Charles Wilson describes his restoration of a Lecoultre forte-piano music box (ca 1840) that he completed over a period 18 years! This complete restoration included repining the “fat” cylinder, re-tuning the comb, replacing the soundboard, and a unique reconstruction of brass inlay in the case, and more! An inspiring story to read with photos. Here is a link to the photos and sound file on the MBSI website. https://mbsi.org/photo_gal/lecoultre-piano-forte-cylinder-music-box/
Bill Wineburgh presents a detailed review of the Mermod Freres cylinder box tune change mechanisms, with close up photos of various snail cams and the change control levers. Bill has also included a full summary table that covers the various models and their salient properties. I had no idea there were so many Mermod varieties!
Hope Rider remembered Don Stinson, the organ restorer and new organ builder, over the period from 1966-2019. Many of us have heard Stinson organs at various rallies, even if we did not know they were Stinson’s. A fond remembrance, with color photos to enjoy.
David Worrall continues his series of sacred music on cylinder boxes. In this article he provides background on the rise in popularity of hymns.
Reaching back to the 13th century, Dr Robert Penna writes of a programmable automata orchestra that entertained guests on a royal boat. A four-meter long replica of al-Jazari’s Musical Boat, featuring a mechanical “robot band,” is on exhibit at the Ontario Science Centre. You will want to read about this ancient Arab technology.
Regrettably, it was announced that the joint MBSI / AMICA annual meeting scheduled for September has been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.
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