PLAYER PIANOS

REPRODUCING PIANOS o WELTE-MIGNON o AMPICO o DUO-ART o o BAND ORGANS o VIOLIN PLAYERS PLAYER PIANOS THE AMICA AUTOMATIC MUSICALINSTRUMENT COLLECTORS’ ASSOCIATION CONVENTION ‘08

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NICKELODEONS NICKELODEONS BULLETIN

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PIANO ROLLS PIANO ROLLS Volume 45,Number2 www.amica.org

April/May 2008

VIOLIN PLAYERS VIOLIN ORGANS BAND ORCHESTRIONS DUO-ART AMPICO WELTE-MIGNON PIANOS REPRODUCING o o o o o o CONVENTION 2008 YOU’RE INVITED TO A PARTY! THE AMICA SOUTHERN CHAPTER CONVENTION THAT IS! July 1-6, 2008 - Woodland Hills, California

Tour the Nethercutt Museum which includes their wonderful antique car museum, an antique train, and one of the finest collections anywhere with everything from boxes, nickelodeons, orchestrions, fine reproducing pianos and a theater organ. Visit The Nix Collection with instruments from small music boxes to large orchestrions and fairground organs. Tour The Ames Collection Including some wonderful instruments - the huge Mortier, the Dutch Street Organ, the newly restored Weber Solea, and a fascinating display of instruments showing the capabilities of the midi system.

Visit The Schack Collection All top of the line instruments in perfect playing condition, in a magnificent setting with a view of the Pacific Ocean. Tour The Choate Collection Mostly American nickelodeons and a great collection of juke boxes of all kinds, and more.

Visit the Ronald Reagan Library and walk through Air Force One.

Enjoy the Fourth of July evening at the Hollywood Bowl for patriotic music performed by the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra and fireworks.

There will be lots of entertainment, including the Pumper Contest and of course, a mart!

Questions? Call Frank at 818-884-6849 ISSN #1533-9726 THE AMICA BULLETIN AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association, a non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the restoration, distribution and 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] Visit the AMICA Web page at: http://www.amica.org “Members-Only” Webpage - Current Username: “AMICA”, Password: “welcome” Associate Editor: Mr. Larry Givens • Editor Emeritus: Robin Pratt

VOLUME 45, Number 2 April/May 2008 AMICA BULLETIN

FEATURES Display and Classified Ads Duo-Art Crossword Puzzle ...... Steve Rattle . . . . .66 Articles for Publication Letters to the Publisher Press Release ...... Bob Berkman . . . . .67 Chapter News Note By Note ...... Maureen M. Hart . . . . .67 UPCOMING PUBLICATION Big Time in Little Falls ...... Dana C. Silano . . . . .68 DEADLINES Featured Steinway Piano ...... Richard Knight Jr...... The ads and articles must be received 69 by the Publisher on the 1st of the A Visit with Bill Flynt ...... Vincent & Maryam Morgan . . . . .70 Odd number months: January July AMICA International Convention 2008 ...... Frank Nix . . . . .72 March September Estey Piano Company Factory ...... Michael D. Caratzas . . . . .78 May November A Post-Merger Duo-Art ...... Tockhwockh . . . . . Bulletins will be mailed on the 2nd week 95 of the even months. Original Literature...... Terry Smythe . . . . 100 Dr. Michael A. Kukral, Publisher Project ...... Chris Pasles . . . .101 216 Madison Blvd. Terre Haute, Indiana 47803-1912 The Cabinet Maker’s Apprentice ...... Chickering & Sons . . . .103 Phone: 812-238-9656 e-mail: [email protected] DEPARTMENTS AMICA International ...... 62-63 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES President’s Message ...... 64 New Memberships ...... $47.00 Publisher’s Message ...... 64 Renewals ...... $47.00 Letters to Editor ...... 65 Additional $5.00 due if renewed past the Jan. 31 deadline In Memory ...... 111 Address changes and corrections New Piano Rolls & Recuts ...... 112 Directory information updates Chapter News ...... 115 Additional copies of Classified Ads ...... 121 Member Directory . . . . $25.00 Single copies of back issues ($10.00 per issue - based upon availability) Front Cover: “I Love You California” Sheet Music, Silverwood & Frankenstein 1913, William Chapman (Bill) Submitted by Mike Kukral. 53685 Avenida Bermudas La Quinta, CA 92253-3586 Inside Front: Convention 2008 (760) 564-2951 Back Cover: 2008 Ad for Tim Trager e-mail: [email protected] Inside Back Cover: Welte-Mignon Ad from Country Life To ensure timely delivery of your BULLETIN, please allow 6-weeks advance notice of address changes.

AMICA Publications reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all submitted articles and advertising. While the AMICA Bulletin offers accurate and historic information to its members, the bulletin, its publisher and the AMICA Board cannot be held responsible for contributions that may be considered by some as inaccurate, speculative, or of an OP/ED Format Entire contents © 2008 AMICA International Printed by Engler Printing Co., Fremont, OH ¥ [email protected] 61 AMICA INTERNATIONAL

– INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS –

PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT PUBLISHER John Motto-Ros Mike Walter Dr. Michael A. Kukral 110 Allen Ranch Road 65 Running Brook Dr. 216 Madison Blvd. Sutter Creek, CA 95685 Lancaster, NY 14086-3314 Terre Haute, IN 47803-1912 209-267-9252 716-656-9583 812-238-9656 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER Tim Baxter Robbie Tubbs 939 Briarcliff Rd. NE 7405 Willow Alanta, GA 30306-4664 Raytown, MO 64133 404-377-1220 816-313-1075 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail:[email protected]

SECRETARY MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Marlene Beckman William Chapman (Bill) 4046 SE 53rd Street 53685 Avenida Bermudas Berryton, KS 66409-9714 La Quinta, CA 92253-3586 785-862-0128 Phone & Fax: 760-564-2951 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]

– COMMITTEES –

AMICA ARCHIVES CONVENTION COORDINATOR Tom Hutchinson Frank Nix 15361 Hopper Rd. 6030 Oakdale Ave. Sturgeon, MO 65284 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 e-mail: [email protected] 818-884-6849

AMICA MEMORIAL FUND HONORARY MEMBERS Halie Dodrill 4488 W. Mercer Way Mercer Island, WA 98040-3934 206-236-0067 e-mail: [email protected]

WEBSITE MANAGER AUDIO-VISUAL & TECHNICAL Karl B. Ellison Harold Malakinian 6 Lions Lane 2345 Forest Trail Dr. Salem, MA 01970-1784 Troy, MI 48098 e-mail: [email protected]

62 AMICA INTERNATIONAL

CHAPTER OFFICERS BOSTON AREA Treas: Maryam Morgan Vice Pres: Doug & Vicki Mahr Pres: John VanOpdorp Reporter: Martin “Buzz” Rosa Sec: Sonja Lemon Vice Pres: Bob Hunt Board Reps: Marvin & Dianne Polan Treas: Doug & Vicki Mahr Sec: Ken Volk 631-673-0388 Reporter: Nadine Motto-Ros Treas: Dorothy Bromage Newsletter Editor: Bill Maguire Board Rep: Chip Lusby Reporter: Don Brown MIDWEST (OH, MI, IN, KY) SOWNY (Southern Ontario,Western New York) Board Rep: Bob Hunt - [email protected] Pres: Don Johnson - 248-650-1840 Pres: Daniel D. Tenerowicz - CHICAGO AREA [email protected] [email protected] Pres: Jerry Biasella Vice Pres: Liz Barnhart Vice Pres: Mike Walter - Vice Pres: Richard Van Metre Sec: Hilda Merchant [email protected] • 716-656-9583 Sec: Carol Veome - 773-338-1042 Treas: Alvin Wulfekuhl Sec: Garry Lemon - [email protected] [email protected] Reporter: Christy Counterman Treas: Holly Walter - Treas: Joe Pekarek Board Rep: Liz Barnhart [email protected] Reporter: Curt Clifford NORTHERN LIGHTS Reporter: Garry & Anne Lemon Board Rep: Pres: Paul Watkins - Board Rep: Audrey Cannizzaro - FOUNDING CHAPTER [email protected] [email protected] Pres: John Ulrich - 510-223-9587 Vice Pres: Ron Olsen Photographer: Nancy Group & Anne Lemmon [email protected] Sec: Michael LuBrant SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Vice Pres: Karen Simons Treas: Barbara Watkins Pres: Leslie Hoffman - 818-512-5901 Sec: Jack and Dianne Edwards - Reporter: Jerrilynn Boehland [email protected] [email protected] Board Rep: Paul Watkins Sec./Reporter: Shirley Nix Treas/Bd Rep: Richard Reutlinger PACIFIC CAN-AM Treas: Lloyd A. Osmundson Reporter: Bonnie and Bob Gonzalez Pres: Carl Dodrill - [email protected] Board Rep: Frank Nix HEART OF AMERICA Vice Pres: Halie Dodrill - [email protected] TEXAS Pres: Robbie Tubbs - Treas: Jack & Mary Lou Becvar Pres: Rich Clayton - 972-369-0470 [email protected] Reporter: Ron Babb [email protected] Vice Pres: Charles Tyler Bd. Rep: Carl Dodrill - 206-236-0067 Vice Pres: Bill Boruff - [email protected] Sec: Rick McDowell - 816-781-1965 ROCKY MOUNTAIN Treas: Janet Tonnesen - [email protected] Treas: Mike Schoeppner - 816-767-9766 Pres: Jere DeBacker - [email protected] Sec./Bulletin Reporter:Maureen Barisonek - Reporter: H.C. and Marlene Beckman Vice Pres: Ken Hodge [email protected] Board Rep: Gary Craig Sec: Louise Lucero Board Rep: John & Suzanne McCall - LADY LIBERTY Treas: Fred Wilson [email protected] Pres: Vincent Morgan - Reporter: Larry Emmons [email protected] SIERRA NEVADA Vice Pres: Bill Maguire Pres: John Motto-Ros - 209-267-9252 Sec: Richard Karlsson [email protected] AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS American Society (ATOS) INTERNATIONAL PIANO ARCHIVES NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANO ASSOCIATION President - Ken Double AT MARYLAND Everson Whittle, Secretary 1201 McDuffie St. #173 Performing Arts Library,University of Maryland 11 Smiths Road, Darcy Lever, Houston, TX 77019 2511 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Bolton BL3 2PP, Gt. , England Phone: 713-520-1911 College Park, MD 20742 Home Phone: 01204 529939 Email: [email protected] Phone: 301-405-9224 Business Phone: 01772 208003 Theatre Organ Editor - Jeff Weiler Fax: 301-314-7170 1845 South Michigan Avenue #1905 Email: [email protected] PIANOLA INSTITUTE Clair Cavanagh, Secretary Chicago, IL 60616 INTERNATIONAL VINTAGE PHONO & Phone: 312-842-7475 43 Great Percy St., London WC1X 9RA MECHANICAL MUSIC SOCIETY England Email: [email protected] C.G. Nijsen, Secretaire General ASSOCIATION ITALIANA MUSICA 19 Mackaylaan PLAYER PIANO GROUP MECCANICA 5631 NM Eindhoven, Julian Dyer, Bulletin Editor Via Comte le Monticino No. 485 5 Richmond Rise, Wokingham, MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY OF GREAT Berkshire RG41 3XH, United Kingdom 47020 Cesena, Italy BRITAIN Phone: 39-547-346-046 Phone: 0118 977 1057 Alan Pratt, Editor Email: [email protected] AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORS OF P. O. Box 299 MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Waterbeach, Cambridge CB4 4PJ SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 19 Waipori Street England Division of Musical History St. Ives NSW 2075, Australia Washington, D.C. 20560 MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL NETHERLANDS PIANOLA ASSOC. Rosanna Harris, Editor SOCIETY FOR SELF-PLAYING Nederlandse Pianola Vereniging 5815 West 52nd Avenue MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Att. Jan van Hulzen, Member of the Board Denver, CO 80212 Gesellschaft für Selbstspielende Chopinrode 25 Phone: 303-431-9033 Fax: 303-431-6978 Musikinstrumente (GSM) E.V. 2717 BH Zoetermeer, Netherlands Email: [email protected] Ralf Smolne Email: [email protected] Emmastr. 56 FRIENDS OF SCOTT JOPLIN NETHERLANDS MECHANICAL D-45130 Essen, Germany 1217 St. Croix Ct. ORGAN SOCIETY - KDV Phone:**49-201-784927 Kirkwood, MO 63122-2326 A. T. Meijer Fax:**49-201-7266240 website: http//stlouis.missouri.org/fsjoplin Wilgenstraat 24 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands 63 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I am pleased to announce that our Past President, Mike Walter, has agreed to accept an additional position: AMICA Honorary/Honor Roll contact. Mike held this position several years ago and brings extensive knowledge and experience to the table. Once again, I would like to discuss a subject we have addressed repeatedly over the last several years—membership. Public outreach is of the utmost importance. Members/chapters who organize organ rallies and other public displays and demonstrations are important examples of AMICA educational activities. This type of activity is not only a great opportunity to increase membership, but it also helps to meet the educational goals of the organization. As you may have noted, out latest membership application has additional space dedicated to AMICA’s Educational Projects. Chapters and individuals can share their knowledge and instruments with the public in many innovative ways. Be sure to share your activities in the Bulletin or on our website. The bottom line is the strength of this organization depends upon many dedicated volunteers. We are now gearing up for the 2008 convention and hope that many of you have registered by now. From the schedule included in the last Bulletin, it looks like it will be an entertaining, fun-filled event. I have been a member of AMICA since 1969; and, during that time, have met and know many of you. If we have not met, I look forward to meeting you in Southern California.

John Motto-Ros [email protected]

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

A friend of mine and former member of AMICA sent in the following quote. He thought it is quite applicable to the feeling of many current and former members of AMICA. I also think that we must focus on the music in mechanical music. Here it is:

“From the primitive beginnings — the hydraulos of Nero — through the instruments of the Middle Ages to the organs of the 18th century, the story of the organ was one of continuous development. Structurally and tonally, the organ achieved near-perfection. The authority of centuries, the splendor and poetry of great music, the simplicity of perfect functional design come together in the organs that Bach and Handel played and, if one must choose a single name, that Arp Schnitger built. Why, you will ask, was this excellence lost? Partly because of changing musical taste and partly because the organ appears to possess a fatal appeal to ingenious but not necessarily musical minds!” E. Power Biggs, Organist

Have a wonderful Spring and send me, as always, your thoughts on our hobby. Mike Kukral Publisher since 2003

64 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Hi Mike, the function of every component shown Hi, I hope I’m writing to the right person.... in the six figures. Also, since it is in the I’m still wondering who these In the recent article on the Welte .pdf format, it is very easy to magnify any reproducing piano roll artists were. Patents, the last paragraph explains how image to 6400% of its original size.. Talk Alan Moran-A Duo-Art artist from complete copies of the patents can be about detailed! approx 4/24 to 11/31. The only thing obtained. I would like to mention that What I also found very interesting, and known is that prior to ’24, he was in the Google has a ‘Patent Search’ web page perhaps even more enjoyable than the orchestra of the USSS Leviathan! which allows the user to search for and diagrams, was the way the Theory of Julian Rodney-A Welte-Mignon (Lisc.) download any of more than 7 million Operation is explained. In a real sense, it’s artist from about 11/26 to 6/28. Nothing patents in a .pdf format. So, instead of a look inside the mind of the inventor as else is known. paying for copies, internet users can get he takes the reader through a step-by-step Louis Marier-An artist for: Artecho, them for free. Here’s the web address of analysis of the various activities that Apollo, and Recordo. Again, nothing else the Google Patent Search web page: transpire within the invention. Truly is known. http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en fascinating reading, and so succinctly Are these names pseudonyms? Is so, of written that it is an invaluable tool for who? Does anyone know? I started by downloading the first any technician who might be struggling to Bill Dean patent from 1911 (1,008,291). It is quite understand ‘how it works’. detailed and shows all six of the figures Musically, that apply to the patent (instead of the John A Tuttle one shown in the AMICA bulletin). It Player-Care.com also contains the complete technical Brick, NJ, USA description which explains in great detail HELP Wanted Player Piano Group We’re pleased to announce that the Player Piano on APOLLOPHONE Group’s electronic membership payment system is now all up and running! This means it’s never been Jerry Biasella from Chicago and easier to join, or to renew subscriptions. Just go to I are co-authoring an article about our web site and click the ‘join us’ tab. Apollophone pianos for the www.playerpianogroup.org.uk/ AMICA Bulletin and would love to have information about as many You’ll see a separate button for each payment of these instruments as possible. The Apollophone category, so all you have to do is to click on the one was a player piano built by the Melville Clark that applies to you (UK, Europe, or elsewhere) and let Company that also included a phonograph inside PayPal do the rest. You don’t need a PayPal account to the cabinet of the piano. pay, as you can enter your credit card details. If you have a serial number, and specifications, (wood type, Art-X, 88-note only, Solo Apollo Renewing subscriptions is always a hassle, so this System, electric/pump, pump only, electric only, year we have introduced a 3-year payment option. phono and piano capability or only one or the Even better, this offers a small discount of 1 GB Pound other, etc. etc.) that would be very helpful. Any per year, making a UK 3-year deal of just GBP33, original material about these special entertainment- GBP 34.50 for Europe, and GBP 42 for the rest of center pianos would be of interest as well. the world (at the moment 1 GBP roughly equals 2 US I have seen dozens of Melville Clark pianos Dollars). A real bargain in a world where everything and no two are alike! If you know of any other else gets ever more expensive! special capabilities or stories of these instruments, that would be most interesting. Adam Ramet Thanks, Webmaster, Player Piano Group Jere DeBacker www.playerpianogroup.org.uk

65 AMPICO CROSSWORD PUZZLE

How well do you know the AMPICO? Try this crossword - Most answers can be found in 'The Complete Catalog of Ampico Reproducing PianoRolls' by Elaine Obenchain. Good Luck! - Created and Sent in by Steve Rattle, , Australia ACROSS 35. From Hello Daddy! Selections 69963 ' Let's ___ and talk 1. Last name of the inventor of the Ampico about you' 5. Roll 200883 played by Clair - 'I used to call ___ baby' 37. Initials of pianist Alfred Mirovitch 7. Last name of composer of 'Good-Bye' and 'My Dreams' 39. Roll 202381played by Dilworth - 'The child is one'. 8. Type of roll box style - Top ___ 40. Roll 210721 by Carroll '___ man sunshine' 10. Roll 206691 by Confrey - '__ man's mama' 41. Roll 30191 or 30181 - both played by Browning - B flat or D flat, 12. Last name of composer of roll 61361 'Orientale' it's your choice 13. Last name of pianist who recorded roll 61913 'Banjo picker 42. Initials of roll title 212751 'Under A Texas Moon' at the fair' by Powell (1st & 3rd words) 15. Last name of bandleader who appears on Ampico. Known 44. Roll 32801 played by Wendling. A double it is, but one for catchcry, '_____ speaking'. See roll 211481 will suffice. 17. Title of roll played by Gerdts 55844 45. Last name of pianist who died at age 42. See roll 57437 18. Cole Porter song, roll 215261 played by Carroll 46. Initials of composer Rosamund Eustis 'You’re the ___' 47. Roll 203251 played by Lane & Carroll 19. USA marque of piano established

in 1837 and fitted with the 123 4 5 6 Ampico 23. USA marque of piano established 7 in 1823 and fitted with the Ampico 8 9 10 11 12 27. Initials of Lhevinne pupil 13 14 15 16 Earl Truxell 28. Roll 3449 ' Aba ____ 17 Honeymoon' 30. Roll 208611 played by Grofe. 18 19 'Words and Tune', mentioned 20 21 22 twice but once will suffice. 33. Last name of composer of roll 23 24 25 56284 ' Over the Waves' 26 27 28 29

DOWN 30 31 32 1. Last name of born pianist who specialized in the music of 33 34 35 36 Debussy. See roll 66621 37 38 39 2. Roll 68243 is 'The Melody Way' Series 5. Selection 5 is titled 40 41 42 '____ and Beans' 3. Series of rolls produced to be 43 44 played at meal time ' ______45 46 47 Music' - See roll 63983 4. Title of a Waxman composition 26. Last name of 'The Ampico Kid'. Prolific recorder of popular on roll 216013 'Pennies from Heaven' selections played by Milne music rolls. 5. Last name of 'inventor' employed by American Piano Company 29. Last name of popular piainst who spent little time at Ampico. who made improvements seen on the 'New Ampico' (Model B) Was Paul Whiteman's pianist - see roll 68641 6. Professional last name of pianist / composer Ralph Reichenthal 31. Ever popular opera by Verdi. Selections on 100655, 9. Initials of composer Adolphe Adam fox trot on 63693 11. Felix Arndt composition named after his wife. As a fox trot 32. Last name of female pianist who's career blossomed at Ampico. 63051, as an Intermezzo 57374 Used pseudonym of Felix Gerdts. See roll 56854 14. Take the initials of composer Preston Orem and reverse them 34. Describes the day when roll 216673 was completed 15. Initials of composer Landon Ronald 36. Last name of French composer who has only one roll available 16. Initials of composer Paul Schlozer on Ampico 57323 20. See roll 68063 by Fairchild and Rainger ' ___ the Deck Selections' 38. Last name of Polish born pianist who studied under Busoni. 21. Title of only roll by this composer played by Carroll. See 213561 See roll 62621 and 42 Down. 42. Last name of composer of roll 213561, see 21 Down. 22. Last name of Hungarian virtuoso pianist / composer who sadly 43. See roll 251061 played by Fairchild '__-Yo' didn't make rolls 24. Last name of composer of roll 52774 ' Huckleberry Finn' fox trot 25. Initials of one of the members of The Original Piano Trio. Clue - not Fairchild or Clair ANSWER KEY to the AMPICO Crossword Puzzle on page 124. 66 PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lost Yiddish Gershwin Piano Roll Discovered

A new CD entitled Klezmerola, 32 years working for the world’s due for release December 26, 2007, last surviving piano roll company, makes available for the first time QRS of Buffalo, NY. His credits Jewish recordings from a long- include rolls commissioned for the neglected source: Old piano rolls. films Ragtime, The Best Little Included is the only known Jewish Whorehouse In Texas, and Reds, the roll by , recorded in last in cooperation with composer 1916 and long thought lost. Stephen Sondheim; appearances on The other artists represented are NPR, the BBC, and CBS Sunday all unknown, but one rediscovery is Morning; and the world pianola already creating a stir in the Klezmer premier of Prokofiev’s Peter And world: Samuel A. Perlstein, born in The Wolf. Russia in 1884. He managed a piano “Ethnic music on rolls has been roll company in New York in the generally ignored by collectors, and 1920s, and took the opportunity to the Jewish rolls are particularly record a number of Klezmer tunes scarce,” says Berkman. “It’s taken as well as his own Jewish-themed years, and lots of helpful collectors, compositions. He later went on to to gather enough surviving material Hollywood as Sam A. Perry and wrote color, achieved through a startling range for a CD, but now it’s ready to be shared film music but never forgot his roots. His of dynamics complete with well-placed and I think people will be surprised at how “Hebrew Rhapsodie No. 1”, which he accents and subtle pedaling. “That’s my much fun this stuff is.” considered his magnum opus, was never doing, my interpretation,” says Berkman. To spread the word, Berkman tours performed in his lifetime - except for his “I’m a pianolist - someone who knows with a type of portable player piano solo piano roll version. how to play the player piano.” device and offers a lively program of “The word “Klezmerola” denotes a Doesn’t the player piano play itself? Jewish music, often combining forces Jewish pianola, or player piano,” explains “No, that’s a misconception,” Berkman with a vocalist. “I’ve done other roll the CD’s creator, Bob Berkman. “There replies. “It only plays the notes. It’s up to programs too, history, ragtime, things never was such a thing, but if there were it the pianolist to interpret the roll by subtly a bit more mainstream,” he says, “but the would have been the perfect instrument to controlling what the piano is doing. You Jewish rolls are very special to me, very use for Perlstein’s music. What you hear can make music, or you can make noise.” satisfying. They combine so many things on the CD is actually a vintage Lakeside Berkman ought to know. Except for that I’m about.” upright player, typical of the period.” a two-year hiatus in CONTACT: Bob Berkman What is not typical is how alive the where he worked with Itzhak Perlman’s www.klezmerola.com rolls sound. The music has shape and management, he has spent the last

OTE BY NOTE N THEY LOVE A PIANO

By Maureen M. Hart, Tribune Reporter Submitted by Mel Septon

The non-musician (a category I “Note By Note” spends a inhabit, unfortunately) might consider a year in the Steinway documentary about the year-long gestation factory, following one period of a Steinway concert piano and concert piano and capturing the painstaking thing, “What care I where pianos come work that goes into from, as long as I can push a button on my its creation.

67 continued. . . iPod and appreciate the tune they whom are immigrants or longtime catches Anous Vertus, fingers bandaged, produce?” That kind of thinking sells neighborhood residents, many of whom painstakingly stringing the embryonic short the star of producer/director Ben have worked long years for the piano, or rough-tuner Dan Duddy Niles’ “Note By Note,” a gleaming ebony company, moving up in responsibility— attending each individual string. beauty named L1037, and its myriad demonstrate with pride their part in There are actual pianists on hand creators. producing an instrument that will sell as well, stars such as Marcus Roberts, A Steinway concert piano is begat in for more than $100,00 and may succeed Harry Connick Jr., Helene Grimaud tall timber that’s cut down to size at a some of its brethren on the stage at and Pierre-Laurent Aimard (whose mill in Stitka, Alaska, where a company . persnickety pursuit of an instrument for wood technologist assesses the raw But the rewards don’t seem to be a New York concert makes one material for length, width and quality. about commerce or fame. Its creators appreciate the patience of Steinway’s From there the action moves to Queens, share a palpable feeling for the staffers). They coax beautiful sounds N.Y., where a veritable United Nations of instrument. “Every piano is a little from these magnificent pianos, craftsmen and women carry on the 19th different,” says tone inspector Wally providing a soundtrack that perfectly Century trade of hand-tooling pianos. Boot, who opens and closes our journey complements the action, but by film’s There’s no rushing such an instrument, with L1037. “Every piano has got its end it’s apparent who imparted to and it’s inspirational to watch and listen own personality.” The source of that L1037 its soul. as the Steinway employees—many of personality is apparent when the camera B IG TIME IN LITTLE FALLS. . .

By Dana C. Silano, Evening Times Staff Writer, January 30, 2008 Submitted by Karl Ellison

which operated under several names, rolls from a lovely Engleghardt Peerless constituted the village’s manufacturing Piano in Nelliston to sell as a fundraiser Piano will be restored reputation from the late 1800s to the early to help restore the instrument.” That as a birthday gift to 1900s. Frederick Englehardt first brought instrument would have to be tuned, he his piano factory to St. Johnsville in 1889, continued, and there is nothing to it when St. Johnsville operating out of a small building on it comes to recording with a piano. Bridge Street, which, when it became too “We’ll have to do 12 to 15 rolls to ST. JOHNSVILLE — At Monday’s small there, was then brought over to a make a complete CD,” he said, “and with meeting of the St. Johnsville Village building he constructed on Hough Street. a cover, sell them for about $10 each. The Board of Trustees, Sesquicentennial That building, over the course of several village has a large collection of antique Committee Chairman Robert Smith asked years, became a seven-building complex. player piano rolls, and the village gave me permission of the board to restore the Roth and Englehardt, and then Frederick permission to borrow 12 of them for the 1925 player piano that resides in the Englehardt and Sons, employed several recording session.” Community House, which was once the area residents in and around St. Johnsville. Another thought that could potentially Englehardt Mansion. Peerless Player Pianos achieved worldwide speed up the process of restoring the piano “We had it tuned for the Last Night fame that was short-lived. From 1900 to is to write to interested parties to look for gala supper, and people seemed to love to 1910, more than a dozen Peerless models grant money for the restoration. He hoped hear it being played,” Smith said. Smith were offered for sale along with music rolls to see the restoration complete within a said that the committee brought in a piano and other products. Company fortunes year. “It ties into the sesquicentennial restorer from Richfield Springs, who declined after 1910, however, and in celebration in the village’s heritage,” he estimated the restoration to cost about 1916 the buildings of the defunct said. $4,500. “It’s a unique player piano in that Englehardt-Seybold Co. were sold. it has an expression mechanism to imitate “We have the village’s permission to the nuances of a player’s style,” he said. begin fundraising for the project,” Smith The Englehardt player piano factory, said. “One idea is to cut a CD of the piano

68 EATURED STEINWAY PIANO IS F READY FOR ITS CLOSE-UP

By Richard Knight Jr., Special to the Tribune - Chicago Tribune, January 20, 2008 Submitted by Mel Septon

When the folks at the Gene Siskel at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston Film Center announced they would be (from here it goes to Houston). Traveling hosting the Chicago premiere of a new in a specially designed road case by film, they decided to bring in the movie’s moving van, the 900-pound L1037 was star as well. But this was one film star transported up the staircase to the second that didn’t demand a private Lear jet, floor of the Siskel Film Center on State Emily Bear, 6, takes lessons in accommodations as large as the Taj Mahal Street by four piano movers. Once there classical and or 24-hour limousine service. In fact, a the legs were reattached and L1037 was jazz piano from moving van was the preferred mode of set upright, given a day to acclimate to separate transportation and the only demands were the humidity of its surroundings and then instructors. for humidity control and someone to give provided with a fresh tuning. the star, known as “L1037” a tune-up. Though the piano will reside in the L1037 didn’t give interviews but when Siskel Film Center’s gallery/café area for pressed did speak in the most musical of the week, amateur pianists won’t get a standards, as well as her own new-age terms. chance to tinkle L1037’s keys. Steinways compositions. There was also the That’s because L1037 is a 9-foot are made to take a pretty good pounding,” possibility that she would compose Steinway concert grand piano, star of the Maloney said, “But things like Coke and something on the spot. documentary “Note By Note: the Making popcorn and somebody with a knife “She might do that,” Emily’s mother, of L1037.” Until Thursday, filmgoers and carving their name in the side of L1037 Andrea Bear, said in a phone interview as piano enthusiasts will get a chance to see might get us a little upset.” Emily practiced in the background. “She 1037’s fascinating story on screen and There will be a chance to buy the always improvises.” listen to free concerts on the instrument piano, however, once the tour is over. The Emily, who resides in Rockford with in the gallery/café area of the Siskel piano is owned by Steinway and will be her parents and two siblings, promptly Center between showings. sold for a yet-to-be-determined price. launched into a jazz variation on “Fly Me “Note By Note” is the first feature But be prepared to pony up. The typical to the Moon” and then played a brand from documentary filmmaker Ben Niles. Steinway 9-foot concert grand retails for new composition inspired by a recent The moves follows the creation of L1037 around $115,000, and that’s for a piano snowstorm titled “Snow Dance.” from selecting the wood for the piano in a that hasn’t starred in a movie—a fact not Emily takes lessons in classical and forest through the year-long process of lost on it owners. jazz piano (from separate instructors), creating the massive instrument by hand has played at Ravinia and duets with in Steinway’s Queens, N.Y., factory. More Rockford Girl Invited Ramsey Lewis. She said she was very than 450 craftsman and 12,000 parts are to Give Mini-Concert excited at the prospect of seeing the movie part of the process. When the film opened Friday, and playing L1037. “There’s a curing process for the wood audiences also got a bonus: a reception “It’s going to be big, and I’m small,” and when they bend the wood into the hosted by Steinway and a special she said. “It’s going to be bigger than I rim of the shape of the grand piano the mini-concert performed by 6-year-old am.” glue has to cure for 90 days at a certain prodigy Emily Bear followed the 7:45 In order to play this piano, the humidity,” said Lee Maloney, director p.m. showing. Emily, who is not in diminutive Emily planned to bring her own of institutional sales for Steinway of the movie, stayed up past her bedtime pedal extenders and elevated piano bench. Chicago. “That’s just one step.” to perform. She has played the piano for The film also features renowned just over a year and is creating a buzz pianists Lang Lang, Harry Connick Jr., nationally thanks to appearances on Hank Jones and others testing out the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” gleaming L1037. Before visiting Chicago, Emily was scheduled to showcase her the piano made stops in New York and proficiency with classical, jazz and 69 A VISIT WITH BILL FLYNT

By Vincent & Maryam Morgan New York - Lady Liberty Chapter

In Sept. 2007 Maryam, (my wife) and I Concerning his current piano, but not decided that after seeing so many piano the one that was used for roll editing, Bill rolls with Bill Flynt’s name on them that wrote in 1994, “This piano is a 1931 we just had to visit him while we were at a Knabe concert grand, whose original family reunion in the Dallas-Ft. Worth home was the Metropolitan Opera House area. Our extremely gracious host showed in New York. Of course, it was not a us around his wonderful home, which was reproducing piano originally, although its constructed to house a pipe organ that was underpinnings appear to have been never installed. The pipe room serves as designed for such an installation. In 1980 ample storage for music rolls. I completed the restoration of the piano Of course, ahead of time, we bought and the installation of an Ampico “A” every piano roll that we could find that reproducing mechanism, portions having Bill had arranged and sent them to him for been gleaned from other gutted Ampico his autograph. He waited until we arrived pianos. In fitting the pneumatic stack to a before opening the box and then asked us, piano this large, I had to delete one note at “Wow! Did I arrange all of those?” We each end (bass and treble). Fortunately, told him, “All of those and a whole lot Bill signing a roll these notes are very rarely used. In more.” 1984 this piano was used by the Garland One of the most fascinating tools that Symphony Orchestra to play the Gershwin Bill has used is a simple wooden spool “”, accompanied by the frame with a working surface at an angle orchestra. I edited a special roll, deleting with a paper attached to the surface that portions where the orchestra was to be has a grid drawn on it, a place to attach a playing alone. I added a “self cueing” piano spool at the top and a take-up spool mechanism, such that the roll would stop at the bottom with a crank attached. Bill itself just prior to each re-entry point has used this device to arrange all of his during the performance. On cue from the piano rolls. All notes, Ampico codes, etc. conductor, then, I could re-start the roll, were first drawn, about one foot at a time, using a remote switch.” on a blank roll as the master paper passed Bill also demonstrated for us a very over the grid on this “desk”. Then a hard unusual Ferrante and Teicher roll, African rubber cutting mat was placed between the Echoes, that he had arranged for so-called roll and the grid so that the master could “prepared pianos”. In order to properly be cut out with a double Exacto™ knife. Desktop arranging box with cutting mat play the roll some of the strings need to be The master roll was then played on an muted and then, while the roll is playing, Ampico piano, edited and replayed as someone needs to pluck or strum various many times as necessary to get it right, by strings to simulate drums and other either cutting additional holes or covering African instruments that normally can’t be up superfluous ones with Scotch “Magic” duplicated on the piano. Unfortunately, Tape™. Once the master was completed there is no possible way to play this very to his satisfaction he would then send it to entertaining roll on our Ampico upright. John Malone at Playrite for a “clean-up” As you can see from the photos, the duplication. Following this, he would master Bill used to demonstrate his then carefully edit one of those copies and arranging and cutting technique for us and send it back to Playrite as a production this article was his rendition of Robert master. It was our great joy to see a Armbruster’s “Variations in Miniature on number of his hand-cut masters while we Chopsticks”, which just happens to be one were there, to learn how this process was of our favorite piano rolls. Our absolute done and to hear the end result, both there Master roll of Chopsticks favorite is his arrangement of the Warsaw and on our own piano at home. Concerto. If we had to give up all piano 70 continued. . .

“Variations in Miniature” (a.k.a. “Chopsticks Variations”) for piano and orchestra - composed by Robert Armbruster I had the privilege of working with this delightful man as a fellow pianist in the early ‘80s at an AMICA convention... 1980, I believe. In about 1950 he had composed and arranged a tongue-in-cheek version of “Chopsticks”, to be played on a radio broadcast by actress-pianist Diana Lynn, who was his niece (according to musical lore). This was a concerto-like composition with orchestral accompaniment, organized in “theme-and-variations” fashion. He approached me at the 1979 convention, saying that he was looking for a pianist to play the reduced orchestral score on a second piano... aiming for the 1980 convention. I jumped at the chance to participate, since, in my eyes, this man was a historical icon in the radio/musical world. He was in his 80s at the time, but his mind and his fingers were still very active and adept. He sent me a copy of the score, reduced to a two-piano arrangement, for my perusal. Bill demonstrates how the roll fits on the grid It certainly was playable, but more interesting was an idea that I was germinating: At that time, I had been heavily involved in arranging Ampico piano rolls, so why not rolls except two, it would be no contest. make a drafting-board arrangement of the yet-to-be-performed duet... making copies The Warsaw Concerto and Chopsticks, as available for sale as convention souvenirs? After all... I had a whole year to complete arranged by Bill Flynt, would remain. the project. We asked Bill if he would consider The idea proved to be do-able, and it was great fun on my part... what an inventive arranging a roll of Pachelbel’s Canon in mind he had! This was “ChopSticks” as it might have been written by Rachmaninoff, D, our most requested song, often Cole Porter, Chopin, and some un-named Broadway show arranger. found in music boxes, but of which no I sent the “manuscript” roll (i.e., hand-punched) to the Malones at Playrite, piano roll had ever been made that we requesting a run of 20 copies to be made and delivered to me at the convention. Wiser could determine. Sadly for us he said that than me, John and Bill Malone instead doubled the order to 40, and we offered them he has now retired from piano roll for sale (to be autographed by Armbruster and me) after the performance at the final arranging, but would guide someone banquet (on two nested 9-foot grands!). Those rolls quickly sold out, and we took through it if they wanted to pick up the orders for about ten more, from conventioneers. torch (roll) to produce new ones. Now, 25 years later, perhaps another recutting of this roll would be of interest; Vincent & Maryam Morgan, Richard and Janet Tonnesen here in the Dallas area have the facilities to do so, and New York, I’d suggest that interested parties contact them or me. Lady Liberty Chapter Bill Flynt 11815 Woodbridge Dr. Dallas, TX 75243 972/644-2493 home

30 April 2005

Chopsticks master beginning on the grid Chopsticks master over the cutting mat Top view of arranging box showing the grid

71 AMICA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2008

THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER OF AMICA, WHICH WAS THE SECOND AMICA CHAPTER FORMED, IS HAVING A BIRTHDAY PARTY, AND YOU’RE INVITED. Dates are July 1-6, 2008 • Woodland Hills, California (Our Chapter was formed July 3, 1972.)

Southern California has a wealth of to visit, with great instruments on display. really need, and we are going to have one things to do and see, and we highly These are included in the registration fee. of the largest marts ever, not limited to recommend you plan extra time if (San Sylmar limits their tours to people piano rolls, but anything having to do with possible. over the age of 12, so no children on the the hobby of automatic music, from music Our Convention Hotel will be the North tour, and no jeans or shorts. If boxes to orchestrions. Marriott in Warner Center, Woodland you can’t make this one due to those There will be local and International Hills. The rate will be $99 plus tax per restrictions, though, the Nix collection entertainment, and the banquet will night, and the hotel is centered in a lovely will be open Sunday, July 6 by feature Dan Comins “The Titanic Jazz area, with upscale shopping across the appointment.) Band” with well-known pianist Robbie street, restaurants within walking distance, Wednesday and Thursday are the Rhodes for your dancing and listening and a park right behind the hotel. There’s collection tours, with events in the enjoyment. an exercise room, two pools, restaurants, Hotel in the evening. Wednesday night We have produced a table favor which and even a Starbucks in the lounge. will feature a Welcome Pizza Dinner with is sure to be a favorite, and will be a Parking will be at a reduced rate of $5.00 entertainment. collector’s item in years to come. plus tax per day. On the Fourth of July we’ll travel to We’ll have things going on all the time, The direct Hotel number is 1-818- the Reagan Library, which is a fascinating and we have some surprises planned for 887-4800, open 8-5 Monday through display, whether you are Republican, you. Friday, Pacific time. The International Democrat, or whatever. It covers, of Our hotel is only a block from the bus number is 1-800-228-9290, open course, Ronald Reagan’s careers, both which takes you to Universal City if you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. in movies and politics, but it is also a wish to spend time there. Mention Automatic Instrument Collector’s microcosm of an era most of us remember Sunday there will be many open houses Association (AMICA) for the group rate. well. within a 50-mile radius, and if we have Make your reservations early. You need to We’ll go to the Hollywood Bowl enough interest we will have a bus trip be at the Hotel early, since the bus tours for their extravaganza with music to four newer collections which haven’t start early Wednesday morning, and you and fireworks, courtesy of the L.A. been seen before by most of you. They should plan on the Tuesday optional tour Philharmonic, a stirring event for sure. will feature mechanical music, automata, if possible. One word of caution, though, tickets may arcade, and prize-winning classic sports Tuesday will be the Board meeting. be limited, so register early to guarantee cars, all in fabulous settings. Tuesday there will be an optional trip a ticket to the Bowl you MUST register If you have extra time, there are to the Gene Autry Museum, with displays by May 20 Further tickets will be on museums, Broadway shows, Disneyland, both of western movie history and a an “as available” basis. Please Register and historic places such as the William S. separate section with timely displays EARLY!!!!!! Hart Ranch, the Gamble House, the Getty having to do with the history of the West. The hospitality room will feature Museum, the Museum of Science and We’ll also visit the Griffith Park Carousel, pianos, nickelodeons, and more to make it Industry, the Peterson Auto Museum, the and Descanso Gardens, which is one of enjoyable to spend time and relax there. magnificent Pantages Theater, the Mann the prettiest places in Southern California. Workshops? We have many planned, Chinese Theater with its’ hand and Our party features a bus trip North with such luminaries of the hobby as footprint display (formerly Grauman’s to San Sylmar to visit the Nethercutt Dave Saul, Stephen Kent Goodman, Chinese), Disney’s El Capitan Theater collection, lunch and a visit to the Nix Leslie Hoffman, Diane DeTar and Wayne with organ concerts and movies, collection, and a Southern trip to visit Johnston, Dave Ramey, Jr., Don Barr, Tim Hancock Park with the La Brea Tar Pits the Ames collection in Solana Beach, with Trager, Josh Rapier, Mike Ames, Bill where much of the supply of prehistoric a stop at either the Schack or Choate Klinger, Richard Ingram and Liz Barnhart. animals were discovered. There is collection. These are all wonderful places The Mart will be full of things you also downtown L.A. with the Orpheum 72 continued. . .

Theater, the Bradbury Building, the Wild Animal Park and more. AMICA.org, put in AMICA Convention, Music Center and the new Disney Are you a gambler? There are several 2008. There will be current video Concert Hall, Olivera Street and Union Indian Casinos with a full range of games updates. Station. of chance, the Morongo Casino being Leslie Hoffman is also setting up an Other attractions are the Old Town near San Bernardino. Others are located AMICA Convention 2008 webpage, Music Hall and the Santa Monica Pier. in areas like Solvang, where there is where you can ask questions or also get If you want to go to Downtown or also great antique shopping, including current updates. If you are interested in Hollywood, the bus is available at a Automatic Music. The Queen Mary is joining this Yahoo group, contact Leslie cheap rate, only 90 cents plus 10 cents to be found in Long Beach, as is the Hoffman at [email protected] for a transfer for seniors. Aquarium of the Pacific. We will also, of course, be posting on More time? Well, California has so For MBSI members, after the the AMICA webpage. Go to AMICA.org much to offer from the Gold Country, Convention, spend nearly a week in the Lake Shasta, the Redwoods, beaches, Southern California Area and then fly to mountains . . . Yosemite is one of the Chicago for the Lake Michigan chapter prettiest spots on the planet as far as meeting at the home of Jim and Sherry spectacular scenery. Lake Tahoe, Death Krughoff on the following Saturday. You Valley with Scotty’s Castle, and to the need to be a chapter member to do this, south, San Diego has a huge zoo, well which costs only $10 per year. worth seeing, the Maritime Museum, the For current updates, you can go to PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE IF NECESSARY)

MONDAY, JUNE 30 FRIDAY, JULY 4 Registration Breakfast on your own Open time with Entertainment in Hospitality Room TUESDAY, JULY 1 Reagan Library tour with Lunch in the shadow of Air Force One Registration all Day Dinner on your own International Board Meeting Hollywood Bowl Extravaganza with Optional Bus Tour (8:30 a.m.) Open to all Registrants L.A. Philharmonic & Fireworks Hospitality Room Open SATURDAY, JULY 5 WEDNESDAY, JULY 2 Breakfast on your own Breakfast on your own Workshops Bus Tours, North and South with Lunch Mart Welcome Pizza Dinner Banquet Evening Entertainment including Pumper Contest SUNDAY, JULY 6 THURSDAY, JULY 3 Farewell Breakfast and Business Meeting Breakfast on your own Optional Bus Tour of Collections Bus Tours, North and South with Lunch Open Houses (These tours will be rotated, everyone going on both, included with registration.) Dinner on your own Nickelodeon Evening with Silent Movies

73 continued. . .

collection tours, and what collections you ABOUT THE will see! The North tour includes the perennial EVENTS favorite, San Sylmar, where you will see the Nethercutt collection of mechanical We must have registrations music, cars, furniture, radiator mascots by May 20th to guarantee and more. Hollywood Bowl Ticket. . . The ground floor of the main museum is known as the “Grand Salon”, and Tuesday, July 1 grand is the right word. It is a beautiful Board meeting starting in the morning room, if something of this size and scope for Board members. can be called a room, full of the crown Registration opened all day, and jewels of the Automobile collection. Hospitality Room open most of the day The collection consists of some 200 into the evening. American and European automobiles You need to arrive today or sooner, as industry. In 1940 the theater exhibitors from 1898 to 1982, all in perfect the tours on Wednesday start early. voted him the fourth largest box office condition and drivable. As you can Optional Tour: attraction, behind only Mickey Rooney, imagine, prizes from all the major auto The first stop on Tuesday is Descanso Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. He also shows are in abundance. Gardens, voted “The Most Romantic became a broadcast executive and major The fourth floor, “Cloud 99”, houses Place in Southern California”. league baseball owner. the fine array of mechanical music, from Manchester Boddy, publisher of the The museum is a fascinating place, small musical watches and lovely music Los Angeles Daily News purchased 160 with displays having to do with Western boxes to huge orchestrions, reproducing acres of undeveloped land in 1937. movies, television, and all the cowboy pianos, nickelodeons, and the grand He cleared the land and built an elegant (and cowgirl) things we grew up with, as theater organ. This instrument has four two-story mansion of 22 rooms. This well as the history and lore of the Old manuals and over 5000 pipes. mansion overlooks 25 acres of live oak West. One of the latest acquisitions is forest and a camellia garden you won’t Their rotating displays have been the 1912 Pullman Railcar and 1937 find anywhere else, with tens of really interesting. At this time we don’t Canadian Pacific Hudson locomotive. thousands of plants of all varieties. (Yes, know what the display will be in July, but This is interesting to go through, as it is that is tens of thousands, it’s incredible.) you can bet it will be worth seeing. outfitted just as it would have been when He bought an additional 440 acres north There is often entertainment going on, it was in service. of the original property, and mountain too, in the various parts of the museum. The other collection on the North tour springs supply fresh spring water for You will also visit the Griffith Park is the Nix collection. It is housed in the the gardens. Carousel. This lovely Merry-Go-Round “musik haus” out back, with other areas The gardens also include a lovely rose was built in 1928 by the Spillman for music boxes and street organs. garden, a bird preserve, a lilac garden, Engineering Company, it was brought to Frank started collecting music boxes and areas which are kept full of the Griffith Park in 1937. in 1983, and what a time it has been since flowers that are blooming in that The Merry-Go-Round features 68 then. particular season. horses, each one a jumper. Each horse is The Nix collection seemed to take You can tour the Boddy Mansion and finely carved with jewel-encrusted on a life of its own, and includes get a sense of what a beautiful home the bridles, detailed draped blankets and reproducing pianos, automata, clocks, a Boddys built, really elegant, especially decorated with sunflowers and lion’s Weber Unika, a Weber Styria, a Hupfeld for the time period when it was built. heads. A Stinson 175 Military Band C131, a Link, an Imhof-Mukel, and a few We had several band organ rallies Organ, reputed to be the largest band street organs. There are also monkey here, and it is truly a wonderful place. organ accompanying a carousel on the organs and other “goodies”. Lunch will be on your own at West Coast, plays over 1500 selections. In another room are the street organs, Descanso. This carousel has entertained including a 1905 Ruth 35-A, a Carl Frei The tour will then take you to the generations of Californians over the Dutch Street organ and a Limonaire. Gene Autry Museum, which opened in years, including many AMICAns. Lunch will be at the Nix home. 1988. It was co-founded by Gene and Back at the Hotel after dinner on your The South tour is a long bus ride, but Jackie Autry to realize his dream of a own, the Hospitality Room will be open, oh, so worth it. You will leave early in museum which would exhibit the with special entertainment and fun. the morning with a stop at either the heritage of the West and show how it Ralph and Gloria Schack collection or influenced America and the world. Wednesday, July 2 the Mike and Kathy Choate collection. Gene Autry was known as “the Official opening day, with tours Ralph and Gloria have a wonderful Singing Cowboy”, and his career starting at 8:00 a.m. collection, everything top of the line and spanned 60 years in the entertainment Wednesday and Thursdays tours are in perfect condition. Their lovely home 74 continued. . . is filled with such goodies as a Weber will be a “Welcome Dinner” with some I “Techniques, tools and materials Otero, a Welte organ which is as special entertainment from Germany and for repair of automatic musical beautiful to look at as it is to listen to, a our Pumper Contest. . .see who will go instruments” by Richard Ingram. Mills Violano, a super Cremona J, some home with the “Footsie” this year. I “Restoring a Pumper Piano”. This really fantastic music boxes and clocks, will cover rebuilding a pumper piano and so much more, including three or Thursday, July 3 from start to finish, presented by four extraordinary monkey organs. Thursdays tours are the same . . . you Diane DeTar and Wayne Johnston, Actually, the whole collection is will go on the one you missed on player piano technicians since 1975. I extraordinary. Wednesday. “Introduction to Organettes”, a Mike and Kathy Choate have, also, a Dinner will be on your own, followed comprehensive look at the organette marvelous collection. This one includes by a true nickelodeon...an evening of with open discussion by Leslie American machines. He has one of the silent movies using a 1909 projector with Hoffman. I “Building a Monkey Organ” by Bill nicest Links you will ever see, a Coinola piano accompaniment. Klinger. Bill has been involved with Midget, a Violano, a Seeburg style 8, restoration of organs and pianos for Coinola X, Wurlitzer 105 and 146 band Friday, July 4 over 50 years and has built several organs, and a piano which has been in Breakfast on your own, open time monkey organs from scratch. Kathy’s family since the mid 1800’s that with entertainment in the Hospitality I “Roll Scanning and Production, Plus Mike had an electronic system added to, Room. Music of the 30’s” by David Saul, a since no one in the family played. He has Buses will take you to the Reagan roll reproducer and noted author. jukeboxes of all types, including a Library for a tour with lunch in the David wrote the section on Scopotone, to name a few of the many shadow of Air Force One. reproducing pianos in the items you will enjoy here. They have a The Library features tours taking you “Encyclopedia of Automatic lovely home with custom tile work back to another era. The displays Musical Instruments” by throughout, and are very gracious hosts. are phenomenal, showing the eras Q. David Bowers. You will eat lunch and enjoy movies of Reagan’s movie career, his days as I “Midi Systems for Automatic on the bus on the way further south to the Governor of California and his time as Music” by Mike Ames the pioneer Solana Beach site of Mike and Marilyn President, plus a tour of Air Force One. in this field and developer of the Ames magnificent collection. There are displays of gifts he and most popular system for Mills Here you will see a huge, beautiful Nancy received from visiting dignitaries, Violanos. Mortier organ fitted with Mike’s Midi gowns Nancy wore to State affairs, I “Automatic Musical Instrument’s System, which allows a wide range of newspaper clippings, and much, much Musical Partners”. The simultaneous music, and this organ can play anything, more. It really is a fascinating place. development of Ragtime and the from sweet waltzes to stirring marches. You will return to the Hotel, have Mechanical Music Industry in You’ll also hear beautiful music coming dinner on your own, and again board America presented by Stephen from the recently restored Weber Solea, the bus for a trip to the Hollywood Kent Goodman. I “So You Want To Own a Band and you will want to just sit, listen and Bowl with music by the Los Angeles Organ” by Tim Trager. Tim was dream to this one. Philharmonic, capped off with a rousing playing band organs when he was Other fine instruments include a fireworks display. still in his crib. Steinway reproducing piano, harpsichord One note of caution: We are trying I “Stories of the Good Old Days and and Violano playing in tandem through to obtain plenty of tickets, but we the Mills Violano” presented by his midi system. This is really fascinating must have your registration by May 20th Don Barr. Don always draws a to hear, and you won’t hear it anywhere to guarantee a ticket for the Bowl. . . crowd for his programs. but at this collection. PLEASE REGISTER EARLY. (First Session) There is a Rainey BanjoOrchestra, I “Mills Violano Workshop” with an Arburo , a large Saturday, July 5 open discussion led by Don Barr. DeCap Dutch street organ, Wurlitzer This is the day for the Mart, which (Second Session) Pianorchestra style 30, a Phonoliszt, will be larger than usual by far. Anything I “The Differences Between Model B, and several other great pertaining to Mechanical Music is Reproducing Systems” by Josh instruments. welcome, and we urge you to bring the Rapier. Josh is the new star in the For the scientists in the group, if things you want to sell. restoration field. asked nicely Mike might demonstrate his Workshops, too, are on the agenda for I “A Biography of Dave Ramey, Sr. Tesla coil straight out of Frankenstein’s today, and we have some wonderful ones. plus the development and production laboratory. Our workshops this year will cover a of the Ramey BanjoOrchestra. A tower clock, a huge single-stroke large range of musical topics for novice Presented by Dave Ramey, Jr. I engine are also housed in this museum to to advanced restorers, but especially “Cross Stitch With Liz Barnhart”. end all museums, and as you look around focused on subjects for the beginning Always a favorite with the ladies. you will find other interesting things. collector/restorer. As you can see, some of these When you get back to the Hotel there workshops are for those who feel 75 continued. . . they can’t afford the larger instruments Following the breakfast there will much, much more. but would like to start with a more be many open houses with wonderful 2. Dana Bashor lives in a gated reasonably priced item and repair it instruments to see and enjoy within about community in a wonderful home. themselves. a 50-mile radius. He collects music boxes, animated Saturday evening is the banquet, with We are planning a bus tour of three pictures, automata, and his latest entertainment suitable for dancing or just collections (No Private Cars . . . Bus addition is a truly super Welte enjoying the Dan Comins’ “Titanic Jazz Tour Only) you probably haven’t seen Organ, which suits the grandeur of Band”, with Robbie Rhodes as pianist. before, and we’re working on a fourth. the home, and fills the house with Many of you know Robbie, either for They will feature mechanical music, music. (He also has a dance floor.) his piano virtuosity – he plays at most of automata, arcade and prize-winning 3. Fred and Deanne Roth are collectors the jazz festivals around California – or classic American sports cars, all in of Classic American sports cars, and through his well-known and much fabulous settings. This is dependent on what a collection it is. There are appreciated “Mechanical Music Digest” filling a bus. several prize-winning cars on on the net, which features all kinds 1. Sandy Lechtick is a nationally display. He has cars you may of articles regarding instruments and known collector of penny arcade remember from your “childhood” . . . the care of them. machines, electrified advertising or maybe not. Do you remember the The table favor will be presented automatons and amusement park Muntz cars made by “Madman tonight, and the chapter is rightfully memorabilia. The 2,000 sq. ft. Muntz”? . . . You can see a gorgeous proud of this one. It has been in the arcade is an eclectic and unusual one at the Roths. Fred, his son, and works for about a year and a half and it’s display of coin-operated machines Deanne do almost all of the going to be a favorite with collectors. from the turn of the century to the restoration themselves, and you 1970’s. This unique collection will be impressed. There is a band Sunday, July 6 includes: fortune tellers, lung testers, organ, and a few other musical Today starts off with the farewell boxing and strength machines, items, including a juke box that is breakfast and business meeting, gambling devices, mutoscopes and really rare. including a presentation for the next peep shows, shooting galleries, convention in 2009. games of skill and chance and Lunch will be included.

Transport to the Hotel from the Airport

The Super Shuttle is $26 per person from LAX and $19 from Burbank with a coupon, which follows.... You need to print up one for transport to the hotel and another for transport from the hotel to the airport. This coupon saves you $3.00 per person each way. Reservations are recommended. OTHER OPTIONS (Call to verify price): L.A. Limo Service (888-LAX-4LESS) 1-4 in a Town Car or Minibus for $100 from LAX Prime Time Shuttle (800-733-8267) $30 each from LAX, $25 from Burbank Valley Towncar (818-968-2926) Lincoln Towncar, Reservations Required. Call for price.

76 continued. . . AMICA ANNUAL “PUMPER” CONTEST JUDGING GUIDELINES

The competition is open to current auto-enhancing mechanisms of the their roll. 10 points will be deducted AMICA members and their immediate rolls and/or piano being used will be from the score for every 1-minute the family. turned off, or those control holes in the introduction exceeds this limit. Contestant that have won in the tracking mechanism shall be covered Rolls may not exceed a play-duration previous year may participate, but are with removal tape. of 5 minutes. 10 points will be deducted not a candidate for the trophy until the The top and bottom tracker holes from the score for every 1-minute the following year. pertaining to reproducing roll control roll-play exceeds this limit. Scoring is based on a 0-100 point notes may be masked on the 88-note Any performance that is additional system, with 100-points being the highest player, but it is the responsibility of the to piano playing, for example; singing; score possible. Judges score separately contestant to furnish their own removable theatrics; or secondary instrument in the following weighted criteria: Verbal tape ahead of time, and to cover the playing will be tolerated, but the judges Introduction (if any), Music Selection, holes in a timely manner. Taking more will score performance based primarily Proper Expression & Mechanism use, than 30-seconds for this task and/or on piano playing. Contestants are to and Artistic Performance. mis-covering the wrong holes results in beware that such additions may serve The Rolls used may be of any brand a 10-point reduction in overall score. to lower their score if judges find or type that fit the piano, but all The Contestant may make up to a these actions a nuisance rather than an Reproducing, Theming or other such 1-minute introductory talk before playing enhancement.

AMICA Annual “Pumper” Contest Score Sheet

Contestant’s Name: ______Judge’s Name:______

Contestant Verbal Musical Use of Artistic Scoring Intro Selection Expression Performance (if any) Controls Score (0-10) ‘5’ being a ‘neutral’ score Weight 1 2 3 4 Totals Final (Score x Weight) Score Add Totals ______

77 E STEY PIANO COMPANY FACTORY

By Michael D. Caratzas

Landmarks Preservation Commission It is also one of the May 16, 2006, Designation List 374 earliest large factories LP-2195 remaining in its Mott Haven neighborhood, ESTEY PIANO COMPANY FACTORY, dating from the 112-128 Lincoln Avenue (aka 15-19 period in which the Bruckner Boulevard and 270-278 East area first experienced 134th Street), Borough of the Bronx. intensive industrial Built 1885-86; A.B. Ogden & Son, development. Today, architects; additions: John B. Snook & as in decades past, the Sons, 1890; Hewlett S. Baker, 1895; S. building’s signature Gifford Slocum, 1909; George F. Hogue, clock tower and 1919. expansive facades— Landmark Site: Bronx Borough Tax simply but elegantly late nineteenth century, Estey sought Map Block 2309, Lot 1, in part, consisting detailed with terra cotta, patterned brick, to diversify into the booming piano of the five-story building extending for and contrasting stone—are visible from industry, and his partnership with 200 feet along the north side of Bruckner the waterfront and nearby Harlem River Simpson—a pioneering North Side piano Boulevard east of Lincoln Avenue; 200 bridges, making the Estey Factory a true manufacturer—was a means to that end. feet along the east side of Lincoln Avenue neighborhood landmark. When Estey Piano opened its factory, it north of Bruckner Boulevard; and along a Manufacturing blossomed in the Mott manufactured upright and grand pianos portion of the south side of East 134th Haven section of the Bronx during the that would become recognized for their Street east of Lincoln Avenue, including 1880s, when new factories started “superior construction and workmanship.” all adjoining elevator shafts, and the land springing up in the area east of Third The original portion of the Estey Piano on which it is sited. Avenue. Many of these produced pianos Factory was designed by the architectural On April 11, 2006, the Landmarks or their components, and by 1919, the firm of A.B. Ogden & Son. Many of this Preservation Commission held a public Bronx had more than 60 such factories, building’s features, including its L-shaped hearing on the proposed designation as a making it one of America’s piano- plan, flat roof, regular fenestration Landmark of the Estey Piano Company manufacturing centers. One of the city’s pattern and bay arrangement, and Factory and the proposed designation of first piano factories to be built in the relatively narrow width to allow for the related Landmark Site (Item No. 1). Annexed District or North Side, as the daylight penetration, are characteristic of The hearing had been duly advertised in western portions of the Bronx were late-nineteenth-century factory buildings. accordance with the provisions of the law. known between 1874 and 1898, the Estey Its mixture of segmental- and round- Two people, including a representative of building was credited with providing “an headed window openings, and the the Historic Districts Council, spoke in unusual stimulus” for the movement of Romanesque machicolations of its clock favor of designation. The building had other piano makers there. Several of the tower, place the Estey Factory within the previously been heard by the Commission manufacturers that followed Estey to the tradition of the American round-arched on June 2, 1992. Annexed District, and later the Bronx, style. Other features, including the Summary clustered within a few blocks of its factory’s distinctive, red-orange brick, Featuring robust brick facades and factory, creating an important nucleus for dogtoothed and zig-zagging patterned- a high corner clock tower, the former the piano industry. brick stringcourses, recessed brick panels, Estey Piano Company Factory is a The Estey Piano Company was terra cotta tiles featuring festoons, lions’ distinguished monument to an industry organized by Jacob Estey and John B. heads, and foliate motifs—and of course, that was once one of the Bronx’s most Simpson in 1885. Two decades before, its dramatic, projecting clock tower— important. Anchoring the northeast corner Estey had established an organ works in speak of a building that sought to of Lincoln Avenue and Southern (now Brattleboro, Vt. that had grown into one of announce its presence on the urban Bruckner) Boulevard since 1886, when the country’s largest producers of reed landscape, projecting a strong public its original portion was completed, the organs, thousands of which found their image for its owner. Indeed, the Estey Estey building is the oldest-known former way into American parlors every year. Piano Company often included an piano factory standing in the Bronx today. Like other organ manufacturers in the illustration of this factory on its trade 78 continued. . . cards, which advertised the firm’s in 1841.5 Despite the presence of Suburban Rapid Transit Company. The products. the large Harlem River & Port Chester Suburban’s line, which would come to be The original building was extended to Railroad yard, which stretched from known in the Bronx as the Third Avenue the east along Southern Boulevard Lincoln Avenue to Brown Place south of El, was the first to bring rapid transit in 1890, with a harmonious five-story 132nd Street, few factories appear to service to the Annexed District. With its addition designed by John B. Snook & have existed east of Third Avenue at southern terminus on the Manhattan side Sons, and to the north, along Lincoln the end of the 1870s.6 of the Harlem, where it met Manhattan’s Avenue, with one-story additions in In 1874, the townships of Morrisania, east-side elevated lines, the Suburban 1895. The Lincoln Avenue additions West Farms, and Kingsbridge—the stopped at Southern Boulevard, before appear to have been combined and sections of the present Bronx borough continuing northward; service on the line expanded, and then raised to three located west of the Bronx River— was expanded and improved between stories in 1909, and by an additional two became part of New York City. Officially 1887 and 1902.11 While the Suburban stories in 1919; the 1919 addition near called the 23rd and 24th Wards, they was under construction, Real Estate the southeast corner of Lincoln Avenue were generally referred to as the Record & Builders’ Guide predicted that and 134th Street features broad expanses “Annexed District” or “North Side,” but it would have an enormous impact on the of industrial sash that were characteristic they remained fairly isolated.7 At that North Side, calling it, in 1885, “a great of the “daylight factories” of the early time, few links existed between the thing for the [Annexed District], as well twentieth century. Known today as the southern portion of the District and as for New York City. It will furnish Clock Tower Building, the old Estey Manhattan; among those that did cheap homes for a poorer population, as Piano Company Factory currently houses was a cast-iron bridge at Third Avenue well as choice rural habitations for the artists and their studios. With its historic which, in 1860, had replaced an old well-to-do. We may expect many light fabric almost completely intact, the wood dam-bridge built in the 1790s manufacturing industries to become building remains, in the words of the AIA at that location.8 Soon after annexation, naturalized on the other side of the Guide to New York City, “the grande however, local residents, property Harlem.”12 And the line did come to dame of the piano trade: not virgin, but owners, business owners, and booster play a crucial role in Mott Haven’s all-together and proud.” groups like the North Side Association late-nineteenth-century development, began agitating for improved spurring rowhouse construction in the infrastructure, including better late 1880s and 1890s. As new housing DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS connections with Manhattan.9 In the sprouted up, so too did industry; an 1894 The Industrial Development 1880s, new public works started to be drawing of the Harlem River east of of Mott Haven1 built; among them was the Madison Third Avenue shows a busy waterfront Well before the 1898 creation of the Avenue Bridge, completed in 1884, with docks and factories on both sides of borough of the Bronx, industrial activity which spanned the Harlem River at 138th the river, including the Estey Factory, was occurring in the area that is now the Street, about - five blocks north of the with its distinctive clock tower clearly Bronx’s southernmost portion.2 In 1828, Mott Iron Works complex. By 1885, visible.13 In 1895, the New York Times Jordan L. Mott, the inventor of a additional industrial concerns—including noted that “that part of the 23rd Ward coal-burning iron cooking stove, opened a planing mill, cabinet maker, and nickel along the Harlem River”—that is, the a “modest little factory” on property he works, and factories making carpets southernmost portion of the Annexed had purchased on the Harlem River near and surgical instruments—had sprung up District, including Mott Haven—was “a the present Third Avenue, in what was in Mott Haven, near and below 138th very busy manufacturing place.”14 then the township of Morrisania.3 Mott Street, and close to Third Avenue. The Improved rapid transit connections started calling the area Mott Haven and, expanded rail yard below 132nd Street, with Manhattan aided Mott Haven’s in 1850, seeking to attract additional at that point operated by the New York, residential growth, but the area’s industry to the area, he laid out the Mott New Haven & Hartford Railroad, industrial development was spurred by Haven Canal, an artificial inlet from the connected directly to new docks at the its Harlem River location and Harlem River that would ultimately foot of Willis Avenue. A few factories the expansion of its freight-rail extend to just south of 144th Street.4 The had sprouted up in the area east of infrastructure.15 By the beginning of the canal, however, was slow to attract indus- Lincoln Avenue, as the Estey Piano twentieth century, the New York, New trial firms, and by 1879, only a handful Company Factory, then under construc- Haven & Hartford—with a freight depot of substantial ones existed nearby, tion at the northeast corner of Lincoln located one block south of the Estey including a brass and iron works, a Avenue and Southern (now Bruckner) Factory, at Lincoln Avenue and 132nd machine shop, and a few lumber and coal Boulevard, shared a block with the Street—connected with dozens of yards, all of which were below 138th expansive works of the New York railroads providing service throughout Street. These were joined by a marble Lumber and Woodworking Company.10 the eastern and midwestern United yard, lumber yard, and hotel west of the The 1886 opening of the Second States, and into Canada. The New York canal, near the tracks built by the Avenue Bridge just a few blocks from Central system, with extensive yards New York & Harlem Railroad to connect the Estey Factory provided a Harlem close by in Melrose, was just as far- Manhattan with what is now the Bronx, River crossing for the trains of the new reaching.16 And the southern Bronx 79 continued. . . retained these transportation advantages facilities. This special mixed-use zoning have large piano factories in the Annexed into the twentieth century. Writing in was expanded to blocks to the east, west, District, and later, the Bronx. 1908 about the proliferation of piano and south in 2005.23 The 1850s “marked the domestic factories, many of which were in the As Mott Haven becomes increasingly triumph of the American piano,” as the southern Bronx, lifelong piano man residential, the former Estey Factory is a nation’s production doubled during the William P.H. Bacon pointed to the reminder of the neighborhood’s early decade, and imports from England borough’s “superior transportation and years of intensive industrial growth. dwindled to virtually nothing.30 Although shipping facilities, both by water and Today, the Estey building is one of the the piano would never become, in the land,” as well as “the opportunity of oldest large factories standing in Mott words of pianist and social historian getting land for the erection of Haven, and in the entire area of the Arthur Loesser, a “possession of the commodious factories at reasonable southern Bronx below 149th Street.24 ‘masses,’” its appearance in more and figures.”17 In experiencing strong more American parlors led one popular manufacturing growth in the nineteenth The Rise and Fall of the writer to remark in 1867 that “almost and early twentieth centuries, Mott American Piano Industry25 every couple that sets up housekeeping Haven was a microcosm of the Bronx The piano was virtually unknown in on a respectable scale considers a piano and the city as a whole: by 1920, New the American colonies in 1771, when only less indispensable than a kitchen York City had 12% of the country’s Thomas Jefferson asked his agent to range.”31 Between 1870 and 1910, and factory workers, and by 1927, the Bronx have a “forte-piano” sent to him from especially, in the latter two decades of had 2,700 plants with more than 100,000 Europe. By the 1780s, however, piano this period, the American piano industry employees.18 imports were being supplemented with boomed; per-capita consumption of Industrial growth had been rapid in domestically produced instruments made pianos skyrocketed, with one American the southern Bronx; Bacon wrote, in by a handful of manufacturers in in every 252 purchasing a new piano 1908, of “the busy hum of commerce New York and Philadelphia.26 But in 1910, up from one in 1,540 in where but a few years ago, the lowing of despite the announcement in New 1870. Falling prices and the growing cattle and other sylvan sounds were the York, in 1791, that one Mr. Kullin availability of inexpensive, low-quality only noises heard.”19 The end of World “would perform on a Grand Concert “thump-boxes” were factors in expanding War II marked the apex of manufacturing Pianoforte… just finished by Messrs. the market for the piano, which was in New York, as in 1947, more Dodds & Claus, of this city,”27 becoming an increasingly affordable manufacturing jobs existed in the city American-made pianos were rare status symbol. than in Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, and creatures at the turn of the nineteenth In the mid-to-late nineteenth century, Philadelphia combined. But industrial century. According to one estimate made as the piano became a more common activity in the Bronx would soon begin in the 1790s, only 27 families in the feature of the middle-class home, it to decline, reflecting city-wide trends. entire city of Boston owned pianos at that began to carry considerable cultural By the 1950s, New York City was time, and all of those instruments had freight. During this period and into the rapidly losing industrial jobs, with been made in London. twentieth century, most piano players manufacturers leaving in droves for For the first half of the nineteenth were women and girls; the ability to play the suburbs, or departing the region century, Boston was “the liveliest even simple tunes on the instrument was entirely.20 Between 1969 and 1999, the American center for the development of a mark of a “cultivated lady” with good number of manufacturing jobs in the city new piano-making ideas,” as its social graces, as piano music had become fell by two-thirds.21 Contributing to the makers pioneered crucial technological “an unavoidable feature of the small decline of industry in the southern Bronx advancements that included the one-piece soiree.”32 The piano was believed to be was the destruction of manufacturing iron frame.28 But other cities were more suitable for a girl than the harp— space with the construction of broad making pianos, too, and by 1829, with which might bring bad posture—or new highways; the building of the the industry on the rise, Philadelphia led the horn, violin, or cello, which were earliest portions of the Major Deegan the country in piano production, followed inappropriate for refined, modest young Expressway through Mott Haven by New York, Boston, and . women and were thought to cause between 1935 and 1939, for example, By the 1840s and 1850s, with New “detriment of their feminine wiped out several industrial buildings on York’s ascendance as the nation’s cultural attractions.”33 But more importantly, the block immediately to the north of the and commercial capital, German piano the piano was viewed as an important Estey Factory, including the former makers began arriving in the city, feature of a home that was supposed to factory of the Brambach Piano including Heinrich E. Steinweg, whose shelter its family from the uncertainties Company.22 In 1997, the New York City name—later changed to Steinway— of an increasingly industrialized society, Department of City Planning, citing an would become synonymous with the and to incubate moral and spiritual values underutilization of industrial space instrument.29 Many of the immigrants that were believed to be under threat. in Mott Haven, rezoned a portion of from this period—including Fre-derick Music was held to be morally uplifting Bruckner Boulevard including the block Mathushek, Ernst Gabler, George Steck, “medicine for the soul”;34 a mother’s containing the former Estey Factory, to Henry Behning, and Simon Krakauer— duty to provide it to her family was allow for residential uses and community founded companies that would ultimately intertwined with her responsibilities as 80 continued. . . keeper of the domestic hearth. The did radios offer a wide variety of musical the late 1870s, a few other businesses daughters of the house also shouldered and other programming, but they were associated with the piano trade existed this duty. By playing the piano at home, cheaper and smaller than pianos, came in the Annexed District, including those one 1909 article argued, a girl could in attractive cabinets, and were seen of Gustavus de Nobriga, at Elton Avenue “lighten the hours free from the cares of as technological marvels. As radio and 163rd Street; Peter C. Provost, at business and household,” acting as “a production rose from 190,000 units in Third Avenue and 161st Street; and boon to her father, to her mother, and to 1923 to almost five million in 1929, Charles A. Vinton, in Tremont.43 Among her brothers.” In the words of historian the piano industry experienced near- the most successful members of this Craig H. Roell, “The girl musician was complete collapse. Between 1923 and small, far-flung community of North Side not just cultivating a pastime or social 1933, the number of American piano piano men was John Boulton Simpson. grace; she was playing her proper role. manufacturers shrank from 160 to 36; the By 1879, Simpson’s large Arion piano She provided a musical oasis in a industry’s workforce fell by 85%. works—probably the biggest of its time workaday world.”35 Even the once-mighty American Piano in the entire Annexed District—spanned The peak year for domestic pianos Company, which became the first the north side of 149th Street, between was 1909, when American manufacturers musical instrument manufacturer to Brook and St. Ann’s Avenues.44 turned out nearly 365,000 of them. be listed on the New York Stock The new Estey Piano Factory, built Several factors had contributed to the Exchange following its 1908 formation, in 1885-86 at the northeast corner of industry’s rapid growth over the previous fell into receivership in 1929. Southern Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue, four decades, including the rise of the From the late nineteenth century catalyzed the development of the area supply business, which provided keys, on, piano manufacturing’s growth in south of 149th Street into the city’s most actions, cases, soundboards, and other the Midwest—particularly in Chicago significant piano-manufacturing hub. ready-made parts to manufacturers and Cincinnati—eroded the dominance Noting in 1889 that “the section of the that were too small to produce these in the industry that East Coast cities, city on the other side of Harlem and east components in-house.36 The widespread particularly New York, Boston, of Third Avenue is destined to become use of installment sales, broadened and Philadelphia, once enjoyed. a piano making center of unusual musical education, and sophisticated Nevertheless, New York remained a importance, judging from the manner in marketing techniques—including major center for piano making until which piano firms are concentrating in manufacturers’ sponsorship of concerts the time of the industry’s decline. In that portion of the city,” Musical Courier and their construction of recital halls— 1911, 120 of the 295 American piano magazine credited the construction of also boosted sales. But by the turn of the manufacturers were headquartered in the Estey Factory with giving this twentieth century, changes were afoot New York City, giving it, by a wide “movement an unusual stimulus.”45 that foreshadowed the industry’s margin, the most manufacturers of any Indeed, within a decade, several large collapse. Around that time, the industry city in the United States;38 in 1924, just piano factories would exist within close started to consolidate; multiple brand before the piano industry fell apart, distance of the Estey building. By 1897, names were grouped under big corporate “American piano production had reached Estey was sharing its block with the umbrellas, diluting the value of old, phenomenal proportions,” and New York Kroeger Piano Company; one block respected marques and squeezing out was “one of the leading domestic centers south were the factories of the Henry smaller manufacturers. The growth of for the production of pianos and other Spies and Haines Brothers companies, the used-piano business undercut new musical instruments.”39 By the early and a block to the north was the factory piano sales. And while pedal-operated twentieth century, most of the city’s of Schubert Piano.46 By 1900, piano and electric player pianos boosted piano manufacturing was occurring in factories were scattered throughout the industry between 1900 and 1925, the Bronx. the area south of 149th Street, another manufacturers sowed the seeds of manufacturer—Sturz Brothers—had their own demise by emphasizing these Piano Manufacturing in the Bronx40 moved to the block north of Estey, and an instruments’ ease of operation. “There is Piano manufacturing in the Bronx additional nucleus of piano firms had no question that for the industry predates the birth of the borough itself, developed on the east side of Southern as a whole, the appeal to the consumer’s and was occurring even before the 1874 Boulevard between 135th and 136th laziness was a very profitable but creation of the Annexed District. Streets, where Ludwig, Newby & Evans, eventually disastrous path,” Roell According to William P.H. Bacon, the and Decker had factories.47 explains, noting that Steinway, which first important piano factory in what is “The Bronx was a very good area to continued to make high-quality pianos now the Bronx was that of Dunham & run a craft-oriented factory” because of requiring skilled human hands, was Son, which was located at the northeast its large number of German and Italian among the strongest survivors of the corner of 155th Street and Morris immigrants—many of them skilled fierce industry shakeout to come.37 Avenue, east of the New York & Harlem craftsmen—according to historian The arrival of the phonograph around Railroad tracks.41 Built around 1870, the Harvey Lubar.48 And by the end of the the turn of the twentieth century posed plant was still operating in 1885, but by nineteenth century, piano making had some threat to piano manufacturers, but 1893, Dunham had vacated the plant become one of the Bronx’s signature radio devastated the industry. Not only because of its isolated location.42 By industries. One 1895 New York Times 81 continued. . . article about the North Side noted that were in Mott Haven, in the area south of represented what may have been Ogden’s piano production there was “so large 149th Street and west of the Port Morris first major commission.65 It was also as almost to make it the center of this neighborhood.56 These firms made all the work of a man who was already into industry”; the 1897 booster publication kinds of instruments, some cheap, and his forties, and who had been associated, The Great North Side, which opened its some expensive. As Lubar explains, until that point, primarily with the chapter on manufacturing with a picture “there is no one stereotype company that woodworking business.66 of the Estey Factory, also featured could be said to typify the Bronx piano In 1885, Ogden welcomed his son, pictures of at least four other piano industry. Some companies were more Samuel B. Ogden (c.1865-1925) into his factories, including those of the concerned with profits than others, while firm, and changed its name to A.B. Wheelock, Ludwig, and Jacob Doll some produced much-higher-quality Ogden & Son.67 By that point, Alfred had companies.49 Over the following two instruments than others.”57 Several of the built up a booming practice. Between decades, piano manufacturing in the companies that set up shop in the Bronx 1884 and 1886 alone, Ogden’s firm southern Bronx would steadily increase. had moved from Manhattan, many from designed dozens of apartment, tenement, In 1908, according to a Times piece by the upper part of the island.58 Several and flats buildings, many of them for the Borough President Louis F. Haffen, 24 others were previously located east of vast areas of Manhattan—including the piano factories existed south of 149th Third Avenue, between around 21st Upper East and Upper West Sides, and Street; Haffen’s text was accompanied by Street and the low 40s, and west of Harlem—that had been opened up to illustrations of four representative Bronx Eighth Avenue, between approximately intensive development with the recent places, including the old Borough Hall 34th and 51st Streets.59 Many piano extension of New York’s elevated train (later destroyed by fire) in Crotona Park, factories remained on Manhattan’s west lines.68 Most of the Ogdens’ buildings and a “Bronx piano factory.”50 In the side and in Astoria—the home of were unpretentious, such as a group of same year, Bacon reported that the Bronx Steinway & Sons—during the Bronx’s four, five-story tenements constructed in contained more than three-fifths of the glory years, but after the Bronx 1885 at the southwest corner of First city’s piano factories, which accounted developed into the city’s major piano- Avenue and 92nd Street, at a total cost of for more than two-thirds of New York’s making center, several firms set up shop about $50,000.69 While most of their annual production.51 The American piano there without stopping in Manhattan mid-1880s residential buildings fell into industry was “largely centered in first.60 the modest $10,000 to $25,000 range, the Bronx,” according to one 1910 By 1925, declining production and the firm did design a handful of more account;52 by 1913, the Bronx had 40 industry consolidation had shrunk the luxurious buildings, such as a piano factories and an additional 14 number of Bronx piano manufacturers to now-demolished, six-story apartment manufacturers of piano components. approximately 40, with about 32 located house on the north side of 86th Street, “Instead of being injurious to business, in Mott Haven.61 Although most were east of Fourth Avenue.70 this centralization of the makers of one gone by the 1930s, a few hung on While multiple dwellings—particularly, product is proving beneficial,” Borough through the Depression. The final Bronx fairly inexpensive ones—represented President Cyrus Chace Miller wrote, piano manufacturer was Krakauer, but by the firm’s bread and butter during arguing that it drew buyers to the area the mid-1970s, it was gone, too. Today, these years, the Ogdens had gained and gave piano manufacturers easy the Estey Piano Company Factory, which considerable experience by the mid- access to a large pool of skilled labor.53 played a crucial role in the borough’s rise 1880s in designing buildings of diverse The presence of a large number of to the position of “piano capital of types, including rowhouses; stables; a components suppliers also undoubtedly the United States,” is the oldest-known store-and-lofts building with neo-Grec contributed to the Bronx’s success as piano factory standing in the Bronx, a elements at 274 Canal Street (1883, a piano center, making it easier for monument to an industry that played a within the Tribeca East Historic District); companies to enter the business with significant role in the borough’s history.62 and industrial buildings, including a relatively small amounts of capital, and silk-finishing mill on the north side of to compete with their larger rivals.54 A.B. Ogden & Son63 91st Street, east of First Avenue.71 Piano manufacturing continued to A New York State native, Alfred B. Among the firm’s most ambitious grow in the Bronx through the 1910s. By Ogden (c.1834-1895) established an industrial designs was one for what the 1919, the borough was, according to the architectural practice in New York City Real Estate Record and Builders’ Times, the “center of New York’s piano by 1878.64 In that year—the first in Guide called “an immense abattoir and industry”; in an industry with 191 which he was listed as an architect in refrigerator,” since demolished, which companies and 23,000 employees a city directory—Ogden saw the covered the entire block east of First nationwide, the Bronx had 63 piano completion of his Hahnemann Hospital, Avenue, between 45th and 46th Streets.72 factories employing more than 5,000 since demolished, on the east side of A.B. Ogden & Son designed people, and producing approximately Fourth (now Park) Avenue between East numerous rowhouses and multiple 115,000 units annually.55 In that year, at 67th and 68th Streets. Featuring a dwellings that remain today within the least 55 firms classified as makers of distinctive, steeply pitched mansard Carnegie Hill, Upper West Side/Central pianos, including player pianos, were roof with high corner towers, the four- Park West, Mount Morris Park, and located in the Bronx, and 43 of them story brick building with stone trim Greenwich Village Historic Districts, and 82 continued. . . within the Hamilton Heights/Sugar Hill Arion Piano-Forte Company. In 1872, business was in decline. The piano Historic Districts. The firm was the company’s factory moved to 149th business, however, was booming; and, experienced in designing housing in a Street, in what is now the Bronx. John likely noticing the 1882 entry of the variety of period styles; its work within Boulton Simpson, who had been Arion’s renowned organ maker Mason & Hamlin the Upper East Side and Upper West Side secretary since 1871, took control of into piano manufacturing, Estey and the districts consists primarily of rowhouses the company in 1875; in that year, the company’s other principals, including and flats buildings built between company apparently moved to a new Levi K. Fuller and Jacob’s son Julius, the early 1880s and early 1890s in the factory on St. Ann’s Avenue and boasted decided to take the same path.82 neo-Grec, Queen Anne, and Renaissance that “Six years ago, there were none of Estey became a piano manufacturer by Revival styles, with some incorporating our pianos in existence; today, there are forming a partnership with Simpson, who Romanesque Revival elements. The over 7,500 in use.”76 In the following was named president of the new Estey Renaissance Revival- and Classical year, the firm’s name changed to Piano Company; the Simpson piano was Revival-style rowhouses in the Hamilton Simpson & Company, although it also essentially rebranded as the new Estey Heights/Sugar Hill districts—which were continued to be known by the Arion model. Simpson, of course, had been a completed in 1894 and 1895, toward the name.77 By the end of the 1870s, pioneer in Bronx piano manufacturing, end of Alfred’s life—are among the Simpson’s factory—stretching from and this may have played a role in Ogdens’ most finely detailed residential Brook to St. Ann’s Avenues on the north Estey’s decision to build its plant on the work. side of 149th Street—was probably North Side. A.B. Ogden & Son was After Alfred died on Christmas Day of the largest piano factory in the Annexed hired to design the factory, but Simpson 1895, the firm’s name changed to S.B. District, but in 1880, it was sold to may have had some influence over its Ogden & Company, and in 1899 or 1900, another piano maker, the William E. appearance and form, as he had dabbled Ogden’s office moved to a new three- Wheelock Company.78 in architecture, altering his home on story, neo-Renaissance-style commercial While Simpson apparently continued West 129th Street in 1882 to give it a building at 954 Lexington Avenue to make “high grade pianos” following “picturesque exoticism.”83 Work began (within the Upper East Side Historic the Wheelock sale, the location of his on the “large factory with modern District) that his firm had designed. factory in the early 1880s is unclear. appliances,” as it would later be During the first decade of the twentieth Between 1881 and 1885, Simpson & described, in August of 1885; it was century, Ogden’s firm designed a Company continued to maintain a space, completed, at a cost of approximately diverse array of buildings, including likely a showroom, at 5 East 14th $40,000, in February of 1886.84 While stables, factories, tenements, flats, and Street—where it had been since 1876— the factory was under construction, Estey warehouses. Among its most notable but the company was also listed at 127 Piano decided to construct three more works were a twelve-story residential East 129th and 232 East 40th Streets, buildings that would extend its complex building completed c.1905 at 125 neither of which appears to have been the by an additional 80 feet along Southern Riverside Drive, and the stately, neo- location of a substantial factory. These Boulevard. These brick structures, Renaissance style, eleven-story Alba addresses do, however, link Simpson in designed by Ogden’s firm and completed Hotel at 203 West 54th Street.73 the early 1880s with the respected tuner at the same time as the main factory, By 1900, Samuel B. Ogden had Stephen Brambach, who would play a were a one-story extension, a one-story started a family of his own, and was crucial role in developing Estey’s first shed, and a two-story stable.85 living at 186 MacDonough Street in pianos; Brambach was located next door Estey Piano prospered in its early Brooklyn. He appears to have closed his to Simpson between 1881 and 1883, and years, as “Estey grand and upright pianos architectural firm, and left the practice, in in the same building in 1884.79 In 1885, soon became a dominant factor in the 1909 or 1910.74 As a Brooklyn resident, the Estey Organ Company of Brattleboro, piano trade,” according to Alfred Dolge, Ogden had at least one commission Vt. was hitting its peak.80 By the end of who added that they often “carried off within that borough, a four-story the 1880s, the firm, which had been highest awards for superior construction apartment house with austere Classical founded in 1866 by Jacob Estey, would and workmanship.”86 In 1887, the trade detailing completed in 1907 at 886 Union be the world’s largest producer of reed publication Musical Courier wrote that Street that stands today within the Park organs. Thousands of these instruments the Estey Piano Factory was “one of the Slope Historic District. Samuel B. found their way into American parlors most complete in the country”; two years Ogden died on September 26, 1925. every year; they were also being later, it called the firm’s upright “a distributed, by 1890, to Africa, Asia, most beautiful specimen of piano The Estey Piano Company Australia, and South America, and to manufacturing,” of which Estey would and Its Factory75 major European cities. Despite the “find no difficulty in disposing … in the The Estey Piano Company had its company’s success—it was described, in best musical circles in the land.”87 While roots in the firm of Manner & Company, 1886, as doing “an immense business, trade journals’ opinions should be which manufactured pianos on the amounting to over one million dollars considered with caution, those of the Bowery between 1866 and 1869. annually”81—and its rapid growth— respected piano tuner and regulator Manner called his piano the “Arion,” and production rose by a factor of seven Daniel Spillane may be more reliable. in 1870, his firm’s name changed to the between 1865 and 1886—the organ Five years after the Estey Factory 83 continued. . . opened, Spillane called its piano “a very in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District— hired Slocum to design an alteration to excellent instrument,” adding that “much including 8 Greene Street (1883-84), 12 his residence at 117 East 83rd Street, in of the technical and musical merit of Wooster Street (1883-84), 127 Spring 1900.98 Slocum’s two-story addition to these pianos is due to the competency Street/87-89 Greene Street (1886-87), the Estey Piano Factory was described and skill of [Stephen] Brambach, who 391-393 West Broadway/77-81 as being of “similar construction to the is a gentleman of fine musical and Wooster Street (1889), 151 Spring present building” in its Buildings mechanical sensibilities [and] … one Street (1889-90) and 361 Canal Street Department application, and it of the best tuners in New York.”88 (1891-92)—were utilitarian brick demonstrates continuity with the floor Although Brambach had apparently start- buildings; but like the Estey Factory, they below and with the original building in ed his own piano company in 1885,89 he were also designed with an eye toward its segmental-arch-headed window remained involved with Estey in detail, featuring patterned and textured openings, and in its similar decorative 1890, originating “all new ideas in the brickwork, and contrasting stone details, including pilasters, stone sills mechanics and acoustics of the Estey trim that enliven their facades.93 supported by corbelled brick courses, and piano.” Brambach’s brother Carl, “one The Estey Factory continued to grow patterned-brick stringcourses. A drawing of the most expert and artistic tuners and in the 1890s. In 1895, the company of the factory following the completion toners in the country,” was also extended the building 50 feet along of Slocum’s addition appeared in a 1917 employed by Estey Piano, according to Lincoln Avenue with a one-story, Estey Piano Company advertisement.99 Spillane.90 69-foot-deep brick addition that Over the previous years, the Estey Business was good, and only four apparently provided a fireproof home for Piano Company had undergone several years after the Estey Piano Factory its woodworking department; at the same changes, weathering the deaths—in 1890, opened, it underwent a huge expansion.91 time, Estey constructed a new, one-story 1896, and 1902, respectively—of Jacob In May of 1890, work began on a 100- brick lumber room running for an Estey, Levi K. Fuller, and Julius Estey.100 foot-long east addition that would result additional 38 feet along Lincoln, where it The firm’s “warerooms” or showrooms, in the demolition of the extension, shed, met a small, one-story brick building which had been at 5 East 14th Street and stable on Southern Boulevard, and then existing at the southeast corner of since the time of the company’s create the unified five-story, 200-foot- Lincoln Avenue and 134th Street.94 Both founding, were at 97 Fifth Avenue by long Bruckner Boulevard façade that the extension and the new building— 1900 and 7 West 29th Street by 1909. remains essentially unchanged today. which appear to remain today as the They would move again—in 1912 to the The architect of this addition, which was base of the five-story portion of the since-demolished “Estey Building” at 23 completed in October of 1890 at a cost of factory north of the original building— West 42nd Street—and by 1916 to 12 about $23,000, was John B. Snook & were designed by Hewlett S. Baker of West 45th Street.101 By 1912, Estey Sons.92 This firm, then one of New 492 East 138th Street.95 Little is known pianos were being sold at Loeser’s York’s most prolific, traced its origins to about Baker; he was described as “a department store in Brooklyn; in its the arrival of John B. Snook (1815-1901) property owner in the South Bronx” in a advertising, the company took advantage in the United States, from England, in 1910 New York Times article, and as “a of its historical association with the 1835. By 1842, Snook was working contractor and builder in the Bronx” in a Estey Organ Company, stating that “the with Joseph Trench, and the two helped 1912 article about his death.96 By 1900, world-renowned Estey Pianos … are just introduce the Anglo-Italianate style to the one-story buildings near the corner of as reliable as the Estey Organs made New York with buildings such as the A.T. Lincoln and 134th appear to have been famous by the same firm in the days of Stewart Store at 280 Broadway (1845-46, extended to the east.97 our parents.”102 On at least one occasion, a Designated New York City Landmark). The portion of the factory north of the the Estey Piano Factory witnessed strife One of Snook’s best-known works original building remained at one story between its employees and management, was the first Grand Central Terminal until 1909, when Simpson and architect as in 1912, workers struck Estey and (1869-71, demolished); in 1887, he took S. Gifford Slocum raised it to three other Bronx piano manufacturers that his three sons, James Henry (1847-1917), stories. Slocum, an architect of some would not recognize the piano makers’ Samuel Booth (1857-1915), and Thomas note, is remembered primarily for his union and refused to close their shop Edward, and a son-in-law, John W. large residences for wealthy clients, floors to non-union employees.103 Boyleston, into his office, and changed including several fine Queen Anne-style In 1917, John B. Simpson’s leadership his firm’s name to John B. Snook & residences built in the Saratoga of the Estey Piano Company came to an Sons. Although Snook had designed a Springs area in the 1880s. Born in end, when George B. Gittins, the former diverse array of buildings—including Jefferson County, N.Y., Slocum studied president of piano manufacturer Kohler residential and commercial structures for architecture at Cornell University from & Campbell, purchased a controlling some of New York’s most prominent 1873 to 1875, and by 1885, he had interest in the firm.104 Gittins, an industry families—his firm designed several offices in Saratoga and Glens Falls, N.Y. prodigy who was only 37 at the time he manufacturing lofts in the 1880s In 1888, Slocum moved to Philadelphia took Estey Piano’s helm, appears to have and 1890s that would have made it an while retaining his Saratoga office; begun revamping the company’s product appropriate choice for the Estey addition. between 1890 and 1909, he practiced line almost immediately; an “at-the- These industrial buildings, now located architecture in New York City. Simpson factory” clearance sale held in November 84 continued. . . of 1917 was prompted by the company’s organs. building was the 120 Lincoln Avenue intention “to concentrate on the In 1925, perhaps sensing the end of Realty Corporation, which was leasing large-scale production of a few standard the glory days for the piano and player space to Alta Furniture Factories.114 Until models.”105 Two years later, Gittins piano, Gittins decided to diversify into at least 1945, 120 Lincoln Avenue Realty purchased M. Welte & Sons, Inc., which the manufacture of pipe organs for remained the owner of the building;115 in was originally the American arm of a churches, concert halls, theaters, and 1969, it was occupied by the Ranger German company that had invented the large residences. In the following year, Plastics Corporation,116 and in 1973, it reproducing piano, a technologically Estey-Welte appeared to be perfectly was home to a draperies manufacturer.117 advanced kind of player piano using healthy, but by January of 1927, a crash At the end of the 1970s, the old Estey special rolls that were able to express, to in its stock price brought the Piano Company Factory housed a maker some extent, the subtleties of the over-extended company to its knees. of textile products and its outlet store, renowned pianists who had “recorded” Estey-Welte was in serious trouble, and along with manufacturers of wire and them. Following the 1907 introduction by summer of that year, it was “novelty” products.118 In 1995, when the of Welte’s “Mignon” reproducing piano reorganized as the Welte Company. building was mostly vacant, it was in the United States, dozens of the Gittins was soon gone; by 1928 his old purchased by Truro College, which world’s most famous pianists made firm was reorganized again, as the Welte- planned to convert it into student recordings for Welte, allowing Americans Mignon Corp. This latest incarnation of dormitories or a home for a liberal arts to experience, for the first time, the firm fell into receivership in 1929, and sciences program. Those plans fell something close to having Paderewski, when its chief assets were split up and its through, however, and the college sold Saint-Saens, and other virtuosi play for factory emptied; one investor, Donald the former Estey Factory, now known as them in their homes. F. Tripp, bought some of the organ the Clock Tower Building, to Carnegie Soon after acquiring Welte, Gittins business, and the Estey Piano Company Management, which remodeled its started shutting down the firm’s was sold to the Settergren Piano interior to accommodate live-in artists’ Poughkeepsie, N.Y. plant—which had Company of Bluffton, Ind. Tripp’s firm studios. It retains this use today.119 produced rolls, reproducing pianos was bankrupt within two years; in 1935, with and without keyboards, Welte Settergren was renamed the Estey Piano Design of the “Philharmonic” reproducing organs, Company. Estey Piano Company Factory120 orchestrions, and other products—and The Estey Piano name continued on The original, pre-1890 portion of the expanding the Estey Factory building and for decades. Estey spinets were being Estey Piano building—recognizable its complex.106 In 1919, architect advertised in Chicago in 1948, and today as the three-bay clock tower, the George F. Hogue of 41 Union Square in the firm’s pianos appeared in Macy’s twelve bays north of the tower on the Manhattan was hired to add two stories advertisements in the early-to-mid Lincoln Avenue façade, and the twelve to the northern, three-story portion of the 1960s.109 The Estey Piano Company was bays east of the tower on the Bruckner factory, and to add an elevator shaft. still operating in 1972, when it received a Boulevard façade—exhibits many This alteration, which cost about loan from the Commerce Department to characteristic features of a late- $25,000, featured broad expanses of assist it in starting production of a plastic nineteenth-century factory. Like other industrial sash typical of the “daylight” piano. At that time, Estey was described industrial buildings of its time, much of factories that were then being constructed as having “an office in Union, N.J., and the Estey Factory’s appearance and around the country.107 By 1921, Gittins an old plant in Bluffton, Ind.”110 form is rooted in practical needs; “the had also constructed a two-story building After the old Estey Piano Company aesthetic basis of American industrial (not part of this Designation) facing Factory was vacated in 1929, it passed building design,” according to Southern Boulevard and adjoining through the hands of a number of architectural historian Betsy Hunter Snook’s 1890 addition, as well as a four- different owners, and was occupied by Bradley, “was an ideal of beauty based story factory for Welte (not part of this many different industrial tenants. A on function, utility, and process.”121 Designation) that remains today at 27 sheet-metal works leased space there in Among the original Estey building’s Bruckner Boulevard.108 In 1922, the 1932, and its occupants in 1937 included features are its relatively narrow, 40-foot Estey-Welte Corporation was created, the Whitman Supply Company and width and its L-shaped footprint, which which served as an umbrella organization Unique Balance Company.111 By 1939, arose from functional requirements; in for several Gittins holdings, including the the factory had been acquired by the industrial buildings, before the advent of Estey Piano Company and the Welte- Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank.112 artificial lighting, the need to bring ample Mignon Corporation. Estey, at that time, In February of 1940, Emigrant sold the natural light to the interior dictated a was manufacturing a variety of pianos, five-story Estey Factory building and the narrow width which, in turn, led the including an 88-note player piano, and adjacent two-story building constructed typical factory to take to form of an I, or manual and reproducing uprights and by Gittins to the S.H. Pomeroy Company, of an amalgamation of wings in the grands; the new four-story factory on a manufacturer of window sashes that shape of an L, U, H, or E.122 The Estey Southern Boulevard made Welte-Mignon had been located on the same block as building’s flat roof, similarly, was a pianos and grands, actions for reproducing Estey Piano since 1923 or before.113 One practical feature that was characteristic instruments, and Welte Philharmonic month later, however, the owner of the of the era’s industrial buildings. Gabled 85 continued. . . roofs had largely been supplanted by flat motifs on its roof parapets, and with drawing of the Estey Factory showing the roofs on factories by the 1860s, as alternating festoon and lions’-head building as it appeared between the architects and other designers of motifs on the clock tower and on the completion of its 1890 Southern industrial lofts sought to eliminate projecting, easternmost portion of the Boulevard addition, and its 1895 Lincoln attic spaces within which dust might south façade that was constructed as part Avenue additions.135 accumulate and spark fires.123 of the 1890 addition. Terra cotta was an In erecting a factory that would use its Many features, while rooted in attractive material for the factory owner monumental and attractive design to help function, also played an aesthetic role. because of its inherent fire-resistance, but market its products, the Estey Piano While the original Estey Factory’s it also mimicked carved stone at a price Company took advantage of the footprint was chosen primarily for that, in 1887, was about 35% cheaper; building’s prominent site and its ability to utilitarian purposes, it also enabled the the use of terra cotta as a less-expensive be seen from long distances. One early building to maintain the streetwall and substitute for decorative stone was wide- trade card noted its location on “Southern shield its interior yard from public view, spread during the 1880s and 1890s.129 Boulevard near Harlem Bridge,” pointing both of which were important to factory According to the historic preservationist out the factory’s setting on one of owners who wanted their buildings— Laura Buchner, the terra cotta tiles on the the North Side’s most important their companies’ “public facades”—to Estey Factory’s parapets appeared in an thoroughfares, close to one of its earliest exhibit a neat appearance.124 The Estey 1885 catalog of the Amboy Terra river crossings at Third Avenue.136 The Factory’s regular pattern of window Cotta Company,130 and they must have factory, indeed, was visible from the openings allowed for even interior continued to be available five years later, Third Avenue Bridge, as it is today; it illumination but, as on other industrial as the terra cotta of the 1890 addition was also likely visible, as it is now, from lofts, also provided “a sense of matches that of the original Estey the more distant bridge carrying the organization and, by extrapolation, Factory. New York Central—now Metro-North dignity for the … exterior.”125 And, while Terra cotta’s primary function, of Railroad—over the Harlem,137 and could Philadelphia brick was chosen for course, was ornamental, and at the Estey be seen looking south on Lincoln the factory’s walls and facades because Factory, it worked together with the Avenue, from a point near 138th Street.138 it was among the most fire-resistant building’s other decorative features, It was also clearly visible from the materials then available, factory regular fenestration pattern, and long, waterfront; one circa-1895 photograph designers would often use distinctive molded, and monumental brick taken from the Harlem River shows brick—like the Estey Factory’s red- facades to project a strong, solid, and the Estey Factory rising from behind orange brick—to “provide architectural attractive image for its company. This a paddlewheel steamboat moored character with little additional was important in an era in which a on the Harlem’s busy shore.139 expense.”126 In the same vein, A.B. factory often served as an advertisement Significantly, during the time of Ogden & Son, like other designers of for its firm; companies typically the Estey Factory’s planning and industrial buildings, used decorative produced bird’s-eye renderings of their construction, its surrounding area was brickwork—including, at Estey, industrial complexes that appeared in evolving into an important gateway to dogtoothed and zigzagging stringcourses, their catalogs, in business directories, the Annexed District. The Second recessed brick panels, and corbelling in advertisements, and on company Avenue Bridge, under construction by below the window sills and at the letterhead.131 Generally, these depicted 1884 and completed in 1886, would clock tower cornice—as a “relatively the factory as a hub of activity with be the first bridge to bring an elevated economical means of relieving plain smoke pouring from its chimneys, the railroad from Manhattan to the North brickwork.”127 This technique was also home of a successful business that, by Side; this line was expected to have a seen on residential buildings that were implication, made a desirable and transformative effect on the area, and its contemporary to the original Estey dependable product. The Estey Organ arrival was eagerly anticipated, inspiring Factory, particularly on large multiple Company often included an image of its several articles on its progress in the dwellings with similarly expansive Brattleboro works in its promotional Real Estate Record & Builders’ Guide.140 facades. Many examples survive today materials,132 and when the Estey Piano It seems likely that the Estey Piano within the Upper West Side/Central Park Company formed, it started doing the Company’s management would have West Historic District of five-, six-, and same. One early Estey Piano trade card expected its factory to be seen by seven-story flats from the 1880s and shows one of the company’s instruments the passengers of this new railroad as early 1890s displaying dogtoothing, in a parlor, with the pre-1890 Estey Piano it curved high over the rail yards recessed panels, channeling, pilasters, Factory—an American flag flying from near Alexander Avenue and 132nd corbelling, and other forms of decorative atop its clock tower—visible through an Street,141 and responded with a building brickwork, together with contrasting open window.133 Another early trade card that was sure to be an eye-catching stone highlights, that break up and shows a well-dressed woman admiring a landmark at this key entry point to the animate their lengthy Columbus Avenue portrait of the building that hangs over growing North Side. To make the facades.128 the Estey piano in her parlor,134 and a later most of the factory’s location—and The Estey Factory’s ornament trade card with a whimsical illustration of to get the most marketing value out includes terra cotta tiles with foliate four young girls has, on its reverse side, a of it—the Estey Piano Company and its 86 continued. . . architect endowed the building with an The American factory clock tower Civil War on the facades and towers of attention-grabbing, four-faced clock had its roots in the cupola of the early- factories, commercial buildings, banks, tower that remains its signature feature. nineteenth-century New Eng-land mill. railroad stations, courthouses, and It was not unusual for large buildings The cupola marked the factory, like schools.152 These clocks, some publicly in New York to have noteworthy corner the meetinghouse, as a structure of owned and some private, provided a features like the Estey tower; these local importance; it similarly contained valued service; the dedication of a new buildings’ opposite corners were the only a bell, which played a crucial role in town clock could be cause for celebration places from which pedestrians could organizing people’s daily activities. As with “music and cannon,” and the failure take them in in their entirety, and early historian William H. Pierson, Jr. explains, of a clock that the public relied upon photographs of the Estey Factory make it no architectural feature “was more could inconvenience people in myriad, clear that that angle, from which the expressive of the role that each building unexpected ways.153 More than this, building’s symmetricality and large played in the life of the community than these clocks symbolized “regularity, scale were apparent, was the one, the bell which in the meetinghouse called coordination, order, permanence, and above all others, from which it was the congregation to worship and in the reverence for the machine,” according to meant to be seen.142 According to factory called the workers to their historian Alexis McCrossen, who Bradley, architects tended to practice tasks.”145 By the 1830s, these cupolas says that they were “at the heart of “rationalized placement of ornament” in were often placed atop towers that were modernity and the modern nation state.” designing factory buildings, considering attached to their buildings’ facades; by Companies that erected clocks for public decoration to be most appropriate for providing exterior staircases, the towers use “reassured the public that [they] were entrances, towers, and other prominent prevented fires from spreading vertically regular, dependable, and punctual,” features;143 the Estey Factory’s tower, through the interior of the building, asserting their importance within the which projects two stories above the while keeping the factory floor open for public sphere;154 they also often used adjacent roof parapets, and which workers and machinery. The exterior their clocks for direct marketing contained one of the original building’s tower, which would come to house water advantage. In 1880, for example, when two main entrances, was its most tanks, sprinkler systems, and other the Washington Post installed a new elaborately ornamented portion. The equipment, “would become standard in public clock at its headquarters, it tower entrance, which featured a low the fully developed nineteenth-century crowed on its front page about making its stoop with what appear to have been factory,”146 but it played more than a building “useful as well as ornamental,” cast-iron newel posts and railings, was functional role; towers and cupolas, like affording “the Post another opportunity located on the tower’s south face at the those of Boston’s massive Chickering & of serving the public.” By the early second bay in from the corner, echoing a Sons Piano Forte Works—which, upon twentieth century, clock makers marketed similar entrance two bays north of the its 1853 completion, was the country’s their products with the promise that they clock tower, on the Lincoln Avenue largest industrial building—“provided a would attract the public’s attention—that façade. Broad segmental arches, each civic presence that coincided with the they would be visible “from more than composed of three header courses mill’s dominant role in a new industrial one thousand doors and windows”—and of brick and contrasting springers in order.”147 By the 1870s, the corner clock public clocks did become important local light-colored stone, spanned the entrance tower would become a feature of landmarks that were closely associated opening and seven large window industrial complexes such as the large with the companies that owned and openings that were set within two-story, Manhattan works of R. Hoe & maintained them.155 It seems likely that corbelled brick recesses on the tower’s Company.148 the clock tower of the Estey Piano south and west faces; these openings, and By the late nineteenth century, the Factory was intended to brand its the stone trim wrapping the window clock was influencing the day-to-day company as an important, publicly heads at the third and fourth floors, were activities of New Yorkers as it never minded member of its community, while unique to the tower until they were had before.149 Americans were becoming drawing frequent attention to the firm’s complemented by identical openings and “increasingly attentive to and accountable name, which was spelled out boldly on stone highlights at the eastern end of the for living and working in synchronized the tower and within the clock faces 1890 addition. The vertically projecting, ways,” according to historian Carlene E. themselves. upper portion of the clock tower featured Stephens, and developments like the 1883 The original portion of the Estey recessed panels with “Estey Piano Co.” creation of time zones with the institution Piano Company Factory is an excellent painted in large, uppercase lettering, of Standard Time indicated that they were example of the American round- and light-colored clock faces reading doing so.150 But the inexpensive watch arched style. This style was a domestic “Estey Piano,” also in uppercase.144 It had yet to arrive, so most Americans interpretation of the German Rundbogen- was crowned by a machicolated cornice depended on a patchwork system of time stil, which developed in the 1830s and composed of repeating, small round balls, factory whistles and bells, and 1840s, “synthesized classical and arches beneath a parapet decorated either timepieces displayed in the windows of medieval architecture—particularly the with terra cotta tiles, or with recessed jewelry stores to stay on schedule.151 round-arched elements of those styles— panels similar to those of the building’s They also depended on the publicly and relied on brick and locally available other parapets. visible clocks that proliferated after the stone,” according to Bradley.156 Despite its 87 continued. . . name, buildings constructed in the the evolution and growth, over several round-headed windows, all set within a American round-arched style, like the decades, of an important Bronx firm that corbelled recess, at the first through Estey Factory, often mixed economical was engaged in an industry of local and fifth floors. This projection—which was segmental-headed window openings national significance. identical to the two-bay projection that with round-headed ones, permitting the The Estey Piano Company Factory, an originally terminated the Lincoln Avenue style to “express many of the ideals of outstanding example of the American façade, and remains virtually unchanged the engineering aesthetic.”157 They also round-arched style, not only showcases today—extended above the adjacent utilized corbelling, patterning, and other many representative features of a factory portion of the façade, and, like the clock forms of decorative brickwork, like the building of its time, but exhibits— tower, outward from the façade plane. round arches of the Estey Factory’s clock especially on the original factory With the completion of John B. Snook tower, to model and bring variety to their building and the 1890 addition—a & Sons’ 1890 addition, the two-bay facades, and had parapets that varied in particularly elegant handling of these projection on the south façade was height and often featured pediments, features, many of which, like the corner doubled in width—the two new bays bringing additional visual interest. clock tower, are unusually distinctive. matching the original two—and its Additions to the original Estey Piano Altered only slightly since 1919, the parapet was raised to match, in height, Factory complemented A.B. Ogden Estey Piano Company Factory remains, the parapet above the then-new, three-bay & Sons’ building and, through 1909, in the words of the AIA Guide to New projection at the eastern end of the continued to draw upon the American York City, “the grande dame of the piano extended façade. Both the raised and new round-arched style. John B. Snook & trade: not virgin, but all-together and parapets featured, just below their Sons’ 1890 addition expertly harmonized proud.”158 pressed-metal cornices, recessed square with the 1886 building, featuring brick, panels arranged in a row. Also at that terra cotta, patterned brickwork, and stone Description time, the four-bay projection became the trim, all of which matched the original; The Estey Piano Company Factory is central feature of a broad, essentially the expanded south façade terminated in an L-shaped, five-story building with a symmetrical Southern Boulevard façade, an eastern, three-bay projection that projecting clock tower at its southwest with the new three-bay projection at the echoed, in its fenestration and ornament, corner. Spanning the east side of Lincoln eastern end of the façade balancing the the clock tower at the façade’s western Avenue between Bruckner Boulevard and three-bay, projecting clock tower at the end. The two-bay projection that had East 134th Street, the building has building’s corner. terminated the south façade of the three primary street facades, all of which The 1890 addition is virtually original factory was doubled to four bays, feature face brick laid in common bond: indistinguishable from the original becoming the central feature of the a 200-foot-long Bruckner Boulevard portion of the factory, largely because imposing, 200-foot-long, Bruckner façade, a 200-foot-long Lincoln Avenue it is faced in matching red-orange Boulevard façade that remains largely façade, and a façade on 134th Street that brick laid in common bond. It also intact today. On the Lincoln Avenue and is approximately 69 feet in length features matching ornament, including north facades, the first three stories of and attached to an elevator shaft. stringcourses composed of decorative the additions dating from 1895 and The original factory building, which brick laid in a zigzagging pattern after feature segmental-headed window was constructed in 1885-86, extended for that align with the stringcourses on the openings, corbelled brick below the 100 feet along Lincoln Avenue and for original building; a dogtoothed, soldier- window sills, and patterned-brick 100 feet along Southern (now Bruckner) brick course just below the parapet that stringcourses that are similar to those of Boulevard. Comprising the westernmost also aligns with the original; recessed, the Ogdens’ building. The two-story, 1919 15 upper-story bays on the south façade rectangular brick panels with corbelling, addition at the northwest corner of and the southernmost 15 upper-story and terra cotta tiles arranged in a the building features large rectangular bays on the west façade of the existing repeating three-tile pattern, with each of window openings with concrete lintels, building, including the clock tower, the three tiles featuring a different foliate filled with pivoting and fixed, multi-pane this original portion of the Estey Piano design, at the roof parapets; projecting, metal sashes that are typical of the Factory was extended by 100 feet to the molded sandstone stringcourses just “daylight factories” that appeared in east along Bruckner Boulevard with the below the parapets; and sandstone the United States after the turn of the construction of a five-story addition in window sills, each supported by two twentieth century. Daylight factories, 1890. (The construction of the 1890 courses of corbelled brick. The three-bay which represented an effort, at that time, addition resulted in the demolition of projection at the south façade’s eastern to bring additional natural light to the three buildings of one and two stories end largely duplicates the fenestration work floor, proliferated following the that were completed at the same time as and ornament of the clock tower’s second introduction of steel-sash windows by the original factory, and which had a through fifth floors, featuring segmental- several American manufacturers around combined street frontage of 80 feet.) headed window openings with arches 1910. While the Lincoln Avenue additions Before the construction of the 1890 composed of stone springers and three do not complement the original factory addition, the five-story portion of courses of header brick, set within a as adroitly as the Bruckner Boulevard the south façade terminated, at its east, corbelled brick recess, at the second addition, they are significant in telling of with a two-bay projection featuring floor; square-headed windows at the 88 continued. . . third and fourth floors, and round-headed of the original factory differs from the “ESTEY PIANO MANUFACTORY”; windows at the fifth floor; light-colored, original bay arrangement, with the this lettering has either faded, or been contrasting stone trim, which wraps the 134th Street façade and the northern partially removed. Visible on the east, or heads of the rectangular openings and half of the Lincoln Avenue façade each rear façade of the Lincoln Avenue leg composes a short stringcourse at the split into four bays of varying widths of the building, to the south of the brick springer level of the fifth-floor openings; separated by austere brick pilasters. The elevator shaft, are grouped fourth- and and a belt course of terra cotta tiles that fenestration is less regular than on fifth-floor, historic metal sashes, matches that of the clock tower, in an the original buildings: it appears, for apparently dating from 1919, within alternating festoon and lions’-head motif, example, that no window opening openings with concrete lintels and sills just below a projecting stone sill course ever existed at the second-floor, third- that are framed by austere brick pilasters. at the third floor. The easternmost three- northernmost and tenth-northernmost A metal fire escape extends to the roof; bay projection, like the central four-bay bays on the Lincoln Avenue façade, or at roof access is made possible by a break projection on the south façade, is the easternmost and fifth-easternmost in the parapet. crowned by a stepped, pressed-metal second-floor bays on the 134th Street The clock tower projects slightly from cornice with a cyma profile at its top. façade. Although the brick of the oldest, the façade plane. Each of the south and The 1890 addition features seven first-floor portions of these facades west faces of the tower has four window basement-level openings with stone comes close to matching that of the openings set within a two-story corbelled lintels that are larger than the five original factory in color, the face brick of recess, with each of these openings basement-level openings on the south the two later two-story additions above— featuring stone sills and headed by façade of the original building; these five one built in 1909 and one in 1919—is a segmental arch composed of three original openings retain their historic redder in color. On both the Lincoln courses of header brick and light-colored metal grilles. Aside from this difference, Avenue and 134th Street facades of the stone springers. One pair of recessed the addition continued the fenestration earliest, first-floor addition, and of the brick panels is located below each of the pattern of the original factory’s south second-and-third-floor 1909 addition, first-floor openings on the tower’s west façade: except for the openings on the stringcourses composed of zigzagging face, and a single recessed brick panel is three-bay east projection, the central patterned brick align with the patterned- located below each of the first-floor four-bay projection, and the clock tower, brick stringcourses of the original openings on its south face; stepped, all of the window openings on the factory; an exposed horizontal metal recessed-brick panels are located below Bruckner Boulevard façade are beam between the second- and third-floor the second-floor openings on the segmental-headed, each crowned by an window openings is slightly lower than west and south faces. A terra cotta arch composed of two header courses the corresponding patterned-brick stringcourse composed of terra cotta tiles of brick. stringcourse on the original factory. The with an alternating festoon and lions’- The original part of the Lincoln 1919 addition differs the most of any of head motif above the second-floor Avenue façade not including the clock the additions from the original factory, windows is located below a projecting tower—the twelve-bay portion of this featuring large window openings filled stone molding, which itself is just below façade including, and south of, the five- with multi-pane metal windows and with the sill level of the third-floor window story projection containing two bays of concrete lintels and projecting sills. openings; these elements separate the round-headed windows—is essentially Each of the windows, which are grouped lower two stories of the clock tower identical to the original part of the in threes, fours, or fives within their from its third through fifth floors. The Bruckner Boulevard façade, although openings, has a total of 12, 16, or 20 vertically projecting top two stories of some minor changes have been made at panes, and has a central, horizontally the clock tower are separated from the the first floor. A metal rooftop bulkhead pivoting sash of four or six panes. At the lower five stories by a projecting stone is visible near this façade’s southern eastern end of the north, or 134th Street molding that has seen its profile softened end, close to the clock tower. The later façade, is an elevator shaft built in 1919 over time. Above this, on each of the portions of the Lincoln Avenue façade that features, at its ground floor, a large south and west faces of the clock tower, north of the original factory, and the loading bay with a projecting concrete is a recessed, corbelled brick panel; faded 134th Street façade, show evidence of sill. lettering reading “ESTEY PIANO CO.” their gradual construction between 1895 In addition to the Bruckner Boulevard, is visible within the south panel. The and 1919. Although the first through Lincoln Avenue, and 134th Street panels are located below two paired third floors of these facades show kinship primary facades, the Estey Piano courses of corbelled brick that wrap all with the original factory—particularly in Company Factory has two visible four sides of the tower. Each of the four their segmental-headed windows with secondary facades. The east façade of sides of the tower contains a round sandstone sills supported by corbelled the Bruckner Boulevard leg of the clock with metal hands, with a face of brick courses, and in the composition, of building features red face brick laid in metal and glass, and with metal roman each window arch, of two courses of common bond. A brick rooftop bulkhead numerals and minute ring; each clock header brick—they also depart from the and rooftop chain-link fence are visible face is surrounded by an inner soldier original façade in significant ways. The above this façade. The façade apparently course of brick and an outer header bay arrangement of the facades north was once painted with the words course of brick, and is flanked by 89 continued. . . round-headed windows, each with a windows have been punched through façade between the entrance and the transom bar and stone sill. Above the with rectangular or round openings. clock tower is of concrete. clock faces, and wrapping all four sides Non-historic metal grilles with lower On the northern half of the Lincoln of the tower, are a projecting stone privacy panels have been installed at Avenue façade—those portions of molding; a terra cotta stringcourse the first-floor windows. Three through- the façade dating from 1895 and later— similar to the one below the third-floor the-wall air conditioners are present at alterations include, at the first floor, windows; four courses of corbelled brick; the second floor, and numerous vents, the enlargement of an opening at the and a machicolated cornice composed satellite dishes, and other non-historic southernmost bay, and its modification of small, corbelled round arches. A items are attached to the façade and the into a loading bay; the filling of the parapet above this cornice is of concrete, window sills at the second through fifth second-southernmost opening with brick; or of stucco-covered brick. A segmental- floors. A chain-link fence, visible from the modification of the opening at headed opening at the sixth floor of the Bruckner Boulevard, is located on the the seventh-southernmost bay into a clock tower, on the tower’s east face, roof behind the parapet. secondary entrance; and the infilling appears to provide access to the roof. On the original, twelve-bay portion of of the third-northernmost opening Square metal wall anchors, which appear the Lincoln Avenue façade immediately with brick. At the second floor, the to be original to the building, are present to the north of the clock tower, none second-southernmost opening has been at the first through fifth floors on the of the historic windows remain, except partially filled with brick, and a narrow tower’s south and west faces, and on all at the first floor. All eight first-floor window has been installed within the four sides of the tower at the level of the windows on this portion of the reduced opening. At the third floor, the clock faces. façade have wood frames and wood second-southernmost window opening Although the Estey Piano Company upper sashes; the third- and fourth- has been filled with brick. The nine Factory remains remarkably intact for northernmost of these windows have remaining first-floor windows on the a building of its age, some alterations two-pane upper sashes with vertical northern portion of the Lincoln Avenue have occurred over time. On the 27-bay muntins, and the rest have four-pane façade have wood frames and wood top portion of the south façade east of the upper sashes. The second-northernmost sashes. Non-historic metal grilles have clock tower, the easternmost part of window on the original portion of been installed in front of all of these the ground floor has been altered with the factory features a round-headed, windows. The northernmost and second-, the installation of a three-bay brick four-pane upper sash that may be original third-, and fifth-northernmost windows projection containing two loading bays to the building. Non-historic metal feature two-pane top sashes with vertical and an entrance set within a stepped window grilles have been installed at muntins; the fourth-northernmost recess. A projecting wall sign reading all of these windows; all except the window features a four-pane top sash; “PLUMBING SUPPLIES” on both of third-southernmost of these have lower and the four southernmost of these its display faces is attached at the privacy panels. The historic entrance, windows feature four-pane upper and easternmost portion of the second floor. originally located at the second bay north lower sashes, all of which are wood. The The first-floor opening at the second- of the clock tower, has been removed; fourth and fifth floors appear to contain westernmost bay of the central four-bay north of the clock tower, a former their historic, multi-pane metal windows projection has been enlarged to become a window opening has been altered to with horizontally pivoting sashes, dating secondary entrance with a soldier-brick, allow for the installation of a non-historic from 1919; five of the fourth-floor round arch, and the westernmost first- entrance featuring a surround of curved windows have been altered with the floor window opening and second- brick in varying shades, a non-historic removal of panes for the installation easternmost window openings at the metal-and-glass door and side panel with of vents, air conditioners, and satellite third, fourth, and fifth floors have been a metal intercom, and a non-historic dishes. The southernmost fifth-floor filled with brick. The westernmost transom light reading “Clock Tower window has also been altered with the first-floor window opening appears to be 112.” The openings originally located installation of an air-conditioning unit. the only one on the south façade to have south of this entrance have been filled Numerous vents, a satellite dish attached a concrete, rather than sandstone, sill. with brick that does not match the to the northernmost fifth-floor window No historic windows appear to remain original; the upper portions of the three sill, and other non-historic items are on this facade, except possibly at southernmost, second-floor window present on this façade. the easternmost second-, third-, and openings have been filled with brick; The primary north, or 134th Street fourth-floor openings, which contain a through-the-wall air conditioner is façade, has also seen alterations, with four-over-four, double-hung windows. present below the second-southernmost, the filling of the fourth-westernmost These windows are paired at the second second-floor window opening; and first-floor window opening with brick. floor. The upper portions of the first- numerous louvers, vents, signs, satellite A non-historic metal gate with gate floor window open-ings have been filled dishes, and other non-historic items, housing and exposed mechanism has with brick, as have the upper portions including electrical conduit below been installed at the first floor, and four of the twelve second-floor openings the fourth-through-sixth-southernmost vents have been installed on this façade. immediately to the east of the clock second-floor window openings, are Vertical wiring, wrapped in insulation, tower; some of the infill panels at these present on this façade. The base of the has been installed below the second floor. 90 continued. . .

One window at the fourth floor, and one visible satellite dishes have been installed for the third-southernmost, four-over- window at the fifth floor have been on top of the pilasters on the visible four, double-hung wood window at the altered to allow for the installation of secondary east façade of the Lincoln fourth floor on the west face of the tower; window air conditioning units. The Avenue leg of the building. one pane of this window has been fourth and fifth floors appear to contain Alterations at the clock tower include removed to allow for the installation of a their historic, multi-pane metal windows the removal of the historic entrance on vent. Brick infill has been installed with horizontally pivoting sashes, dating the tower’s south face, at the second- within the upper portions of the first- from 1919. The five first-floor windows westernmost first-floor bay, and its and second-floor window openings. on the Lincoln Avenue façade have wood modification into a window opening; the Through-the-wall air conditioners have frames and wood top sashes; each of installation of a metal drainage pipe, been installed below the second- the easternmost, third-easternmost, and which penetrates a terra cotta tile on the westernmost opening on the south face, westernmost of these windows has a east face of the clock tower, above the and below the second-southernmost two-pane top sash with a vertical muntin, clock face; and changes to the parapet, opening on the west face of the tower. and the others feature four-pane upper which appears to have originally been sashes. Non-historic metal grilles with brick with rectangular, corbelled brick Report researched and written by privacy panels have been installed in recesses. None of the windows on the Michael D. Caratzas front of the first-floor windows. Two clock tower appear to be historic except Research Department, LPC

FINDINGS AND DESIGNATION On the basis of a careful consideration of the history, the architecture, and the other features of this building, the Landmarks Preservation Commission finds that the Estey Piano Company Factory has a special character and a special historical and aesthetic interest and value as part of the development, heritage, and cultural characteristics of New York City. The Commission further finds that among its important qualities, the Estey Piano Company Factory, which features robust brick facades and a high corner clock tower, is a distinguished monument to the piano industry, which was once of the Bronx’s most important; that it has anchored the northeast corner of Lincoln Avenue and Southern (now Bruckner) Boulevard since 1886, when its original portion was completed; that it is the oldest-known former piano factory standing in the Bronx today; that it is one of the earliest large factories remaining in its Mott Haven neighborhood, dating from the period in which the area first experienced intensive industrial development; that today, as in decades past, the building’s signature clock tower and expansive facades, simply but elegantly detailed with terra cotta, patterned brick, and contrasting stone, are visible from the waterfront and nearby Harlem River bridges, making it a true neighborhood landmark; that manufacturing blossomed in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx during the 1880s, when new factories started springing up in the area east of Third Avenue; that many of these factories produced pianos or their components, and that by 1919, the Bronx had more than 60 such factories, making it one of America’s piano manufacturing centers; that, as one of the city’s first piano factories to be built in the Annexed District or North Side, as the western portions of the Bronx were known between 1874 and 1898, the Estey Factory was credited with providing “an unusual stimulus” for the movement of other piano makers there; that several of the piano manufacturers that followed the Estey company to the Annexed District, and later the Bronx, clustered within a few blocks of its factory, creat- ing an important nucleus for the industry; that the Estey Organ Company of Brattleboro, Vermont was one of the country’s largest producers of reed organs in 1885, when it joined with John B. Simpson, a pioneering North Side piano manufacturer, to form the Estey Piano Company; that Estey upright and grand pianos were recognized for their “superior construction and workmanship”; that the original portion of the Estey Piano Company Factory was created by the architectural firm of A.B. Ogden & Son; that many of the original building’s features, including its L-shaped plan, flat roof, regular fenestration pattern and bay arrangement, and relatively narrow width to allow for daylight penetration to the interior, are characteristic of late-nineteenth-century factory buildings; that its mixture of segmental- and round-headed window openings, and the Romanesque machicolations of its clock tower, place it within the tradition of the American round-arched style; that other features, including its distinctive, red-orange brick, dogtoothed and zigzagging patterned-brick stringcourses, recessed brick panels, terra cotta tiles featuring festoons, lions’ heads, and foliate motifs, and its dramatic, projecting clock tower, speak of a building that sought to announce its presence on the urban landscape, projecting a strong public image for its owner; that the Estey Piano Company often included an illustration of this factory on its trade cards, which were used to promote its products; that the original building was extended to the east along Southern Boulevard in 1890, with a harmonious five-story addition designed by John B. Snook & Sons, and to the north, along Lincoln Avenue, with one-story additions in 1895; that the Lincoln Avenue additions appear to have been combined and expanded, and then raised to three stories in 1909, and by an additional two stories in 1919; and that the 1919 addition near the southeast corner of Lincoln Avenue and 134th Street features broad expanses of industrial sash that were characteristic of the “daylight factories” of the early twentieth century; that its historic fabric remains almost completely intact; and that it has been described by the AIA Guide to New York City as “the grande dame of the piano trade: not virgin, but all-together and proud.”

Accordingly, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 74, Section 3020 of the Charter of the City of New York and Chapter 3 of Title 25 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designates as a Landmark the Estey Piano Company Factory, 112-128 Lincoln Avenue (aka 15-19 Bruckner Boulevard and 270-278 East 134th Street), Borough of The Bronx, and designates, as its Landmark Site, Bronx Tax Map Block 2309, Lot 1, in part, consisting of the five-story building extending for 200 feet along the north side of Bruckner Boulevard east of Lincoln Avenue; 200 feet along the east side of Lincoln Avenue north of Bruckner Boulevard; and along a portion of the south side of East 134th Street east of Lincoln Avenue, including all adjoining elevator shafts, and the land on which it is sited.

Robert B. Tierney, Chair Christopher Moore, Richard M. Olcott, Thomas F. Pike, Jan Pokorny, Elizabeth Ryan, Commissioners

91 Estey Piano Company FaclOry, smtih (left) and easl (righr) faces of the clock tower.

Phoro: A1icJwe/ CarGlzas

Estey Piano Company Factory, 134th Street, or north (left) and Lincoln Avenue (center and right) facades. PholO: Carl Forsler

Estey Piano Company Faclory, 134th Srreet (norlh) fa(:ade. The elevator Estey Piano Company FaCio/Y, Lincoln Avenue -'lal rhe eaSlern end ofthis fa(:ade was huilt althe same time as lhe lOp (wesr) faf"ade at left; Bruckner (formerly Southern) ,'tories. in 1919. ESley Piano Company Factory, Bruckner Boulevardfa(:ade. Photo: /vlichae/ CaralZCls Boulevard (sourh)fa(:ade or righr. Photo: Michael Caralzas

Phoro: Cart Forsler

Estey Piano Company Factory. eastfa(:ade ofthe Bruckner Boulevard leg ofthe building. The white building at lower-cenrer and the building atfar-right are not included in this Designation. Photo: lV/ichael Caratzas

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94 A POST-MERGER DUO-ART

By Tockhwockh

It is with much trepidation that I Instruments, pp. 309 & 310.) enter this arena. It’s been said, “Put three Milne, who had headed the Duo-Art Duo-Art ‘technicians’ under a piano and recording department at Aeolian since only one will emerge alive.” 1918, began making his popular I’ll submit this in three separate “Outstanding Hits” medleys for the articles: 1. the stack, 2. the top action, and Duo-Art prior to the merger in 1931. 3. the fan-expression system. My material After the merger, he began cross coding may be old hat to some, but the rebuilding them for the model B Ampico. We all owe “advice” I read on the “net” sometimes a great deal to Milne. His taste had a seems to me to be little short of a profound effect upon the music we all demolition derby, so I hope this might be enjoy on both the Ampico and the Duo concertola-rounds (above left), small some help to guys new on the block. Art. expression system size rounds (second to I’m still learning new ways to do things Prior to the merger, both companies left), standard rounds (centre), crosses too. We might all do well to re-read had independently developed modified (1 corroded brass & 1 aluminum on right), Art Reblitz’ book on rebuilding player expression systems. To access the and a few with Ampico B unit valves. Set pianos. different capabilities, the Ampico B to travel correctly, all of these work just system needed modified rolls; the fan- fine and quite fast enough — if they are Definition of the Term system Duo-Art does not. Both play the used with the correct size pneumatics. By “post merger” I mean: what might rolls differently, and quite musically. have been installed in a custom-ordered Round valves, for instance, that haven’t Duo-Art after the 1932 Aeolian-American First: What Kind had their pouches properly resealed, merger. of Stack Will She Get? can read chain perforations. If you add To put this into context, after American What’s in a post-merger Duo-Art some theme perfs; now they can read Piano went into receivership in 1929, stack? Well, almost anything that Aeolian chains with expression! Skeptical? Try it. Aeolian bought Mason Hamlin, American ever made — except of course, primary Primaries aren’t necessary…neither are Piano Co.’s “flagship” (1930). The inflow valves. While the earliest Aeolian systems cross-valves…for incredible speed. of cash was not adequate to solve had primary valves, they’d engineered Some have postulated that Steinways American’s financial woes, and a merger the need for them out before 1914. always had cross valves. Not so. Some of the two companies was forced by the American eventually followed suit with have also postulated that the fan-accordion banks in ‘32. Following the merger and their ball-bleeds. There are actually a few system was a failed experiment. Not so much down-sizing, “Aeolian-American” late Duo-Arts that have B-style ball-bleed (more later). made money. Substantial dividends unit valves. It would have been a snap for While many of the ‘30s Steinways were paid between 1932 & 1937, and me to install an Ampico B stack in my D, were fitted out with cross valves, the last funds added to the surplus account. Put but I heard a story once from a respectable of the model D (9’) Steinways, # 269100 simply, the merger looked successful; “B” owner. One of his friends had been up (completed in the 1930’s), had a fan- management was optimistic and paying late, smoking Luckies, whilst watching accordion expression system and used dividends. Both wings of our company Milne-rolls play some of his fabulous small-size round-valves in its stack. introduced new products: The model-A elongated chords. The piano sucked the The pneumatics in this stack are a mere Ampico all but reappeared in the spinet smoke in, and the piano got sticky balls. 7/8”x 4”. This was not a dump for things series, and the Aeolian wing introduced its It had to be torn down and cleaned. My that didn’t work. I could have built a own long-play Duo-Art spool box — as piano won’t have either American ball round-valve Aeolian-style stack. usual, much over built. The Duo-Art fan bleeds or Aeolian primaries. But cross-valves are signature Aeolian. expression-system (actually designed in Earlier valve plates (round and cross the mid ‘20s) was thin enough to have Round vs. Cross alike) were stamped out of brass, and then been installed in spinets — had there been You don’t even have to “get down and plated. Both sometimes warped after a market. A few were actually installed under” to be killed for an opinion about installation. I usually count on about ten above the keyboard in upright pianos this! warped plates per stack, so I automatically as well as grands. (For more, see Bowers, In the thirties, Aeolian used at least five lap & re-plate (never spray-paint) all of Encyclopedia of Mechanical Music sizes and types of valves in their stacks: them. The plated original stampings -

95 continued. . . round or cross- sometimes corroded markings, the next to the blue, and the and the leather became stuck to them — third the green. Pictured below are: one ruining their seal. The earlier brass deck from the original stack (top) and the crosses (above) illustrate this problem. three new decks with their pouch-boards. Later valve plates (round & cross They will be shortened somewhat when alike) were stamped aluminum. I’ve the stack is put together; however, this never seen one warped or with valve picture illustrates just how much wider leather stuck all over. Thus my choice of the D is than either an XR or an OR. In valves plates: aluminum crosses. Thanks the photo below there are three dry-fitted to Amican, Paul Manganero, I had valve-plates. a beautiful virgin stack waiting to be plundered. A 1/4” drill opens an evacuation hole Before ripping it down, I measured in centre of each pouch depression (some the valve travel. After forty years, I am Duo-Art stacks have this evacuation hole still astounded to measure virginal valve on the edge). The edge of the pouch- travel in Duo-Arts; again and again in a board is then marked with the scale-stick, complete stack, they’ll be within and the nipple holes drilled. Nothing 1/1000th of each other. This stack was unusual, so far. no different. I don’t know how Aeolian managed it on the production line, but I am convinced it’s one reason primaries were un-essential. Unevenly re-gapped valves could be one reason so many When making the decks, drilling from otherwise beautifully “rebuilt” Duo-Arts the front edge to the ports where the act unevenly. Personally, I find it really pneumatics are glued on, is ticklish. tough to get valves within 0.002 of each Not only is it a long run, it is NOT at a other. right angle (as it first appears). Drilled straight through, the holes will surface Building It about 3/4” too soon. The drill must be I began with a scale-stick, made to angled slightly. Using new, sharp drills match the end point of each key where is a must. A carefully-built jig, that A steel pattern (above) which fits the poppits engage it. copies precisely the angle, is essential. I tightly into the valve-well assures the top built a jig for this process years ago, and bottom valve-plates will line up. It is but the picture of it became computer squared on one side to fit precisely fodder, and the jig itself got left behind against the back edge of the vacuum when we closed our shop and moved. chamber. I used it to locate, glue and nail Next, the valve and pouch-wells are the back edge strip of the valve-chamber. drilled out. Before putting drill to wood, This assures the chamber will be the I located each valve-well, using the same width as an original. With the steel Because there are three layers of scale-stick. They must all be precisely the pattern fitting tightly from end to end, the pneumatics, I used a color code. The same distance in from the front edge of valve plates will all go in perfectly first key was arbitrarily assigned red; the the deck. Each pouch board is screwed square and line up top to bottom. The next was blue; and the third was green. I tightly to the bottom of its deck – exactly pattern shows the round centre-guide went down the key-board repeating that where it should be upon completion. which fits tightly into the valve-well pattern: red, blue, green; red, blue, green; The drill press is set to drill pilot holes when it’s turned over and in place for etc. One pneumatic shelf will line up that make a 1/16 dimple in the affixed drilling the screw holes. Still all orthodox with all the red keys; one with all the pouch-board (photo below), marking Aeolian; precision rules. blue ones; and the third with all the the exact locations for the pouch green. Each shelf of the stack will be depressions. This assures the pouch-wells scaled as precisely as possible to one of will be perfectly centred under the these three designations. The scale-stick valves; thus, the lift will be even, and is also used to place the pneumatics, the seating more likely to be perfect. I cannot poppit guides, and scale the bleed block. give mathematical proofs for this; Next, I removed all the metal parts however, Aeolian centred them, and from the Steinway aluminum cross-valve that’s good enough for me. stack. I copied its basic design, but used Next the pouch board is removed, and the scale-stick to scale it for the D. The the correct forsner bits used to drill out first deck laid out to the centres of the red both valve & pouch wells. 96 continued. . .

The valve plates are then dry fitted, pouches rise & fall. Sobering, huh? more likely to gather and hold dust and and the division piece between treble & Much, much more air flows between dirt. I also find it much more difficult to bass chambers inserted (centre above). un-re-shellacked channels to the set them to travel evenly. I always use The fact that the Duo-Art expression pneumatics. It’s the same in the hot hide: other glues don’t necessarily system operates across this division expression valve-block. (Sloppy-coding adhere to the original hide used on the makes it necessary that both treble on rolls has sometimes been offered valve buttons. and bass ends of the stack are equally as a reason for notes dropping out, but I Next, I screw down the outside valve vacuum tight and operate as equally as don’t believe it.) plates with guides (always the ones with possible, otherwise it will drop notes. Before I finished the D stack (valve the smaller holes). Then the new valve There is no room for fudging here; wells, pouch wells, channels etc.), it goes in, and I screw the inside plate with there is no substitute for perfection. absorbed a whole quart of shellac — guide-strap down dry. I measure travel, (Shop rule #1) almost thrice what it takes for me to and remove the plate, add or subtract reseal an original. I never trust the old shims, and repeat until the travel is shellac on an original. Never. Five wells correct. When it’s right, I stick the inside in a row can be good…and the next two, plate down with really thick shellac (like porous. our company did). Plastic glue etc. is a definite mistake. Lastly, I check to be sure the pin in the valve is centered exactly in the inside strap. This one has the slightly larger hole. This assures a perfect seating of the valve in both up and down positions. This is critical to the operation of cross valves.

I coated the pouch wells three times For leathering the valves, I use a with Zinsser orange Bulls-Eye shellac, to valve-press (above). When I built it, I seal like the originals. Three coats may made holes for pin-end valves, standard, be excessive — but shellac is cheap, and and expression-size valves. The press- redoing it is simply not an option. arms are weighted with key leads. This When sealing the channels which run assures a flat surface. The weighted arms With the raw stack screwed together, from the valve wells to the pneumatics rock on a 1/2” steel rod. There is a place the scale-stick is used to mark the slots (no picture), I stand the individual stack on the top edge of each arm that holds through which the poppits will pass, and shelves (decks) on one end, then the the valve button so that they stay with centre the 1/4 inch thick soft-pedal other to make sure the shellac absorbs their partners. The pins should always be compensation lift. (The pencil points into the grain between note-channels. checked to be sure they are tightly out its front edge; more later on this Many times I’ve been amazed at how attached to the valve button; I’ve seen definitely “post merger” addition.) much air I can suck through the wood some over the years that have become from pouch well to pouch well — and loose enough that they migrated up the through the channels between notes pins during playing. This can, of course, on un-rebuilt originals. I suspect not cause major problems not easy to address resealing the wells, channels, and pouch after having glued the stack together. depressions can be another reason for For leather, I use quality, grey gasket the un-even responses from note to note leather from Organ Supply Co. in sometimes experienced in otherwise Columbia, PA. It looks like the original, perfectly rebuilt Duo-Arts and seals tightly. The big difference To observe this phenomenon for between it and the available pre-punched yourself, while you have one apart, try leather facings is that it is harder; putting knotted tubes on two pouch- therefore, it can be gapped more Rock Maple poppit guides are cut out nipples, leave the next one open, then precisely. The pre- punched ones & felted. (The longer red felt strips are close the next two with knotted tubes. initially seal nicely, but seem to have for the soft-pedal compensation lift to Now alternately suck & blow on the one much more knap and, I think (though land on.) Once again, the scale stick is in the middle. Watch as the neighboring I don’t know for sure), they might be essential. 97 continued. . .

Soft Pedal Compensation Board Lining out the upper poppit guides The next six pictures show with the scale-stick. the construction of the soft-pedal compensation board, and how it is integrated into an otherwise standard Duo-Art stack design.

Finished. The poppits hang on top rail, using a felt punching and a plastic nut. This allows the wood poppit-tops to be set precisely to the bottoms of the keys. Striker-pneumatics can then be screwed up, or down, each poppit to increase, or decrease, the strength of the strike. The poppit guides are mounted on the Carefully adjusted, all notes will strike soft-pedal compensation lift-board (6”x evenly at lowest volume, allowing for a 54”x 1/4”). The brackets for the guides are very low zero setting. The large pneumatic Above, on the left is the poppit screwed to the under-side of the lift and in front is one of three that raise the guide-strip that screws into the top layer will land softly & evenly on felt strips. compensation board (and poppits) to of pneumatics. On the right is the upper follow the keys as the hammer rail lifts. poppit guide, finished and attached to the lift board. This assembly will be screwed onto the top of the stack with six 3/4 x 6 screws.

Because the mounts are screwed to the underside of the compensation lift-board (above), their height from the stack is The above shot shows the linkage minimalized. In the case of an original between the compensation pneumatic stack, they remain the same height as and the lift board. It is a simple 1/8 x 1/2 originally. Every millimeter of space x 5 piece of steel, leathered like the spill Above, the underside of the will be needed to hang the poppits. lever on the expression box. It is attached compensation board with its motor- Also, visible in this shot is the to the underside of the lift-board. cloth hinge being placed on top of the 1 1/2 x 48” long motor-cloth strip/hinge, Everyone I know who has hung his D stack. (following the design of the Schultz poppits speaks very highly of the results. Recordo Marionette). It attaches the I wouldn’t do any reproducing piano any full-length of the lift board. There is other way. adequate space to attach a compensation- lift assembly to most standard Duo-Art The Bleed Block: grands.

The compensation board is in place on top of the stack as poppits are being hung. 98 continued. . .

Next, the scale stick (above) is used to 3. When painted with glue, it is stiff, lay out the bleed block (above); X’s aiding swift changes in vacuum levels. indicate space between sections of notes. 4. Unlike regular pump or motor cloth, it removes easily. This allows for easy trouble-shooting, if it’s ever needed, and minimal sanding (if at all) required to replace. 5. It is signature Aeolian.

The long nipples have the bleed-holes drilled in before-hand. This is a Mel Septon (Chicago Amica) adaptation of Then pilot holes are drilled, ………… the ‘30’s Duo-Arts that had the bleeds in the elbows, and no bleed board. It guarantees there will be no un-evenness due to leakage (which does happen on un-reshellaced originals) between or around bleed cups. The “wall” between treble and bass has been mortised in. Lastly, I heat a piece of wood the width of the bleed strip…. Closing the Bleed Block (and Stack, etc.)

….. and a forsner bit, the right size for the width of the channel, drilled to the depth of the bleed-block channel (left), leaves dimples for 1/4 inch wells for the bleeds. I used the same forsner bit to make the channel the right width the full length of the bleed block (above, right), and a and lay it on to reheat the glue and router bit to clean the channel out. The I cut a strip of organ pump cloth to perfect the seal. This is the same process division place between treble and bass is width, roll it onto a 1+” length of 1” I use when closing the shelves on the left uncut for the time being. Air would dowel. I tape the loose end to one end of stack; however, in the case of the stack, soon leak through the grain in the wood the bleed strip (above). I put a flat iron in my vise (hot side up, between treble and bass; so it will be and set on low). I then draw the shelf removed, and a wall with grain running across to reheat the glue. I keep the shelf crosswise mortised in. Some Duo-Arts on its edge until the glue congeals. This had a metal wall; I prefer wood.

Using a paint brush, I paint hot glue on both the cloth and the edges of the chamber as I roll it on. I use organ pump-cloth for this because: 1. It goes on easily. The bleed block shellacked and lined 2. It re-heats easily (which regular for the nipples. Again, the scale stick pump cloth does not), producing a (right) determines what goes where. perfect seal. 99 continued. . . keeps glue from running into the valves and onto the pouches. It’s a far more reliable seal than bottled glues. Last, the outside of the bleed block is sealed with shellac, and the bleed block is complete. The unusual nipple configuration is because the space between the stack and the pedal lyre is extremely tight. The top deck must be tubed straight through; so its nipples were put in backward. They will be cut short to fit. The late-style stack fits neatly behind the legs; (there really are three decks). No molding (“lettuce”) needs to be made to hide it. I did build the covers for the stack, but they fall in the class of drawers and fallboards: they get in my way. I really like to watch the pneumatics while it’s playing. The early-style “turned-around-stack” is hard to watch (though it’s much easier to build the foot exhausters for), and yes, I intend to build foot exhausters for this baby — with nine feet to peddle, how could I do otherwise?

RIGINAL LITERATURE OF VINTAGE O MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

By Terry Smythe

Many collectors of our unique slice http://members.shaw.ca/paud122/docs.htm QRS Recordo 1927 Catalog 190 pages of our musical heritage also collect Since I started this project, others such original literature associated with the as Richard Stibbons, Anthony Robinson, Melodee Catalog 1920 20 pages manufacturing and marketing of these John Dousmanis, Ed Gaida, Marv Polan, Duo-Art 176n Organ Rolls Catalog wonderous machines. All too often, this Rob Buckingham, Eliyahu Shahar segment of our collecting passion tends to and Larry Norman have kindly made Skinner Organ Rolls Catalog be obscured by the charming music and available to me portions of their personal Welte-Mignon 1924 Catalog by Deluxe the instruments themselves, appealing to collection of original literature. Others 436 pages the 3 senses of sight, hearing and touch. are encouraged to do likewise. Sometimes these delightfully appealing One such collection I am working on Orchestrelle Catalog 1921 25 pages instruments are shared with the general is the Howe Collection of some 30,000 Aeolian Grand Catalog 1902 118 pages public, be they home tours, local charity items (~500,000 pages) donated to events, association events, and/or the University of Maryland in 1995. 14 issues of Aeolian Monthly Bulletins neighborhood gatherings. Negotiations are currently underway to 27 issues of Ampico Monthly Bulletins However, serious research into the encourage the university to make available remarkable history of these music digital copies of portions of this 3 issues of Welte Monthly Bulletins machines can be dramatically enhanced collection. Due to the mammoth 1 issue of a Duo-Art Monthly Bulletin through access to original literature. magnitude of Dick Howe’s collection, Regrettably, much of this original this will be a very long term project that 18 issues of Standard Player Monthly literature tends to be hidden away in will long outlive me. Stay tuned..... 8 issues of various promotional filing cabinets, workshops, libraries, et al, The collection so far made freely brochures and all too often not accessible to serious available on-line, includes: researchers. In my own 40+ years in this QRS Catalog 1922 10,000 entries, There is no reason why others cannot delightful avocation, I too accumulated 300 pages, do likewise. In vast majority of cases, my fair share of original literature. But internet users do have web site space why should I be the only one to be able US Catalog May 1927, available to them, albeit very often to see, enjoy and absorb our published 104 pages unused. Sharing original literature is history? relatively easy to do. All that is required So, I set about to make my own Electra Roll Catalog 1913 3,000 entries, is a flat bed scanner and web space. Think collection of original literature accessible 48 pages positive about sharing various items by converting it into digital files and Mastertouch Catalog early-20s within your personal collection of original posting these files on an open public web (Australia) 33 pages literature. site, a fine example of the internet at its Enjoy! best. Most are in Acrobat PDF format. It Mastertouch 1926 Catalog (Australia) Terry Smythe can be found at: 53 pages 100 LAYER PIANO PROJECT’ ‘P FEATURES NEW WORKS ON AN OLD INSTRUMENT

By Chris Pasles - Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, February 12, 2008 Submitted by Bob Billings and David Saul

The USC concert will roll out 23 specially written compositions AUTOMATIC: USC composer Veronika Krausas A new music concert will take place shows one of the tonight at USC. Or maybe that should be a rolls of perforated new old music concert. Either way, it will paper used to bring out of mothballs a technology whose play music on her player heyday was the 1920s and ‘30s, when it piano. was a main source of home entertainment before being eclipsed by radio and the record player: the player piano. Photo by Glenn Koenig “The Player Piano Project,” featuring Los Angeles Times 23 works by composers from five countries, is the brainchild of USC In fact, a player piano makes music and the Windowpanes and clips from a composer Veronika Krausas, who was using a pneumatic mechanism, driven couple of silent films will also fill in the inspired after her landlords gave her by foot pedals, that depresses the downtime. a player piano a few years ago for instrument’s keys by reading notes The pieces run on average about three Christmas. They had tried to sell it, but programmed on a rotating, perforated roll minutes. (A three-minute work needs a nobody wanted to buy. of paper. paper player roll about 30 feet long.) Most “It was a beautiful instrument, and it A human operator can sit at the are new, but several have been adapted seemed a shame to have it as just a piece keyboard and play additional notes while from earlier works because the composers of furniture,” says Krausas. “So I got the the roll is rotating and, by manipulating didn’t have time to write new ones. idea, why not ask all my friends who are levers below the keyboard, can add “It was also something that everyone composers to write some music for it? It accents, change tempos and apply the was doing for free,” says Krausas, who was a wacky, far-out thing to do.” sustain and soft pedals. Dynamics can be wrote two of the pieces herself. “There The composers, it turned out, agreed. changed by varying pressure on the foot was no commissioning money involved, “The whole point of writing for a pedals. unfortunately.” player piano is that you can do things that Later models, like the one Krausas has, British composer Thomas Adès a human can’t do, sort of like an octopus use electric motors to keep the air flow will probably have the greatest name playing the piano — not only an octopus going — although the motor makes a recognition of the group. He’s represented but an octopus on speed,” says Ceiri constant background hum. by a 42-second piece, “Sursum,” adapted Torjussen, who got permission from John “There’s this nostalgia for these from his 1996 “Traced Overhead.” Williams to arrange the latter’s “Raiders wonderful contraptions, a nostalgia for the But others on the list, such as James March” from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” days before everything was digital or put Tenney and Larry Polansky, will be for the program. together overseas,” says Brian Current, familiar to those in new music circles. “I thought it would be hilarious to another of the composers Krausas Conspicuously absent is any work by use a theme from my childhood, which I contacted. “I always wanted to make the late American Conlon Nancarrow, really loved and which people know, player pianos a part of my music whose complex pieces for player piano but skewing it to the point almost of somehow. This was the opportunity.” inspired many of the composers. unrecognizability,” Torjussen says. “It’s a For tonight, Krausas’ piano has been But Tenney, a CalArts experimental pretty complex piece. There are two moved from her Hollywood apartment to composer who mentored a number of or three different tempos going on USC’s Alfred Newman Recital Hall. the participants, had a connection with simultaneously, and also speeding up and Two acrobat friends from Cirque du Nancarrow. slowing down in obscene ways. I tried to Soleil, Katia Sereno and Sebastien Stella, “Nancarrow actually punched the rolls write a piece that wasn’t playable by a will serve as roll changers and perform in for the pieces that Jim composed in the human.” other ways. The bluegrass band Ed Glass ‘60s,” says Lauren Pratt, Tenney’s widow. 101 continued. . .

It was tough work too. the perforators converted into paper piano assumed that he had all 88 keys of the “He had done so much punching that rolls, thereby reversing 80 years of piano to work with. But the mechanism in his right forearm was twice as big as his technological progress. Krausas’ piano can’t read the top three or left,” Pratt says. “But we had a lot of problems in the bottom two notes on the keyboard. Tenney, to whom both tonight’s concert translating the music into the rolls,” Rather than asking Sabat to rewrite and a CD of the program have been Krausas says. “If you have a repeating the piece, though, Krausas persuaded dedicated, died in 2006. But Krausas note, you need a space on the paper so composer Andrew Goldman to perform found there’s still “this huge piano roll that the mechanism can reboot — or stop the virtuosic feat of sitting at the keyboard and mechanical instrument subculture. I playing — and reattack. Bob and David to play the missing notes on the fly. had no idea. The minute I Googled trying had to go through the rolls to edit and “He’s marked which notes aren’t to find someone to do piano rolls, I found shorten some durations so that we could happening with colored pens, and those a gentleman in Nevada, Bob Billings, get the right attack of the notes. They colors indicate which notes he has to whose name is ‘The Perforator.’ He did were terrifically helpful.” play,” Krausas says. “So he will be sitting some of the rolls. The other gentleman One problem they couldn’t solve was there reading the roll as it’s turning and was David Saul, who lives here in Califor- a limitation in Krausas’ piano that came playing the missing notes. The score nia. They were both terrific.” to light only late in the game. won’t help him at all. There are too many The composers e-mailed the two men Writing a piece in memory of Tenney pages.” digital-interface files of their music, which called “Wake for Jim,” Marc Sabat Let the new old times roll.

EW FINDINGS ON MOZART N EFFECT

Submitted by Robert Ridgeway

A recent report now says that the WAGNER EFFECT: STRAVINSKY EFFECT: Mozart effect is yet another charming Child becomes a egocentric megalomaniac. The child is prone to savage, guttural urban legend. The bad news for hip urban May eventually marry his sister. and profane outbursts that often lead professionals: playing Mozart for your to fighting and pandemonium in the designer baby will not improve his IQ MAHLER EFFECT: preschool. or help him get into that exclusive Child continually screams - at great length pre-school. He will just have to get and volume - that he’s dying. BRAHMS EFFECT: admitted to Harvard some other way. The child is able to speak beautifully as Of course, we’re all better off listening SCHOENBERG EFFECT: long as his sentences contain a multiple to Mozart purely for the pleasure of it. Child never repeats a word until he’s of three words (3, 6, 9, 12, etc). However, However, one must wonder whether, if used all the other words in his vocabulary. his sentences containing 4 or 8 words playing Mozart sonatas for little Tiffany Sometimes talks backwards. Eventually, are strangely uninspired. or Jason really could boost his or her people stop listening to him. Child blames intelligence, what would happen if other them for their inability to understand him. CAGE EFFECT: composers were played during the Child says nothing for 4 minutes, kiddies’ developmental time? IVES EFFECT: 33 seconds - exactly. The child develops a remarkable ability to LISZT EFFECT: carry on several separate conversations at Child speaks rapidly and extravagantly, once, in various dialects. but never really says anything important. A recent study has determined that the GLASS EFFECT: CAGE EFFECT is preferred by 10 out of BRUCKNER EFFECT: The child tends to repeat himself over and 10 classroom teachers. Child speaks v-e-r-y slowly and repeats over and over and over and over and over himself frequently and at length. Gains and over and over and over and over and reputation for profundity. over and over and over again.

102 . . . Continued from February/March 2008 Issue

103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 IN MEMORY

entertained many parade goers as well as GARNER L. BRITTEN DR. ROLAND W. MATSON organ rally participants. Linda was the November 4, 2007 backbone in the production of Gerold’s Sent in by Robin Pratt January 21, 2008 authoritative book on the Scopitone. Sent in by Jerrilynn Boehland Linda was born November 2, 1944 AMICA Publisher Dies. in Auburn, Nebraska. She graduated Early AMICA member Gar Britten died Dr. Roland W. Matson was born May salutatorian from high school. November 4, 2007. 3, 1931 in Hibbing, Minnesota and died Professionally, Linda had her degree in Gar Britten and life partner Jim Elfers on January 21, 2008 at Rochester secondary education from Northwest were joint editors/publishers of the Methodist Hospital of complications from Missouri State University and her master’s AMICA Bulletin for the years 1969-70. acute leukemia. degree in guidance and counseling from They brought a carefree, challenging, Dr. Matson was a longtime family Pittsburg State University in Kansas. She sometimes pointed, but always amusing physician in Spring Valley, Minnesota retired in 1997 after working as a teacher approach to the Bulletin. Many members where he and his wife resided. He was a and counselor for the Joplin R-8 School will remember the laughter they brought member of the AMICA Northern Lights District for 29 years. to AMICA functions! Good luck on this Chapter, American Theater Organ Society, On a personal note, I had chance to part of your journey, Gar. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, deliver Linda of her last child, Heather, Robin Pratt and numerous medical associations. some 33 years ago and subsequently, The Matson’s enjoyed sharing their became a godparent to the young lady. collection with others which included a Heart of America Chapter members will From the San Francisco Chronicle Wurlitzer Style “E” theatre organ, Mason miss Linda, her humor and her well- December 22, 2007: & Hamlin and Steinway pianos and were known margaritas. frequent visitors to chapter functions. A private pilot, he frequently flew his Piper GARNER L. BRITTEN airplane around the country from their November 4, 1919-December 16, 2007 airstrip. The Northern Lights chapter sends its condolences and will miss him. Gar was born and raised in Michigan, spent WWII in the U.S. Navy in England, then returned to decorate the homes of ballerinas, socialites and Mafiosi and carry spears for opera stars in Chicago. After meeting Jim Elfers he removed to San Francisco, where he sold draperies at the Emporium and managed Executive CYNTHIA CRAIG Office Interiors in Jackson square November 13, 2007 before he was voluntarily retired by Mme. Sent in by Vincent La-Zonga in 1984. He was predeceased by his beloved LINDA KOEHLER Dear members of the sister Jacqueline Lankey, but is survived Lady Liberty Chapter, by loving relations sister-cousin, Mary November 13, 2007 I received news this morning that Lankey of Waterford, MI; niece, Penny Sent in by Ron Bopp Cynthia Craig, who along with her Reed and her husband Rob of Caseville, husband Gary, were with us at last MI; niece-cousin, Julie Spero of Linda Koehler, age 63, died November year’s organ rally, passed away yesterday Emeryville, CA; and Penny’s children, 13, 2007 after a year-long illness. Linda, morning. Kenneth Brendel, Amanda Brendel, Cory along with her husband of 43 years, was a You can send cards to Gary Craig, Reed and Andrew Reed; and Ken and member of AMICA for over 30 years as 2941 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63104. Sherri Brendel’s children Nicole and well as a founding member of the Heart I have attached a photo of her on stage Peyton; plus Amanda’s son, Kaine Hall. of America Chapter. Linda supported at Coney Island, USA, taken April 1, Gar’s final weeks were spent in the Gerold with his collection of mechanical 2007. sensitive care of the cuddliest hospital in music including their signature Vincent the country, the Ft. Miley VAMC at Calliope/Hearse combination which Land’s End, attended by Dorin Lucas of 111 continued. . .

Antalya, Turkey, and local fans Amanda One-Hoss Shay, all his parts failed at Convey your condolences. and Oscar Mondragon, Ann Sherry, about the same time — except his spirit, Sign the guest book at Christina Pink, Stuart Jenkins, Gloria de which lingers yet with all who knew him. sfgate.com/chronicle/obituaries George and the alternating vigil of his A celebration of Life party and beloved niece-cousin Julie and Jim, his scattering off ashes outside the Gate partner of 47 years. Like the Wonderful will be scheduled later.

NEW PIANO ROLLS & RECUTS

New from David Caldwell 400 Lincoln Lake Ave., N.E. Lowell, MI 49331 • Phone (616) 897-5609 • [email protected] NEW DUO-ART SMALL POPULAR ROLLS 19855 Limehouse Blues. Played by Herb Clair & Bud Earl. $12.00 713261 Temptation Strut. Fox Trot. Played by Ohman. $12.00 713286 The Birth of the Blues. Fox Trot. Arranged & Played by Alen Moron. $12.00 713291 Me Too. Fox Trot. Jolson & Leith. Arranged & Played by Ernest Leith. $12.00 0740 The One I Love Just Can’t Be Bothered By Me. Simons. Played by Gene Kerwin. $12.00 0686 Am I Blue. Blues/Dance. Arranged & Played by Lieberman $12.00 713407 Just Like A Butterfly That’s Caught In the Rain. Woods. Played by Ohman. $12.00 719 Why?. Fox Trot. Played by Frank Milne. $12.00 713415 Bye Bye Pretty Baby. Played by Pauline Alpert $12.00 0847 Time on My Hands. Fox Trot. Played by Ralph Addision $12.00

AMPICO NEW RECUT ROLLS 214151 How Deep Is the Ocean?. Fox Trot. Berlin. Played by Milne. $12.00 2423F The Hills of Home. Ballad. Calhoun-Fox. $12.00 53595G Athalia, “Priest’s March”. Mendelssoln. Played by Brockway. $12.00 213091 If I Could Be With You. Fox Trot. Creamer-Johnson. Played by Shipman. $12.00 213791 Time On My Hands. Adamson-Gordorn-Youmons. Played by Paul Rickenbachs. $12.00 206221 Moonlight and Roses. Fox Trot. Played by Milton Delcamp. $12.00 205831 Alabamy Bound. Henderson. Played by Lopez. $12.00 210721 Old Man Sunshine. Dixon-Warren. Played by Carroll. $12.00 202551 Teasin’. Fox Trot. Careton-Biese. Played by The Original Piano Trio. $12.00

112 continued. . . PLEASE VISIT THESE SUPPLIERS OF RECUT ROLLS

Rob Deland: Blues Tone Rolls David Saul: Precision Music Rolls www.bluesrolls.com 1043 Eastside Road, El Cajon, CA 92020-1414 [email protected] [email protected] Phone: (847) 548-6416 Joyce Brite: Player Piano & Musical Music Exchange http://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/ Bob & Ginny Billings: Rock Soup http://mmd.foxtail.com/Exchange/rollpage.htm 14010 Rim Rock Drive, Reno, NV 89521 [email protected] Phone: (775) 853-4659 Tim Baxter: Meliora Music Rolls www.members.aol.com/meliorarol/index.htm [email protected] Leedy Brothers Music Rolls 4660 Hagar Shore Road, Coloma, MI 49038 David Caldwell www.leedyrolls.com 400 Lincoln Lake Ave., N.E., Lowell, MI 49331 Phone: (269) 468-5986 Phone: (616) 897-5609 Fax: (269) 468-0019 DavidWFrom [email protected]

Larry Norman: Rollertunes Dick Hack: Hack Mechanical Music www.home.earthlink.net/~rollertunes 2051 Chesapeake Road, Annapolis, MD 21409 [email protected] [email protected] Phone: (540) 721-7188 (410) 279-5859 Cell Days (410) 757-2164 Home Evenings

Don Teach: Shreveport Music Co. Frank L. Himpsl: Valley Forge Music Roll Company 1815 E. 70th Street, Shreveport, LA 71105 604 Linnet Road, Audubon, PA 19403 [email protected] (484)-250-7046 roll shop Phone: (318) 798-6000 (610)-291-1841 my cell Fax: (318) 797-4572 http://www.valleyforgemusicroll.com

Robin Pratt: Artist’s Choice Music Rolls Kukral Collection: Welte-Mignon and 88-Note Rolls [email protected] 216 Madison Blvd., Terre Haute, IN 47803 Phone: (419) 626-1903 Phone: (812) 238-9656 516 Pierce Street, Sandusky, OH 44870-4725 [email protected]

Julian Dyer Steve Bentley: Playrite Music Rolls 5 Richmond Rise, Wokingham RG41 3XH, United Kingdom 1536 N. Palm St., Turlock, CA 95380 U.S.A. www.pianorolls.co.uk Phone/Voice: (209) 632-5784 [email protected] Fax: (209) 667-8241

John Motto-Ros QRS Music Technologies, Inc. “Nickelodeon Rolls” 1026 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14213 “A” “G” “O” Rolls & Boxes Phone: 1-800-247-6557 110 Allen Ranch Road, Sutter Creek, CA 95685 Fax: 1-716-885-7510 209-267-9252 www.qrsmusic.com e-mail: [email protected]

Magic Melodies Keystone Music Rolls 360 Lawless Road, Jamestown, KY 42629 P.O. Box 650, Bethlehem, PA 18016 Phone: (270) 343-2061

113 AMICA Chapter Lady Liberty S.O.W.N.Y. America Heart of Rocky Mountain Texas Southern California Sierra Nevada Pacific Can-Am Northern Lights Midwest Boston Chicago Founding LOCATION OF states do not have an CHAPTERS KEY Currently the rest of MAP of the AMICA Chapters

114 All agreed that this was a spectacular evening and our thanks went out to Sherrie and Jim for their gracious hospitality in hosting the holiday party this year. As a party favor they provided each member with a CD of their News collection. From The Chapters

CHICAGO CHAPTER Reporter: Curt Clifford President: Jerry Biasella

December 2007 About 70 people attended the holiday party/meeting hosted by Sherrie and Jim Krughoff in Downers Grove. Their son Dan Krughoff, also an AMICA member, took care of us at the bar and kept the driveways plowed so guests would not get stuck in the snow which continued falling all evening. Everyone brought an appetizer or dessert so we had a great variety of tasty treats to munch on all evening. The Krughoffs have one of the premier collections of automatic musical instruments. Among the European piano orchestrions are the Hupfeld Pan & Helios II 25, Weber Maesto, and Popper Felix. There are also two Welte Cottage Orchestrions, and Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violinas. Fair organs include fine instruments by Steenput, Ruth and Bruder as well as a dance organ by Arburo and a robot dance organ by Decap. On the American side are a Seeburg H, bow front Mills Violano, Wurlitzer Model B Harp, Encore Banjo, Ramey Banjo Orchestra, and two spectacular Mason & Hamlin art-case AMPICO reproducers. Also in the collection are a number of fine music boxes and a pair of Franz Oehrlein automata and a Monopol Gnome. 2008 Officers: In November the members nominated members for officer positions. As previously reported, Jerry Biasella was nominated and accepted the position of President. Richard Van Metre, Joe Pekarek, Carol Veome & Curt Clifford agreed to continue in their respective positions as Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and Reporter to National. 115 but I will attempt to have some ice tea and coffee. Also anyone desiring to do so is welcome to drive my totally restored 1931 John Deere GP. 4) Back issues of the bulletin will be available so that you may fill in any gaps that might exist in your collection. 5) Friday evening we will have a pot luck dinner at approximately 6:00 PM at Tom’s home. After the dinner Yousuf Wilson has graciously consented to honor us with his magic lantern show of slides from the silent movie area. I’m working on some entertainment to accompany Yousuf’s presentation. I believe I have lined up a couple professional singers to help out.

Saturday Morning 21 June, 2008 1) More open house and an opportunity to view and play the instruments and renew old acquaintances. 2) In a recent email Bob Taylor has graciously offered to make his facilities available for the whole day. This gives anyone who desires to see more of Bob’s instruments the chance to do so. Thus on Saturday you have two choices, a) at Tom’s home or at b) Bob Taylor’s home. 3) Saturday noon a light lunch will be served, sliced meats, veggies etc. at Tom Hutchinson’s home. 4) A visit to Bob Taylor’s house to view and hear his mighty Aeolian Pipe Organ is a must. There is a lot more at Bob’s house than the pipe organ. 5) Saturday evening a dinner in the Missouri Theatre catered by the Cherry Street Café. 6) After dinner we will tour the workings behind the stage of the Robert Morton organ that has been restored by Kenneth Kavanaugh. We have a tentative commitment from a man and wife team who specialize in ragtime music on the pipe organ to play that evening for our group. They have a Scott Joplin act in 1920’s costume that I am told is a real crowd pleaser. They will have just finished the Joplin festival in Sedalia.

Sunday Morning June 22, 2008 1) Breakfast and business meeting approx. 9AM at a Columbia restaurant location to be decided. Again any and all suggestions will be appreciated. HEART OF AMERICA CHAPTER Tom Hutchinson Reporter: Gary Craig President: Robbie Tubbs - [email protected]

Tentative Schedule Summer Pipe Organ Meeting; June 20-22, 2008

Friday Afternoon June 20, 2008 Open House Tom Hutchinson’s home; 1) I will conduct a roll repair clinic at my shop for anyone MIDWEST CHAPTER interested. Bring a roll or two needing repair. Reporter: Christy Counterman 2) I will try to have someone here to make piano roll box labels with the John Miller Piano Roll Label making President: Don Johnson - (248) 650-1840 program. 3) During Friday afternoon Amica members who have chosen to come early are welcome to play any of several The summer meeting of the Midwest Chapter helped our instruments including two reproducing grands, a roll members reminisce about our recent trip to Germany and playing pipe organ and to choose from several thousand Holland. All of the chapter members who were at the rolls. You are on your own for food for the noon lunch convention in July came to Dayton on August 11 to share 116 stories and hundreds of photos of the trip with the rest of the group. Some of us had everything arranged in albums already. (I wasn’t one of those organized people!) We started out at the home of Mike and Liz Barnhart where the nice day featured a trip to the backyard of the indoor/outdoor garden railroad. The trains go all around a village they created outside and then into the house where the track travels above all of the musical machines. We enjoyed tunes from their Weber Otero as well as from the great band organ modeled after one of Mike’s favorite castles. In Germany, we got to see many such castles on tour and from the Rhine cruise. After all of the group arrived, we went to the National Museum of the Air Force. Those of us fortunate enough to get reservations were bused to a hangar, which housed the The Dayton German Festival had authentic food, music and souvenirs. Presidential Aircraft Collection. We were able to view and tour planes of Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson and Kennedy, seeing where President Johnson was sworn in on Air Force One on his flight from Dallas. There were many other historic planes to visit as well. The rest of our group toured the exhibits in the Wright-Patterson museum, which included planes ranging from a Wright Brothers model to a B-17. That evening, we enjoyed a taste of Germany again at the Dayton German Festival at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. They served lots of authentic food, and after eating we shopped for souvenirs and enjoyed music by various performers. An adjacent antique mall was a destination for many as we looked for treasures to add to our collections. But the evening wasn’t done yet. Next, we went across town to Bob Gasper’s. He is restoring a 1920s home, which is a great place for pianos and collector cars. After checking Liz Barnhart changes hats on the piano player out the cars outside, we moved indoors for refreshments and which changes the tune he plays. music from his newly restored Welte upright. On Sunday, August 12, we went back to the Barnhart’s for brunch, our business meeting and the 2009 convention planning meeting. We were curious as to what the word “Teddy” meant in their instrument listing on the meeting flyer. Liz demonstrated a piano-playing bear who, each time you John Flint and changed his hat, played a different song on a mini piano, one Mary Pollock wave appropriate to his hat style! to our group from President This was a fun meeting with many things packed into Kennedy’s plane. two days and we’d like to thank Mike and Liz and Bob for arranging a great time for us.

Host Bob Gasper plays a selection on his Welte. 117 We listened and played the 1914 Cable Euphona Player Piano that Donald has graciously donated to the home along with his 88-note roll collection and cabinet. This piano has an interesting history. Not long after being manufactured, it was put into storage, where it remained, all but forgotten, for over 60 years. In 1975 Donald purchased this instrument, his first player piano. Don Barton, who at that time worked for the Leonard Piano Company, carried out the restoration. The piano has a beautiful tone and original finish. After much music, socializing, snacks and dessert, Paul Watkins called the business meeting to order. Our next event is a flea market-organ concert/movie sponsored by Barton Piano. We have a chapter meeting June 8 at the Dumas Apple Orchard Farm. Patti and Dennis Burchett inspect the landing gear.

Practicing the Presidential wave from the steps of Air Force One are Jody Trittipo, Miriam Hanscom and Don Johnson.

A few members enjoying lunch at the vintage Lexington prior to the meeting.

Donald Jones playing the Cable Euphona and Don Barton singing along.

NORTHERN LIGHTS CHAPTER Reporter: Jerrilyn Boehland President: Paul Watkins

Sunday, February 10, the Northern Lights Chapter gathered at the Episcopal Church Home in Saint Paul, Minnesota where member Donald Bemis Jones now lives. Don Barton, Craig Remmen, Ron Olsen sing along with Donald playing.

118 among the “Goliaths.” In this case, size did not make the difference as the organ sounded wonderful and many of those in attendance took their turn cranking. Bob Grunow and Don Hein helped play the orchestrions – Coinola X, Seeburg K with flute pipes, Seeburg K with xylophone and Seeburg G – in the showroom. They answered questions from those who were not familiar with the instruments. The large organ room was where Bill spent most of his time playing the Mortier 102 key, Mortier 80 key and the Popper system Koenigsburg café . It seems that everyone who came had a favorite instrument and their requests for songs kept Bill, Bob, Don, David and Ken busy during the afternoon. Several organs were on display but were not set up to Margaret, Jeff, Michael, Ed & Tim. play. Those were the 73 key Decap, 90 key Carl Frei system Dutch Street Organ (The Philo) and 62 key Bruder . The promise was made that sometime in late spring or early summer a get-together will be planned so that these organs can be heard as well. AMICA members from other chapters would be welcomed at this gathering. President Jere DeBacker conducted a short business meeting. He also accepted the nomination to again be the President. All of the other officers agreed to serve for another year. We held an election of officers: President – Jere DeBacker; Vice President – Ken Hodge; Secretary – Louise Lucero; Treasurer – Fred Wilson. There was a discussion of ways of having more public Members in deep discussion. displays like the monkey organ rally that was held in September of 2007.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTER Reporter: Larry Emmons David Wells in the “Pub” President: Jere DeBacker - [email protected] with a Nicole music box.

On a brisk December 15th, about 40 members and guests joined Bill and Rosanna Harris for a chapter meeting, potluck buffet and an afternoon of listening to their collections of automatic music. Guests came from as far away as Seattle, Washington and members came from Colorado, Nebraska and Utah. In addition to the instruments in the Harris collection, Ken Hodge brought his Verbeeck 36-key crank organ and David Wells, an MBSI guest, brought a Nicole music box. David used the “Pub Room” to play the music box. Ken set up his crank organ in the center room where his instrument was joined by a 78 key Joseph Bursens, 73 key Decap Herentals and a Philipps PianOrchestra. Ken made mention that his little crank organ was like “David” Ken Hodge presents the Verbeeck organ to some of the members.

119 Some of the members and guests enjoying The Decap Herentals awaiting assembly. Dick Koeckel tries his hand at cranking the the dinner buffet. Verbeeck 36-key organ.

The Philo minus its front. The procenium from the Ed, Kathy and Karen Zimmerman enjoy the music Bruder stands in front. provided by Ken Hodge. – For One of Our Hall Fame Members – Tribute to Hi Babit on his 90th Birthday By Stuart Addison Hi Babit’s the guy we’re here to toast When dancers complain that the music’s too slow The chap who really deserves to boast This musical guru knows which way to go Because he really know the most And a song that’s too low if it’s written in B About musical stuff from coast to coast Hi moves in a flash, and it’s now sung in C

He tunes and he fixes all pianos and plays We need him, We love him, each one is his fan His fingers are skilled, and they know all the ways Without him we’d just hav a musical plan To make music magic, to thrill and amaze But Hi brings it life just as only Hi can And lift up our spirits and brightens our days This king of the keyboard, our great piano man!!! HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY, HI, OUR SUPERMAN OF THE 88 KEYS!!!

The Dance Troupe I rehearse every week for a few shows we are doing - Feb. 24, 27, 28. - Surprised me today after the rehearsal, that they made me a belated 90th Birthday Party. The fellow who does the narration, wrote the enclosed email, and I thought I’d share it with you. I guess they like me. Ha-Ha. - HI-HY 120 ADVERTISING FOR SALE ANGELUS PUSH-UP PLAYER with organ reeds mfgr. by Wilcox GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT & White in Meriden, Conn. Complete, needing restoration. 66 note ALL ADVERTISING IN THE AMICA BULLETIN with several rolls, located in Boise, Idaho. $700.00 plus $75.00 All advertising should be directed to: crating if needed. Buyer to ship. Email for info & photos Mike Kukral [email protected] Phone 208-342-8010. (2-08) 216 Madison Blvd. BALDWIN-WELTE 5’6” Chippendale Case. Professionally Terre Haute, Indiana 47803 restored in 1975, but needs retubing; otherwise excellent Phone: 812-238-9656 condition. $2,500.00. Contact Robert Witt, 859-623-6791 or e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] (3-08) Ad copy must contain text directly related to the product/service WELTE ORIGINAL: You always wanted a Welte! So here is being offered. Extraneous text will be deleted at the Publisher’s your 1920 Welte Original reproducing upright piano, in good discretion. All advertising must be accompanied by payment in playing condition. Just plug it in and start enjoying rolls. Ten rolls U.S. funds. No telephone ads or written ads without payment will are included. Case and keys good. Manufactured in Bronx Division. be accepted. This policy was established by a unanimous vote of Serial #59631. Restored by Alan Pier. Has original turbine suction the AMICA Board at the 1991 Board Meeting and reaffirmed at box. Plays same rolls as Welte Licensee, although mechanism the 1992 meeting. AMICA reserves the right to edit or to different. $3500. LocalSOLD pickup. Photo available, also video. reject any ad deemed inappropriate or not in keeping with In Billerica, Massachusetts. D. Bromage. 978-670-1269 AMICA’s objectives. [email protected] (2-08) The BULLETIN accepts advertising without endorsement, MILLS SINGLE VIOLANO, retired in operating condition 1934 implied or otherwise, of the products or services being offered. from our family “sweet shop” and placed in storage and never Publication of business advertising in no way implies AMICA’s operated since. In mahogany cabinet, original and unrestored and endorsement of any commercial operation. in excellent condition. For further information email me at AMICA PUBLICATIONS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO [email protected] or call 817-261-3989 (3-08) ACCEPT, REJECT, OR EDIT ANY AND ALL For Sale: Small collection of various REPRODUCING TEST SUBMITTED ARTICLES AND ADVERTISING. ROLLS, etc. A list upon request. Phone: 623-242-6622 (2-08) SEEBURG “E” with xylophone - Walnut case, Heller “A” roll All items for publication must be submitted directly to the piano with art glass scene; WURLITZER 1015 Jukebox; Publisher for consideration. CYLINDER MUSIC BOX 20 TUNE, 2 tunes per turn, cylinder CLASSIFIED AD RATES FOR AMICA MEMBERS: 7 1/2 inches long, lid with tune sheet $3,000.00. All items 1-50 Words ...... $10.00 professionally restored and refinished. J. Uhler, Box 126, 51-100 Words ...... $20.00 Ingomar, PA 15127; 724-940-4331. (1-08) 101-150 Words ...... $30.00 MILLS SINGLE VIOLANO, late style with mahogany cabinet, Non-member rates are double for all advertising. excellent, unrestored condition. Plays well and original finish is in great shape. Fifteen rolls included. Cremona “G” wth 32 stopped DISPLAY ADVERTISING flute pipes. Totally restored with perfect butterscotch colored glass. Full Page — 71/2 " x 10" ...... $150.00 Seeburg “K” with flute pipes, dancing girl glass, and rare black oak Half Page — 71/2 " x 43/4" ...... $ 80.00 cabinet. Total restoration. Seeburg “L” with late four door cabinet. Quarter Page —35/8 " x 43/4" ...... $ 45.00 Totally restored. All of these pianos are in exceptional, investment Business Card — 31/2 " x 2" ...... $ 30.00 quality condition and would be prized additions to any collection. Special 6 for 5 Ad Offer - Place any ad, with no changes, for a Must be seen and heard. Pianos are located in Pennsylvania. full year (6 issues), and pay for only 5 issues. Payable in advance. Contact Bart Off, 610-641-9272. Please no evening calls. (3-08) Photographs or halftones $15.00 each 1920 STECK DUO-ART 5’6” GRAND. Action rebuilt and Loose Sheet or Insert Advertising: Inquire refinished about 5 years ago. Includes approx. 180 Duo-Art rolls, about half are playable originals. Excellent condition. 541-947-5113 We recommend that display advertisers supply camera-ready See and hear it at www.gooselake.com/forsale/piano.html copy. Copy that is oversized or undersized will be changed to correct size at your cost. We can prepare advertisements from $12,500.00 Email: [email protected] (2-08) your suggested layout at cost. 3 CONTINENTS HOROLOGY STUDY CRUISE—our 5th PAYMENT: U.S. funds must accompany ad order. Make check cruise and seminar, takes us to Barcelona (Clock Museum, Pita payable to AMICA INTERNATIONAL. Typesetting and Watches-AHCI) and a Transatlantic cruise calling at Malaga layout size alterations charges will be billed. (Granada) Gibraltar (tremendous watch bargains) Tangier (antique markets) Casablanca (Marakesh), Agadir, Lanzarote, Tener- DEADLINES: Submissions must be received no later than the ife, Santa Cruz, Miami. Seminars at sea-Presentations about first of the odd months (January, March, May, July, September, Horology, Mechanical Music, Automata, History of Science, November). The Bulletin will be mailed the second week of the even months. Scientific Instruments. Dec 3-20, 2007. From $3,100.00 Brochure? (Rev. 5-05) 1-800-262-4284 or [email protected] (4-08) NEW PIANO ROLL BOXES - Duo-Art Audiographic series - Exactly like the originals! Maroon with Gold Printing, all 3 sizes “When I graduated from Santa available! (small & medium are “Top Hat” style) $7.00 ea. Quantities are limited, so get them before they are all gone! AMPICO “Top Hat” Monica High in 1927, I was voted boxes- Black Leather with Gold Printing and False Bottom, Exactly like the originals, $5.00 ea. 88 note roll boxes in two sizes- Large (fits 2 3⁄4 the girl most likely to succeed. I flange) covered with Black Alligator paper (Top), Black Leather didn’t realize it would take so long” (Bottom). or Brown Leather Paper (Top & Bottom) $3.00 ea. Small (fits 2” flange) Covered with Black or Tan Leather Paper (Top), White - Gloria Stuart, Litho (Bottom) $1.80 ea. Other repair supplies available- Parchment after playing “Old Rose” in the 1997 film Titanic Leaders, Tabs, Tubes, Flanges, Repair Tissue. Quantity Discounts available. Rich Ingram [email protected] (760) 244-0251 (1-08)

121 HAINES BROS. BABY AMPICO, restored-plays beautifully, Wm & Mary art case, matching bench. $5,500. For photos and information contact [email protected] (2-08) 1927 FISCHER AMPICO upright electric reproducing piano, beautiful case and restoration, nice ivories, and excellent sound quality. Bench with new top and 100+ vintage/new piano rolls. Technician who kept piano in fine working order available by phone to answer questions. Located in central Iowa. Will consider any reasonable offer. Contact [email protected] for detailed information and photos. (1-08) WANTED RED WELTE MIGNON piano rolls (T-100). Paying top dollar. Mike Kukral 812-238-9656 or [email protected] (3-09) For an ELECTROVA STYLE 66 PIANO: A pair of brass and art glass post lamps as pictured on page 397 of the Bowers Encyclopedia, or someone willing to duplicate or send detailed measurements and pictures of their originals. Also wanted any original or recut Electrova 65 note or 88 note rolls and any literature related to these pianos. Please call or write to Jon Fortunato, 4 W.O. Bauer Lane, Orangeburg, NY 10962; 845-727-0192; email: [email protected] (3-08) Need one NORTH TONAWANDA PIANOLIN in any condition or parts for same. Need twenty-four rose wood (or equal) xylo phone bars. Scale #A to A to be used on “O” roll arrangement. Call Mike Krumenacker @ 610-489-7394 or e-mail at [email protected] (6-08) WANTED BY COLLECTOR: Movie Posters, Lobby Cards, Movie Photos, Concert Posters, Jazz and Blues 78 RPM Records, and Entertainment Memorabilia. Buying all sizes; any condition. Free Appraisals. Will give your stuff a good home! 800-392-4050 Ralph DeLuca 157 Park Ave Madison NJ 07940 [email protected] (5-08) WELTE-MIGNON AND DELUXE REPRODUCING piano rolls. (1-09) Mike Kukral 812-238-9656, E-mail [email protected] (1-09) AMPICO SUSTAIN PNEUMATIC MECHANISM-type that mounts inside the case, above the right hand end of the piano action. Needed for the restoration of a ca 1925/6 Chickering reproducing grand. Not sure what I am looking for-and will appreciate any help! THE Fred Neece, 570-323-4679, email [email protected] (3-08) BOOK: WELTE-MIGNON — ITS MUSIC AND MUSICIANS by Charles Davis Smith printed for AMICA by Vestal Press. Do you have a copy you are not using that is sitting on the shelf or Kukral Collection in a box? Let me know. Mike Kukral 503-741-0960, E-mail [email protected] (4-08) Offering high top quality reissues of Welte-Mignon and 88 Note Player Piano rolls.

Featuring rare, important, and fun music rolls recut from the legendary Welte-Mignon library of recordings and great music of the teens and twenties on 88-note player piano rolls.

PLEASE CONTACT ATOS Mike Kukral ExperienceAmerican Theatre Organ Society 216 Madison Blvd. Preserving a unique art form. Terre Haute, IN 47803 Concerts, education, , preservation, 812-238-9656 fellowship and more. www.atos.org Jim Merry, Executive Secretary Email: [email protected] P.O. Box 5327, Fullerton, CA 92838 (6-08) [email protected] (6-08)

122 :KHUHGR\RXÀQGD 5HJLVWHUHG3LDQR 7HFKQLFLDQ" www.ptg.org

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