ATOE MEETS T.V. outside was marked AUTOMATICMUSI­ $15.00, seems steep---remember, that's (continued from page 16) CAL INSTRUMENTS--OUTSIDE COM­ only 300 nickels. And without any more PANIES. Responding to our interest, Mr. Pianorchestras in your corner was far from dead. Wurlitzer until the package. What a saloon, what else are you going to do with The important filmed sequence which treasure trove it held! Sometime before all those five-cent pieces? was the heart of the program would not 1920 someone had gathered together have been possible without the herculean several dozen catalogues issued by the Ben M. Hall efforts of ATOE members, George Rice Wurlitzer Company's competitors. Cat­ and Murray George. Dr. Beaupre is, of alogues of Seeburg, Hupfield, Frati, Mills MORE CHAPTER NEWS course, an ardent ATOE member him­ Novelty Company, North Tonawanda (from page 13) self, but readily admits that he would Works--these and rather play on the inst ruments than clean many other firms were represented. RED RIVER CHAPTER and re-leather. Omaha ATOE members These were added to the wealth of infor­ By Lance Johnson consider the program a huge success and mation already furnished by Mr. Wur­ a step in the right direct ion towards litzer. Without his assistance this book creating local interest in an A TOE could not have been written." chapter. As one who knows well the pitfalls of research, the chases up blind alleys, tlie A BOOK REVIEW frustration of hearing "Oh, we had a whole room full of old photographs and ads and By B en H all catalogues, but last month I told the jan­ itor to take all that junk out and burn it". PUT ANOTHER NICKEL IN--Ahistoryof I can share, vicarously, the thrill of coin-operated and orchestrations, Bowers and Roehl when Mr. Wurlitzer by Q. David Bowers. Vestal Press, Ves­ opened that package. And you, as a tal, N. Y. $15.00 248 pages; over 500 il­ reader, can share in it as well. Because lustrations. Put Another Nickel In reproduces page Lloyd Collins at the 3/34 Moller, after page of these goodies--there isthe Olivet Lutheran Church, Fargo, North Dakota. It has been said that if you scratch a Hupfield Reisen-Orchestrion Helios V, a theatre organ enthusiast you'll uncover 1,500 pipe monster embellished with The March meeting of the Red River part steam train buff, part trolley fan, everything from kettle drums to cas­ Chapter was held at the new Olivet part movie palace aficianado and part tanets; there are deliciously nostalgic Lutheran Church in Fargo, N. D. at 4:00 mechanical musical instrument devotee. photos of the interiors of saloons from P .M. Organist Lloyd Collins played four Somehow, all these off-beatenthusiasms Cincinnati to Cairo, bristlingwithpotted numbers to demonstrate the 3/34 instru­ seem to go together, and the explanation palms and hancllebar mustaches and each ment which is classicall? voiced. Being a is simple: all of us are nuts aboutthings one equipped with a Peerless, a Welte, a theatre organ lover, he chose his regis­ that go choo-choo, ding-ding, and toot­ Wurlitzer, a Seeburg or the like; there tration very carefully to suit the music. toot, that shake the rafters and light up, is a photo of Clarence Eddy, grand-old­ Over twenty-five guests and members that require untold hours of tinkering and man of the theatre organ, seated some­ enjoyed "Indian Love Call", Valse in Db are gaudy relics of the days of America's what self-consciously at a pull-chain by Chopin, a Chorale prelude by Purvis lost im1ocence. One of the most hearten­ Fotoplayer; there are shots of the unit and a "Patriotic phantasy on The Battle ing things about thisclose-linkedcircle departments at the Wurlitzer Hymn of the Republic." After the short of interests is the ever-increasing wealth factory that have not been published be­ concert, members and guests were in­ of literature about them. A few years ago fore; on nearly every page there are vited to inspect the organ in the balcony Harvey Roehl started his Vestal Press in samples of case - work and cabinet­ and try it out. Lloyd explained that the upstate New York and dazzled hobbyists making that have already become a lost music had to be selected in such a manner everywhere with his Player art in our plastic production-line society as to not offend anyone in the church Treasury. a book that is already a classic of today, and there are stunning examples building as there were other events goinr of its kind, Now the Vestal Press has of art-glass panels, hand-painted scenes, on at the same time. done it again with Q. David Bowers' hand­ and colored light effects. They don't some Put Another Nickel In. hardly make 'em like that any mu.1·e.J:S1..11. PIEDMONT CHAPTER Following much the same formula as if they did, there is onethinglwould like Paul Abernethy' s home 2/5 Wurlitzer Roehl's player-piano compendium, to hear: a little orchestra composed of a was the center of interest at the Bowers' book is made up from facsimile Mills Violano-Virtuoso, a Banjor­ November meeting in Burlington. N.C. advertisements and pages of marvelous chestra, a Wurlitzer Automatic Harp and This was the final meeting of tne year and old catalogues, amplified with a sprightly a Wurlitzer Mandolin Quartette, playing officers w~re elected for the next year. and informative text and rounded out with in unison a tune popularized by the Don Hall was re-elected Chairman and present-day photographs of instruments Andrews Sisters some years ago which Nelson Guard took charge 01 the money in private and public collections around begins: "Put another nickel in .... In the and minutes for a second term. The organ the country. The name, Wurlitzer, nat­ nickelodeon ..... All I want to hear •..... Is was open to all and even some of Pied­ urally predominates, not merely because music, music, music ..... " mont's "Pointer System" organists had a Mr. Frany Wurlitzer, chairman of the Put Another Nickel In is obviously a go at the basement installation in addi­ board of the company that bears his name, labor of love, for no one could have put tion to the usual group of polished pro­ has given the author his enthusiastic co­ together such a rich and fact-filled store­ fessionals. operation, but because Wurlitzer was the house of musical machinery who wasn't First meeting of 1966 was scheduled giant of the coin-operated industry in the personally hooked on these crazy instru­ in Winston-Salem, N.C. at the Goler Met­ same way it led the theatre-organ field. ments. Bowers has already gained an in­ ropolitan Church. The church now houses As Bowers writes, "Upon leaving Mr. ternational reputation through his books a Mighty (small) Robert Morton 2/5 from Wurlitzer's office during one of our on coin-collecting, and I think that in his the local Carolina Theatre ·. Organist was visits, Harvey Roehl noticed a bulky newest book he has turned up the luckiest Sid Hellier of Greensboro. package wrapped in brown paper. On the coin of all: the nickel. If the price, ( continued on page 20) Spring '66 19