The AMICA BULLETINAUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS’ ASSOCIATION
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005 VOLUME 42, NUMBER 1
Entire contents © 2005 AMICA International Printed by Engler Printing Co., Fremont, OH • [email protected] 1
VOLUME 42, Number 1 January/February 2005
FEATURESAMICA 2005 Minneapolis — 5Piped In Music of 1914 — 10Collecting Piano Advertisements — 12Synopsis of “Mechanical Music” — 13A Pilgrimage to the Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden’s — 14Bruderless Jerry No More — 22An Evening with Leo Ornstein’s Family — 23There’s Nothing Mechanical About It — 23Welte Covered — 25
DEPARTMENTSAMICA International — 2
President’s Message — 3
Publisher’s Message — 3Letters — 4
Tech Tips — 4He Shall Be Remembered — 26New Piano Rolls & Recuts — 27Chapter News — 30Classified Ads — 39
Front Cover: Foshay Tower
Inside Front: AMICA Minneapolis 2005
Back Cover: Welte-Mignon, (story on page 25)
Inside Back Cover: Maurice Chevalier’s Marshall and Wendell Ampico, an MGM photo contributed by Robin Pratt
THE AMICA BULLETINAUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION
Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association, a non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the restoration, distributionand enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls and perforated music books. AMICA was founded in San Francisco, California in 1963.
PROFESSOR MICHAEL A. KUKRAL, PUBLISHER, 216 MADISON BLVD., TERRE HAUTE, IN 47803-1912 -- Phone 812-238-9656, E-mail: [email protected] the AMICA Web page at: http://www.amica.org
Associate Editor: Mr. Larry Givens
AMICA BULLETINDisplay and Classified AdsArticles for PublicationLetters to the PublisherChapter News
UPCOMING PUBLICATIONDEADLINESThe ads and articles must be receivedby the Publisher on the 1st of theOdd number months:
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Dr. Michael A. Kukral, Publisher216 Madison Blvd.Terre Haute, Indiana 47803-1912Phone: 812-238-9656e-mail: [email protected]
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William Chapman (Bill)53685 Avenida BermudasLa Quinta, CA 92253-3586(760) 564-2951e-mail: [email protected]
To ensure timely delivery of yourBULLETIN, please allow 6-weeksadvance notice of address changes.
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ISSN #1533-9726
2
AMICA INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERSPRESIDENT Mike Walter
65 Running Brook Dr.Lancaster, NY 14086-3314
716-656-9583e-mail: [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT Dan C. BrownN. 4828 Monroe Street
Spokane, WA 99205-5354509-325-2626
e-mail: [email protected] PRESIDENT John Motto-Ros
P.O. Box 908Sutter Creek, CA 95685-0908
209-267-9252e-mail: [email protected]
SECRETARY Florie Hirsch8917 Wooden Bridge Rd., Potomac, MD 20854-2448
301-340-6664e-mail: [email protected]
TREASURER Wesley Neff128 Church Hill Drive, Findlay, Ohio 45840
419-423-4827e-mail: [email protected]
PUBLISHER Dr. Michael A. Kukral216 Madison Blvd., Terre Haute, IN 47803-1912
812-238-9656e-mail: [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY William Chapman (Bill)53685 Avenida Bermudas, La Quinta, CA 92253-3586
760-564-2951 – Fax 775-923-7117e-mail: [email protected]
— COMMITTEES —AMICA ARCHIVES Tom Hutchinson
15361 Hopper Rd., Sturgeon, MO [email protected]
AMICA MEMORIAL FUND Halie Dodrill4488 W. Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040-3934
206-236-0067, e-mail: [email protected]
AUDIO-VISUAL & TECHNICAL Harold Malakinian2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, MI 48098
CONVENTION COORDINATOR Frank Nix6030 Oakdale Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367, 818-884-6849
HONORARY MEMBERS Jay Albert904-A West Victoria Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-4745
805-966-9602 - e-mail: [email protected]
WEB MASTER Karl B. Ellison6 Lions Lane, Salem, MA 01970-1784
e-mail: [email protected]
BOSTON AREAPres. Bill Koenigsburg - 978-369-8523Vice Pres: Bob TempestSec: Ginger ChristiansenTreas: Karl EllisonReporter: Don BrownBoard Rep: Karl Ellison
CHICAGO AREAPres: Curt Clifford - 630-279-0872Vice Pres: John MuellerSec: Thad KochannyTreas: Joe PekarekReporter: Kathy StoneBoard Rep: George Wilder
FOUNDING CHAPTERPres: Bing Gibbs - 408-253-1866Vice Pres: Karen Ann SimonsSec: Lyle Merithew & Sandy SwirskyTreas: Richard ReutlingerReporter: Tom McWayBoard Rep: Richard Reutlinger
GATEWAY CHAPTERPres: Yousuf WilsonVice Pres: Gary Craig - 314-771-1244Sec: Mary WilsonTreas: Cynthia CraigReporter/Bd.Rep: Gary Craig
HEART OF AMERICAPres: Tom McAuleyVice Pres: Robbie TubbsSec/Treas: Kay BodeBoard Rep: Ron Connor
LADY LIBERTYPres: Vincent Morgan - 718-479-2562Vice Pres: Aris John DousmanisRecording Sec: Bill MaguireCorresponding Sec: Richard KarlssonReporter:Buzz RosaBoard Reps: Marvin & Dianne Polan
631-673-0388Newsletter Editor: Bill Maguire
MIDWEST (OH, MI, IN, KY)Pres: Stuart Grigg - 248-356-5005Vice Pres: Liz BarnhartSec: Sharon NeffTreas: Alvin WulfekuhlReporter: Christy CountermanBoard Rep: Liz Barnhart
NORTHERN LIGHTSPres: Phil BairdVice Pres: Sec: Jason E. Beyer - 507-454-3124Treas: Donald B. JonesReporter: Dorothy OldsBoard Rep: Dorothy Olds
PACIFIC CAN-AMPres: Halie Dodrill [email protected] Pres: Troy TaylorSec: Brian TateTreas: Jack & Mary Lou BecvarReporter: Ron Babb Bd. Rep: Carl Dodrill - 206-236-0067
SIERRA NEVADAPres: John Motto-Ros - 209-267-9252Vice Pres: Sonja LemonSec/Treas: Doug & Vicki MahrReporter: Nadine Motto-RosBoard Rep: John Motto-Ros
SOWNY (Southern Ontario,Western New York)
Pres: Mike Walter - 716-656-9583Vice Pres: Daniel TenerowiczSec: Garry LemonTreas: Holly Walter
[email protected]: Garry & Anne LemonBoard Rep: Audrey CannizzaroPhotographer: Nancy Group & AnneLemmon
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAPres: Frank Nix - 818-884-6849Vice Pres: Richard IngramSec./Reporter. Shirley NixTreas: Ken HodgeBoard Rep: Frank Nix
TEXASPres: Jerry Bacon - 214-328-9369Vice Pres: Bill BoruffTreas: Vicki BradySec: Janet TonnesenBoard Rep: Dick MerchantBulletin Reporter: Haden Vandiver
CHAPTER OFFICERS
AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONSATOSPresident - Fr. Gus Franklin6508 Willow Springs RoadSpringfield, IL 62707-9500Phone: 217-585-1770 Fax: 217-585-0835E-Mail: [email protected] - Dale BakerP. O. Box 51450Indianapolis, IN 46251-0450Phone: 317-838-9345E-Mail: [email protected]
AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORS OFMECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS19 Waipori StreetSt. Ives NSW 2075, Australia
DUTCH PIANOLA ASSOC.Nederlandse Pianola VerenigingEikendreef 245342 HR Oss, Netherlands
FRIENDS OF SCOTT JOPLIN1217 St. Croix Ct.Kirkwood, MO 63122-2326
website: http//stlouis.missouri.org/[email protected]
INTERNATIONAL PIANOARCHIVES AT MARYLANDPerforming Arts Library,University of Maryland2511 Clarice Smith Performing Arts CenterCollege Park, MD 20742Phone: 301-405-9224Fax: 301-314-7170E-Mail: [email protected]
INT. VINTAGE PHONO & MECH.MUSIC SOCIETYC.G. Nijsen, Secretaire General19 Mackaylaan5631 NM Eindhoven, Netherlands
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY OF GREATBRITAINAlan Pratt, EditorP. O. Box 299Waterbeach, Cambridge CB4 4PJEngland
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETYINTERNATIONALRosanna Harris, Editor5815 West 52nd AvenueDenver, CO 80212Phone: 303-431-9033 Fax: 303-431-6978E-Mail: [email protected]
NETHERLANDS MECHANICALORGAN SOCIETY - KDVA. T. MeijerWilgenstraat 24NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands
NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANOASSOCIATIONEverson Whittle, Secretary11 Smiths Road, Darcy Lever,Bolton BL3 2PP, Gt. Manchester, EnglandHome Phone: 01204 529939Business Phone: 01772 208003
PIANOLA INSTITUTEClair Cavanagh, Secretary
43 Great Percy St., London WC1X 9RAEngland
PLAYER PIANO GROUPJulian Dyer, Bulletin Editor5 Richmond Rise, Workingham,Berkshire RG41 3XH, United KingdomPhone: 0118 977 1057Email: [email protected]
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONDivision of Musical HistoryWashington, D.C. 20560
SOCIETY FOR SELF-PLAYINGMUSICAL INSTRUMENTSGesellschaft für Selbstspielende Musikinstrumente (GSM) E.V.Ralf SmolneEmmastr. 56D-45130 Essen, GermanyPhone:**49-201-784927Fax:**49-201-7266240Email: [email protected]
Dear friends, Winter is with us and most of us look outside our windows and wish that there were some way to make the white
stuff disappear, except for the skiers who are busy riding those chair lifts…Yahoo!! But, being a member of the former group, I am beginning to long for green grass, green leaves and multicolored flowers. Since I can’t have that quite yet, I do the next best thing, which is to go through past issues of the bulletin and refresh my memory about things past, especially those items on the “To Do” list. In a recent look-through the Nov/Dec issue I didn’t have too far to go when I came across a small reminder from the Board Meeting in Denver this past August.
For the past two annual Board Meetings individual members suggested that a Publications Committee be formed. This committee would assist the publisher by soliciting diverse articles of interest for inclusion in our bulletin and also might help in the editorial process. Members of the committee should be fairly conversant with a particular area of interest (eg: Welte, Duo-Art, Ampico, Nickelodeons, Organ Players, Midi, etc.) and be willing to urge others to put into print: histories, how-tos, why-nots?, new thingies, “How I almost burned the garage down when I…” and all other manner of interestingand informative articles.
If you yourself are interested in being a part of this committee, or know of someone with a good working knowledge in at least one area of automatic music, please contact me by e-mail: [email protected] or by phone 716-656-9583.
On another musical note, have you marked your calendar for the Minneapolis convention, June 29th through July 3rd? The tentative schedule listed on the inside cover of the Nov/Dec bulletin looks very exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
AMICAbly yours, Mike Walter
As some instruments in our collections reach the century mark they may be termed 'antique.' Thisreminds me of the importance of quality preservation and conservation of these fine and valuable instruments.Every effort should be made by all AMICAns to not only educate the public on the historical significance ofour pianos and other instruments, but also to employ careful restoration and conservation techniques that willensure the original integrity of design and function of these instruments to the delight of all! Nothing hasgiven me more pleasure throughout my 30 years as a member of AMICA than seeing, hearing, and playing abeautifully rebuilt roll operated instrument. They sure are fun and amazing things.
Please be sure to read all about our upcoming convention taking place at the end of June in the TwinCities of Minnesota. I'm sure there will be something for everyone who participates. The conventions are truly a great benefit forbeing a member of our club.
As always, I look forward to your articles and especially suggestions for the bulletin. I received more wonderful responses aboutthe cover of the last issue (the Ampico Christmas roll leader) than any previously and plan on doing a series of interesting rolls leadersas bulletin covers. If you have a roll leader that you feel should be on our cover please send it to me for scanning.
Yours,Mike Kukral
3
President’s Message
From the Publisher’s Desk
AMICA – CONVENTION DATES –
2005 Minneapolis, Minnesota June 29 - July 3
2006 Chicago, Illinois July 25 - July 30
2007 Germany/Holland July 5 - July 20(This is not set in stone yet. Hotels and buses are unable to commit this early, but it looks like this is.)
Dear Dr. Kukral;Being a new member of AMICA, I
have enjoyed the publication very much.In the Sep/Oct issue, there is a paragraphin the President's Message whichintrigues me. I have been a long timepiano and organ teacher in my community. I have in our residence a1931 Knabe Ampico B grand, a 1931Steinway Duo Art grand, a 1927 KnabeAmpico A grand and a 3/16 Aeolian Duo Art pipe organ. As a teacher, I makecontinual use of the Ampico B and theDuo Art with my students. They are veryvaluable teaching aids. My young students sit spellbound listening to them.My older more accomplished studentscan hear interpretations of pieces they arelearning. I keep the protective belly clothoff of the Knabe Ampico A so that mykids can “peek under the hood” to seehow it works. No other teacher in thecommunity has that capability. If you
think it would be of interest as an articlefor AMICA, I would like to write a briefone complete with a black and whitephoto or two. Having served as associateeditor of ATOS THEATRE ORGANmagazine many years ago, I do havesome writing experience. Please let meknow at your convenience.
Thanks,Ray Brubacher
To the Editor,In response to the request for ideas
to increase membership in AMICA. Following are a couple of ideas.
As I mentioned at the Denver convention, when rebuilders/collectorsrebuild or sell an instrument over a certainprice, they could buy the customer a one-year membership. Considering that a rebuild/purchase runs between $5,000-$10,000, this is a fairly small price to payfor promoting the industry.
The hand writing is on the wall, andelectronic CD player systems are here
to stay. We could ask QRS/Pianomationand Piano Disc to include one of our brochures along with the owner’smanual. Although 95% of my customershave pneumatic player pianos, the onesthat own Pianomation player pianos play them considerably more. One(Pianomation) owner had the lyrics todozens of songs printed so people cansing along with the piano.
Although dropping copies of the bulletin in waiting rooms is a good idea, I feel we have to be more proactive.
Don Barton, Mpls.
Dear Mike,My copy of the Christmas issue of theAMICA Bulletin has just arrived and I'mdelighted with the manner in which youhave displayed my article. It looks great!Very much appreciated.Regards and best wishes of the season.
Terry Smythe, Canada
ETTERS
4
No, this isn't the title of one of LarryNorman's great piano rolls, but it is acommon problem for those of us whoenjoy mechanical music. We have allexperienced the frustration of melting,rotting or breaking rubber bands aroundour piano rolls, thus either damaging the rolls or leaving them unprotected.Sometimes, over a period of time a rubber band will literally melt and adhereitself to the paper, making it difficult toremove without damaging the roll. Evennew rubber bands tend to disintegrate inthe box, often, after only a few weeks ormonths. Some people have just given upand decided to not use them at all.
But fear no more. There is a solutionavailable. The Velcro Company, whomwe have grown to both love and loathe at times, has come out with a terrificproduct that seems tailor made in solvingthis problem. The only difficulty mightbe if you hate the color green. But theVelcro Company has developed a greatnew product called “Plant Ties”. It can bepurchased at any garden supply, HomeDepot or through those countless throwaway catalogs that have the solution toeverything in your life. We purchased a75-foot roll from one of those catalogs.Our local Home Depot carries only the50-ft rolls. In both cases the price seems
to be about the same, approx. $6.00 perroll. This product has the soft part onone side and the burr part on the otherside. Simply wrap the "tie" around yourroll so that it overlaps about an inch and cut a piece specifically to fit that particular roll. Now you have a wonderful 1/2” wide tie for your roll that will not rot, melt, dissolve, crack,blister or in any other way self-destructor damage your roll that is tailor-madefor that particular roll. Continue buyinggreat Blues rolls from Larry, but protectthem with Velcro plant ties.
TECH TIPS:The Rubber Band Blues
Sent in by Vincent Morgan
The Northern Lights
Chapter of AMICA cordially invites you
to the AMICA Minneapolis Convention
June 29 through July 3, 2005. We have
put together an exciting convention
with wonderful sightseeing (in both
Minneapolis and St. Paul), entertainment,
and workshops, some of which are
described in following articles.
Our convention hotel is the
Minneapolis Marriott City Center which
is connected to City Center Mall and
56 city blocks via skywalks. It is located
a half-block off of the 15 block long
Nicollet pedestrian and shopping mall.
You will be within blocks of the famous
Tyron Gutherie Theater, the Warehouse
entertainment district, and scores of
restaurants ranging from fast-food
to Murray’s 1950’s style fine steak
restaurant. In addition, the Marriott is
two blocks from our new transit line that
is connected to the airport and the Mall
of America. During off-peak hours, $1.25
will take you to and from the
airport as well as to the Mall of America.
Besides the 100 or so stores in the
Mall of America, downtown is home to
Marshall Fields and Neiman Marcus.
Minnesota is a great place to do your
clothes shopping since we do not have a
sales tax on clothing.
For more information contact:
AMICA Mpls. 2005, c/o Don Barton,
2715 Fourth St. S.E., Mpls, MN 55414,
612-378-1102, [email protected]
MICA 2005– MINNEAPOLIS –
FOSHAY TOWERTheme for
AMICA - Minneapolis Convention 2005
Until 1971, shortly before Mary Tyler
Moore threw her hat into the air, the
Foshay Tower was clearly the dominant
feature of the Minneapolis skyline.
Today, although in the shadows of
many taller skyscrapers, it is still the
most interesting structure in downtown
Minneapolis, both architecturally
and historically. The Foshay Tower
observation deck and museum are on
our Thursday itinerary.
The Foshay Tower was the first
skyscraper built west of the Mississippi
and remained the tallest building
in Minneapolis from 1929-1971.
The Foshay Tower is significant to
Minneapolis not only as a unique
example of architectural design and
engineering, but as a prominent
reminder of the taste and expression
of “conspicuous consumption” which
was felt throughout the United States
during the economic boom years of the
1920s.
Foshay Facts• It was modeled after the Washington
Monument.
• Height is 447 feet.
• The Tower is faced with Indiana Bedford Limestone and has 750 window bays.
• The Tower and observation deck are located on the 31st floor.
• One of a half dozen open air observations decks in the U.S.
• The “Foshay” lights are 10 feet high and 44 feet across. They are lit by 976 60-watt bulbs.
continue. . .
5
INTRODUCTION
6
Miss Jane’s Parlor and Organ Concert at the Historic Heights Theater
Thursday afternoon we will spend
two hours at the Heights Theater
enjoying a silent film, organ concert,
and turn of the last century songs
sung by Jane Romanos,
accompanied by QRS’s own
Bob Berkman on the Pianola
Push-Up. This production by
Pianola Enterprises has not
been performed since the New
Orleans Convention and we are
very excited to be able to present
this program to our fellow
AMICAns.
The Heights Theater was
constructed in 1926 by Gluek
Brewery heir Arthur Gluek.
Built in the Beaux Arts style, the
Heights was a simple neighborhood
house running film full time and show
casing local talent in stage plays. By the
1980’s, succumbing to the onslaught of
suburban theaters, the Heights became
home to 99-cent movies.
In 1998, the theater was purchased by
Dave Holmgren and Tom Letness, who
lovingly restored it to it’s original glory.
Suspended from the ceiling are restored
antique chandeliers with 2600 Egyptian
lead crystals. An 8’ by 26’ orchestra pit
was uncovered.
The crowning touch of the restoration
was the installation of the
former WCCO Radio Wurlitzer
Pipe Organ. Originally installed
in 1929 at the Nicollet Hotel
Studios, the organ was moved to
WCCO’s at 625 Second Ave.,
then removed and installed in a
residence on the East Coast. The
organ was then purchased by the
Land O’ Lakes Theater Organ
Society. A.T.O.S. members have
volunteered 100’s of hours
installing 14 ranks of pipes,
assorted percussion stops, and
organ lift. Eleven to eighteen additional
ranks are planned for future installation.
Cafesjian’s Carousel was built in 1914
by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.
This carousel, with its 68 hand-carved
wooden horses, graced the Minnesota
State Fair for 75 years. In 1934 it was
saved from a severe fire that burned part
of the building in which it was housed.
In 1988 a massive community effort,
and a generous financial donation (from
Mr. Cafesjian) saved the carousel from
being auctioned off piecemeal. It was
purchased for 1.2 million dollars,
carefully restored and placed in St.
Paul’s Town Square Park. After several
years it was decided that a better home
with more public visibility was needed.
A new home was
built for 1.1 million
dollars in Como Park.
It was moved, and
remains there for the
public to enjoy.
You will have the
opportunity to enjoy
this historic carousel
with its Wutlitzer
153 Band Organ on
Friday, July 1, 2005
when you attend the
AMICA Convention in Minneapolis next
summer.
Cafesjian’s Carousel - Como ParkSt. Paul, Minnesota
www.ourfaircarousel.org
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Minnesota Transportation Museum
The Minnesota Transportation
Museum was started by a small group of
dedicated volunteers who wanted to
restore a wooden streetcar to original
condition. In 1962 the museum was
formally incorporated as a non-profit
organization.
Northern Lights Chapter member Bob
Dumas volunteered hundreds of hours
helping to restore streetcars, a steam
powered boat and train engines which
makes this museum even more special to
our chapter.
Today, MTM’s guests can ride fully
restored streetcars at two locations in the
Twin City area, cruise Lake Minnetonka
on a steam powered boat, charter a
classic city bus, travel the beautiful St.
Croix Valley aboard a vintage train, and
explore full-size railroad cars at an
historic roundhouse. This variety serves
to define MTM’s mission: To preserve
Minnesota’s rich transportation history.
On Thursday, June 30, 2005 you will
be shuttled by one of MTM’s classic city
buses from the hotel to the Foshay Tower
and the Mill City Museum in downtown
Minneapolis.
The Jackson Street Roundhouse will
be toured on Friday, July 1, 2005. It was
built by the Great Northern Railroad in
1907 to service their passenger-steam
locomotives. You will see steam and
diesel engines being restored, experience
unique modes of rail transportation,
explore restored railcars, railroad exhibits
and model railroads. Even the turntable
has been restored. Also, time permitting
that day, we will stop and ride the
Como-Harriet streetcar between Lakes
Harriet and Calhoun.
www.mtmuseum.org
The 2005 AMICA Convention in
Minneapolis and St. Paul will include a
step back in time with a tour and dinner
reception in the St. Paul JAMES J.
HILL MANSION and DOVE HILL
MANSION of AMICA members Richard
and Nancy Nicholson.
The Great Northern Railroad had its
inception in St. Paul, Minnesota, under
the guidance of James J. Hill. Mr. Hill
and his son Louis, built fabulous
mansions on St. Paul’s Summit Avenue.
After our tour of St. Paul Railway
Museum, we will gather at the first Hill
Mansion for a tour and dinner reception.
Within a short walk we will gather at the
home of the Nicholson’s for dessert,
a concert on the ballroom Aeolian
pipe organ by Northern Lights chapter
president, Phillip Baird and David
Mertesdorf concert pianist. After the
concert and tour of the Hill/Nicholson
Mansion, we will gather for the best
fireworks display of Taste of Minnesota
on the gallery of the mansion.
The James J. Hill House symbolized
the success of a railroad tycoon also
known as the EMPIRE BUILDER, a
passenger train which runs between St.
Paul and the west coast. The home is
A Step Back in Time
continue. . .
7
8
on a grand scale of any major city
railway station built in 1891 which is the
largest and most expensive on St. Paul’s
Summit Avenue. Included in the home,
made up of 36,000 square feet, of which
we may take a ramble before dinner of
Scandinavian fare is served. Ample
are the 13 bathrooms, of course which
AMICAns may avail themselves.
After our dinner, AMICAns will stroll
through the gardens to the home of the
son of James J. Hill, Louis W. Hill, who
followed his father as president of the
Great Northern Railroad. Louis Hill built
his home in two phases. The main house
was built in 1902, and an addition was
added in 1912, which included the grand
entrance and a ballroom with a 2000 pipe
organ. Many guests, world leaders, and
royalty passed through the entrance and
were engaged in some of the most lavish
parties ever held in St. Paul.
Fortunately, Richard and his wife
Nancy have restored this beautiful
home and have graciously offered an
opportunity for a concert on the house
organ and again step back in time for us
all to recapture a little of the past of what
St. Paul once was. We of the Northern
Lights Chapter invite our fellow
AMICAns to come and taste a little
Minnesota. No snow will be forecast.
James J. Hill HouseRugged stone, massive scale, fine
detail and ingenious mechanical systems
recall the powerful presence of James
J. Hill, builder of the Great Railway.
This was a family of the Gilded Age.
Completed in 1891, the red sandstone
residence was the setting of the public
and private lives of the Hill family. Mr.
Hill oversaw the massive Richardsonian
Romanesque style. Completed in 1891,
the mansion was the largest and
most expensive home in Minnesota. It
contained 36,000 square feet on
five floors including 13 bathrooms, 22
fireplaces, 16 crystal chandeliers, and
two-story skylit art gallery, a 100-foot
reception hall, and a profusion of
elaborately carved oak and mahogany
woodwork. The final cost of this massive
undertaking was $931,275.01 including
construction, furnishings and landscaping
for the three-acre estate.
Louis W. Hill HouseSt. Paul family reclaims old
house/Richard Nicholson and his family
reside in the historic Summit Avenue
mansion where his great-grandparents
once socialized with the brightest lights
of St. Paul society.
The home at 260 Summit Avenue,
built for the second son of railroad
tycoon James H. Hill, now is the
residence of Richard Nicholson, great-
grandson of Lucius Pond Ordway, one of
the early investors of 3M, a partner in the
wholesale plumbing company of Crane
and Ordway, and the man instrumental
in building of the St. Paul Hotel.
Nicholson’s lineage isn’t the only trait
making him a perfect fit for the house.
“I love history,” he says.
The house offers plenty of it. Built in
two phases, 1902 and 1912, the latter half
containing, among other features, an
entrance hall, a second-floor ballroom
with baronial fireplace and 2000 pipe
organ, and a basement swimming pool.
Since Nicholson bought the house - for
$1.7 million, he’s been digging around
documents and diaries at the James
J. Hill Library for connection between
the Hills and Ordways. Richard and
his wife Nancy have been involved
in total restoration of the home and
its pipe organ.
The 2005 AMICA Minneapolis -
St. Paul Convention will include dinner
in the first mansion and a concert and
dessert reception in the Hill-Nicholson
DOVE HILL home.
For more information on these homes go tohttp://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/jjhh/house.html
continued. . .
continue. . .
The Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
houses one of the world’s finest
collections of antique radio, television,
and broadcast equipment. The Pavek
has gained international recognition for
its continuing efforts in preserving and
documenting the history of an industry
that has made monumental changes in the
fabric of modern life.
The foundation is the Joseph R.
Pavek Collection of more than one
thousand radio receivers, transmitters,
and televisions from the first half of
the Twentieth Century. Highlights
include a working 1912 rotary spark-gap
transmitter, similar to the one used
aboard the Titanic, crystal radios of the
early Twenties, a chronologically ordered
collection of vacuum tubes (including
several of the original deForest Audions),
and one of the most extensive treasuries
of radio literature ever assembled.
Other attractions include the Charles
Bradley Collection, representing more
than sixty radio manufacturers from the
Twin Cities area, and the Jack Mullin
Collection, documenting one hundred
twenty-five years of audio recording
technology. From the earliest days of
the phonograph to talking pictures to
the revolution of magnetic recording,
the Mullin Collection preserves the
entertainment technology that has
forged the cultural achievements of
the modern era.
Some of the items include one of
the first RCA Theremins ever made, the
actual record lather used to cut the discs
for “The Jazz Singer,” and a replica of
Edison’s very first phonograph. (Text
adapted from Pavek Museum website.)
Pavek Museum of Broadcasting
9
Person with Experience in the Advertising Field to Solicit Advertisers for the AMICA Bulletin.
Candidates should be Energetic and Enthusiastic.
Direct monetary compensation is poor but long-term rewards are good.
More advertisements in the bulletin mean fewer increases (and possibly decreases)
in annual dues for our members.
For more information, or to apply for the position, please contact our publisher, Mike Kukral,
at [email protected] by phone at (812) 238-9656
10
IPED IN MUSICBy Edward Copeland
OF 1914The Louis W. Hill mansion, located on
Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota
is the location of a fine “untouched”
Aeolian residence pipe organ. This
marvelous instrument is a fine example
of Aeolian organs from the teens. Opus
number 1294, Rollin Smith’s Book, The
Aeolian Pipe Organ And Its Music lists
the organ in the opus list as being a
3 manual, 38 rank instrument, with the
original contract being signed January
10, 1914, and the organ being shipped
August 20, 1914. The organ originally
was equipped with 2 consoles, a 3
manual with 116 note roll box is located
in the ballroom on the second level,
and at one time a 2 manual console was
located in a corner of the dinning room.
The 2 manual console was later removed.
Louis Hill, son of railroad magnet
James J. Hill was an accomplished artist
and patron of the arts. His love for music
was a factor in choosing the organ for
his home. When he chose the Aeolian
Company to provide the organ, he
wanted an instrument that was capable of
reproducing the finest music available,
and this is one of the reasons for the size
of the instrument (38 ranks was a fairly
large organ by common residence organ
standards, with most being in the
12 to 15 rank size). The organs
pipes are located in 2 locations. The
majority of the organ is located in
a large case at the north end of the
ballroom, opposite of the 3 manual
console, and there is also an Echo
division located in a chamber, which
speaks out over the grand staircase.
The organ features the Aeolian
simplified stop names (String MF,
String P, Flute MF etc), and has a
“blind” but adjustable combination
action, with the setter board located
inside the main organ case. Manual I
(great) and Manual III
(choir) are on a
duplexed chest on the
right side of the case
(as one looks at the
case) and Manual II
(swell) is located to
the left center of
the case, with the
pedal pipes to the
left side inside the
case. All of the
divisions are enclosed
except for the
main pedal, which
is unenclosed.
The current owners of the house, the
Nicholson family has spent considerable
time and effort in the restoration of the
rest of the house, and as they consider the
organ to be part of the house, they have
allocated funds to restore the organ to
playable condition. Special attention has
been paid to keeping the organ as original
as possible, and several builders have
been turned away when they suggested
adding a solid-state relay system to the
organ. One factor has lead to solid-state
components being installed so that MIDI
files of the Aeolian Duo-Art 176 note
rolls that provide complete control of
the organ could be played back. The
installation of the MIDI playback
system is done in such a way that it is
completely reversible so that with ease
the organ can be returned to it original
state. Mike Ames has provided
much information about using MIDI
with Aeolian organs, as well as being
a source for the 176 note MIDI files.
Midiator Systems of California built
the Midi interface. All the playback
equipment is located in the console. The
reasoning behind this was so that the
organ could be left unattended while
playing. The original 116-note system
has been restored, but due to the
nature of the system, it requires
constant attention. This is because
the Aeolian 116 note rolls have no
provision for stop or expression
changes, so someone must change
the stops (suggestions are printed on
the roll). The roll mechanism also
does not have any sort of automatic
tracking (someone must guide the roll
by means of a small “steering wheel”
located below Manual III (the lowest
keyboard).
Here is the case containing the main organ. The case is finishedwith fumed oak. The grandfather clock stands 9 1/2 feet tall.
The console of op. 1294. Finished in fumed oak, andequipped with horizontally rocking tablets for stop control. The roll box is located in the top center,
with the glass door closed.
11
The restoration began in 2000 with
local builder and organist Karl
Eilers restoring the console and it’s
components, as well as the regulators and
swell engines. Work paused for a short
time due to some major health issues
both in the Nicholson family and with
Mr. Eilers. Work resumed in the summer
of 2004 when Barton Player Pianos of
Minneapolis took on the job of restoring
the harp and installing the MIDI system.
As an organ builder of 20 plus years
I assisted Don Barton with various
facets of the project. Being familiar with
working on historic organs in the area,
one of which had been the Minneapolis
Auditorium Kimball (5-4/123), and I
knew what it would take to keep this
organ in original condition.
The organ still has cone tuned treble
pipes, and is completely straight
(there are no unit stops anywhere in the
instrument). It has several interesting
ranks, the ever popular free reed clarinet
and English horn, but also an orchestral
oboe, a pair of fine trumpets (one is
capped) and a couple of other reeds
which are built in the traditional style
of organ reeds. Work still continues
on the MIDI playback at the time of
writing this article, and is expected to
be completed shortly. All concerned with
the restoration are looking forward to
having the work completed in advance of
the convention next summer.
continued. . .
Stop List for Aeolian Pipe Organ 1294 Louis W. Hill of Saint Paul, Minnesota
Manual I & III Manual II Echo PedalDiapason F Horn Diapason Diapason MF Deep Diapason 16*Diapason MF Vibrato String F String MF* Deep String 16String F String F String P Deep Flute F 16String MF Mixture String P Flute P Deep Flute P 16Flute F Flute MF High Flute 4* Deep Bassoon 16Flute P Flute P* Clarinet* Flute*String P High Flute 4 Trumpet* (Echo) Deep Flute 16String PP * Vibrato String P Vox Humana*Quintadena Flute * String PP TremoloHigh Flute 4 Deep Flute 16Piccolo 2 Trumpet ** Echo to Manual IClarinet English Horn Echo to Manual IITrumpet Oboe **Orchestral Oboe ** TremoloTremolo Vox Humana F
Vox Humana P*
BOUND BULLETINSDear Friends,We are in the process of reducing the over stock of bound AMICA bulletins. These volumes
cover the years 1971 to 2003. If anyone is interested in acquiring a single volume or a
complete set of these bound volumes for the cost of postage and packing please contact
Tom Hutchinson by e-mail at [email protected] or by US mail.
Tom Hutchinson15361 Hopper Rd
Sturgeon MO 65284
There are a limited number of bound bulletins available and will be distributed on a first
come, first served basis. Get your order in early so you won’t be disappointed!
12
Collecting can be a form of a disease .It can consume houses and families, bothyoung and old. Belonging to AMICAputs you in the collecting category—pianos, rolls and other music-relateditems. That’s OK; it gives us somethingto look for on vacations, weekend outings; and now, eBay. I call all of thethings that we all look for “stuff.” Mostof us have friends with “stuff.” Somehave entire houses full of it, and othershave had to add on a room or rooms for the additional “stuff.” I fall into the“all of the above” category.
For the last 20 years, I have collectedsmall piano advertising items. Photosshown are advertising mirrors with the piano name and the dealer that soldthem on the back. They were produced in various sizes, but were usually about three inches in diameter. Otheradvertising items included celluloidbookmarks, stamp holders, tape measures, toy tops, celluloid calendars,and more. Some may ask how manysmall advertising items for pianos are out there? Quite a few; between 1900 and1940, there were 1,200+ stencil pianonames in America. Pianos were very popular and there were many dealersthroughout the country.
It appears the lady of the house wasthe target of most piano dealers, but somemen must have gone piano shopping as asmall percentage of the mirrors havebeautiful women on them (see photos).The salesman had something for eithersex. As individuals shopped for pianos inthe showroom, the salesman wouldreward them with a small purse mirrorwith the piano name and dealer name and address. Some piano manufacturersmust have had big advertising budgets.Schaeffer for one; I have one mirror thatreads “over 140,000 sold,” and a laterone reads “over 200,000 sold.” Anotheritem given out was a token good for $10in trade if a new piano was purchased.
Some of the mirrors are beveled.Today most are in poor condition on themirror side as they were originally donewith the mercury silvering process, but it is the advertising side that is the collectible.
Pump organ companies did the sameas I have a few mirrors that advertiseorgans. A very early organ advertisementfrom Bridgeport Organ Co. is a pen wipe in the shape of an Irish setter. It isfolded celluloid with blotter materialinside (see photos). I have several glass paperweights advertising pianos. One isfor Wurlitzer.
How many are out there? I don’tknow, but I have 200+ small items withpiano ads with different brand names invarious configurations. How to display?I have some in deep picture frames usingfoam core as a spacer and a dab of RTVto hold them. Most are on small woodeneasels (made myself) in eye level wallcases. I like to take them out, touch them,and look at different ones from time totime.
A word about collecting: If you cansee and touch the item, that is the best. Ifthe item is in a drawer or closet where itcannot be seen, it is no fun owning it.
OLLECTINGBy John Motto-Ros
PIANO ADVERTISEMENTS
Here are a few examples of mirrors and other advertisement items. The dog
(back side) is a pen wipe. The coin is good for $10.00 at the time of purchase
on any piano or player piano at Krausgill Piano Co., Louisville, KY.
The Kimball is a cloth tape measure. The Packard Co. is a stamp holder; yes,
the same as Packard car company . The dog (front side) is a pen wipe.
How to Display
The sound of a street “barrel organ” ora fairground organ may revive distantmemories for older folk or stir an interest in younger people. Wealthierfamilies may have possessed their ownautomatic musical machines in the formof a player piano, a Polyphone, Regina,or cylinder music box. If well treated,these instruments may still be in workingorder. This book covers the history,development, use, and fall from favor of many types of exotic instruments,from pocket-sized musical boxes to roll-playing pipe organs, and everythingelse in between. It describes pianolas,organettes, roller organs, orchestrions,carillons, and many more. It introduces a complex subject in a way that willencourage readers to visit collectionsopen to the public or join one of the societies that encourage restoration ofinstruments to their former glory.
ANNOUNCEMENTAs an AMICA project, the Midwest
Chapter has available copies of the book“Mechanical Music” by Kevin McElhone
for a very reasonable cost. The 4”x 8”paperback book is an excellent introduction to all aspects of automaticmusical instruments including history,descriptions, and basic principles of operation. The book has 48 pages withover 100 color photographs including aphotograph of J. Lawrence Cook at hisarranging piano. The book is ideal toacquaint individuals to automatic musicand encourage prospective collectors toparticipate in AMICA. AMICA memberswho host groups and individuals for display and demonstration of their instruments should have a number ofcopies on hand to make available to people that wish to learn more and/orhave a memento of their visit. Each bookwill be provided with a large AMICAlabel on the inside front cover and an AMICA membership pamphlet insert.The book is to be provided at cost including postage within the continentalUS for $6.00 each for 1 to 9 copies and$5.00 each for 10 or more copies.Payable by cash or personal check madeout to Michael Barnhart.
Contact: Mike Barnhart 919 Lantern Glow Trail
Dayton, OH 45431 Phone 937 254-5580
e-mail [email protected]
“MECHANICAL MUSIC”
13
YNOPSIS OFSent in by Christy Counterman & Michael Barnhart
by Kevin McElhone
HHEELLPP WWAANNTTEEDDWe are looking for a FEW GOOD MEN (OR WOMEN) with a certain amount of unbiased knowledge in a
particular area to act as agents for the bulletin, urging others with knowledge or expertise...TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN THE FORM OF AN ARTICLE, OR WRITING ARTICLES THEMSELVES. A certain amount of minor editing may be required.
Areas of expertise could be in areas such as Duo-Art, Ampico, Welte, Recordo, Other Reproducing Systems, Midi, Nickelodeons, Bigger Instruments, Perforators, Refinishing, Crosswords, etc. THERE WOULDBE NO PRESSURE TO “PUBLISH OR PERISH”.
If you feel that you have time to spare and share in acquiring articles, please contact our publisher, Mike Kukral [email protected], telling him that you would like to help make our bulletin even better than what it is.
Carousel Organ, Issue No. 22 — January, 2005
The KDV is a Dutch society for the preservation of fair
organs, street-organs, dance hall organs, orchestrions and
other automatic musical instruments as well as their his-
tory and development.
We (Mike and Liz Barnhart) arrived in Amsterdam on
Friday, May 28th, 2004. We were traveling with Frank and
Shirley Nix for the purpose of attending the Kring van
Draaiorgelvrienden’s (KDV) 50th Anniversary. Our base for the
10 days in Holland was the small family operated Ouwi Hotel
in Utrecht. From there we could easily drive to all the cities that
were holding organ festivals. Parking is very expensive and
almost impossible to find in Utrecht.
We had very little detailed information on the KDV activi-
ties and discovered early on that the KDV members familiar
with their country already know where their organ festivals are
always held so there are no maps or directions to the various
venues. When asked for specific locations the answer was in
general terms, such as, “across from the train station” or “in the
park along the canal.”
On Sunday May 30th, we drove to the northern city of
Leeuwarden for the Great Organ Event. After driving around
for awhile, we saw a circus sign and followed it hoping some-
one there might know something. At the circus booth was a fel-
low buying tickets for his family to attend the circus later that
day. As luck would have it, he had traveled to the US several
times and spoke good English. He used his cell phone to call his
sister who happened to know about the organ rally, so he got in
his car and led us to the park. Several hours later, we saw him
there with his family. He had decided to find out what it was all
about.
In Leeuwarden there were about a dozen organs, including
De Grote Gavioli (Figure 1) situated in a grassy park along a
canal. Several canal boats would pull up to the bank and people
would come into the park to hear the music. The street, dance,
and fairground organs and one Raffin trumpet monkey organ
were fully enjoyed by the many people in the park on a beauti-
ful sunny day. We spent the afternoon admiring and listening to
the organs. Our conversations with the friendly organ people
were mostly limited to smiles, nods, and hand gestures.
On Monday we went to Haarlem where we met up with
Hans van Oost (Figure 2), the General Secretary of the KDV,
and Maartin Van Der Vlugt whom many Americans know. The
organ festival was held in a long narrow park between a busy
street and a canal. About 17 organs were present representing
many different European organ builders. Again, it was another
warm and sunny day and we had a good time taking photo-
graphs of the organs and listening to them. At the conclusion of
the day, we were invited over to the Kunkle Museum, now in its
new building, where the playing of many organs continued.
A Pilgrimage to the Kring van Draaiorgelvrienden’s (KDV) 50th Anniversary
Liz Barnhart
Figure 2. Hans van Oost, Frank Nix and Ron Schmuck in a lively discussion
invoving organs.
Figure 1. De Grote Gavioli as it appeared in Amsterdam on Dom Square
next to the palace.
Figure 3. The 52-key Veronica playing at the new Kunkle Museum
building.
14
Sent in by Ron Bopp
Carousel Organ, Issue No. 22 — January, 2005
The museum has large dance organs and Dutch street
organs arranged around the three sides of a single room with the
middle filled with tables and chairs. In all there were about 10
organs in the museum. A well-stocked snack bar with a grill was
enjoyed by everyone. The De Grote Gavoli brought over from
York, England played in front of the building through a large
open bay door. After De Grote Gavioli played for about an hour
the relatively small street organ, the 52-key Veronica, was
wheeled in by its young owner with the help of friends. Then
the party really got rolling with singing and dancing to the
music. It was great to see the line of people waiting to have their
chance at turning the wheel, especially since so many were
young people. They were having a good time with the small
organ surrounded by a room full of larger organs standing
silent. We are sure their fun was increased by the large amount
of beer available.
On Tuesday morn-
ing we met with the
new museum conserva-
tor, Bob van Wely, who
will be officially taking
the place of the retiring
Jan-Jaap Haspels at the
Nationaal Museum van
Speelklok tot Pierement
in Utrecht. Jan-Jaap
Haspels is being
replaced by two posi-
tions, an administrator
and Bob van Wely as
technical director. Bob
is a very personable
young man and among
his many talents, he can
play the carillon. Bob
told us that he played a
carillon somewhere
north of Cincinnati,
Ohio, while on tour in
the US. He was not sure exactly where it was. The only carillon
that we know of is in the Deeds Carillon Park in Dayton Ohio.
On Thursday we took the train to Amsterdam where there
was to be organ playing in the square in front of the Royal
Palace from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Only De Grote Gavioli was there.
Many people were around to enjoy the music as well as the
street mimes that pretend to be statues. They were having a
good day collecting coins from the onlookers. We also had the
pleasure of talking with Andrew Pilmer and his wife who had
come over to Holland from England.
Thursday we drove to Doesburg, a small town east of
Arnhem that was having a street festival with the help of four
organs, one of which was De Grote Gavioli. Even there we had
to drive around to find the festivities. Rain showers dampened
the activities; however, every one had a good time.
Friday afternoon we drove to Tilburg and found it was
much larger than we expected. We drove around and around
with the windows down trying to hear music. We finally, in
A history currently accompanying the organ is as follows.
The organ, an original 89-key G4 Scale Gavioli, built in
Waldkirch circa 1906, is now owned by Nigel Myers and family from
Rufforth, York. The organ was supplied new to Dresden Showman Carl
Patty and sometime during the 1920’s the organ was purchased by
Dutch Showman, Reinhard Dirks, and was taken to Holland. Dirks
used the organ in his Lunapark attraction and later in a set of dodgems.
It was he who sent the organ to Carl Frei to have it rebuilt and extend-
ed.
After the war the organ was no longer used and it was purchased
for preservation by Henri Bank and Theo van Zutphen who tried to
interest the town of Haarlem in adopting it as a municipal organ. This
plan failed and the organ passed into the hands of A & J Waerts of
Assendelft who then sent it to the Perlee family for restoration. It was
at this time that the organ acquired the name De Grote Gavioli, mean-
ing The Great Gavioli. Further alterations were made and the front was
decorated by Gils Perlee in his characteristic style. The Waerts brothers
enjoyed great success with their newly restored instrument touring not
only the Netherlands but also as far as Fountainbleu, France and
Bremen, Germany.
The surprise sale in 1963 of de Grote Gavioli to England, follow-
ing an advertisement in the showman’s newspaper, The World’s Fair,
by enthusiast Derrick Londrigan, aroused strong feelings amongst the
Dutch organ fraternity, many of who called for greater protection
against the export of organs from their country.
When the organ was initially offered for sale within the
Netherlands, a plan was formulated to buy it within a foundation or
trust. Unfortunately the payment terms could not be met quickly
enough, and the organ was sold to Arthur Mason, of Burnham Market,
Norfolk. Even while the Gavioli was being loaded at the docks in
Rotterdam, legal attempts were being made to prevent its leaving Dutch
soil. Although unsuccessful, these efforts sowed the seeds for the sub-
sequent protection which the Dutch Government affords today to a
selection of historic mechanical organs in the Netherlands. The organ
became the centerpiece of Arthur Mason’s private collection, soon win-
ning the hearts of British enthusiasts and a new circle of devotees was
quickly formed. Shortly before Mr. Mason’s death, the organ was sold
to the Bygone Village at Fleggburgh, where it became one of the many
attractions at this unique venue. However, its future became uncertain
again in 1996 when the instrument was put up for sale.
Quick action enabled Nigel Myers to acquire it in July of that year.
Following extensive restoration by A.C. Pilmer Automatic Music
(Leasing) LTD and the building of a purpose built display, which was
all completed in 1999, the organ has been heard at events all over
England, including the famous Great Dorset Steam Fair. One highlight
occurred in June, 2002, when the organ made a historic journey to the
town of its birth, Waldkirch in the Black Forest, to attend the 7th
International Organ Festival. For a short while the organ was played
directly outside the former Gavioli factory, premises in Lange Strasse,
the first time that it had been there in more than ninety years.
Figure 4. A 1960s photo of De Grote Gavioli showing the Waerts
brothers in front of the organ. Photo: Maartin Van Der Vlugt
Figure 5. Bob van Wely, the future tech-
nical director of the National Museum
van Speelklok tot Pierement in Utrecht.
15
16
Carousel Organ, Issue No. 22 — January, 2005
frustration, decided to give up looking for organs and go eat
lunch. On the way to lunch we came across De Grote Gavioli in
a little town square. Some people just have lucky streaks.
Maartin Van Der Vlugt was also there since his home is in
Tilburg. He told us he would not be in Arnhem on Sunday
because there was an organ festival in Switzerland that same
weekend and he would be there with Fredy Kuenzle. We have
met with Maartin on many occasions, but we have never seen
or heard his organ.
Friday evening
was the KDV cele-
bration at the
National Museum in
Utrecht. Many
speeches were given
and enjoyed by the
large crowd, but we
just smiled politely
since every word was
in Dutch. Several
people were inter-
viewed for a radio
broadcast about their work with organs and also four young
men who had composed new music for organs. Each piece was
played on the very large Carl Frei 105 key dance organ, DeSchuyt, through a MIDI interface and the winners were
announced. The competition was so close that the winners were
awarded 2nd and 3rd places only. Evidently, in Holland they
don't give a first place when the results are that close. De Schuytwas formerly a Mortier that has recently been restored and
placed on display. The bass of the organ was awesome to say
the least. Even when no music was being played the thumping
and breathing sound of the feeders was intimidating.
Ron Schmuck of Canada gave a short talk in English,
which most of them didn’t understand and he presented Hans
van Oost, the KDV Secretary, the congratulatory plaque from
COAA. Hans was chosen as the recipient since the KDV
President doesn't speak English. Hans was somewhat caught off
guard by his sudden appointment as the KDV representative.
Following the ceremonies, everyone toured the museum where
guides were available to play the many instruments, particular-
ly the organs.
Sunday found us at the Openluchtmuseum (Open Air
Museum) in Arnhem. The Openluchtmuseum is the Netherlands
equivalent to the U.S. Henry Ford Greenfield Village in
Michigan. It is a huge park with more than 80 buildings includ-
ing houses, farm build-
ings, blacksmiths, a
trolley barn, and wind-
mills brought in from
different parts of the
country. The park has a
collection of vintage
trolleys that operate on
a track that runs the
length of the park. The
park also has a vintage
1920 style carnival
setup (Figure 8) complete with rides, games, fairground organs,
attractions, gypsy wagons (Figure 9), and food stands. The park
represents a unique view of daily life and work in the
Netherlands over the past 250 years. The occasion was the
National Draaiorgeldag the premier KDV Organ Rally held at
the park every year. Liz spent her time taking pictures of the
many Dutch windmills on the property. The rest were busy
checking out the more than two dozen organs from all over
Holland, and of course, De Grote Gavioli from York, England.
The organs were scattered all over the Park. The day was again
beautiful and sunny. The other time we were at the park with
Bopp’s Bumbling Bruder Tour, it was pouring down rain with a
few organs bravely playing under their protective tarps.
Figure 6. Maartin Van Der Vlugt of Tilburg.
Figure 7. De Schuyt, a 105-key Carl Frei
dance organ premiered at the KDV celebra-
tion in Utrecht.
Figure 8.
Figure 9. Mike and Liz Barnhart pose
with a horse-drawn gypsy wagon.
17
Carousel Organ, Issue No. 22 — January, 2005
One may wonder what is uniquely a Dutch street
organ. The answer is obvious. Holland, being mostly
reclaimed ocean
bottom land, has
the only cities
with streets level
enough for one or
two men to push
the heavily
loaded organ
carts around.
Many of the
Dutch street
organs started out
originally made
in Germany and
elsewhere by
w e l l - k n o w n
builders as carni-
val style organs
designed to
attract large
crowds. These organs were too loud to play in narrow city
streets. The organs were, by necessity, customized and
soft-voiced by Dutch and Belgium organ builders to play
sweetly, suitable for city dweller's enjoyment. Dutch
street organs are characterized by their compact size for
conveyance on a three-wheel pushcart or small open two-
wheel trailer. A few trailers even had a small auxiliary
gasoline engine attached to a steer-able wheel that could
move the trailer around without being towed. The top and
side panels of a Dutch street organ façade can be folded
down and back to facilitate storage and covering by a
water proof tarp. The tarp is kept handy on top of the
organ where it can be quickly unfolded to cover the organ
in case of inclement weather, which happens quite often.
The organs with figurines have brass rails to hold the tarp
away from the fragile carvings. Dutch street organs are
book-operated, pumped by a hand crank on a large fly-
wheel. Most organs mounted on small trailers have a large
auxiliary battery operated DC motor that can be belted to
the flywheel. When the batteries are discharged, the belt
is slipped off the
flywheel and the
organ continues
to be played by
the proven
“ A r m s t r o n g ”
method.
The reader
may be disap-
pointed by the
lack of detailed
information on
individual organs
participating in
the KDV 50th
anniversary cele-
bration. Neither
of us is qualified
to evaluate indi-
vidual organs.
We were there to look, listen, and enjoy the organs
(Figures 10 - 16). Small, medium, or large each organ,
vintage or new, in its own way was fantastic. The façades
with their shapes, colors, and figurines were spectacular.
Black and white photographs do not do them justice. With
individually arranged book music each organ had its own
personality that we could listen to for hours, but there was
only time to take quick digital photographs and a short lis-
ten. Almost every organ operator offered CD and tape
recordings. There were so many that we could only pur-
chase a small sample.
Dutch street organs arecharacterized by their compact
size for conveyance on a three-wheel pushcart or small
open two-wheel trailer.
Figure 10. A Limonaire Dutch street organ.
Figure 11. A newer Gijs Perlee Dutch street organ with brilliant carving and colors.
18
Carousel Organ, Issue No. 22 — January, 2005
On Monday we had an appointment to
meet with the GSM (Gesellschaft fur
Selbstspielende Musikinstrumente e.v.)
President, Ralf Smolne and their representa-
tive Walter Tenten in Germany so it was time
to bid farewell to Holland and the KDV with
its many Dutch street organs.
Photos by Mike Barnhart
Figure 12. Splinter, a Decap dance organ
Figure 13. A German Wrede fair organ.
Figure 14. Het Schip, a Dutch street organ. Figure 16. A Bursens street organ, now residing in Haarlem,
Netherlands.
Figure 15. A Model 36A
Ruth fairground organ.
19
Cannal boats in Leeuwarden
Leaning Tower of Leeuwarden
Veronica’s Owner & Friends
Openluchtmuseum Windmills
Openluchtmuseum Trolley & Trolley Barn
Liz Barnhart and Shirley & Frank NixThree gypsies going Dutch treat.
20
21
22
Late last year Frank and I were invited
to accompany Jerry Pell to look at a
Bruder Organ Bob Gilson had for sale.
Jerry hates to fly, and was hoping for
company on a “sightseeing” trip. (Jerry
usually signed his email to us as “Bruderless
Jerry”, so you can see that he was ready!)
Now, it isn’t hard to convince us to go,
especially since Frank had missed seeing
Bob Gilsons place the last time the
Convention was in the area, due to the
fact Frank had to attend a trustees
meeting while I went on the tour to
the Gilson collection. (That hurt..)
As we planned our trip, Jerry
called and said Mike Argain had told
him about another Bruder for sale by
Steve and Jean Lanick. Mike had
owned this organ at one time, and
said it was a good one, so of course
that altered our trip considerably.
We went first to Bob Gilson’s,
and what a treat that is, whether you
are in the market for an organ or
not! There we saw the first Bruder,
and Jerry was quite surprised to see
how much music there was for this
organ. It was a small Bruder, in the right
price range, and Jerry was excited as we
left.
We flew from Wisconsin to Boston,
where we visited the Ken and Sandy
Goldman collection. Again, what a treat!
We had never seen this magnificent
collection, and it was really a thrill for
the three of us to enjoy the automata and
the great orchestrion collection. The
Goldmans were wonderful hosts, and we
appreciated their hospitality, since we
just called and asked them if it were
convenient for us to visit.
When we left Boston by rented car we
drove, sort of, towards the Lanicks. As
you can imagine, no true collector ever
drives from point A to point B, but rather
from point A to point M, or even to point
Z, with many stops along the way. We
visited several spots and saw some lovely
organs enroute, some for sale, some not.
When we got to the Lanicks and went
out to his garage there stood the Bruder,
and I swear Jerry’s eyes lit up the whole
place. This was a large, beautiful organ,
just the size Jerry was hoping for but had
been afraid he couldn’t afford. (Of
course, that is a minor problem most of
us run into from time to time, but it’s
amazing how we can do creative
financing to convince ourselves we can,
indeed, afford another instrument, or at
least that we have to have it.)
This organ had been on a carousel in
New Jersey which was owned and
operated by M. D. Borrelli at the Sunset
Beach Club. Jim Wells purchased the
carousel and attendant organs and the
whole package was broken up. Haning
and White bought the organs from Wells,
and then in 1982 Mike Argain bought the
Bruder from Haning and White. The
façade was redone by a well known sign
painter who worked on Indianapolis Race
Cars. It was beautifully done, true to the
original colors and design.
Mike rebuilt the chest and cleaned up
the pipe chest. The pump had been
rebuilt previously. As he worked on the
organ he found tickets from the Sunset
Beach Club carousel, proving the loca-
tion correct.
This organ is a Gebruder Bruder
Bruder 67-key, model 103, and was listed
in the Gebruder Bruder catalog as a
“large symphonic orchestral organ.” It
has automatic soft and loud registers and
Mike says it has tri-mixture.
In 1984 Mike traded this organ to
Steve Lanick, and it stayed there
until Jerry bought it. The façade is
still in wonderful condition, and
Jerry has had it out to a couple of
organ rallies in Southern California
already, much to the delight of those
who see and hear it.
When we got back to California
we mentioned at a meeting that there
was a good deal on another Bruder
with tons of music available from
Bob Gilson. Lo and behold Lloyd
Osmundson checked into it, found it
to be the perfect size for his needs
and bought it, so we will soon have two
fine Bruder organs at our rallies. (Lloyd’s
talented, artistic wife Brooke is restoring
the façade.)
By the way, Jerry no longer signs his
emails “Bruderless Jerry” of course. He
has gone from “no longer Bruderless
Jerry” to various signatures sort of
implying he is broke and nearly
homeless, but no long Bruderless. What
is important, after all?
This was a super adventure, and it’s
always great to see someone achieve a
dream, and to see something this great
come out to Southern California is a real
thrill. Next April at our Descanso Garden
rally the organ should have all the minor
things done, and it will be in top-notch
shape.
RUDERLESSBy Shirley Nix
JERRY NO MORE
Jerry Pell’s Bruder
Player pianos hammer the heartstrings of Alamo
Square collector
Richard Reutlinger lives in the past, and it's a splendid
place to visit.
Walking into his beautifully restored1886 Italianate Victorian in San Francisco's historic Alamo Square sector, one is overwhelmed by the ornateplushness of the place. Stained-glassCleopatras and stuffed peacocks,
mint- green brocade wallpaper and fauxmarble Corinthian columns. There's aformal portrait of a stern-faced womanwho brings Gertrude Stein to mind, awhite marble and walnut hall mirroradorned with carved wolf heads and tophats on pegs, a rose-dotted yellow silksofa once owned by fabled San Franciscomadame Sally Stanford.
In the downstairs ballroom, built bythe local German architect Heinrich Geilfuss for liquormaker-merchant Henry Brune, Reutlinger sits at a 1910foot- powered player piano, pumping outa Spanish-flavored version of ScottJoplin's "Maple Leaf Rag.'' An old sign
on top of the piano says: "Modern Dancing and Immodest Dress Stir SexDesire: Leading to Lustful Flirting, Fornication, Adultery, Divorce, Disease,Destruction and Judgment.''
"That's what they said about ragtime,too, that it was evil music,' ' says Reutlinger, 68, a ragtime connoisseurwhose high-ceilinged home often echoeswith the jaunty sound of syncopated early20th century American music.
A retired Arthur Andersen office manager who pioneered the Victorianrevival in San Francisco's Western Addition, he has a marvelous collectionof vintage player pianos and other
HERE’S NOTHINGSubmitted by Terry Smythe,
Wayne Wolf, & John Motto-Ros
San Francisco Chronicle Oct 7, 2004 - by Jesse HamlinMECHANICAL ABOUT IT:
This past Sunday evening, October
24th, my wife Pam and I enjoyed a most
interesting event in our home, the subject
of which I believe most AMICA
members would have an interest in.
Leo Ornstein’s daughter, Edith
Valentine along with her daughter Kyra
and son-in-law Michael Grimm and their
daughter Emily were guests of ours to
hear and enjoy several of the Ornstein
AMPICO rolls played on our Mason &
Hamlin. We were delighted to have the
opportunity for this visit and for them to
be able to experience these AMPICO
recordings first-hand.
We served dessert a little later-on and
had a chance to visit over cake, ice cream
and coffee. Edith recalled a number of
very interesting anecdotes about her
famous parents and times past. As many
know, Edith’s mother, Pauline Prevost
Ornstein was also a highly regarded
pianist and educator. The Ornsteins both
made enormous contributions to the
music world throughout most of the 20th
Century, and both lived long lives with
Leo Ornstein reaching the age of 109.
We feel very fortunate to have
Edith and her family living
nearby, and look forward to other
visits in the future. And I might
add the granddaughter Emily is
presently a sophomore here at
Sturgeon Bay High School, and
has quickly become a very accomplished
pianist. It may be that she has inherited
a good deal of her famous Great
grandparents’ talent.
N EVENING WITHBy Doug McGee
LEO ORNSTEIN’S FAMILY
Emily, Kyra Grimm & Edith Valentine
Edith Valentine
continue. . .
23
24
mechanical instruments -- nickelodeons,Orchestrions and a pair of reproducingpianos of the kind Rachmaninoff andGershwin recorded their music on. Theyonce rang out in barrooms, cafes and bordellos, silent-movie houses and private homes.
"I really like good syncopation,'' saysReutlinger, whose automaticinstrument collection will be onpublic view, along with everythingelse in his opulent Victorian, from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday as partof the San Francisco Museum andHistorical Society's annual AlamoSquare tour.
Reutlinger, a compact chap witha shaved head and amused blueeyes looking out through rimlessspecs, got hooked on ragtime as a kid growing up in the littleNebraska town of Lexington. Hisfavorite aunt, fun-loving Louise,played the lively music in movietheaters and dime stores.
In the late '40s, Reutlinger's parentstook him on vacation to San Francisco.He fell in love with the city, its historyand the player pianos he heard at theCliff House.
"I thought, 'Geez, these sound just likeAunt Louise,' '' says Reutlinger, who purchased his first player piano when he got back to Nebraska. He was playing accordion at a Rotary Club meeting when he asked a furniture salesman in attendance if he ever cameacross player pianos. The guy just happened to have one, a simple pedal-pumped Auto piano that thenascent 13-year-old collector scored for $50 after selling his Lionel train to get the cash.
Reutlinger doesn't know what everhappened to that instrument, which camewith only one roll that played the oldsalon tune "Robin's Return.''
"I still can't stand to listen to it,'' saysReutlinger, who owns about 5,000 pianorolls, including classics by Zez Confrey,Roy Bargy and other once-famous musicians who made the music thatplayed in parlors across America.
Reutlinger allows that he dug ElvisPresley a little in high school, and, likeany right-minded, Victorian-owning, liberated San Franciscan in the '60s,spent some time hanging out in the
Haight and grooving to the GratefulDead. But he much prefers the sound ofConfrey's "Kitten on the Keys'' or PeteWendling's version of "Darktown Strutter's Ball'' playing on one of hisnickelodeons (so named because patrons put a nickel in the slot to play aselection).
There's the 1917 Coinola that gracedan Oakland barroom until the mid-1940s,when it was replaced with a jukebox.Powered by an electric motor that runsthe pneumatic vacuum system that playsit, the piano also contains snare and bassdrums, cymbal, bells, tambourine andwood block.
Reutlinger, a gay man who'd"escaped'' Nebraska in '56 and moved toSan Francisco, where he later came out,didn't have a lot of money but was able tobuy an instrument every so often. Hepicked up the Coinola at the estate auc-tion of Charlie Smallwood, a noted SanFrancisco history buff and collectorwho'd got it from the Oakland bar.
"After World War II, when jukeboxeswere available again, the bartenders were just throwing things out on thestreet,'' Reutlinger says. When he begancollecting nickelodeons, "nobody caredthat much about them. They'd practicallygive 'em to you to get rid of them.''
Of course, Reutlinger, who foundedthe Automatic Music Instrument Collector's Association here in '63 andhosts ragtime and stride-piano concerts inhis parlor, has spent thousands of dollarsrestoring these instruments, many of which are intricately adorned withcarvings and stained-glass images.Although they're products of post-Victorian culture, he sees these ornate
machines -- collectively valued at around$250,000 -- as part of the Victorian heritage.
Howard Goldman of Oakland hasrepaired some of Reutlinger's 15 pianosand another craftsman named BingGibbs, who lives in the Gold Countrytown of Volcano, has cared for others.
A friend in New Orleans flies up to work on Reutlinger's 1920 Mills Violano Virtuoso, anelectromagnetic contraption that,in addition to a 44-note piano,actually plays a violin. The stringsare sounded by a set of celluloidrollers attached to steel rods.
The costliest piece in the house is a rare 1916 Seeburg GOrchestrion, a beautifully carvedand stained-glass-decorated instrument billed as the equivalentof a six-piece band. In addition to piano and various percussioninstruments, it also features a set
of pipes mimicking the sounds of violin,mandolin and flute.
"I wanted a G for about 40 years. Ipractically had to take a second mortgageon the house to get that one,' ' says Reutlinger, who paid a Menlo Park collector $75,000 for it. The other day, it was playing a bouncing tune that suggested the circus or a merry-go-roundor an English music-hall bit on a Beatlesrecord. It's the kind of high-volumeOrchestrion that was used in dance hallsand cabarets.
Across Reutlinger's ballroom sits his other favorite player piano, a 1911American Fotoplayer, built in Oakland.Used to accompany silent movies, it features an array of percussion and brassand reed pipes. The operator yanks on a series of pulls dangling above the keyboard to set off the sound of sleighbells and pistol shots, Indian tom-tomand train whistles.
"It 's a fun instrument,' ' says Reutlinger, who paid $800 to a collectorfor a machine that cost a whopping$4,500 when it was new. It was in pieceswhen he got it and had to be completelyrestored.
Two grand pianos sit upstairs: a 1928Knabe with an Ampico reproducingmechanism, and a 1929 Steinway riggedwith the competing Duo Art system.
continued. . .
Richard Reutlinger keeps his collection of mechanical instruments in his Alamo Square home.
continue. . .
25
These were the kind of sophisticated,precomputer player pianos prized fortheir ability to not only reproduce thenotes but the "expression'' of the artistwho recorded the roll -- the changes oftempo, volume and phrasing that mark aparticular performance.
"They play all the expression, they'renot just hammering stuff out,' ' says Reutlinger, listening to the Knabe playRachmaninoff's stately Prelude in C-Sharp Minor. The composer recordedthe roll in the 1920s.
"This is how he played it, this is him,''says Reutlinger, who has a CD player inthe kitchen, but uses it primarily to playOriental fox trots and other ragtime-eramusic.
"At the time, these pianos producedfar better renditions that the phonographrecordings of the piano. So all the bigartists recorded on them.''
Some big names have also performedlive in Reutlinger's front room, amongthem ragtime specialists Max Morath andthe Norwegian master Morten GunnarLarsen. The late, great Eubie Blake, whodied in 1983 at the age of 100, playedReutlinger's Steinway in '77.
"He was only in his 90s then, and hesounded wonderful,'' says Reutlinger,who loves to show people his collectionand his home.
"I don't understand these collectorsthat buy stuff and never let anybody seeit. There's a big collection of mechanical
instruments in the city (besides the one atthe Musee Mecanique at Pier 45) and theguy won't let anybody in. It's fun to shareit,'' says Reutlinger, a history buff forwhom the past is very much alive.
"I have to admit, this is my escapefrom the 21st century.''
The Brune-Reutlinger House, with its collection of player pianos, is
one of seven historic homes around San Francisco's Alamo Square
that will be open for public tours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets, $20-$25.
(415) 775-1111www.sfhistory.org.
continued. . .
ELTE COVEREDBy Denis Condon
Inspired by the front cover photographof the September 2003 AMICA bulletin(Volume 40 Number 5), I decided to photograph the Welte Mignon ‘set-up’ inmy collection with the thought that itmay interest other AMICAns. I like tothink that this is the complete WelteMignon for the simple reason that it, orin reality, they play T100 red rolls, T98green rolls and, with the movement ofone lever, Licensee rolls.
At the back of the set-up pictured is a Steinway upright Model ‘K’, serialnumber 212142, which plays red rolls.Michel’s Piano Atlas dates the instrumentat circa 1922 and there is an interestingtale as to how it came to Australia. Theoriginal owner was Sir Norman Kater, awealthy businessman who was one of thefounders of the Myer department storechain based in Melbourne that still existsthroughout Australia.
Sir Norman probably bought the pianoat the Steinway showrooms in ConduitStreet, London, when he visited the United Kingdom in 1924 or thereaboutsfor what may have been his honeymoon.It would appear that he ordered a copy ofevery roll in the showroom at the time,since of the156 T100 rolls in his collection none was dated later than
1925. It is a wonderful selection of concert music and includes six dancerolls from 1924. The piano and rolls wereshipped to Sir Norman and his bride’snew home in the southern highlands ofNew South Wales. The climate of thatarea may have accounted for the rolls’exceptionally good condition. Indeedmany of them seemed never to have beenplayed before I acquired the instrument.
I first came across the instrument inthe early 1960s when it was listed in theSydney Morning Herald as a ‘Steinwayplayer piano’ for auction along with theby then late Sir Norman’s house and itsother contents. Having been told it wasan ordinary player piano, I neverthelesswas curious to see it and attended theauction. When I realized it was a veryunusual reproducer my interest grew butI was outbid by a local dairy farmer and his wife, Joyce and Sam Airey. I introduced myself to the Aireys andkept in touch, visiting them in FitzroyFalls occasionally, until about 15 yearslater the phone rang one day. It was Joyceoffering me the Steinway Welte. Afterseveral years of painstaking restorationof both piano and player, with the help ofJim Nicholson, the piano stands as in thephotograph and sounding magnificent.
In front of the Steinway stands a mostunusual Welte vorsetzer that plays greenrolls. It was found in Wales (UK) by aSydney antique dealer and shipped toAustralia in the 1970s. Having sat in thedealer’s laundry for more than 10 years,it was offered to me unrestored. It seemsto be about the same vintage as the Steinway upright, which makes it mostunusual. By the mid ‘20s it appears thatWelte was only making vorsetzers toorder. In its austere Brazilian Rosewoodcase, it is a sensational machine. As can be seen in the photograph, it has asimilar stack to that of the T100 and both of these players have no trackingmechanism. So beautifully engineeredare they that neither of them ever mistracks.
Inspired by my ever-increasing collection of wonderful Licensee rolls,when restoring the vorsetzer I had long discussions with my friend JimNicholson, who is a genius when itcomes to pneumatic problems, and I decided to see if we could convert the vorsetzer to a dual system. We experimented with pieces from my collection of discarded player items andsucceeded with basically six Weltelicensee lock valves and an Aeolian
continue. . .
– SEE BACK COVER
26
transposing bar. It was the bar that madethe job fairly simple. Yes, a good deal ofluck was involved but the fact that thetest rolls (mine are all original) registerperfectly made adjusting the two systemseasy and the musical results worthwhile.It is just so fortunate that the ports in theT98 bar do the job perfectly – even thereroll is fine. The US Welte catalogue has
exceptional items that are not to be foundin any other collection and it has been acontinuing joy to be able to play myLicensee rolls.
PostscriptFor those of you with Licensee
players and access to green rolls, theGreen to Licensee conversion does not
work in reverse. I have tried it but theLicensee tracker bar is not sympathetic to the process. Its ports are all the samesize and in line, where on the green barthree ports at either end are a differentsize and in some cases fractionally out ofline with the others.
continued. . .
ERVIN CANADABorn April 28, 1929
Died December 18, 2004
AMICA in general, and the SouthernCalifornia Chapter in particular, lost agood friend and loyal member whenErvin Canada passed away from lungcancer.
Ervin had been a mechanic, a carsalesman, and had leased and rented cars.His mechanical ability made the world ofmechanical music a natural for him, andwhether he was working on orchestrions,music boxes or clocks he could solvemost any problem, and tackled each one with enthusiasm. He was a real “go-getter” in all phases of his life.
He was, along with his wife BettySue, a member of AMICA, MBSI, andNAWCC for many years. He always had
a smile, and was ready any time wecalled him for a meeting at their home orto bring out an organ to an organ rally.He was a familiar figure, with his pianokeyboard suspenders and red vest.
He and Betty Sue were married 55years, and the recurring theme at hisfuneral was his loyalty and honesty,whether in marriage, family, or business.Our sincere thoughts go out to Betty Sueand the family, although we know thereare so many happy memories of the loveshared that will keep him alive in theirhearts, and ours as well.
Ervin and wife Betty
Please Keep Your MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
CURRENT!Other Members are counting on your contact information to be up-to-date.
If your email address or any other information changes, please remember to email the change to our
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY - Bill Chapman at [email protected]
27
New from QRS Music Technologies1026 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14213-2099 • Phone: (800) 247-6557 • Fax: 1-716-885-7510 • www.qrsmusic.com
XMAS-2003 Limited Edition 2003 Christmas Roll - Silent Night; Christmas Time Is Here; Silver Bells; The Most Wonderful Timeof the Year. Played by Michael T. Jones
XMAS-2004 Limited Edition 2004 Christmas Roll - Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire); Have Yourself A MerryLittle Christmas; O Christmas Tree. Played by Michael T. Jones
11057 The Simpsons Theme - played by Christopher T. Sierzchula (instrumental)
11058 Georgia On My Mind - in the style of Ray Charles; played by Jim Beishline
XP515C Best Witches For Halloween - Bewitched (Bothered and Bewildered); Witchcraft; That Old Black Magic - played by J.Lawrence Cook
XP516C Nora Jones Hits - Come Away With Me; Don't Know Why - played by Charles Czarnecki
XP517C Dixie Chicks Hits - Landslide; Wide Open Spaces - played by Christopher T. Sierzchula
EW PIANOROLLS & RECUTS
88-NOTE NEW QRS PIANO ROLLS
DA-036 Mazurka No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 21 (Saint-Saëns) $13 played by the Composer Camille Saint-Saëns (originally issued onDuo-Art 5945 / November 1917)
DA-037 Chaconne - Andante Maestoso, Op. 21 (Bach - Busoni) $24 played by the Composer Ferruccio Busoni (originally issuedon Duo-Art 6928-5 / November 1925)
DA-038 Rhapsody in B Minor, Op. 79 No. 1 (Brahms) $18 played by Arthur Rubinstein (originally issued on Duo-Art 6744-4 /April 1924)
NEW BLUESTONE DUO-ART ROLL REISSUES
New from Rob Deland - BluesTone RollsPhone: (847) 548-6416 • www.bluesrolls.com • [email protected]
NEW BLUESTONE 88-NOTE ROLL REISSUES
137381 Midnight Blues (A Wee Hour Chang) (S. Williams)- lyric sheet included with roll $11 played by Clarence Johnson(originally issued on Mel-O-Dee 5099 / 1923)
137382 Arkansas Blues (Spencer Williams)- lyric sheet included with roll $11 played by James P. Johnson(originally issued on QRS 1670 / October 1921)
137383 Down Home Blues (Tom Delaney) - lyric sheet included with roll $11 played by James P. Johnson(originally issued on QRS 1797 / February 1922)
137384 Buzz Mirandy (Creamer - Franklin) - lyric sheet included with roll $11 played by James P. Johnson(originally issued on QRS 1952 / August 1922)
137385 Mamma's Got The Blues (Clarence Williams) - lyric sheet included with roll $11 played by Thomas "Fats" Waller(originally issued on QRS 2322 / August 1923)
continue. . .
28
DA-039 Andante Spianato and Polonaise, Op. 22 (Chopin - Liszt) $24 played by Alfred Cortot (originally issued onDuo-Art 6365 / November 1920)
DA-040 Etude, Op. 25, No. 9 in Gb Major ("Butterfly") (Chopin) $10 played by Ignace Paderewski (originally issued onDuo-Art 6097 / ca. April 1919)
DA-041 Fantasie Impromptu, Op. 66 in C# Minor (Chopin) $16 played by Harold Bauer (originally issued onDuo-Art 6058-4 / October 1918)
DA-042 Nocturne, Op. 32, No. 2 in Ab Major (Chopin) $14 played by Rudolph Ganz (originally issued onDuo-Art 6966-4 / February 1926)
DA-043 Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2 in Eb Major (Chopin) $14 played by Leopold Godowsky (originally issued onDuo-Art 5771 / May 1916)
DA-044 "Military" Polonaise, Op. 40, No. 1 in A Major (Chopin) $15 played by Ignace Paderewski (originally issued onDuo-Art 6140 / December 1919)
DA-045 "Don Juan" Variations, Op. 2 (Mozart - Chopin) $26 played by Robert Goldsand (originally issued onDuo-Art 7440-3 / December 1931)
DA-046 Andaluza - Danza Espanolas, No. 5 (Granados) $14 played by the Composer Enrique Granados (originally issued onDuo-Art 5758 / May 1916)
DA-047 Sonata in D, No. 37 - Allegro Con Brio (Haydn) $18 played by Rudolph Ganz (originally issued onDuo-Art 6835-4 / January 1925)
DA-048 La Campanella - Paganini Etude No. 3 in G Sharp Minor (Liszt) $15 played by Ferruccio Busoni (originally issued onDuo-Art 5698 / November 1915)
DA-049 Gondoliera - Annes de Pelerinage, Venezia a Napoli (Liszt) $15 played by Rudolph Ganz (originally issued onDuo-Art 6571 / November 1922)
DA-050 La Chasse ("The Chase") - Paganini Etude No. 5 in E Major (Liszt) $13 played by Ferruccio Busoni (originally issuedon Duo-Art 5671 / July 1915)
DA-051 Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 in E Major (Mendelssohn) $15 played by Josef Hofmann (originally issued onDuo-Art 6119 / April 1919)
DA-052 Finlandia Overture, Op. 26, No. 7 (Sibelius) $16 played by Ganz and Hutcheson (originally issued onDuo-Art 539-4 / April 1928)
DA-053 Sapphire, A Musical Gem (Bloom) $13 played by the Composer Rube Bloom (originally issued onDuo-Art 72488 / July 1928)
DA-054 An Operatic Nightmare - Desecration No. 2 (Arndt) $13 played by the Composer Felix Arndt (originally issued onDuo-Art 5811 / September 1916)
DA-055 Blue Hoosier Blues - lyric sheet included with roll $13 played by Edythe Baker (originally issued onDuo-Art 18855 / July 1923)
DA-056 Kickin' The Clouds Away (Gershwin) $13 played by the Composer George Gershwin (originally issued onDuo-Art 713122 / July 1925)
Continued. . .NEW BLUESTONE DUO-ART ROLL REISSUES
NEW BLUESTONE WELTE (LICENSEE) ROLL REISSUES
Welte-071 Somebody's Wrong - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Howard Lutter (originally issued onWelte Y-6575 / November 1923)
Welte-072 Me and the Boy Friend - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Malcolm (Johnny) Johnson (originally issued onWelte Y-6972 / January 1925)
Welte-073 So Am I - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Vee Lawnhurst (originally issued on Welte Y-7042 / April 1925)
Welte-074 Yearning (Just For You) - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Vee Lawnhurst (originally issued onWelte Y-7066 / May 1925)
Welte-075 Red Hot Henry Brown - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Johnny Johnson (originally issued onWelte Y-7214 / November 1925)
continue. . .
29
Continued. . .NEW BLUESTONE WELTE (LICENSEE) ROLL REISSUES
Welte-076 Who? - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Vee Lawnhurst and Howard Lutter (originally issued onWelte Y-7285 / February 1926)
Welte-077 All Alone Monday / You Smile At Me - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Howard Lutter (originally issued onWelte Y-75219 / January 1927)
Welte-078 Here Or There, As Long As I'm With You - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Howard Lutter (originallyissued on Welte Y-75235 / March 1927)
Welte-079 Positively - Absolutely - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Heyward Headden (originally issued onWelte Y-75258 / May 1927)
Welte-080 Rosy Cheeks - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Melvin Jenkins (originally issued onWelte Y-75265 / June 1927)
Welte-081 Somebody And Me! - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Johnny Johnson (originally issued onWelte Y-75282 / August 1927)
Welte-082 Under The Moon - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Julian Rodney (originally issued onWelte Y-75287 / January 1928)
Welte-083 Together, We Two - lyric sheet included with roll $12 played by Vee Lawnhurst (originally issued onWelte Y-75312 / December 1927)
Welte-084 Intermezzo from "Pagliacci" (Leoncavallo) played by the Composer Ruggero Leoncavallo $13 (originally issued onWelte X-1020 / March 1926)
Welte-085 Barcarolle, Op. 39, No. 1 (Leschetizky) $16 played by the Composer Theodor Leschetizky (originally issued onWelte C-1196 / March 1926)
Welte-086 Canzonetta Toscana all'antica, Op. 25 (Leschetizky) $13 played by the Composer Theodor Leschetizky (originallyissued on Welte B-1202 / March 1926)
Rob Deland: Blues Tone Rollswww.bluesrolls.com
[email protected]: (847) 548-6416
David Saul: Precision Music Rolls1043 Eastside Road
El Cajon, CA [email protected]
David Caldwell400 Lincoln Lake Ave., N.E.
Lowell, MI 49331Phone: (616) 897-5609
DavidWFrom [email protected]
Magic Melodies & Keystone360 Lawless Road
Jamestown, KY 42629Phone: (270) 343-2061
Robin Pratt: Artist Choice Music Rollswww.wiscasset.net/artcraft/pratt.htm
[email protected]: (419) 626-1903
Tim Baxter: Meliora Music Rollswww.members.aol.com/meliorarol/index.htm
Joyce Brite: Player Piano & Musical Music Exchange
http://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/http://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/rollpage.htm
Larry Norman: Rollertuneswww.home.earthlink.net/~rollertunes
[email protected]: (504) 721-7188
Leedy Brothers Music Rolls4660 Hagar Shore Road
Coloma, MI 49038www.leedyrolls.com
Phone: (269) 468-5986Fax: (269) 468-0019
Steve Bentley: Playrite Music Rolls1536 N. Palm St.,
Turlock, CA 95380 U.S.A.Phone/Voice: (209) 632-5784
Fax: (209) 667-8241
QRS Music Technologies, Inc.1026 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14213
Phone: 1-800-247-6557Fax: 1-716-885-7510www.qrsmusic.com
PLEASE VISIT THESE SUPPLIERS OF RECUT ROLLS
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CHICAGO CHAPTERReporter: Kathy Stone
President: Curt Clifford - (630) 279-0872
Our fall chapter meeting was held September 18th at thehome of Wayne and Connie Wolf. The Wolf’s have a diversecollection that includes orchestrions, phonographs, and musicboxes. Among the roll operated pianos are a very raremahogany Seeburg “G” orchestrion, a Coinola C-2 “O” rollnickelodeon with two ranks of pipes and full percussion, anda Link style “A” that plays the fascinating Link endless roll.Our hosts provided a delicious assortment of deli meats andmembers pitched in bringing appetizers, salads, side dishesand deserts. Needless to say, no one went home hungry.
After socializing and catching up with old friends we settled into our business meeting. Plans for the 2006 AMICAconvention were discussed. Our hotel will be the HyattRegency Woodfield where we were able to get a room rate of$85.00 per night. The convention will include trips to the Sanfilippos, Kkrughoffs, Choffnes’s and others. There will bean attendance limit of 300 people. The possibility of creatinga Chicago AMICA website was also discussed.
We had a a great time on a beautiful fall day and in addition to enjoying Connie and Wayne’s collection, we hadthe pleasure of viewing the beautiful gardens surroundingtheir home. Kudos Connie on your “green thumb”.
NewsFrom
The Chapters
December 5, 2004 The meeting was held at Dorothy Bromage’s home
in Billerica, MA. Bill Koenigsburg opened the meeting. 13 people were in attendance, 1 guest – Bill Johnson. Minutes: The minutes were read. Treasurers Report: No treasures report – Karl was absent.
Old Business: Status for the ongoing project for the Charles River
Museum of Industry was discussed.
New Business:1) Do we want to change our fiscal year/membership year
to April 1? Majority of members in attendance had no objection.
2) There will be no Xmas dinner this year. Suggestions were given for new location.
3) Bylaws - copies
4) Progress on Sandy Libman; stories and update on estate auction at Skinners Speaker – Bob Hunt discussed software and transferring files for player pianos. The meeting was adjourned.
BOSTON CHAPTERReporter: Ginger Christiansen
President: Bill Koenigsburg - (978) 369-8523
Elsa and JoePekarek examinethe Wolf’s photoalbum.
Marcie Plankand Carol
Veome.
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Some of the interesting phonographs in the Wolf’s collection.
Beautiful Style 35 Regina
disc changer music box.
Wayne and Connie with their Link model “A”.
Margaret Bisberg andRichard Van Metreand the mahogany
Seeburg “G”.
Margaret Bisberg listens toa keywind cylinder musicbox.
A diverse andinterestingcollection.
Wayne Wolf andFred Plank watch as Curt Clifford conducts the business meeting.
Tim Trager shows a ClarkOrchestra Roll Co. photo
assemblage.
MIDWEST CHAPTERReporter: Christy Counterman
President: Stuart Grigg- (248) 356-5505
Our last meeting of the year began in the Livonia, Michigan home of Nan and John Flint on Saturday, Novem-ber 13. Entering the living room, we were greeted by their leaded glass window with the coat of arms motif, and miniature carousel horses ringed the ceiling. Ceilings seemedto be their specialty, as the ceiling tiles in the music room
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Mike Barnhart and Karl Theilcheck out Kevin MeElhone’sbook on Mechanical Musicavailable from our chapter.
were replaced by giant enlargements of roll box labels. Piano rolls are everywhere, as special storage cabinets were overhead, in the hallway and in the garage, and all of the rolls were organized neatly and indexed in notebooks. The surprise came when walking into the vintage phone booth- the back wall opened into a secret roll room with floor toceiling storage. After listening to the Mills Violano, and a fewpiano rolls, the entertainment turned to live music. MikeMontgomery on the upright and Damon Atchison on thegrand combined for impromptu duets and tunes requested byour members. We enjoyed refreshments while shopping for rolls in the garage and listening to more music on theirChickering Ampico and Weber Duo-Art. But it was soon timefor dinner and we carpooled to the Pik-A-Bone restaurant fortheir delicious barbecued ribs, chicken and more.
Next was a trip into Detroit to visit the historic 1928Redford Theatre. The program that night was the annualVaudeville show presented by the Redford Harmony Club. Itwas a night full of acts including music, unicycle performers,and a former Miss Michigan and her ventriloquist mouse.They were accompanied by Don Haller at the Barton theatreorgan and the Detroit Fire Department Band.
Sunday morning we were on the road again to Wally andMarlene Donoghue's home on the outskirts of Plymouth,originally part of the Saddle Ridge Club founded by HenryFord and Harry Bennett in 1937. The many adjacent buildingsincluded a dance hall and horse corral where they hostedrodeos in the 1940's. The Donoghue's house was the formercaretaker's home, built in 1941. We had our business meetingwhere Liz Barnhart summarized the Denver convention andbrought us up-to-date on the upcoming events. Mike Barnhart reviewed a book that the Hartwells brought to theDenver Convention - Mechanical Music by Kevin McElhone.
It is a great introduction to many kinds of automaticmusical instruments with many photos and is available at areasonable price. The chapter voted to purchase 200 books tomake them available in the United States for our members togive to friends that may be interested in AMICA. We also dis-cussed future meetings and plan to meet at Bennett Leedy'sin March as well as meeting in Ohio and Indiana later in2005. The meeting adjourned so we could enjoy the musicfrom the Donoghue's music boxes and the Steinway Duo-ArtXR.
We'd like to thank our hosts, Nan and John Flint andMarlene and Wally Donoghue for a weekend filled with funfriends and wonderful instruments.
Damon Atchison awaits his cue for his next duet with Mike Montgomery.
Karl Theil enters the Flints’secret roll room where BennettLeedy is already picking outsongs.
Host John Flint demonstrates the Mills Violano for Vince Ricca.
The ceiling tiles atthe Flint’s are giantpiano roll labels.
Carousel animalsmarched across theFlints’ living room.
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Hilda and Warren Merchant wait for the next selection on the Regina Corona Changer.
The rustic setting of the Sadde Ridge Club.
A patriotic introduction at the Redford by seven branches of U. S.servicemen, accompanied by the Detroit Fire Dept. Band.
The original Japanese décor of the Redford Theatre surrounds DonHalter at the organ.
Wally Donoghuechanges the
ReginaphoneCalaoo from
disc to record.
NORTHERN LIGHTS CHAPTERReporter: Dorothy Olds
President: Phil Baird
On December 5, 2004 we met for our annual ChristmasParty. It's been a while since the chapter has held a regularmeeting. However, the convention planning committee hasbeen meeting monthly.
We had a nice winter day, no snow in sight, for which thisreporter was grateful, because of my long commute fromGrand Rapids to St. Paul.
Our president, Phil Baird hosted the event at his recentlyacquired 1912 home. It is of the Arts and Craft Style, which isvery homey and comfortable. What a great place to socialize.....and we did!
Phil is also the proud owner of a Welte/Kimball grandplayer which he purchased from Dick Kroeckel. (Phil fell inlove with it during the open house tours in Denver.) Needlessto say IT entertained us during our party.
A brief meeting was held. Chairman Don Barton broughtus up to date on the convention planning.
Following the sumptuous dinner with a variety of delcious, delectable foods, weall settled into opening the great "white elephant" giftseach received. Most everyoneenjoyed theirs.
Phil Baird – Host with his dog Willa.
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Randy Hammond, JerrilynBoehland & Phil’s new piano.
Phil’s mother,Margaret.
Jeremy, Ed Copeland, Randy Hammond, Terry Goepel, Craig Remmen,
Todd Reuhaus.
Tom Wurdeman, Phil Baird, Howie O’Neill, Don Barton, Barb Watkins.
Someone’s in the kitchen.
Tom Wurdeman, Barb Watkins, Paul Watkins.
Donald Jones (Styrofoam inmouth) Karl Eilers, Tedd N.,Howie O’Neill.
Party’s Over. . .Margaret, Tom, Tim
Wheat, Willa, Phil.
PACIFIC CAN-AM CHAPTERReporter: Mark Smithberg
President: Halie Dodrill - [email protected]
MarchMarch 20th, 2004 was a first for the Pacific Can-Am
Chapter of AMICA. We all went on a field trip. We journeyedabout 2 hours north to the small city of Bellingham near theCanadian border to visit the American Museum of Radio andElectricity. The museum is downtown in a 6000 square foot
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storefront, and will soon be expanding to 23,000 square feet.It contains over 1200 items, including radios, televisions,recording devices, early electrical devices, test equipment andquack medical equipment from the beginning of the electricalage. Most of them are operable. Some of them can be handledby the public. It is truly an interactive museum. Our chapterwill be rebuilding a foot operated player piano that will beused and displayed in their recreation of a 1920’s living room.We will furnish rolls and a roll cabinet so that they candemonstrate how to use it and visitors can learn what it is liketo pump a player piano. We then headed south to Larry andJackie Slossen’s house for the business meeting, show andtell, and pizza. We added 2 new members at that time. Plansfor the future include the Band Organ Rally at Ocean Shores,WA on June 6th and our next meeting in Spokane to be heldthe 26th of June.
Larry Slosson accompanying his talented feet at the piano while playing the harmonica.
Our business meeting with lots of pizza.
JUNE
The Pacific Can-Am Chapter of AMICA met Saturday,June 26th, in Spokane, Washington at the home of DanBrown, our international president. It was a warm day withthunder and lightening all around the north end of Spokane,but we managed to stay dry. Dan’s huge collection is actuallymany smaller collections, and would take weeks to describe.The main floor of his modest house is packed with two grandpianos, an upright Fischer Art Case Studio Ampico, and anickelodeon. Did you happen to see the nice article in theMarch/April issue of the AMICA Bulletin? The entire houseis full of Radios, Phonographs, Music Boxes, Spokane memorabilia, antiques, and there are a couple pianos in fosterplacement with good friends. It has been said that if the contents of the house were emptied onto the lawn, they wouldnever fit back into the house. We enjoyed many stories of
Spokane history, full access to the house, except the basement, and also the garage, which cotains a vintage Nash automobile. Instead of a potluck that would not havebeen feasible for the four hour drive from Seattle, we had a deli luncheon that Dan put together himself. Thanks for a great time from a great host. It was truly a treat to see all of the wonderful things Dan has collected for so many years.
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, September 18th, the Pacific Can-Am Chapterof AMICA met in Carbonado, WA at the home of Peg Kehret.Her custom log home was built with music in mind. There is aRegent player piano, Nickelodeons, an Aeolian OrchestrelleModel V, a Raffin crank organ, and many small organettes.We had many long absent members attend and one new mem-ber that contacted us from the AMICA website and joined usat the meeting. Kurt Morrison, Troy Taylor, and Ron Babbheld a workshop on pneumatic recoverings. Several membersgot their fingers sticky while working on the Milton playerour chapter will be donating to the American Museum ofRadio and Electricity in Bellingham, WA. It is fitted with aStandard Pneumatic Action which will serve their purposesvery well and hopefully not require many service calls. Alarge mart was held in the garage with many tools, rolls, andsupplies. Our business meeting followed with an update onthe Knabe APMICO that is located in downtown Seattle at theParamount Theater, its original location. It was made to matchthe Wurlitzer organ console and was placed on the mezzanineabove the lobby for use before shows and during intermission.Sold in the 1960’s, it has been leased from its current ownerand placed where it had originally intended to be. Our chapterwill be restoring it so that the public can see and enjoy it. Wehope it generates new AMICA members and demonstrates theremarkable capabilities of the AMPICO system. They haveshown great interest in having it operable. Our usual potluckwas a big hit. After that we enjoyed old-fashioned milkshakesmade by Mark Smithberg on Kurt Morrison’s 1940’s triplespindle Hamilton Beach machine.
Left to Right: Sally Gibson, Halie Dodrill, Jackie Slosson. In thebackground, the wall is filled with cover art from
Peg Kehret’s Children’s books.
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Left to Right: Ted and Aileen Miholovich, Jack Becvar, Bernice Powell, Ward Folsom, Fran Willyard, Mary Lou Becvar, Carl Dodrill, Brian Tate.
Mike Wallacepumping the“Regent”.
Left to Right: Ron Babb, Dan Brown, Peg Kehret (Our Hostess), Larry Karp reclining.
SIERRA NEVADA CHAPTERReporter: Nadine Motto-Ros
President: John Motto-Ros - (209) 267-9252
The Sierra-Nevada Chapter’s Christmas Extravaganzawas held Sunday, December 19, at the home of Tom and Virginia Hawthorn in Roseville, CA. The Hawthorn’s run an
auction of records, cylinders, phonographs, and related items;and their personal collection of these items is one of the best.
In lieu of the usual Christmas gift exchange, our hostsrequested members bring an unwrapped children’s toy to bedonated, in AMICA’s name, to a children’s charity.
John Motto-Ros purchased several copies of KevinMcElhone’s book MECHANICAL MUSIC from the AMICAMidwest Chapter and sold some to our chapter members.
Tom and Virginia planned some really fun and interestingactivities. Attendees were asked to bring their favorite and worst Christmas music selections—LP, old record, CD, or Ampico roll. After the music was played and voted on,outrageous prizes were awarded to participants.
It was great to see some long-time members, and most ofthe usual suspects were present. For those who could notattend, you missed a gala affair.
Alex Thompson loading Xmas rolls on the 1928 Fischer Ampico Grand.
Our hosts, Tom & Virginia
Hawthorn, with Xmas Nipper.
Is this AMICA partylaid back--you bet.
Sonja Lemon and DaveMareno enjoying the
Ampico Christmasmusic.
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Fred's friend Debbie, Fred Deal,Nadine Motto-Ros
and Doug Mahrenjoying food
and drink.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTERReporter: Shirley Nix
President: Frank Nix- (818) 884-6849
September 18th found AMICA and their invited guests,MBSI, at the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round for our meeting.It’s the first time we’ve been there for a meeting in a longtime, and it was a very enjoyable evening.
Our host and hostess, Warren Deasy and RosemaryWest kept the carousel open for us after hours, so we couldride to our hearts content and listen to the great music of theStinson organ. They have always been great hosts for us, fur-nishing the crew to run the merry-go-round and offering softdrinks. We love having our meetings there, and it’s a great opportunity for members to bring their children or grandchildren and introduce them to the music and fun.
Several of us brought monkey organs, too, so we couldlet the Stinson have a rest now and then and provide our ownmusic. It’s always interesting to hear the different sounds of the organs, and of course we all love to bring out ourinstruments.
It’s always nice to have children attend the meetings at the carousel, and this time Darrell Whitney and his family were there. The kids seemed to have a good time, and we enjoyed watching them. Bill and Barbara Whitneycouldn’t attend due to Barbara not feeling well, but the family was well represented.
It was a great evening, and we owe a great big vote ofthanks to Warren and Rosemary.
Shortly after that meeting we were asked by KathleenEric if we could have a few AMICA members bring out monkey organs to the city of Costs Mesa for a sidewalk art festival on October 30. She and Chris were setting things up and generally running the event. We called around, and as usual our members were more than willing to make the effort.
This was a first for Costa Mesa, and Kathleen hadarranged for a very well know sidewalk chalk artist to be there. (This took place on a basketball court, so the surface wasn’t the smoothest canvas.) It was fascinating
to watch this man, from the original outline to the finishedproduct of a lady on a couch holding her daughter. The detail and depth of the finished picture was really amazing.
Squares were offered for $5 to anyone who wanted to try their hand, including a full set of chalk, rags, and all the things an aspiring artists might need. A lot of kids had alot of fun, and quite a few adults as well.
The sounds of the monkey organs made a real atmosphere for the event, and hopefully it will become anannual thing.
Those bringing instruments were Jack Conway, Bill Klinger, Peter Breede, Jerry Pell, Frank Nix, and Bill Blair, who brought out a Regina music box with a lot of discs for people to enjoy. We really appreciate the cooperation shown by our members when we call them to put on an organ rally. Several of our members came out without instruments just to support the event and enjoy the festivities.
Another one who came out to enjoy the day was Andrew Barrett, who has been coming to our band organ rallies for the last nine years. We have watched him grow and develop into a really fine ragtime pianist. The first time he came out he was all of 9 years old, and he could tell everyone about their organ. He had actually read the Encyclopedia of Mechanical Music from cover to cover a couple of times. We were privileged to have him come out and crank the organs for most of the day.
Our next meeting will be the Christmas party at the home of Frank and Shirley Nix.
Jerry Pell and MaggieRichardson enjoying
the Stinson organ.
Kelly Peters,Ardis Prescott,Robin Biggins and Don Henry.
Our Host & Hostess –Rosemary West andWarren Deasy.
Ed, Daniel and Mike in the kitchen.
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S.O.W.N.Y. CHAPTERReporter: Garry Lemon
President: Mike Walter- (716) 656-9583
SOWNY Chapter of AMICA InternationalWinter 2004
Photography by Nancy Group and Anne Lemon
“The sun is shining, the grass is green, The orange andpalm trees sway…’But it’s December, the twenty-fourth, andI am longing to be up North!” …Irving Berlin in WhiteChristmas
Well, it was really December 11th. The moon was shining, the grass was white from snow cover. Our footprintscrunched on the snow and ice and the fir tree was brightlydecorated for Christmas.
For several years, Mike and Holly Walter have hosted our annual Christmas gift exchange. The exchange is lively.The rules are straight forward and must be respected--youdraw a number and take your turn to select a present, youhave the opportunity to select a wrapped present from underthe tree OR to choose one that has been unwrapped and is inthe possession of another SOWNY member. After three
Bill Klenger plays for thecrowd.
attempts of rescuing the present you are the lucky owner!!The prized gift was a commemorative souvenir booklet fromthe Pan American Exposition in Buffalo and included a com-pact disc featuring pianist Bob Berkman. Nancy and EdGroup did some fancy ‘trading’ of gifts to add this unique giftto their collection of Pan American memorabilia-a feast toboth read and hear! Buffalo has a long and celebrated historyas the Queen City of trade and commerce and QRS is stillbased near the famed Erie Barge Canal.
Our Christmas meal featured treats and reminded us of the truly cosmopolitan diversity of America. We had tastyperogies, two kinds of cabbage rolls, Kaiser buns with roast beef, a delicious corn soufflé pudding, cream cheese andcranberry chutney rolls, lots of shrimp and a warm cinnamoncake.
Mike conducted a brief business meeting and thanked theclub executive of 2004 and introduced the new executive. Ourformer vice president, Stan Aldridge, has offered to share hiscollection of test rolls while our newly elected vice president,Daniel Tenerowicz, suggested a bowling party and visit to acollection of automatic playing instruments. Farewells werebid to Frank and Joan Warbis who are moving and wishesof good health to long time member Howard Root. The clubwould like to continue with the rebuilding of the Weber duoart grand piano that Harrold Hodgkins has so ably andpatiently mentored. We are so fortunate to have talented members.
All the best for 2005!
Bob Berkman dictates therecipe for hisaunt’s deliciouscorn soufflé while Audreyanticipates hearing theChristmas roll.
Stan opens his gift while Nancy, Joan, Frank and Bob look on.
Frank Nix watches as Andrew Barrettcranks the organ.
BENNET LEEDY ROLLSTHE PIANO ROLL CENTER4660 HAGAR SHORE ROAD
COLOMA MI 49038Phone 269-468-5986
Fax 269-468-0019email: [email protected]
Bob Berkman playing theChickering B with his
interp retations ofBalcom 'sGraceful Ghos t and
Joplin 's Magnetic Ray. Bobis music director at QRS.
Garry select ing Ampico rolls forthe Chickering.Mike ana the gift
exchange.
Stan, Mike, Edand Noe l andMyrna Blairlistening toMike 's j ukebox.
Mika and Audrey,two very fi ne chefs .
Specializing in:Player Grands , Nickel odeons & Orchestrions
Anywhere in Continental US
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./ Phone: 563-872-3495 - Cell: 583-580-2472E-mail: [email protected]
Reproducing, 88 note, 65 note, rolls.Musical related publications and othercollectibles for sale by mail auctions.
Serving collectors since 1970.Contact us to receive our auction lists.
(6-05) Web Page: www.leedyrolls.com (4-05)
39
40
ADVERTISING GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT
ALL ADVERTISING IN THE AMICA BULLETINAll advertising should be directed to:
Mike Kukral216 Madison Blvd.Terre Haute, Indiana 47803Phone: 812-238-9656e-mail: [email protected]
Ad copy must contain text directly related to the product/servicebeing offered. Extraneous text will be deleted at the Publisher’sdiscretion. All advertising must be accompanied by payment inU.S. funds. No telephone ads or written ads without payment willbe accepted. This policy was established by a unanimous vote ofthe AMICA Board at the 1991 Board Meeting and reaffirmed atthe 1992 meeting. AMICA reserves the right to edit or toreject any ad deemed inappropriate or not in keeping withAMICA’s objectives.
The BULLETIN accepts advertising without endorsement,implied or otherwise, of the products or services being offered.Publication of business advertising in no way implies AMICA’sendorsement of any commercial operation.
AMICA PUBLICATIONS RESERVES THE RIGHT TOACCEPT, REJECT, OR EDIT ANY AND ALL SUBMITTED ARTICLES AND ADVERTISING.
All items for publication must be submitted directly to thePublisher for consideration.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: $.20 per word, $5.00 minimumfor AMICA members. Non-members may advertise double themember rates ($10.00 minimum). Because of the low cost ofadvertising, we are unable to provide proof copies or “tear sheets”.
Non-member rates are double for all advertising. DISPLAY ADVERTISING
Full Page — 71/2 " x 10" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $150.00Half Page — 71/2 " x 43/4" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 80.00Quarter Page —35/8 " x 43/4" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 45.00Business Card — 31/2 " x 2" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 30.00
Special 6 for 5 Ad Offer - Place any ad, with no changes, for afull year (6 issues), and pay for only 5 issues. Payable in advance.Photographs or halftones $15.00 eachLoose Sheet or Insert Advertising: InquireWe recommend that display advertisers supply camera-readycopy. Copy that is oversized or undersized will be changed tocorrect size at your cost. We can prepare advertisements fromyour suggested layout at cost.PAYMENT: U.S. funds must accompany ad order. Make checkpayable to AMICA INTERNATIONAL. Typesetting and layout size alterations charges will be billed.DEADLINES: Submissions must be received no later than thefirst of the odd months (January, March, May, July, September,November). The Bulletin will be mailed the first week of theeven months.
(Rev. 6-98)
FOR SALE5 FREE PLAYER PIANOS and many parts, all unrestored. Call J. Couture 419-877-5390 evenings. (1-05)
APOLLO GRAND PLAYER, LYON & HEALY ARTECHOGRAND, AEOLIAN AND STROUD DUO-ART UPRIGHT, all inunrestored condition. Beautiful Gothic cased wing player, rare art case,Lauter Humana player and cable upright player, electrified, all restoredby Thomas McClury. Jim Harvey 304-645-6579, 304-667-9564, [email protected] (1-05)
ROLL CABINET, 2-door serpentine mahogany, VGC, 20" x 32" x 52"high, holds approximately 130 rolls, price $1500. Paul Ottenheimer 856-468-8995.(1-05)
Positions open for the "Bumbling Bruder Tour" June 14 - 28, 2005;tour includes Germany, Switzerland and Holland; information may beobtained from Ron Bopp, 918-786-4988 or [email protected]. (1-05)
1914 STECK DUO-ART 5’2” Ivory keys, rebuilt but requires somerepair work from 2 years of storage, bench, 67 large and 42 small Duo-Art rolls included for $5200. Contact: Yale H. Crandall, 5329 FountainPalm St., Las Vegas, NV 89130, phone (702) 396-8305. (1-05)
AEOLIAN ORCHESTRELLE STYLE V, beautiful dark oak case,playing well with pedals or blower, 24 rolls, $5,800. Howard Sanford,Miami, FL 305-932-7972 (1-05)
STEINWAY DUO-ART GRAND PIANO. 1925 model XR (6’1”),mahogany, unrestored condition. $5,500. Mel Septon 847-679-3455email: [email protected] (1-05)
HANDMADE BARREL AND PNEUMATIC ORGANS made inGermany. With moving figurines and a lot of humorous surprises. See: www.magic-mechanical-music.de Musik & Spiel Automaten Geratebau, Ing. Hansjorg Leible, D-79400 Kandern/Holzen, Kirchstr. 2;Tel: 07626-7613, Fax 07626-971009 (6-05)
NEW REPRODUCING ROLLS FOR SALE – Magic Melodies isnow the Exclusive Dealer for new Keystone Ampico and Duo-Art rolls.For periodic Catalogs and other listings, write or call us. MagicMelodies, 360 Lawless Road, Jamestown, KY 42629 or phone 270-343-2061. (1-05)
WELTE-MIGNON PIANO 1927 – Seiler upright, Oak, T-98 greensystem, made in Germany. Complete and original, perfect ivories, brassinlay, restrung. Asking Only $1,900 Mike Kukral, 812-238-9656 [email protected] (6-05)
1924 STEINWAY OR Duo-Art walnut Art case w/veneer damage from fire on one side, rebuilt player, in crates, w/new Ivory keys$11,500 Condition: D; 1995 BALDWIN 4’7” red polish Mah.W/Pianodisc $8,900 Cond.: A; 1987 YAMAHA G2 Ivory polishs/Pianomation $8,900 Cond.: A; 1920 FRANKLIN 56” Ampico Mah.$3,500 Cond.: B+; MARIONETTE AMPICO GRAND original complete w/matching bench $2,500 Cond.: C-; 1995 STORY &CLARK 42” Wal. $2,500; AMERICAN PLAYER PIANO 48”Studio, $2,900. Contact: Schroeder’s Pianos 562-923-2311 (1-05)
NEW PIANO ROLL BOXES-Duo-Art Audiographic series-Exactlylike the originals! Maroon with Gold Printing, all 3 sizes available!(small & medium are “Top Hat” style) $7.00 ea. Quantities are limited,so get them before they are all gone! AMPICO “Top Hat” boxes-BlackLeather with Gold Printing and False Bottom, Exactly like the originals,$4.00 ea. 88 note roll boxes in two sizes-Large (fits 2 3/4 flange) covered with Black Alligator paper (Top), Black Leather (Bottom). OrBrown Leather Paper (Top & Bottom) $3.00 ea. Small (fits 2” flange)Covered with Black or Tan Leather Paper (Top), White Litho (Bottom)$1.50 ea. Other repair supplies available-Parchment Leaders, Tabs,Tubes, Flanges, Repair Tissue. Quantity discounts available. RichIngram [email protected] (760) 244-ROLL (7655) (4-05)
STEINWAY RED WELTE GRAND (T-100), Hamburg Model O,with original rolls. Please contact [email protected] for additionalinformation. Alejandro Radchik, Av. Mexico 37-507, Condesa 06100,Mexico, DF. [Mexico City] Tel.: 011- 52-555-419-5374 (4-05)
WANTEDDUO ART guts for Weber Grand. NICKELODEONS. Unrestored.AEOLIAN ORCHESTRELLES, Finders fees offered for productiveleads. Jim Harvey 304-645-6579, 304-667-9564,[email protected] (1-05)
“A” ROLL CONTAINING RAILROAD SONGS. Purchase or loan for AMICA Mpls. Convention. Don Barton, c/o AMICA MINNEAPOLIS 2005, 2715-4th St. S.E., Mpls., MN 55414 (2-05)
“Those pianos of yours are only worth what somebody will give
you for them.”
~ Clarence Kukral
AMICA MEMBER TO PRESENT WORKSHOP ON "RE PRODUCING SYSTEMS FOR DUMMIES". A~ basic introduction toAmpico, Welte, and Duo Art pianos... a comparison of the three systemswithout getting too technical. Don Barton, c/o AMICA MINNEAPOLIS
.. <; 2005, 2715-4th St. S.E., Mpls. MN 55414 (2-05)
!( -" :'lillD WELTE MI GNON piano rolls (T- IOO) . Paying top dollar. Mike~ukra l 812-238-9656 or [email protected] (6-05)
WANTED: 88-NOTE ETHNIC ROLLS, especially Russian, Greek,Jewish, Hungarian, and Syrian. Happy to buy, trade, or borrow rollsfor copying. Excellent references. Help spread diversity! Contact BobBerkman at [email protected] or 716-882-1826 (3-05)
ANY AND ALL CASSETTES FOR MARANTZ SUPERSCOPEPIANOCORDER SYSTEM. Call Peter Funk 201-836-0357, leavemessage. (I -OS)
STEINWAY AR DUO-ART in unrestored condition contact 315-858-2164 (2-05)
BENNET LEEDY RESTORATIONS4660HAGAR SHORE ROAD
COLOMA MI 49038Phone 269-468-5986
Fax 269-468-0019email: [email protected]
High quality restorations of Ampico ,Duo-Art, Welte and other reproducingpianos. All makes of 88 note player
pianos, and other automatic instruments.
(4-05)Web Page: www.leedyrolls.com(6-05)
Complete pianos and player systems restored using factoryoriginal techniques by an experienced professional. Complete
or partial systems can be sent to my shop for restorations.I supply special UPS cartons for this unique service .
Ben Gottfried464 Dugan Rd.• Richfield Springs, NY 13439
315-858-2164
n~\ {l\a~er VianI) terti\j~ A Complete Restoration Service Ce
For The Pneumatic Piano
www.BluesRolls.com** Since 1988 **
Rare vintage player piano rolls reissued - over 400 great ragtime, blues and popular 88-Note musicrolls; Ampico, Duo-Art, and Welte Licensee rolls of popular and classical music are available, as wellas IIAII roll recuts for your nickelodeon piano.
A NEW LIST af fine Duo-Art classical (and some pop) music and Welte popular (and some classical)rolls is now IN STOCK and READY TO SHIP! Twenty of each, plus new 88-note BLUES recuts bysuch greats as James P. Johnson and "Fats" Waller. Browse to www.bluesrolls.com or email fordetails: robdelandcabluesrolls.com. You can also call or write for a list - please specify which type ofroll interests you!
Blues'Tone Music RollsRob DeLand / 485 Gatewood Lane
Grayslake,IL 60030 / 847-548-6416(6-05)
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AMPICO - DUO-ARTWELTE - RECORDO
88 NOTEIncluding, Jumbo, Program and Medley Rolls
Offering listings of new recut and original rollsof above for direct purchasing, without bidding.
Also buying small and large collections
Write or e-mail for listings and prices.Include P.O. address
and type you're interested in.
http://www.revealer.com/caldwell/
Dave Caldwell400 lincoln Lake Ave., N.E.
Lowell, MI 49331
[email protected] (6-05)
Barrel organs for collectors and enthusiasts.Complex moving figures with various sounds,delightful music and a lot of surprises.
Musik & Spiellng. Hansjorg Leible, Kirchstr, 2 • 79400 Holzen/GermanyPhone ++49 7626-7613 Fax ++49 [email protected] www-magic-mechanical-music.de
'~
, I
" " 'I Ir-\"dI, ,i .
LEEDY BROTHERS MUSIC ROLLS4660 HAGAR SHORE ROAD
COLOMA MI 49038Phone 269-468-5986
Fax 269-468-0019email: [email protected]
Welte LicenseeDUO-ARTAMPICO
88 NOTELimited edition reissues and new music rolls.
Contact us or check our web page for our latest list of music rolls. !r - \Web page www.leedyrolls.com
(4-05)
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MARTY PERSKYAutomatic Musical Instrument Specialist
Serving Collectors and the Trade WorldwideInstrument Brokering & Locating
Collections / Estates / Individual InstrumentsAppraisals / Inspections / Free Consultation
Some Great Instruments Offered – Call for Images & Videos
Also Regina 27” Changer 23,000, Mills Single Violano unrestored 18,750, Regina Desk 14,500, Wurlitzer 146 A with bells, Polyphon Mikado 16,000, other Music Boxes, Automata, Books, etc.
Website: www.MechMusic.com
Tel. 847-675-6144 6514 N. Trumbull Ave.Fax. 847-675-6160 Lincolnwood, IL 60712 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
6’2” RAA Mason&Hamlin AMPICO Asuper piano must sell 12,000
Knabe Ampico Bw / Ampichron
Link E with xylophoneand torch glass 17,000
Nat’l Dog Race w / Selector 23,000 Big Bruder Playing 165 rolls 18,500 Paillard 31cyls 22,500
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REPLACEMENT LEADERSThese 11 1/4” x 17” reprints, not trimmed and without tabs, are excellent replicas of the more popular types ofreproducing piano roll leaders. While intended for roll repairs, they may also be used for decorative purposes.To splice, overlay new leader on old roll, lay a straightedge on an angle, cut through both papers with a sharpknife, discard scrap, and butt-join with magic mending tape on top surface.
A. Brown on buff (For early red label boxes)
B. Black on ivory (Area for reusable artist photo)
C. Black on ivory (Most common)
D. Black on ivory (Very late rolls by combined Aeolian/American)
E. Green on ivory (Most common)
F. Green on ivory (Favorite Fifty & Selected Roll Service)
G. Welte Brown on buff (Most common)
Note: Early Welte’swith blue leaders maybe repaired with thisbrown leader. Many ofthese when reissuedhad brown leaders.
Please make checks payable toAMICA INTERNATIONAL, And send to:
BRIAN K. MEEDER904A West Victoria StreetSanta Barbara, CA 93101-4745
e-mail address for orders:[email protected]
Checks or moneyorders from foreign
countries must be drawn on U.S. bank.
Style QuantityA ______________
B ______________
C ______________
D ______________
E ______________
F ______________
G ______________
Total Quantity ______________
Price: $ 1.00 eachMinimum Order: $10.00
Postage and Handling $ 5.50
Roll Order $ ________
Total Amount (U.S. $) $ ________