journals into other languages.
Wordpress has such a plug-in
which could be inserted into our site.
It would display a ÒflagÓ which, when
clicked on, would display a list of
countries. The user would click on
the country and the journal would
be translated into that language. The
plug-in is available for free for a short
amount of time which would enable
the committee to see how it would
work. Costs for the plug-in ranges
from $65 to $385 per year. The higher
the cost, the better the translation is.
The website continues to receive
3,500 views per month with the gallery
page receiving the most views. The
10 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
MBSI Facebook forum group has continued
at a slow but steady growth.
The number of members increased
by 25 percent during the past month.
The regular Facebook page for MBSI
has 557 followers and has received
518 Likes. Of the Likes, 60 percent
come from men and 40 percent from
women. The report was received.
13. Special Exhibits Acting Committee
Chair Mary Ellen Myers presented
her report. Chapter outreach activities
are too numerous to mention but five
chapters report that they have had one
or more events during the year where
the public was invited. The committee
is still seeking a chair to lead it. The
number of chapters represented has
increased by three during the past
year. The committee would like to
reserve a regular communication
column in each issue of the journal
to highlight one chapterÕs recent
outreach activities. The report was
received.
New Business
14. President Witt presented a list
of committee vacancies which need
to be filled. The following committee
appointments were made.
Audit Committee: Trustee Craig
moved, seconded by Trustee Caletti,
to appoint Matt Jaro. The motion
passed.
Executive Committee: Trustee
Kuehn moved, seconded by Trustee
Pollock, to appoint Trustees Sally
Craig and Wayne Finger. The motion
passed.
Finance Committee: Trustee Caletti
moved, seconded by Trustee Craig, to
appoint Trustee-elect David Corkrum
and Trustee Ed Cooley. The motion
passed.
Nominating Committee: Trustee
Caletti moved, seconded by Trustee
Cooley, to appoint Trustee Sally Craig
and Trustee-elect Bob Caletti. The
motion passed.
Membership Committee: Trustee
Craig moved, seconded by Trustee
Kuehn, to appoint Trustee Mary Ellen
Myers. The motion passed.
15. President Witt presented a bylaw
amendment to refine the procedures
for canceling or suspending a membership
under Article III, Section 8. He
also presented an amendment to the
provisions concerning the dissolution
of a chapter under Article IV, Section
7. A third proposed amendment would
delete the text of Article XVII and
reserve that section for future use,
inasmuch as the material there would
be addressed following the first two
amendments Trustee Caletti moved,
seconded by Trustee Myers, to adopt
these changes to the bylaws. The
motion passed.
See Attachment 1, Page 12.
16. President Witt presented two
Policies and Procedures (P&P)
amendments. The first would amend
Section III, Subsection A, to update
and clarify the steps to be taken by the
recording secretary after the board
has taken actions resulting in changes
to the bylaws, P&Ps or board actions
document at a trusteesÕ meeting. The
second would amend Section VIII,
subsection B, to add material collecting
a policy adopted by the board at
its 2019 mid-year meeting concerning
actions the MBSI administrator will
take when informed of the death of
a member. Trustee Caletti moved,
seconded by Trustee Pollock, to adopt
these changes to the P&P. The motion
passed.
See Attachment 2, Page 13.
17. President Witt recommended
that the board establish a committee
to investigate methods of providing
translation of Mechanical Music to
our international members when they
are on the website. Trustee-elect
Bob Caletti and Rick Swaney were
appointed to this committee. Trustee
Craig moved, seconded by Trustee
Pollock, to establish the sub-committee.
The motion passed.
18. President Witt recommended
that the board establish a committee
to obtain translation of incidental
documents used by the administrator
and the president to provide to our
international members, as needed.
These documents would be translated
into German, French, Italian, and Japanese.
Trustees-elect David Corkrum,
Matt Jaro and Bob Caletti and Recording
Secretary-elect Linda Birkitt were
appointed to this committee Trustee
Caletti moved, seconded by Trustee
Myers, to establish this sub-committee.
The motion passed.
19 President Witt reported that the
society received 13 copies of the book
ÒMusical Boxes of Prague and Vienna.Ó
During discussion it was proposed
that one copy be given to each chapter
and one be sent to the lending library
and one to the Research Library at
American Treasure Tour. Trustee
Cooley moved, seconded by Trustee
Myers, to do as proposed. The motion
passed.
20. Trustee Caletti moved, seconded
by Trustee Myers, to adjourn the
meeting. The motion passed. Meeting
adjourned at 2:37 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
David W. Corkrum
Recording Secretary
Sept. 16, 2019
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 11
Attachment 1
Note: This attachment presents the amendments to the bylaws adopted by the board at its
August 27, 2019, meeting. This ÒmarkupÓ shows the preexisting text with text that was deleted
by the amendments struck through and text added by the amendments underlined.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
* * * * *
Section 8. The membership of any person may be cancelled or suspended permanently or for a
stated period of time for conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the society or for failure to
abide by the bylaws or policies and procedures of the society. The member will be informed of
the proposed action and the reasons for it not less than 30 days before the date of the board
meeting at which the proposed action is to be considered. The person may consent to the
proposed action or present written argument and evidence as to why it should not be taken.
ARTICLE IV
CHAPTERS
* * * * *
Section 7.
a. (1) A chapter may be dissolved by the board upon the written request of the chapter or
upon a determination by the board that the chapter is no longer viable or is being operated in
violation of MBSIÕs corporate charter, these bylaws, or board approved policies and procedures.
(2)Where a proposed dissolution is not at the request of the chapter, the chapterÕs board,
or its active members of record if there is no duly elected board, will be informed of the
proposed dissolution not less than 30 days before the date of the board meeting at which
dissolution is to be considered. It The chapterÕs board or active members may consent to the
proposed dissolution or submit present oral or written argument and evidence as to why it should
not be dissolved.
b. The following actions shall be taken by the chapter upon its dissolution:
(1)Any outstanding chapter debts shall be paid.
(2) If the chapter is separately incorporated, it will comply with any requirements of the
law of the state of incorporation relating to dissolution of the corporation.
(3)Any remaining funds shall be remitted to MBSI, unless the chapterÕs articles of
incorporation otherwise require in the case of separately incorporated chapters.
12 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Attachment 2
Note: This attachment presents the amendments to the MBSI Policies & Procedures adopted by
the board at its August 27, 2019, meeting. This ÒmarkupÓ shows the preexisting text with text
that was deleted by the amendments struck through and text added by the amendments
underlined.
VIII. Administrator/Accountant
* * * * *
B. Members
* * * * *
5. The Administrator will take the following actions upon being informed of the death of a
member:
a. Individual Membership. If the membership is an individual membership, cancel
the membership.
b. Joint Membership. If the membership is a joint membership, honor any request
from the survivor to remove the name of the deceased member from the
membership. If there is no communication from the survivor after 60 days, send
condolences to the survivor and ask them whether or not they would like the
deceased members name to remain on the membership listing.
6. Ask members in all renewal notifications whether they would like to make any changes
in the way that their member name(s) are listed.
III. RECORDING SECRETARY
A. The recording secretary shall incorporate the any changes to the bylaws, policies and
procedures (P&P), and board actions documents approved at the mid-term a trusteesÕ
meeting and send copies of the updated documents to the Executive Committee (EC) for
final review of correctness within 60 days of adjournment of the mid-term meeting.
Review by the EC is limited to ensuring that the changes made by the recording secretary
exactly conform to what the board did, i.e., that changes made by the board to the text of
bylaws or P&Ps exactly parallel the changes in language approved by the board, that
board actions the board directed be deleted are deleted and that board actions added are
properly described. Upon final approval by the EC, the recording secretary shall provide
the approved versions of the revised bylaws and P&Ps to the officers, trustees, committee
and chapter chairs, administrator, and accountant and the updated board actions to the
trustees not less than two weeks before the annual meeting 30 days following being given
notice of that approval. Any updated or revised bylaws will also be sent to the editor.
prior to the publication of the directory (Trustees 3/26/15, Trustees 8/29/17, Trustees
8/27/19)
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 13
Addendum
On June 24, 2019, the MBSI Board of Trustees met via teleconference to reconcile the problems
facing the MBSI and the Japanese International Chapter (JIC).
Present was President Clay Witt, presiding. Also present were Trustees Tom Kuehn, Judy
Caletti, Mary Pollock, Sally Craig, G. Wayne Finger, Mary Ellen Myers and Ed Cooley. Also
present was Recording Secretary David Corkrum. The meeting was convened at 12:01 pm EDT.
1. Trustee Caletti moved, seconded by Trustee Mary Pollock, that the MBSI memberships
of Tomiju Endo, Hideyuki Matsuoka, Yoshinobu Okumoto, Sadahiko Sakauchi, and
Fumio Yamazaki be terminated under MBSI bylaws Article 17 for conduct prejudicial to
the best interests of MBSI and Japanese International Chapter (JIC) and for failure to
abide by the bylaws of MBSI and JIC. There was considerable discussion on this topic.
Secretary Corkrum conducted a roll call vote of the trustees. The result was unanimous in
favor of the motion. The motion passed.
2. Trustee Kuehn moved, seconded by Trustee Craig, that the five persons mentioned in the
previous motion would be allowed to apply for membership in the MBSI after January 1,
2023. Discussion was brief. Secretary Corkrum conducted a roll call vote of the trustees.
The result was unanimous in favor of the motion. The motion passed.
3. President Witt moved, seconded by Trustee Kuehn, that the Japanese International
Chapter be dissolved under MBSI bylaws Article IV, section 7. There was some
discussion. Secretary Corkrum conducted a roll call vote of the trustees. The result was
unanimous in favor of the motion. The motion passed.
4. Trustee Finger moved, seconded by Trustee Pollock, that the Executive Committee be
empowered to appoint receivers, as necessary, of the physical assets of the JIC. Secretary
Corkrum conducted a roll call vote of the trustees. The result was unanimous in favor of
the motion. The motion passed.
Trustee Caletti moved, seconded by Trustee Craig to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed
and the meeting was adjourned at 1:16 pm EDT
Respectfully Submitted,
David Corkrum
Recording Secretary, MBSI
14 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Minutes of the 70th Annual Business Meeting
Musical Box Society International, Hilton Hotel, Rockville, MD, August 31, 2019
President Clay Witt called to order
the 2019 MBSI Annual Business Meeting
at 8:30 a.m.
He read the names of members who
have passed away since the last Annual
Meeting: Ann Boyd; Jerry Christner;
Weldon Clegg; Francis Conroy, Jr.;
Michael Conway; Wallace Donoghue;
Ray Dauphinee; John Flint; Donald
Glemby; Moe Goldy; Kent Goodman;
Fred Kingsmill; Hayes McClaran;
John Motto-Ros; John Ohrenstein;
Ray Parkinson; Dennis Reilly; Richard
Reutlinger, who was the last surviving
member of AMICA and passed away
Jun. 29 during a home concert; Deanna
Roth; LeRoy Schumacher; Hendrick
Strengers and Erich Traber.
A moment of silence was observed
in remembrance.
Sincere appreciation was extended
to the National Capital team and they
were asked to stand.
MBSI officers and the Board of
Trustees were introduced.
Past presidents and past trustees
were recognized and asked to stand.
First time attendees and those
attending from outside of the United
States were asked to please stand and
be recognized.
President Witt then introduced
Arlette Baud and Michel Bourgoz of
the Baud Museum, LÕAuberson which
is now in its 64th year of operation;
Alison Biden, co-vice president and
immediate past President of the Musical
Box Society of Great Britain; Peter
Both, President of the Swiss Friends
of Mechanical Music; Franco Severi,
President of the Italian Mechanical
Music Association; Michel Tremouille
and Jean-Mac Lefout, Vice presidents
of the Association of Friends of
Mechanical Music Instruments of
France; Paul Bellamy, Deputy Chairman
of the Association of Musical Box
Collectors; and the Verbeek family
from Belgium.
OfficersÕ Reports
Recording Secretary David Corkrum
reported that the minutes of the 69th
Annual Meeting held in Detroit, MI,
were published in Vol. 64, No. 6, of
Mechanical Music. There being no
corrections, additions or deletions,
President Witt entertained a motion to
approve the minutes. The motion was
made and seconded to approve the
minutes. The motion passed.
Vice President Tom Kuehn presented
the vice-presidentÕs report. The
vice president has two main jobs; one
is to handle the awards process and
the other is oversee the conduct of
the societyÕs chapters. Trustee Kuehn
introduced each chapter. Their representatives
informed the membership
of their activities throughout the year
and any special activities that they
had coming up. After the information
was presented, the members of each
chapter were asked to rise and be
recognized. The report was received
Treasurer Ed Kozak presented the
treasurerÕs report. For the year ending
Dec. 31, 2018, total fund balances
increased by $30,546. Fund balances
totaled $744,989 of which $153,165 is
restricted. Dues revenue continues to
decline. Income from last yearÕs convention
totaled $19,338. The report
was received
Committee Reports
Finance Committee: Treasurer
Ed Kozak presented the Finance
Committee report. A mid-year to midyear
financial report was prepared
in accordance with New York not-
for-profit corporate law. Copies were
made available to members present at
the meeting.
The Endowment Fund has a
reported balance of $153,165. The
accumulated interest from this fund
now totals $46,248 of which $30,832 is
available for projects or programs.
The Finance Committee and the
trustees have approved the budget for
2020 and there is a projected deficit.
There will be no increase in dues. The
report was received.
Audit Committee: Chair Ed Cooley
presented the Audit Committee
report. Cinda L. Rodgers, CPA, PC,
conducted a required annual financial
review and stated that, based on her
review, she is not aware of any material
modifications that should be made
to the financial statements. They are
in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United
States of America.
The committee is responsible for
the comparison of book inventories
and sales items to reported income,
comparison of membership data with
amounts received for membership
dues, and the collection of conflict of
interest statements from the officers,
trustees and committee members. The
report was received.
Marketing and Membership committees:
Chair Rob Pollock presented
the report. Membership numbers
are in a decline of about 3 percent
per year. Most of the members lost
were first year members who did not
renew. The Marketing CommitteeÕs
two programs targeting free memberships
at mechanical music auctions
and dealers have resulted in 15 new
memberships in the past three years.
In June of this year Chair Pollock
submitted his resignation to President
Witt. The report was received.
Meetings Committee: Chair Tom
Kuehn presented the report on the
dates of upcoming meetings. Golden
Gate Chapter and the Founding Chapter
of AMICA will host the 2020 meeting
from Sept. 2-7. Southeast Chapter
will host the 2021 meeting from Aug.
30-Sept. 4. AMICA (Automatic Musical
Instrument CollectorsÕ Association)
and the Southern California Chapter
will host the 2022 meeting. The report
was received.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 15
Museum Committee: Chair Sally
Craig presented the report. American
Treasure Tour (ATT) provides MBSI
with space to store and display the
machines in the societyÕs collection.
ATT is open on weekends for walking
tours of the collection. Docents are
on hand to talk about and play the
various instruments. ATT houses not
only the societyÕs collection but also
the massive collection of Don Neilson.
The database of society owned
instruments has been transferred to
the website where it will be available to
the committee to make easy updates.
The committee is still considering who
will be able to see these instruments
and how much information to include.
The committee is negotiating with a
restorer to restore the Guitaraphone,
a rare coin-operated harp-zither. The
report was received.
Publication Committee: Chair Bob
Caletti presented the report. In the past
year, a total of 43 writers contributed
articles to Mechanical Music. Bob
encourages members to write about
anything in their collection whether
it be technical, informational or just
plain fun. If they know of someone
with an interesting story to encourage
them to write also.
The editor can be of great help in
making an article stand out. The editor
is always looking for ways to increase
advertising. Dealers and members are
encouraged to advertise in the journal.
The report was received.
Website Subcommittee: Chair Rick
Swaney presented the report. The new
web server is now Dreamhost. This
server is much faster, and downloads
appear in seconds rather than minutes.
All Mechanical Music journals can
now be searched for specific content
and all workshop videos have been
uploaded and are available for viewing
and downloading. The chapter pages,
instrument gallery and event pages
have been updated to show more
information in more interesting ways.
As was stated in the museum report,
the instrument collection database is
now on the website. When members
sign in, they will be able to view this
page listing all the instruments in the
collection as well as any additional
information about the instrument.
MBSI also has a Facebook account
as well as a Facebook forum. In the
forum, members can post questions or
information about the society and its
chapters. The report was received as
presented.
Special Exhibits Committee: Acting
Chair Mary Ellen Myers reported that
the Special Exhibits Committee has
received reports from five chapters
showcasing the exhibits they have
presented to the general public. The
committee is still seeking a few more
chapter liaisons as well as a new committee
chair. The report was received
as presented.
Nominating Committee: Chair
Dan Wilson presented the report. On
behalf of the society, the committee
would like to extend a sincere thank
you to soon to be Past President Clay
Witt, to Judy Caletti who has served
for nine and one half years as trustee,
to Marry Pollock who has served for
eight years as trustee and to David
Corkrum who has served 14 years as
recording secretary.
The committee is also responsible
for the selection of the Darlene
Marijanian award. Any recommendations
for this award should be sent
to the Nominating Committee for
consideration.
Chair Wilson respectfully submit
the following slate of officers and
trustees for confirmation: Tom Kuehn
to serve a two year term as president,
David Corkrum to serve his first one-
year term as vice president, David
Corkrum to serve his first four-year
term as trustee, Matt Jaro to serve his
first four-year term as trustee, Bob
Caletti to serve his first four-year term
as trustee, Ed Kozak to serve another
one-year term as treasurer and Linda
Birkitt to serve her first one-year term
as recording secretary.
President Witt entertained a motion
to accept the slate as presented. A
motion was made and seconded. The
motion passed.
At this moment, outgoing President
Clay Witt presented incoming
President Tom Kuehn with the gavel.
President Tom Kuehn then presented
Trustee and immediate past President
Clay Witt with the presidential
pin indicating his status as a past
president. Trustee Witt then removed
the presidential medal of office and
member Judy Caletti placed it around
the neck of President Keuhn.
President Kuehn thanked Trustee
Witt for his service to the society.
New Business
There being no new business, it was
moved and seconded to adjourn the
meeting. The motion passed, and the
meeting was adjourned at 9:22 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Corkrum
Recording Secretary
Sept. 20, 2019
16 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 17
18 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 19
Nickel Notes
By Matthew Jaro
Restoring a Nelson-Wiggen 4-X nickelodeon
The first nickelodeon I acquired
was a Nelson-Wiggen 4-X machine in
July, 1992. This machine plays G rolls
or 4-X rolls. I didnÕt know much about
nickelodeons, but I knew I wanted a
Nelson-Wiggen after listening to the
ÒQuarterlodeonsÓ LP record many
times. Its sweet, melodic sound made
it irresistible. The machine has a
piano, xylophone, snare drum, triangle
and banjo rail. When I examined
the machine, I noticed that the xylophone
was connected to the mandolin
rail pneumatic so that the xylophone
played only when the mandolin rail
was down. I knew that this wasnÕt
right since G and 4-X rolls have extra
instrument on and off channels that
are independent of the mandolin rail.
I determined that the xylophone lock
and cancel valve was not functioning
and that was why the xylophone was
switched around. Upon inquiry as to
who was the best person to look at the
machine, the answer was overwhelmingly
Dave Ramey Sr. As luck would
have it, there was an MBSI meeting
in Tysons Corner, VA, in August 1992.
This was not too far from our house,
and Dave Ramey volunteered to stop
by on his way to the convention. He
came with his wife and started to look
at the machine.
He said, ÒLet me see if I remember
how the Nelson-Wiggen lock and cancel
works.Ó
He took the valve with him, fixed it
in his shop when he got back home
and mailed it to me. I always remember
how generous he was to work
on such a small project for a novice
collector with only one instrument.
Incidentally, it was after I went to the
Tysons Corner meeting that I joined
MBSI.
The great twist of fate was that
almost exactly 20 years later, I had his
son, Dave Ramey Jr. restore the same
The man, the master, Dave Ramey Jr. The interior of the Nelson-Wiggen 4-X before restoration was started.
20 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
The exterior of the authorÕs nickelodeon prior to restoration. Compare to the finished product on Page 27.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 21
Above: The sound board and plate removed from the machine
in preparation for restoration. Right: The before and after
shots of case restoration done during the restoration.
machine from the ground up. Thus, a Dave Ramey was
both the first and last person to look at the machine.
In the intervening years, I had the piano ÒrebuiltÓ by a
reputable technician who agreed to do pneumatic work
and piano action work. This person, who shall remain
nameless, did a horrible job after keeping the machine for
years. For example, the pin block was in terrible shape
after the work. It was loose from the sound board and the
sides of the cabinet. It was held in by the cast iron plate
only.
The machine had all the expression pneumatics missing
and I thought it would be good to have the expression put
back in. Also, the top was warped and the cabinet finish
was poor. Again, Dave Ramey was the name that came up
and it turned out that he could start on the project without
much delay. So, I again said Ògood-byeÓ to the machine
temporarily.
It turned out that there was a lot to do. Check out the list
on the facing page for details.:
22 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Restoration To-Do List
Restore Cabinet
¥ Replace veneer on sides
¥ Make new lid to match cabinet
¥ Repair damaged lock and supply new keys
¥ Install new casters
¥ Refinish cabinet
¥ Replace plating or clean and age hardware
¥ Install curtains
Restore Piano
¥ Install new pin block
¥ Refinish soundboard
¥ Install new tuning pins
¥ Install new strings
¥ Refinish piano plate
¥ Replace plating on hardware
¥ Clean and rebuild action wippens
¥ Install new butts and hammers
¥ Install new damper felts
¥ Replace incorrect mandolin clips with original Banjo
Rail blocks
Restore Electric Components
¥ Restore coin mechanism (install missing spiral
spring cover)
¥ Replace plating on hardware
¥ Install relay and cover (lessens wear on coin mech
contacts)
¥ Install vintage light fixtures using custom made
fabric covered wiring and fabric wire loom)
¥ Clean and polish motor and install new plated
adjuster knob
Restore Xylophone
¥ Clean bars and apply coating of tung oil
¥ Tune bars to original pitch
¥ Replace copper plating on hex screws
¥ Replace stringer cord
¥ Make and install missing expression devices (two
pneumatics, rest rail, and related hardware)
¥ Replace all valve pouches and valve face leathers
¥ Replace all gaskets
¥ Replace all coverings
¥ Replace brass plating on beater wires
¥ Make and install new bellow springs
Restore Piano Stack/Rebuild Simplex Unit Valves
¥ Replace all valve pouches and valve face leathers
¥ Replace all gaskets
¥ Replace all coverings
¥ Replace plating on top valve seats
¥ Reseal bottom valve seats
Restore Vacuum Pump
¥ Replace outer covering with sealed leather
¥ Make and install new inner and outer flap valves
¥ Recondition pump body
¥ Clean and/or replace plating of hardware (brass and
nickel)
¥ Install new friction drive tire
¥ Resurface idler pulley
¥ Make and install new drive belt (shorten original
drive belt as well)
Restore Music Roll Frame
¥ Clean mechanism
¥ Replace brass plating on hardware
¥ Clean and polish tracker bar
¥ Swap Seeburg style spool ends with matching style
¥ Paint spool ends to look like original Bakelite spool
ends
¥ Restore rewind/play unit
¥ Replace rubber tubing
¥ Make and install missing tubing cover
Restore Drum Shelf
¥ Make and install missing on/off unit
¥ Make and install missing expression devices
¥ Replace all valve pouches and valve face leathers
¥ Replace all gaskets
¥ Replace all coverings
¥ Install new synthetic skin drumhead
¥ Replace plating on triangle and hardware
Restore other Pneumatic Components
¥ Replace all valve pouches and valve face leathers
¥ Replace all gaskets
¥ Replace all coverings
¥ Make and install missing Hammer Rail unit
¥ Make and install missing tubing guides
¥ Replace rubber tubing
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 23
Just six years ago (Aug. 11, 2013),
Dave Jr. drove the machine to our
house in Maryland from Marysville,
OH, and made sure everything was
working great. In addition, he couldnÕt
resist doing some work on my Seeburg
ÒKÓ machine!
Dave Ramey Sr. started his work
with mechanical music in 1955, receiving
his automatic music education
while maintaining the nickelodeon
collection at SvobodaÕs Nickelodeon
Tavern and Museum in Chicago, IL.
Around 1970, Dave Sr. began a full-
time restoration business. He trained
a number of skilled craftsmen. Then,
in 1994, he introduced the Banjo-Orchestra
nickelodeon orchestrion and
established the D.C. Ramey Piano
Company. The company has since
sold many of these units. Dave Ramey
Sr. passed away in July 2006. His son,
who followed him into the family business,
became a full timer at the D.C.
Ramey Piano Company in 1986 after
years of working after school and
summers alongside his father. Dustin
Hott worked with Dave Jr. in that
period and he did much of the piano
work for my restoration project.
The restoration of the Nelson-Wiggen
was so wonderful, that if it were
once again magically 1925 and I
ordered this same machine new from
the factory, and it looked like what I
got from Dave, I would be perfectly
happy.
I honestly canÕt believe it! Sometimes
The restored, and gleaming, sound board and plate reinstalled in the machine.
Left: Rebuilt unit valves pre-installation. Above, rebuilt piano
parts waiting their turn to be joined with the rest of the parts.
24 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
A view of the interior of the nickelodeon post restoration. Compare to the image on Page 20.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 25
A close up of the upper section showing
the triangle and piano parts installed.
I find myself looking at it periodically
simply to marvel at the restoration. I
would be playing it now, except I am
stuck writing this article. The expression
system really does add a lot. The
xylophone beaters move closer to the
bars when the hammer-rail channel is
active. This gives an amazingly subtle
sound.
One side note, itÕs great to have
friends like Bart Off who contributed
original curtains and the lid molding.
He also helped on technical issues.
For example, the original machines
had Òbanjo railsÓ rather than Òmandolin
railsÓ. Instead of metal clips, there
are small blocks of wood which makes
a banjo-like sound when struck. So, I
now have a banjo rail on the machine.
Unfortunately, Bart is no longer with
us.
Dave Ramey Jr. can be reached at
dcramey@dcramey.com. His phone
is (708) 602-3961. Visit his website
dcramey.com.
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 September-
October 2013 issue of The AMICA
Bulletin.
Above: Specifications for the banjo rail. Right: The finished product featuring cur-
tains and lights to showcase the motion of the instruments while playing.
26 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 27
28 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Lowell BoehlandÕs photo captures one of the fascinating collections
attendees were invited to see during the 2019 MBSI
Annual Meeting in Rockville, MD. This collection belongs to
Dick and Cheryl Hack, who live in Annapolis, MD. Featured in
this photo from left to right are Bursens Cafe Organ, a 86-key
Mortier Dance Organ, Wurlitzer CX orchestrion with wonder-
light, and a Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina B. The following pages
feature much more from this yearÕs annual gathering of MBSI
members.
By B Bronson
More than 200 MBSI members and
guests, made the trek to Rockville,
MD, for MBSIÕs 70th Annual Meeting,
hosted by the National Capital
Chapter. The Rockville Hilton, which
so ably handled our group in 2011,
was again the base of operations and
equaled or bettered its performance
of eight years earlier. The hospitality
room had a number of ragtime related
displays to keep with the theme of the
meeting. The committee did a great
job of lining up activities, including
the fantastic home tours. The bus
gods were apparently appeased as
there were few glitches traffic-wise.
Dick and Cheryl Hack opened up
their comprehensive collection with
the breathtaking Chesapeake Bay as a
background. Two groups were formed
on arrival with Dick taking half the
visitors through most of the larger
instruments including a Hupfeld Phonoliszt,
a Welte orchestrion, an Arburo
and dance organs by Decap and Mortier.
Meanwhile, Cheryl demonstrated
music boxes and smaller crank instruments.
She also took her group into
the garage where upstairs guests saw
a Seeburg G, a Link 2E, a rare Mills
Panoram and a couple of jukeboxes.
The powerful, model 36 Ruth was then
played and, as nice as it was, most of
the group went outdoors to enjoy it
with the door closed.
Above the HackÕs garage visitors were
treated to a viewing of a rare Mills
Panoram.
Dick Hack plays one of his Wurltizer jukeboxes for Warren and Barbara Stiska.
MBSGB Alison Biden shoots photos of the model 36 A Ruth & Sohn dance organ
which sits opposite a Wurlitzer 153 band organ.
Jerry Biasella listens to a small barrel organ at the Hack home.
30 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Visitors listen to the HackÕs Welte orchestrion and admire the DeCap dance organ nearby.
The HackÕs Wurlitzer Style B Automatic Phonographs, disc music boxes, crank organs and many other music boxes were
Harp on display. on display during the tour of the Hack collection.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 31
Dick Hack demonstrates a pair of table-top organettes.
A large cylinder box entertains visitors at the Hack home.
Cheryl Hack plays a floor-standing Mira disc box.
Cheryl Hack talks with a visitor about one of her disc boxes.
Dick Hack discusses the inner workings of his National automatic
piano.
Visitors marvel at the ÒBakerÕs PacersÓ mechanical horserace Tour hosts Dick and Cheryl Hack pause for a moment together
machine in the HackÕs basement. in front of their Mortier organ.
32 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Durward Center, in Baltimore,
MD, invited meeting goers to see
his fabulous collection of Weltes. He
is the expert when it comes to this
machine and he had some fine examples
to demonstrate. He also played
his 60-key Hooghuys while many
admired his beautifully restored tower
clocks. Everyone then visited the shop
downstairs, which had an authentic
line shaft setup for powering much
of his equipment. It was jokingly said
that he could probably restore more
machines if he didnÕt spend so much
time cleaning up his shop. It was
immaculate!
Durward Center and his dog, Buddy, in front of his Welte Style 5 orchestrion.
One of the tower clocks in Durward
CenterÕs Orchestrion Hall.
Durward CenterÕs collection of brass
bladed electric fans drew many viewers. The exterior of a tower clock.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 33
On the left is Durward CenterÕs Burdett Reed Organ and on the right is his recently-restored Welte Philharmonic Organ.
A Welte Cabinet Piano, ca. 1906, in
Inside Durward CenterÕs workshop is a pristine 12.5 horsepower oil engine. Orchestrion Hall.
34 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Antiques are everywhere in Durward
Durward Center plays his 60-key Hooghuys organ. CenterÕs home.
The Seth Thomas Tower Clock is one of
A collection of ornate ceiling fan motors in Durward CenterÕs workshop. three at Durward CenterÕs home.
A North Tonawanda Musical Instrument
Works Style 146 band organ in the Antique clocks, statuary, mirrors, chandeliers and furniture can be found in Durward
workshop. CenterÕs living room.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 35
Jack and Mildred Hardman, always
gracious hosts, had some treats in
store. Mildred showed her exquisite
collection of antique beaded handbags.
Meanwhile, Jack played their
Edgerton KT Special, some small
crank organs and the wonderful
sounding Dutch street organ by Anton
Pluer named ÒDe Kei.Ó There were
many side collections to see, including
many wind-up toys, model steam
engines and a large representation
of locomotive and marine air horns.
Finally, Jack and Mildred introduced
internationally known organist, Walt
Strony, who played a concert on their
38 rank Wurlitzer Theatre Organ. An
interesting feature to the installation
is a camera mounted overhead, which
projects a neat view of the organist at
work.
Walt Strony plays a concert for the
assembled MBSI members.
The control center of the HardmanÕs 38-rank Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.
Jack and Mildred HardmanÕs collection of locomotive and marine air horns makes
for a colorful display above the workshop. The ÒDe KeiÓ organ is in the background.
Walt Strony speaks to the crowd prior to his performance.
A replica Seeburg KT Special nickelodeon sits next to an
antique Phono Lamp with original silk lamp shade.
36 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
The 90-key Dutch street organ built by Anton Pluer and named ÒDe KeiÓ is a colorful centerpiece in the HardmanÕs collection.
Mildred and Jack Hardman discuss their MBSI members looking through Mildred HardmanÕs collection of antique beaded
31/84 Raffin hand-cranked organ. handbags.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 37
The Seeburg G sounds and looks great, too, with its art glass
Matt Jaro talks to members about his Seeburg H nickelodeon. panels backlit and the doors closed.
Alberic Godderis and Beth Ann Mitchell listen to Matt JaroÕs Matt Jaro performs for members on his grand piano set
Seeburg K with pipes featuring dancing girls art glass. against a backdrop of a beautiful day on the East Coast.
38 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
The JaroÕs Western Electric Mascot C nickelodeon is one of their more recent
acquisitions.
Finally, Meeting Chairman Matt Jaro
and wife Beni entertained everyone
in their expansive home. They collect
mostly American nickelodeons with
such examples as Seeburg K, G and
H. Matt was particularly proud of the
great sounding H, which has been
outfitted with a MIDI player. He has a
great number of original rolls scanned
and available, but he was most excited
to show off the new arrangements he
has for the system. Once again, the
group was split in two, so while half
were seeing the instruments, the other
half was in the basement watching a
Laurel and Hardy movie along with
several comical shorts and newsreels.
All were shown by a professional
theater projector. Matt has a massive
collection of films and a seemingly
unending number of 78 rpm records.
Hosts Beni and Matt Jaro welcoming
guests to their home.
Matt JaroÕs Nelson-Wiggen Style 4-X
nickelodeon was set up in the hospital-
ity room to entertain meeting attendees.
Lyle Merithew, Freddy Heyse, Mary Pollock, Danny De Bie and Rob Pollock listen to
Matt Jaro describe the restoration of the Western Electric Mascot C.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 39
Events were scheduled for after the
collection visits. Wednesday night,
there was a Welcome Dinner. It was
designed to replace the first-timerÕs
reception and was well received. We
saw the first of the many creative center
pieces designed by Ginny Little.
Following the dinner, Jere Ryder, conservator
of the Guinness collection
at the Morris Museum in New Jersey,
used his knowledge of the history of
Murtogh Guinness to help create the
link between ragtime and mechanical
music. Thursday night made use of
the theater within the hotel to show
the Harold Lloyd silent classic, ÒSafety
Last.Ó It was first-come, first-served
and was Òsold out.Ó
Friday was reserved for workshops
which were numerous, informative and
entertaining. During the buffet lunch
break, the societyÕs various awards
were presented. And to celebrate the
70th annual meeting, there was a tribute
sound and slide show, put together
by the usual suspects, Bob and Diane
Yates. It showcased the many people
who, over the years, have made the
MBSI what it is today. That night, an
ice cream social was enjoyed by all.
The next morning, the annual breakfast
business meeting was convened
to cover the necessary concerns
of the society. As always, finances
were reviewed, various committees
reported, and the chapters described
their activities over the past year.
This year included the passing of the
presidentÕs gavel. Members warmly
welcomed Tom Kuehn as he stepped
in to replace Clay Witt. Both were
smiling broadly, for opposite reasons!
Dealers and members then retreated
to the designated rooms to participate
in the annual mart, hopefully where
those who wish to thin out their
collection, meet those who want to
increase theirs.
It was then on to the Annual Banquet,
bittersweet in that it is always a
good time, but it also signals the end
of the meeting. Members got oiled
up at the cash bar and then sat down
for another great meal with top notch
service that the hotel afforded for the
prior several days. The entertainment
for the evening was the president of
the Northern Virginia Ragtime Society,
40 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 41
42 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Alex Hassan, who re-created Ò… the
spirited and glorious melodies of the
Golden Age of popular music.Ó The
only item left was to receive the table
favor which was a 30-note music box
for which music could be punched
out and played by cranking the paper
through the unit. For the musically
challenged, a pre-punched strip came
with it, playing the ÒWeeping Willow
Rag.Ó
Kudos to Matt and his team who
organized another great annual meeting!
As old friends and new friends said
their goodbyes, all looked forward to
the 2020 meeting, to be hosted by the
Golden Gate Chapter and the AMICA
Founding Chapter, set for Sept. 2-7 in
Redwood City, CA.
Editors Note: I wish to offer a huge
thank you to our volunteer photographers
Lowell Boehland, B Bronson, Bob Caletti,
Ed Cooley, Ginny Little, and Sandy
Lynch for providing these wonderful
images from this event.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 43
44 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 45
Interesting Tidbits
By Craig Darlak
While playing my Hoffbauer street
organ on the historic town square of
Dahlonega GA, this past Christmas
(an event that earned some positive
coverage in Southern Living magazine)
I was contacted by the Lumpkin
county Historical Society to be a guest
speaker. I agreed and a date was set. It
was advertised in the newspaper and
on the historical society website.
A large crowd of about 150 people
attended. I took numerous mechanical
music items from my collection to
demonstrate and talk about.
I started with small items and progressed
to larger ones. I demonstrated
a Rolmonica, nose flute, organettes,
cylinder music box, disc music box,
street organs, gramophone and a
TanzbŠr accordion. The crowd was
very receptive to my presentation and
had lots of questions.
I talked about being a member of
MBSI, AMICA (Automatic Musical
Instrument CollectorsÕ Association),
and COAA (Carousel Organ Association
of America).
I gave the same presentation to
my sonÕs school, and was also asked
to be a guest speaker at the Georgia
Archives meeting in January 2019.
I feel by exposing more people to
mechanical music might generate
more members. If you are interested
in making a presentation, please feel
free to contact me to learn how I did
it. Email me at arburo2010@aol.com.
A variety of the authorÕs items displayed during the various presentations made to three different organizations.
Craig Darlak discusses his mechanical music instruments with audience members. Newspaper coverage of the event.
Northwest International Chapter
Chair: Rick Swaney
Reporter: Dale Tyvand.
Photographers: Dale Tyvand, Rick
Swaney, Kathy Baer
Jul. 20, 2019 Ð Vancouver, BC
On Jul. 20, members of the Northwest
International Chapter (NWIC)
met in Vancouver, British Columbia,
at the home of Phil and Iris Dayson.
Joining the festivities were several
members of the local AMICA (Automatic
Musical Instrument CollectorsÕ
Association) chapter. Phil entertained
the group, working through the history
of mechanical music while demonstrating
his various instruments as
part of that discussion.
Among the instruments played
was a MIDI-driven clavicytherium,
a harpsichord with the soundboard
and strings mounted vertically facing
the player. Like an up-right piano, the
design allows a significant space savings
though the inability to use gravity
for the jack mechanism complicates
the design.
Phil played his marvelous bottle
organ, that he built a number of years
ago from oil-filled Manischewitz bottles
with air blown across the top of
the bottles to generate the pleasantly
mellow notes.
The 6-foot cabinet housing the
instrument is mounted with lights
driven by the same MIDI interface that
plays the organ.
A follow-on performance was
generated from a second recently
completed bottle organ built as a
collaborative project between Phil
and chapter member Carl Dodrill.
The new design takes advantage of the
knowledge derived from PhilÕs original
bottle organ with much the same warm
sound. Labeled D&D for the two builders,
Carl was good enough to make it
available from his home, where it is
normally housed, to DaysonÕs for the
side-by-side performance.
Phil explains the player piano mechanism with the D&D bottle organ in the
foreground.
The David Leach organ takes the background as Larry Cardy, Rick Swaney, and
Rick Baer catch up with Phil.
NWIC members and guests are entranced as Phil Dayson discusses his roll-to-MIDI
converter.
Beverley SharpeÕs written instructions
Rick Swaney and Phil Dayson discuss the MIDIÕed xylophone. and battery chargers provide little help
to Dale TyvandÕs efforts to play the
TanzbŠr.
The internal workings of the roll-to-MIDI converter are revealed while Rick wraps up
the business meeting.
Beverley Sharpe reveals the Michel
Carl Dodrill plays the Aeolian Orchestrelle player organ to an appreciative audience. Marcu girl and hoop automata.
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 49
Many of PhilÕs instruments make
use of a MIDI interface for which
he is the chapter expert. As part of
the demonstration, Phil displayed a
specially designed hand-crank player
mechanism to read a paper roll and
convert it to MIDI output real-time,
ably showcasing the ability of MIDI to
duplicate a paper roll.
Other instruments demonstrated
included a David Leach organ and
a xylophone, both MIDI-driven. In
addition, Carl Dodrill was enlisted to
ably play selections on the Aeolian
Orchestrelle player organ, requiring
actual leg-power to use the original
pumper mechanism and roll.
The short chapter meeting included
a heartfelt thanks from Carl Dodrill to
the AMICA and MBSI members who
helped run the AMICA national convention
that he co-chaired in Seattle
over the week of Jul. 4. He singled out
Annie Tyvand for her design and creation
of the glass souvenirs provided
to attendees.
The meeting was followed by the
popular show and tell segment. Beverley
Sharpe brought two items from
the collection of hers and recently
passed long-time chapter member Ray
Parkinson. The first of these was a
beautiful Michel Marcu automata of
a blue-eyed young girl rolling a hoop
with a stick with moving arms and
legs to showcase that effort.
The second item was a TanzbŠr
self-playing accordion. Though handwritten
instructions were available,
with no actual experience in the room,
the attempt to demonstrate it resulted
in a good deal of hilarity but no actual
music. The cause of the malfunction
was suspected to be a missing battery.
Though the show-and-tell items were
searching for a new owner, both opted
to return home with Beverley.
Following an afternoon of snacking
on goodies provided by the DaysonÕs,
the meeting adjourned to a nearby
Italian restaurant for follow-on conversations
and catching up.
Though there were no formal
activities for the second day of the
weekend, a number of chapter members
took advantage of the wonderful
Northwest summer weather to attend
a car show and sand sculpting event
Rick Swaney captivates the business meeting audience flanked by clavicytherium,
a bottle organ, harpsichord, and the roll-to-MIDI converter.
Beverley Sharpe, Kathy Baer, and Terry Cardy await PhilÕs efforts with his MIDI
software.
Socializing and snacks, both popular chapter activities
just across the border in nearby Birch be held in early October in Cowichan
Bay, WA. Bay, B.C.
The next meeting of the NWIC will
50 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Snowbelt Chapter
Chair: Tracy Tolzmann
Reporter: Tom Kuehn
Jun. 9, 2019 Ð Arlington, MN
On Jun. 9, Lawrence and Phyllis
Crawford hosted a joint meeting
of the Snowbelt Chapter of MBSI,
the Land OÕ Lakes Chapter of ATOS
(American Theater Organ Society)
and the Northern Lights Chapter of
AMICA (Automatic Musical Instrument
CollectorsÕ Association) at their
home near Arlington, MN. The original
farmhouse has an addition dubbed
the ÒCrystal Homewood StudioÓ that
houses the musical box collection of
LawrenceÕs parents, F. Richard and
Esther Crawford, founding members
of MBSI. Also inside is a 3/24
Wurlitzer Theater Organ, originally a
two-manual six-rank organ from the
Homewood Theater in Minneapolis.
Edward Copeland, the house
organist at the Heights Theater in
Columbia Heights, entertained guests
with a series of tunes that exhibited
the capabilities of the organ. Lawrence
recorded this concert as has
been done for other musicians who
have given live performances so the
tunes can be played back at a later
time. This was followed by an open
console period when Michel Kline and
other visitors could play the organ.
Lawrence then played the organ from
previously recorded artists using his
extensive library of recordings.
The guests then enjoyed a sumptuous
meal provided by the Crawfords
including various additions brought
by the visitors. It was very clear that
PhyllisÕs family had been in the restaurant
business and knew how to feed a
hungry group out in farm country.
Lawrence and MBSIer Ralph Schultz
played some of the music boxes in the
CrawfordÕs collection, especially for
those visiting for the first time. Ralph
had performed the restoration on several
of the instruments over the years.
The collection includes many unusual
Gary Goldsmith (left) and Alex Stolitza on board CafesjianÕs Carousel at last sum-
merÕs July meeting in Saint PaulÕs Como Park.
Lawrence and Phyllis Crawford hosts of the meeting.
boxes that are rarely seen or heard. by Lawrence and Phyllis, the musical
The guests then departed for the entertainment provided, and the
long drive home with fond memories new friends and acquaintances made
of the wonderful hospitality provided during this joint meeting.
The Musical Box Society of Great Britain announces the publication of two new books
Published in September 2018
The Musical Box Society of Great Britain announces the publication of two new books
Published in September 2018
100pp Hard Back ISO A4 format [8.27Ó . 11.70Ó; Profusely illustrated in
Supplement to
colour throughout with Additional Illustrations of Models, 89 Additional Lid
The Disc Musical Box Pictures Additions to Lists of Models, Patents, Tune Lists & Serial Numbers;
Combined Index of Images in the original book and its Supplement.
Compiled and Edited by
Kevin McElhone
Originally published in 2012 and still available The Disc Musical Box
ISBN 978-0-9557869-6-9
is a compendium of information about Disc Musical Boxes, their Makers and
their Music; profusely illustrated in colour throughout with Illustrations of
each Disk Musical Box Model, and with Catalogue Scans, Lists of Models,
Patents & Tune Lists.
Supplement to
The Organette Book
Compiled and Edited by
Kevin McElhone
ISBN 978-0-9557869-5-2
100pp Hard Back ISO A4 format [8.27Ó . 11.70Ó; Profusely illustrated in
colour throughout;Additional Illustrations of Models; Additions to Lists of
Patents, Tune Lists & Tuning Scales; A New Section on Trade Cards;
Combined Index of Images in the original book and its Supplement.
The Organette Book is a compendium of information about Organettes,
their Makers and their Music. Originally published in 2000 but now out of
print although second-hand copies are occasionally available in online
auctions.
************************************************************************************************************************
For all MBSGB Publications, please refer to the Musical Box Society of Great Britain website for further details including latest
availability, discounted prices and information on how to order. -www.mbsgb.org.uk
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?
The Hunt
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. Email your story to editor Russell Kasselman at
Editing help is available if you have a story, but mbsi@irondogmedia.com or mail a copy to:
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 MBSI Editorial Offices
enjoyment of others. 3420 Edgewood Drive
We look forward to hearing from you.] San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
52 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
Join us on the Waldkircher Orgelfest Tour in 2020. This first class tour will be conducted at a slow pace to give you
time to enjoy every day of the 14-day program.
The tour will include outstanding collections and the following highlights:
The tour will start with the first overnight in Amsterdam and continue to Haarlem, where we will visit the Stichting
Kunkel Organ Museum. We continue to the historic city of Utrecht to visit the Stadskasteel Oudaen, and have a
private tour of the National Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement. We will also visit the nearby Holland Open Air
Museum (Holland Openluchtmuseum) in Arnhem. Our next destination is
Cologne, where we will take a scenic Rhine River cruise and enjoy a concert in
the famous Cologne Cathedral. We will spend 2 days in Ruedesheim and explore
Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Museum. We will visit the medieval village of
Rothenburg/Tauber and then continue to Speyer, with visits of the Wilhelmsbau,
the Technic Museum, and the German Museum of Mechanical Musical
Instruments (Deutsches Musikautomaten – Museum) in the Bruchsal Baroque
Palace. The highlight will be the 13th International Waldkircher Orgelfest for 3
days with visits of the JŠger & Brommer Organ Factory and the Elztal Museum in
the 18th century Baroque mansion. At the end of the tour we will explore
Triberg and the Schwarzwald Museum, and ride a historical steam railway.
First class hotels and deluxe bus transportation throughout the tour are guaranteed.
A tour escort with 35 years of worldwide travel experience will make sure you can enjoy an unforgettable tour.
For further information please contact:
Narrow Gauge Paradise Ð John Rogers – Musical Instrument Tours Dept.
P.O. Box 130807, Tampa, Florida 33681-0807
Tel: (001) 813 831 0357, Email: NGPAmerica@aol.com, Web: www.lgbtours.com
SAMPLE Restorations, LLC.
Joe Smith
Email: mbsi@irondogmedia.com to place your ad here!
This could be your ad right here!
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 53
WE WANT YOUR STORY!
Every mechanical musical instrument has a tale to tell. Share the history of people
who owned your instrument before you, or the story of its restoration, or just what
makes it an interesting piece. Send stories via email to editor@mbsi.org or
mail your story to Iron Dog Media, 130 Coral Court, Pismo Beach, CA 93449
(800) 635-1938 (800) 635-1938
Music Box Company, Inc.
We restore Swiss cylinder and disc music boxes.
¥ Cylinders are repinned if necessary and all worn
parts are rebuilt to original specifications or better.
¥ Combs are repaired and tuned. Nickel plated parts
are replated as needed.
Trust your prized music box to the finest quality
restoration available. We have been accused of over
restoring! Better over than under I say!
We will pick up your music box anywhere east of the
Mississippi River, and transport it to our shop in
Randolph, Vermont, where it will be stored in a
climate-controlled area until itÕs finished and returned.
We have a complete machine shop where we build Porter
Music Boxes, more than 3,000 so far. We are unique in
the industry in that we are capable of manufacturing any
part needed to restore any music box.
See our website, www.PorterMusicBox.com, to read
letters of recommendation and browse a selection of the
finest disc boxes currently being manufactured anywhere
in the world. We have twin disc models, single disc
models with 121/4Ó or15 1/ Ò discs, and table models with
beautiful cabinets created for us in Italy. Also we can
occasions.
P.O Box 424
Randolph, VT 05060
support.
Call (800) 635-1938 or
email maryP@portermusicbox.com
Wishing Everyone
a truly glorious and
Musical Holiday Season
filled with the joy
and laughter of being
with those you loveÉand
a New Year filled with
peace and kindness for all.
Discs and books and music boxes galore,
Something for everyone at my magical store!
Nancy Fratti Music Boxes
PO Box 400 Ð Canastota NY 13032 USA
315-684-9977 Ð musicbox@frontiernet.net
www.nancyfrattimusicb
StantonÕs Fall Music Machine
3-Day Auction 3-Day Auction
To be held in the Barry Expo Center, Barry County Fairgrounds,
at 1350 N. M-37 Highway, Hastings, Michigan (4-1/2 miles northwest of Hastingsor 20 miles southeast of Grand Rapids on M-37 to the sale site)
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY, NOV. 21, 22, & 23, 2019
ThursdayÕs Luncheon at 11:30 A.M. – 12:00 Noon
ThursdayÕs Auction Begins at 12:30 P.M.
Friday & SaturdayÕs Auction Begins at 9:00 A.M. Each Day
Our fall event started this type of specialized sale at StantonÕs and has always proven to
be a strong and interesting offering. This upcoming auction will prove to be no different
and has already produced many interesting and wonderful examples of antique music
machines, advertising and collectibles from estates and private collections. Many of
these items were acquired from the owners 40-50 years ago when they began collecting
and have been held behind closed doors since that time.
A very rare Berliner Gramophone hand wind machine with stamped wheel (see
photographs), a rare and great Melba phonograph with pedestal and Victor Brass horn,
Edison fan, Edison Kinetoscope, rare Edison Mazda advertising with Maxfield Parrish
illustrations, store displays, Herzog full barrel & bow front record cabinets, records, fine
Victor phonographs and wooden horn machines, rare lamp phonographs, cylinder and
disc music boxes, roller organs, and more.
Also, from a wonderful eastern U.S. Collection is a Black Forest grouping including a rare
Quail & Cuckoo clock that operates every . hour, Symphonion wall clock with music
box, Regina Coin Operated music box with gum dispenser, Kalliope Christmas tree stand
with disc music box & bells, a rare automatic flute with 8 wooden pipes, and more.
This will be an excellent auction, and a great opportunity for sellers and buyers alike.
AUCTIONEERS & REALTORSSTANTONÕSStantonÕs Auctioneers,
Appraisers, & Realtors
144 S. Main, P.O. Box 146
Vermontville, MI 49096
Phone: (517) 726-0181
Fax: (517) 726-0060
E-mail: stantonsauctions@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.stantons-auctions.com
Steven E. Stanton
(517) 331-8150 cellular
(517) 852-0627 evening
E-mail Ð stevenEstanton@gmail.com
Michael C. Bleisch
(517) 231-0868 cellular
E-mail Ð mcbleisch@gmail.com
Selling all types of fine collections at auction, across North America. Call to discuss the sale of your items in total confidence.
We can handle the moving, packing, insurance and sale of the items. Established in 1954. References available.
StantonÕs Fall Music Machine
3-Day Auction 3-Day Auction
Contact us early to have your items included and call to get on our travel schedule. We already
have trips planned to various locations on the west coast, as well as the south (Florida & Southeast)
and of course the Midwest and east coast. DonÕt wait to the last minute and anticipate that we
will be able to drop everything and head your wayÉitÕs a lot easier to call early to discuss you
situation giving us an adequate amount of time to plan, schedule and promote the items that you
have collected.
Steven E. Stanton Ð Cellular (517) 331-8150Email Ð stevenEstanton@gmail.com
Michael C. Bleisch Ð Cellular (517) 231-0868Email Ð mcbleisch@gmail.com
StantonÕs Auctioneers,
AUCTIONEERS & REALTORSSTANTONÕSSteven E. Stanton
(517) 331-8150 cellular
Appraisers, & Realtors
(517) 852-0627 evening
144 S. Main, P.O. Box 146
Vermontville, MI 49096 E-mail Ð stevenEstanton@gmail.com
Phone: (517) 726-0181
Michael C. Bleisch
Fax: (517) 726-0060
(517) 231-0868 cellular
E-mail: stantonsauctions@sbcglobal.net
E-mail Ð mcbleisch@gmail.com
Website: www.stantons-auctions.com
Selling all types of fine collections at auction, across North America. Call to discuss the sale of your items in total confidence.
We can handle the moving, packing, insurance and sale of the items. Established in 1954. References available.
BenÕs Player Piano Service
Repair and restoration of air powered mechanical music
devices of all description.
Player pianos
Reproduing pianos
Dance organs
Fairground organs
Nickelodeon pianos
Original historically
Correct techniques
And materials used
Throughout in the
Rebuilding process.
Benjamin R Gottfried
464 Dugan Road, Richfield Springs NY 13439
Bensplayerservice.com 315-858-2164
WeÕre passionate
about restoring
fine vintage
pianos
50+ years experience
(517) 886-9447
info@reederpianos.com
5660 W. Grand River Ave
Lansing, MI 48906
Chet Ramsay
Antiques
Complete Restoration
Services Available.
Specializing in Music Boxes
Ð Ð
Bought ¥ Sold ¥ Repaired
¥ Outside Horn Phonographs
¥ Music Boxes
Come visit our Victorian
showroom and workshop
East Fallowfield Twp.
2460 Strasburg Road
Coatesville, PA 19320
2 miles south of Coatesville
610-384-0514
Showroom open by appointment
Fine Art & Antique Consignments
The highest level of customer service plus private,
professional and confidential transactions.
58 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
in San Fran – cis – co
57th Annual Meeting of theAutomatic Musical InstrumentCollectors Association& 71st Annual Meeting of theMusical Box Society InternationalHosted by the AMICA Founding Chapter
and the MBSI Golden Gate Chapter
Pullman Hotel, Redwood City, California
September 2-7, 2020
in San Fran -cis-co
57th Annual Meeting of theAutomatic Musical InstrumentCollectors Association& 71st Annual Meeting of theMusical Box Society InternationalHosted by the AMICA Founding Chapter
and the MBSI Golden Gate Chapter
Pullman Hotel, Redwood City, California
September 2-7, 2020
Ride the train through the redwoods to the top of the mountain
Return for lunch and then take the train
to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the 1911 Looff Carousel
1. 2.
3.
1. A Paillard ÒGloriaÓ piccolo-zither
cylinder music box
$2,000-3,000
2. A Charles Bruguier vermeil
and enamel fusŽe bird box
$10,000-15,000
3. A Gebruder Weber ÒOteroÓ
orchestrion
$150,000-200,000
4. An M. Welte & Sšhne style 3
ÒCottageÓ orchestriton
$200,000-300,000
The Ralph & Gloria SchackMechanical Music Collection
A capsule collection featured in The Traditional Collector auction
Sunday, December 15, 2019
For auction inquiry, please contact Roland Rynkiewiscz at: 626-793-1833
1969 2019
4.
145 East Walnut Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016
www.johnmoran.com á info@johnmoran.com á (626) 793-1833
THE MART THE MART
CLASSIFIED ADS
¥ 47¢ per word
¥ ALL CAPS, italicized and bold
words: 60¢ each.
¥ Minimum Charge: $11 per ad.
¥ Limit: One ad in each category
¥ Format: See ads for style
¥ Restrictions: Ads are strictly
limited to mechanical musical
instruments and related items and
services
¥ MBSI memberÕs name must
appear in ad
¥ Non-members may advertise at the
rates listed plus a 10% surcharge
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 business
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 business
dealings with said advertisers.
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 MUSICAL
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. MECHANICAL
MUSIC PRESS-M, 70 Wild Ammonoosuc
Rd., Woodsville, NH 03785. (603) 747-2636.
http://www.mechanicalmusicpress.com
BEAUTIFUL CONDITION antique 18-inch
Mira Oak console disc player with 40 plus
metal discs included. Works perfectly and
sounds amazing. Asking $6,000 but will take
best offer. Located in Daly City, CA. Contact
ROGER LEVENTHAL at roger.leventhal@
gmail.com
27Ó REGINA DOUBLE COMB DISC UPRIGHT
MUSIC BOX # 21007 1896 Shipped from
factory May 1, 1896 to Murray Spinks &
Co, Providence RI. Includes Regina factory
shipping certificate and Paperwork of 1966
purchase from Ruth Bornand, Pelham, NY
Style 4 Mahogany. Plays as beautiful as it
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 $383
Full Page 7.25Ó x 9.75Ó $290 $261 $246
Half Page 7.25Ó x 4.5Ó $160 $144 $136
Quarter Page 3.5Ó x 4.5Ó $90 $81 $77
Eighth Page 3.5Ó x 2.125Ó $50 $45 $43
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
SUBMIT ADS TO:
MBSI Ads
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
(253) 228-1634
Email: editor@mbsi.org
Add a photo to your ad!
Photos are only $30 extra per issue.
Email editor@mbsi.org or
call (253) 228-1634 for more details.
ALL ADS MUST BE PREPAID
We accept VISA/MC and Paypal.
ADVERTISING DEADLINES:
The 1st day of each even month:
Feb., Apr., Jun, Aug., Oct. and Dec.
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.
62 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
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 by advertising in The
Mart, an effective advertising tool at an inexpensive price.
Fill out the form below and mail to MBSI at 130 Coral Court, Pismo Beach, CA
93449. Call (253) 228-1634 with questions.
WURLITZER PIANINO late style with pipes
and xylophone. Also wanting APP changer
rolls. Marches and old favorites. Contact:
DON KROENLEIN, fbac@one-eleven.net
WANTED TO BUY Coin-operated arcade-
style working models or coin-operated
automata. Please Contact PETER WALKER,
at peterswalker@sky.com
SERVICES
REPRODUCTION POLYPHON discs; Catalogs
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 Pennsylvania
Ave., Lomita, CA 90717-1516. Phone:
(310) 534-1557 Email: MBRCU@AOL.COM.
On the Web: www.musicboxrepaircenter.com
looks. Price: $28,000 includes 141 playable
27Ó discs. Shipping buyer responsibility. 25
cent coin operated, it is in great working
condition. It can also be played tripping a
lever inside the door without coin insertion.
Regina upright music box, ÒGod of MusicÓ
carved mahogany case Measures 86Ó tall,
39Ó wide, 18Ó deep. Original keys included
Also includes 141 playable 27Ó discs, most
are original, some are Porter copper plated
reproductions. For additional pictures and
information please contact BILL AND ANN
SYLVANDER, at annsylvander@hotmail.com
or 651.437.6704
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
WANTED
LOOKING TO BUY Grand Roller Organ
32-note cobs. Contact: DAVID COSMO, 845224-
6355, dave@cprdave.com
Name Phone
Email
Text of ad
Display Advertisers
2 Renaissance Antiques
52 Musical Box Society of Great
Britain
53 Bob Caletti Music Box
Restorations
53 Waldkircher Orgelfest Tours
54 Porter Music Box Company
55 Nancy Fratti Music Boxes
56 StantonÕs Auctioneers & Realtors
57 StantonÕs Auctioneers & Realtors
58 BenÕs Player Piano Service
58 Chet Ramsay Antiques
58 Cottone Auctions
58 Reeder Pianos
59 Golden Gate Chapter/AMICA
60 John Moran Auctioneers
61 John Moran Auctioneers
67 Marty Persky
68 Auction Team Breker
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 63
OFFICERS, TRUSTEES & COMMITTEES of the
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL¨
OFFICERS
President
Tom Kuehn
4 Williams Woods
Mahtomedi, MN 55115
kuehn001@umn.edu
Vice President
David Corkrum
5826 Roberts Avenue
Oakland, CA 94605
musikwerke@att.net
Recording Secretary
Linda Birkitt
PO Box 541
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693
scarletpimpernel28@yahoo.com
Treasurer
Edward Kozak
3615 North Campbell Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618
kozak@seldenfox.com
TRUSTEES
Bob Caletti
Ed Cooley
Sally Craig
Wayne Finger
Matt Jaro
Tom Kuehn
Mary Ellen Myers
Clay Witt
MBSI FUNDS
COMMITTEES
Audit
Edward Cooley, Chair, Trustee
G.Wayne Finger, Trustee
Third member TBD
Matt Jaro, Trustee
Endowment Committee
Edward Kozak, Treasurer, Chair
Edward Cooley, Trustee
G.Wayne Finger, Trustee
B Bronson
Wayne Wolf
Executive Committee
Tom Kuehn, Chair, President
David Corkrum, Vice President
Clay Witt, Immediate Past Pres.
Sally Craig, Trustee
G.Wayne Finger, Trustee
Finance Committee
Edward Kozak, Chair, Treasurer
Wayne Wolf, Vice Chair
David Corkrum, Vice President
Edward Cooley, Trustee
Peter Both
Marketing Committee
Bob Smith, Chair
G.Wayne Finger, Trustee
Meetings Committee
Matt Jaro, Chair, Trustee
Judy Caletti
Tom Chase
Cotton Morlock
Mary Pollock
Rich Poppe
Membership Committee
Chair, TBD
Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast
Linda Birkitt, Southern California
Christine Hopwood, Golden Gate
Julie Morlock, Southeast
Rob Pollock, Mid-America
Dan Wilson, Piedmont
Gerald Yorioka, Northwest IntÕl
TBD, East Coast
TBD, Great Lakes
TBD, National Capital
TBD, Snowbelt
TBD, Sunbelt
Museum Committee
Sally Craig, Chair, Trustee
Glenn Crater, National Capital
Ken Envall, Southern California
Julian Grace, Sunbelt
Wayne Myers, Southeast
Richard Simpson, East Coast
Museum Sub-Committees
Ohio Operations
Emery Prior
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Publications Back Issues:
Jacque Beeman
Regina Certificates:
B Bronson
MBSI Pins and Seals:
Jacque Beeman
Librarian:
Jerry Maler
Historian:
Bob Yates
Nominating Committee
Dan Wilson, Chair
Clay Witt, Immediate Past Pres.
Bob Caletti, Golden Gate, Trustee
Sally Craig, National Capital,
Trustee
Judy Miller, Southeast
Dale Tyvand, Northwest IntÕl
Bill Wineburgh, East Coast
Publications Committee
Bob Caletti, Chair, Trustee
Steve Boehck
Dave Corkrum, Vice President
Christian Eric
Kathleen Eric
Terry Smythe
Publications
Sub-Committee
Website Committee
Rick Swaney, Chair
Julian Grace
B Bronson
Don Henry
Knowles Little, Web Secretary
Special Exhibits Committee
Chair Mary Ellen Myers, Trustee,
Southeast,
David Corkrum, Golden Gate
Robert Ebert, Mid-America
Jack Hostetler, Southeast
Judy Miller, Piedmont
Wayne Myers, Southeast
Rick Swaney, Northwest IntÕl
MBSI Editorial Office:
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
editor@mbsi.org
Members can donate to these funds at any time.
Send donations to: General Fund (unrestricted)
MBSI Administrator, Endowment Fund (promotes the purposes of MBSI, restricted)
PO Box 10196, Ralph Heintz Publications Fund (special literary projects)
Springfield, MO 65808-0196. Museum Fund (supports museum operations)
All manuscripts will be subject to editorial review. Committee and the Editorial Staff. are considered to be the authorÕs personal opinion.
Articles submitted for publication may be edited The article will not be published with significant The author may be asked to substantiate his/her
or rejected at the discretion of the Publications changes without the authorÕs approval. All articles statements.
64 MECHANICAL MUSIC November/December 2019
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Date Event Location Sponsor
Nov. 17, 2019 Golden Gate Chapter Meeting Morgan Hill, CA Chris and Greg Hopwood
Dec. 8, 2019 Snowbelt Chapter Meeting Belle Plaine, MN Ralph & Carol Schultz
Sept. 2-6, 2020 MBSI Annual Meeting – Joint with AMICA Redwood City, CA Golden Gate Chapter
Please send dates for the Calendar of Events to Russell Kasselman (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) 886-8839
jbeeman.mbsi@att.net
CHAPTERS
East Coast
Chair: Elise Low
(203) 457-9888
Dues $10 to Geoffrey Wilson
804 Appleton Way
Whippany, NJ 07981
Golden Gate
Chair: Christine Hopwood
chris@hopwood.com
Dues $5 to Dave Corkrum
5826 Roberts Ave.
Oakland, CA 94605
Lake Michigan
Chair: Aaron Muller
(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: Matthew Jaro
(301) 482-2008
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
Chair: Vernon Gantt
(919) 264-2222
vgjr123@yahoo.com
Dues $10 to Vernon Gantt
PO Box 20238
Raleigh, NC 27619
Snowbelt
Chair: Tracy Tolzmann
(651) 674-5149
Dues $10 to Gary Goldsmith
17160 – 245th Avenue
Big Lake, MN 55309
Traveling MBSI Display
Bill Endlein
21547 NW 154th Pl.
High Springs, FL 32643-4519
Phone (386) 454-8359
sembsi@yahoo.com
Regina Certificates: Cost $5.
B Bronson
Box 154
Dundee, MI 48131
Phone (734) 529-2087
art@d-pcomm.net
Advertising for Mechanical Music
Russell Kasselman
Iron Dog Media
130 Coral Court
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone (253) 228-1634
editor@mbsi.org
CHAPTERS
Southeast
Chair: Jack Hostetler
(352) 633-1942
Dues $5 to Clay Witt
820 Del Rio Way Unit 203
Merritt Island, FL 32953
Southern California
Chair: Robin Biggins
(310) 377-1472
Dues $10 to Bob Lloyd
1201 Edgeview Drive
Cowan Hgts, CA 92705
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
Sunbelt
Chair: Ray Dickey
(713) 467-0349
Dues $10 to Diane Caudill
4585 Felder Road
Washington, TX 77880
Copyright 2018 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
November/December 2019 MECHANICAL MUSIC 65
HALF PAGE
HORIZONTAL
7.25Ó x 4.5Ó
QUARTER
PAGE
3.5Ó x 4.5Ó
EIGHTH
PAGE
3.5Ó x 2.125Ó
Mechanical Music
Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments
Journal of the Musical Box Society International
Mechanical Music
Journal of the Musical Box Society International
Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments
Volume 63, No. 3 May/June 2017
Mechanical Music
Journal of the Musical Box Society International
Devoted to All Automatic Musical Instruments
Volume 63, No. 1 January/February 2017
DISPLAY ADVERTISING DIMENSIONS & PER ISSUE COSTS
Dimensions 1 issue 2-3 issues 4-6 issues
Back Cover 8.75Ó x 11.25Ó $600 $540 $510
Inside Covers 8.75Ó x 11.25Ó $450 $405 $383
Full Page 7.25Ó x 9.75Ó $290 $261 $247
Half Page 7.25Ó x 4.5Ó $160 $144 $136
Quarter Page 3.5Ó x 4.5Ó $90 $81 $77
Eighth Page 3.5Ó x 2.125Ó $50 $45 $43
Non-members pay a 10% surcharge on the above rates
Display Discounts shown above are calculated as follows:
3 consecutive ads 10% Discount
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PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
ISSUE NAME ADS DUE DELIVERED ON
January/February December 1 January 1
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May/June April 1 May 1
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September/October August 1 September 1
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Mechanical Music is printed on 70 lb gloss
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stitched. Trim size is 8.25Ó x 10.75Ó.
Artwork is accepted in the following formats:
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Mechanical Music is mailed to more
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Box Society International six (6) times
per year.
PRINTING & ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS
CIRCULATION
ALL ADS MUST
BE PREPAID
The Musical Box Society International
accepts VISA, Mastercard and online
payments via PayPal.
Contact MBSI Publisher Russell Kasselman at (253) 228-1634 or editor@mbsi.org
CLASSIFIED ADS
¥ 47¢ per word
¥ ALL CAPS, italicized and
bold words: 60¢ each.
¥ Minimum Charge: $11.
¥ Limit: One ad in each
category
¥ Format: See ads for style
¥ Restrictions: Ads are strictly
limited to mechanical musical
instruments and related
items and services
MARTY PERSKY
Instrument Brokering & Locating / Appraisals / Inspections / Free Consultation
Welte 4 Concert Ruth 38 Popper Felix
Mortier 84 key CafŽ Hupfeld Helios II/25 Nelson Wiggen 5X $11,000
Bow Front Violano Niemuth 45-Key Bacigalupo Original Seeburg KT Special $14,000
Visit www.Mechmusic.com for information on these and other fine instruments.
T:847-675-6144 Email: Marty@Mechmusic.com
ÈMechanical MusicÇ
ÈScience, Technology & ToysÇ
9 November 2019
153rd Specialty-Auction
Free consignment shipping to Germany Ð if delivered or sent to our location
in Garden City Park, NY 11040 (10 miles east of JFK Airport)
Free shipping for any major consignment from the U.K.! You just pack Ð we do the rest!
For more information and large colour photographs of upcoming highlights please visit our website at:
www.Breker.com / New Highlights and youtube.com/auctionteambreker
Fully-illustrated bilingual (Engl.-German) COLOUR Catalogue available against prepayment only:
Euro 28.Ð (Europe) or elsewhere Euro 37.Ð (approx. US$ 44.Ð / Overseas)
(Bank draft, cash or by Credit Card with CVV and expiry date: MasterCard/Visa/AmEx)
. Consignments for Future Auctions Always Welcome! .
Ð Leading the Field in Specialist Auctions Ð
P. O. Box 50 11 19, 50971 Koeln/Germany á Tel.: +49 / 2236 / 38 43 40 á Fax: +49 / 2236 / 38 43 430
Otto-Hahn-Str. 10, 50997 Koeln (Godorf)/Germany
e-mail: Auction@Breker.com á www.breker.com á Business Hours: Tue Ð Fri 9 am Ð 5 pm
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT OUR INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES:
Japan: Murakami Taizou, Tel./Fax (06) 68 45 86 28 * murakami@ops.dti.ne.jp á China: Jiang Feng, Tel. 138 620 620 75 * jiangfengde@gmail.com
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore: Alex Shih-Chieh Lin, (HK), Tel. (+852) 94 90 41 13 * alexsclin@gmail.com
England: Tel. (0)777 963 7317 * AuctionTeamBrekerUK@outlook.de á France: Pierre J. Bickart, Tel. (01) 43 33 86 71 * AuctionTeamKoln@aol.com
Russia: Maksim Suravegin, Tel. +7 903 558 02 50 * Maksim-ATB.ru@gmx.net
U.S.A.: Andrew Truman, Tel. (207) 485 8343 * AndrewAuctionTeamBreker@gmail.com á Australia & New Zealand: P. Bardenheier, (NZ), Tel./Fax (+64) (0)9 817 72 68 * dbarden@orcon.net.nz
Éand many more!
Large Full-Orchestral
Musical Box by Paillard, c. 1880
Estimate: 10.000 Ð 15.000 /
$ 11,300 Ð 17,100
Fairground Organ by Carl Frei, Waldkirch, c. 1910
Estimate: 11.000 Ð 15.000 / $ 12,400 Ð 17,100
Polyphon Style 4 Automatic
Disc-Changing Musical Box, c. 1900
Estimate: 18.000 Ð 25.000 /
$ 20,300 Ð 28,500
Wurlitzer Automatic
Harp Mod. A, c. 1907
Estimate: 25.000 Ð 40.000 /
$ 28,000 Ð 45,000
Blackforest Flute Clock with
Automata Figures, probably
Leopold Kaltenbach, c. 1840
Estimate: 9.000 Ð 12.000 /
$ 10,200 Ð 13,700
Coin-Activated Salon
Gramophone, c. 1910
Estimate: 3.500 Ð 5.000 /
$ 4,000 Ð 5,700
Stollwerck Red Tin Toy
Gramophone, with chocolate
record and original box
Extremely rare!
Estimate: 10.000 Ð 15.000 /
$ 11,300 Ð 17,100
Polyphon Style 30
Manivelle Disc
Musical Box, c. 1900
Estimate:
500 Ð 700 /
$ 565 Ð 800
Maestrophone Model 205
Hot-Air Horn Gramophone,
Paillard, St. Croix, c 1907
Estimate: 10.000 Ð 15.000 /
$ 11,300 Ð 17,100
Berlin Barrel Organ by
G. Bacigalupo Orgel-Fabrik, c. 1910
with unusual programme including music
from Kurt WeillÕs ÒThreepenny OperaÓ
Estimate: 8.000 Ð 12.000 /
$ 9,000 Ð 13,700
Singing Bird Jardinire
Automaton by Bontems, c. 1890
Estimate: 6.000 Ð 8.000 /
$ 6,800 Ð 9,100
Walking Vintager Automaton
by Gustave Vichy, c. 1880
Estimate: 6.000 Ð 8.000 /
$ 6,800 Ð 9,100
Narghile Smoker Automaton
by Leopold Lambert, 1920s
Estimate: 8.000 Ð 12.000 /
$ 9,000 Ð 13,700
ÒPice ˆ OiseauÓ Musical Box, c. 1890
Estimate: 24.000 Ð 28.000 / $ 27,100 Ð 31,900