· \ ,~

JEOLIJlN eAHE'RICJlN CORPO'RJlTI0N MAKERS OF FINE PIANOS EAST ROCHESTER, NEW YORK August 22. 1947.

Mr.John W.Brown. Topinabee. Mioh.

Dear sira-

We reoeived your letter of the 20th regarding Ampioo Reoordings. We are sorry to advise that we have not made any new Reoordings sinoe the war and just when their manufaoture oan be resumed is probl_tioal. We do not have the skilled labor required. and at present could not obtain suitable paper for their manufacture. We trust these oonditions will be remedied in the near future and when Reoordings are a gain available. the trade will be duly notified. Yours very truly.

EMH.

The AMICA BULLETIN AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION JULY/AUGUST 1999 VOLUME 36, NUMBER 4

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. ROBIN PRATT, PUBLISHER, 630 EAST MONROE ST., SANDUSKY, OH 44870-3708 -- Phone 419-626-1903, e-mail: [email protected] Visit the AMICA Web page at: http://www.amica.org Associate Editor: Mr. Larry Givens Contributing Editor: Mr. Emmett M. Ford

VOLUME 36, Number 4 July/August 1999 AMICA BULLETIN

Display and Classified Ads FEATURES Articles for Publication Letters to the Publisher The New Importance of Designing Pianos — 206 Chapter News Mr. Smith’s Ampico — 209 UPCOMING PUBLICATION DEADLINES Just Like Buying a Car — 212 The ads and articles must be received Paderewski’s Piano — 213 by the Publisher on the 1st of the Odd number months: Charlie Straight on Pep and Art — 216 January July March September Performers Duplicated, Like Sheep? — 217 May November Bulletins will be mailed on the 1st week The Return of a Grand Master — 218 of the even months. 274 Pianos to Coddle? — 220 Robin Pratt, Publisher 630 East Monroe Street Adjoining Shelves — 223 Sandusky, Ohio 44870-3708 Phone: 419-626-1903 Rudolph Ganz's Crossword Puzzle — 226 e-mail: [email protected] DEPARTMENTS President’s Message — 203 From the Editor’s Desk — 203 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES Letters — 204 New Memberships Calendar of Events — 205 Renewals Address changes and corrections AMICA People — 228 Directory information updates Tech Tips — 233 Additional copies of Chapter News — 241 Member Directory Classified Ads — Single copies of back issues 255 ($6.00 per issue - based upon availability)

Front Cover: Letter from Aeolian-American Corporation. Thanks to David Graber. William Chapman (Bill) 2150 Hastings Court This important letter shows that they were still planning on issuing new recordings Santa Rosa, CA 95405-8377 as late as 1947. 707-570-2258 Inside Front Cover: 1917 ad from Century Magazine - Sent in by Anthony Engels e-mail: [email protected] Inside Back Cover: Ad from Mills Music - Sent in by John Motto--Ros To ensure timely delivery of your BULLETIN, please allow 6-weeks Back Cover: Leader of WELTE-MIGNON recording by daughter of Eugen D'Albert and advance notice of address changes. Teresa Carreno. See Charles Davis Smith book for more biographical details.

AMICA reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all submitted articles and advertising.

Entire contents © 1999 AMICA International 201 AMICA INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS CHAPTER OFFICERS PRESIDENT Linda Bird BOSTON AREA NORTHERN LIGHTS 3300 Robinson Pike Pres. Edward Bordelieu - (603) 472-5566 Pres: Dave Kemmer Grandview, MO 64030-2275 Vice Pres: Ken Volk Vice Pres: Jerrilyn Boehland - Phone/Fax 816-767-8246 Sec: Robert Hunt (612) 780-5699 e-mail: OGM [email protected] Treas: Alan Jayne Sec: Jason E. Beyer - (507) 454-3124 Reporter: Don Brown Treas: Terry Goepel Reporters: Paul & Barbara Watkins PAST PRESIDENT Maurice Willyard Board Rep: Sandy Libman 1988 NW Palmer Lane Board Rep: Dorothy Olds Bremerton, WA 98311 CHICAGO AREA 360-692-8885 Pres: Richard VanMetre PACIFIC CAN-AM Vice Pres: George Wilder Pres: Mark Smithberg VICE PRESIDENT Dan C. Brown Vice Pres: Kurt Morrison Chapter Coordinator N. 4828 Monroe Street Sec: Curt Clifford Sec: Halie Dodrill Spokane, WA 99205-5354 Treas: Joe Pekarek Treas: Ward Folsom 509-325-2626 Reporter: Kathy Stone Septon Reporter: Dan Brown e-mail: [email protected] Board Rep: Marty Persky Board Rep: Fran Willyard SECRETARY Shirley Nix FOUNDING CHAPTER SIERRA NEVADA AMICA Headquarters 6030 Oakdale Avenue Pres: Bing Gibbs - (408) 253-1866 Pres: John Motto-Ros Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Vice Pres: Jack and Dianne Edwards Vice Pres: Sonja Lemon 818-884-6849 Sec: Lyle Merithew & Sandy Swirsky Sec/Treas: e-mail: [email protected] Treas: Richard Reutlinger Tom & Virginia Hawthorn Reporter: Bing Gibbs Reporter: Doug & Vicki Mahr TREASURER Robert DeLand Board Rep: Richard Reutlinger Board Rep: John Motto-Ros Registered agent for legal matters 485 Gatewood Lane GATEWAY CHAPTER SOWNY (Southern Ontario, Grayslake, IL 60030 Western New York) Pres: Dorothy Crowley (314) 843-2140 847-548-6416 - Fax 847-548-8615 Pres: Anne Lemon e-mail: [email protected] Vice Pres: Yousuf Wilson Vice Pres: Mike Hamann Sec: Mary Wilson Sec/Mem. Sec: John & Diane Thompson PUBLISHER Robin Pratt Treas: Mary Wilson 630 E. Monroe Street Treas: Holly Walter Reporter: Cynthia Craig Photographer: Garry Lemon Sandusky, Ohio 44870-3708 Historian: Larry Hollenberg Reporter: Frank Warbis 419-626-1903 Board Rep: Gary Craig Board Rep: Mike Walter e-mail: [email protected] HEART OF AMERICA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY William Chapman (Bill) Pres: Herb Mercer 2150 Hastings Court Pres: Ron Bopp - (918) 786-4988 Vice Pres: Tom McAuley Vice Pres: James Westcott Santa Rosa, CA 95405-8377 Sec./Reporter. Shirley Nix 707-570-2258 Sec/Treas: Linda Koehler Reporter: Joyce Brite Treas: Ken Hodge e-mail: [email protected] Board Rep: Frank Nix Board Rep: Ron Connor — COMMITTEES — TEXAS TECHNICAL Harold Malakinian LADY LIBERTY Pres: Keith Bigger - (718) 528-9443 Pres: Ken Long 2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, MI 48098 Vice Pres: Tony Palmer Vice Pres: David Palter Michael Barisonek PUBLICATIONS Robin Pratt Sec: Richard Karlsson Haden Vandiver 515 Scott St., Sandusky, OH 44870-3736 Treas: Joseph Hutter Bryan Cather AMICA ARCHIVES Shawn Fox Reporter: Bill Maguire Treas: Janet Tonnesen 1319 Pearl St., Sandusky, OH 44870 Board Rep: Dianne Polan Sec: Janet Tonnesen 419-621-9758 - (516) 673-0388 Reporter: Bryan Cather Board Rep: Dick Merchant AUDIO-VISUAL Harold Malakinian MIDWEST (OH, MI, IN, KY) 2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, MI 48098 Pres: Harold Malakinian - SOUTHERN SKIES (248) 528-3111 Pres: Debra Legg - CONVENTION COORDINATOR Liz Barnhart Vice Pres: Liz Barnhart (813) 734-3353 919 Lantern Glow Trail, Dayton, OH 45431 Sec: Judy Wulfekuhl Vice Pres: Bill Shrive HONORARY MEMBERS Mike Walter Treas: Alvin Wulfekuhl Sec: Howard Wyman (813) 689-6876 65 Running Brook Dr., Lancaster, NY 14086-3314 Reporter: Christy Counterman Treas: Dee Kavouras (352) 527-9390 Board Rep: Liz Barnhart Reporter: Dick & Dixie Leis 716-656-9583 Board Rep: Debra Legg AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORS INTERNATIONAL PIANO NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANO SOCIETY FOR SELF-PLAYING OF MECHANICAL MUSICAL ARCHIVES AT MARYLAND ASSOCIATION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS INSTRUMENTS Performing Arts Library, Hornbake 3210 Everson Whittle, Secretary Gesellschaft für Selbstspielende 19 Waipori Street University of Maryland 11 Smiths Road, Darcy Lever, Musikinstrumente (GSM) E.V. St. Ives NSW 2075, Australia College Park, MD 20742 Bolton BL3 2PP, Gt. Manchester, England Jürgen Hocker Home Phone: 01204 529939 Heiligenstock 46 DUTCH PIANOLA ASSOC. MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY Business Phone: 01772 208003 D-51465 Bergisch Gladbach Nederlandse Pianola Vereniging INTERNATIONAL Germany Eikendreef 24 P. O. Box 297 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Phone: 2202-932524 5342 HR Oss, Marietta, OH 45750 Division of Musical History Fax:. 2202-932526 Netherlands Washington, D.C. 20560 NETHERLANDS MECHANICAL INT. VINTAGE PHONO & MECH. ORGAN SOCIETY - KDV PLAYER PIANO GROUP MUSIC SOCIETY PIANOLA INSTITUTE A. T. Meijer Julian Dyer, Bulletin Editor Clair Cavanagh, Secretary C.G. Nijsen, Secretaire General Wilgenstraat 24 5 Richmond Rise, Workingham, 19 Mackaylaan 43 Great Percy St., London WC1X 9RA NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands Berkshire RG41 3XH, United Kingdom England 5631 NM Eindhoven Phone: 0118 977 1057 Netherlands Email: [email protected] 202 President’s Message

s this issue of the bulletin is arriving, I am probably on day for all of us. This is sure my way back from Boston. We drove so we could do an example of “educating the Asome sightseeing and so we could bring Margaret and public” which is one of the Peter Davis from London back for a visit. One of the objectives of AMICA. I know marvelous aspects of this organization is the friendships made several of the chapters have with people all over the world. rallies or do displays, but I For any of you that are online and think you are interested would like to see every chapter in going to the Melbourne Convention in February of 2001, be doing some kind of activity to sure and go to the AMICA Website. If you go to the Calendar expose our hobby to the pub- of Events and scroll down to the Australia Convention, you will lic, instead of just having a find that our Australian Convention Committee has created a Sunday afternoon meeting marvelous website to get us really excited about the meeting. If with the same group of people. you are “on the fence,” this will convince you that you won’t One thing that has come out of Heart of America’s rallies want to miss this meeting. and displays are the requests for their machines. The Heart of I hope all of you have received your new Membership America Chapter has meetings scheduled through 2000 and has Directory. Mine came today and we all owe a huge thank you had to turn down several places. Even when we don’t have a to all of the people that were involved in making this possible. rally, people are waiting in line to host a meeting at their home. Bill Chapman and Robin Pratt were the people with the most Wouldn’t it be great if all of the chapters had people waiting in time invested; however, I know there were many of you who line to host a meeting at their home. Wouldn’t it be great if all helped with data entry. We all appreciate the work of all the of the chapters had people waiting in line to host a meeting, a people involved. display or a band organ rally? If you aren’t involved in a chapter, please seriously consider joining one. If you are a In June, the Heart of America Chapter had a band organ member of a chapter, please get involved, host a meeting, or rally at Gage Park in Topeka, Kansas to help them celebrate the push your chapter to do something to educate the public. 10th anniversary of their restored carousel and band organ. They had thousands of people come by the organs and displays I hope you all have fun fall meetings planned, and that and even ran out of AMICA brochures. One of the Heart of many of them will be outdoors where you can enjoy the America Chapter members, Blaine Thomas, had his Perlee at weather and expose AMICA to more people. the rally which is hand cranked. The line to crank his Perlee Linda was as long as the line to ride the carousel. Just watching the children’s faces as they tried to turn that huge crank made the

WHERE ON EARTH DO YOU FIND THESE THINGS??? Quite often I am asked this very question about items found in the AMICA Bulletin. I wish I could say that they magically appear in the mail box on a daily basis, but sadly they don’t. Even though many, many wonderful items do arrive by mail from some great people for your Bulletin, a lot of the really nifty stuff that you find reprinted there doesn’t. Lots of the reprinted ads and such I actually buy through dealers and at antique shows. I have one delightful woman dealer from New York who sends me notices of her shows. What a candy store of paper items she has! I spend hundreds of my own dollars with her annually for paper rarities that I can’t resist. Most recently I found an outstanding book from the teens that has a color section that will be a great front or back cover in the near future! I won’t tell you, you’ll be surprised, but it did cost $22. (Golly, and I know of an editor who wouldn’t spend $2.50 for a copy of a newspaper for his readers. Cheesh, what a pincher!) The hunt for paper items is a major hobby in and out of the automatic arena. I guess I am hooked, but mostly I wouldn’t buy a lot of it if I weren’t doing the Bulletin, but I am not complaining. I love it. Hope you do too! Keep cool if you can this summer! Robin

203 Letters: Music - What Does It Do For (or to) Your Mind and Emotions? A Question With No Answer From This Writer - Just A Thought Or Two By Shirley Nix

You know, as we have our meetings and conventions and enjoy the music of our instruments, I have to stop and think sometimes about what a magical thing it must have been when music became available to the mass market. When the music boxes came along, there suddenly opened up a whole new world, filled with the beautiful and emotion- al music that would certainly have made the world a little happier place. There were songs that filled the heart with love, thoughts of home, family, or a yearning to be among home and family. The phonographs, of course, added a new dimension . . voices and lovely lyrics. When the silent movies came along, how much more successful the industry became due to the piano or photoplayer which accompanied these movies. Can you imagine watching one of the “silent movies” in silence? It would still have been a novelty, but the music made the movie come alive. The music, after all, announced the sweet innocence of the heroine, the bravery and goodness of the hero, and the low- down-dirty presence of the villain. The music took the viewer along and made their hearts beat faster as the train barreled down on the heroine, tied up in chains and left on the railroad track while the hero raced in his car to beat the train and free his love. Music helped generate the laughs as the Keystone Kops tripped and fell in their efforts to catch the bad guy, and Charlie Chaplin used music to perfection for his comedy. Who couldn’t be moved by the first chaste kiss (often on the cheek, by the way) between the hero and heroine as the music became a love song? In other words, the music directed the emotions of the viewer, and helped him to feel the right emotion at the right time. Listen to the music of the 20’s and 30’s. Even the rags had a happy beat, and the popular songs of the day spoke to the adoration of one sex for the other, with usually the ultimate goal being love and marriage, a home with a picket fence, and a family . . . forever type of things. Perhaps you think I am rambling on, and I am, but I think back to my teen years and the music I grew up with - love songs with nice lyrics, or broken hearted songs, but still with nice lyrics and hope creeping in, songs about gardens in the rain, clouds that cried, songs about home and family, or the desire to be home with loved ones and family. By the same token, most movies were wholesome and had a moral in them somewhere, whether or not you got it. There were car chases, of course, those date clear back to the Keystone Kop movies, but the violence was not so graphic, and good always triumphed over evil, and even more important, you always knew which was which. The reason I am off on this tangent is this - my grandson is into skateboarding, and for his birthday I was in a skate- board shop buying him a tee shirt. As is the norm today, the music was blaring away, and as I wandered through, the lyrics started getting through to my brain (I try not to listen when the music is making the walls shake and the floor vibrate), and what I heard was really something else. The gist of the song was that the singer had friends who had girlfriends and boyfriends and hated them. Now, there’s a happy note, right? It got worse as the music went on, and to me there was an aura of violence and hatred - surely not love in any form I could recognize. (As an aside - in our local newsletter I some- times research songs that come up often on our instruments - give a little history and the Lyrics . . . Weeeeeellllll . . .Had I done the lyrics to the above-mentioned song, it would have been nearly all [expletive deleted.]) As I paid for the shirt, I asked the young man at the register what kind of music he would call that. He really seemed to think about it, and then answered, “A love song, I guess.” Man, that’s scary to me. Haven’t you ever been stopped at a signal and had the car next to you blasting out rap music(?) urging the listener to not take any (expletive deleted) from any (expletive deleted) with him? See what I mean about the lyrics??? I know kids tend to be a bit rebellious, and they don’t want to hear music that their parents might like, and I understand that. Each generation finds it’s own way, but has any generation before had music, which is such a large part of a teenag- er’s life, so hateful and full of spite and venom? What does this do to their thinking and attitudes? Events in the news lately make this take on special meaning. NO, I don’t say that every kid who listens to this (exple- tive deleted . . . see, it IS contagious) is going to go out and shoot up a school or a town, but if a kid (or adult for that mat-

204 ter) is already troubled, does he really need to be constantly bombarded with this garbage? I am also not saying that there isn’t any good music out there. I am just wondering why there is so much anger and rage in so much of the “music”. My generation was raised on music that might have been corny to some, but it still had some genuine feeling to it, and music helped us get through the turmoil of growing up I think. Music was used to fight the bad feelings, not exaggerate them. Music shouldn’t urge you to act on every base instinct that you might have, but should somehow help you to over- come them. What I am wondering, I guess, is whether music is not still directing the emotions just as it did in the silent movie days . . .perhaps making the listener have certain emotions and act on them in ways that are not suitable for society at large. After all, we all have to have control over ourselves if we are to live in tune, and we certainly don’t need to be constantly urged to do our own thing, and blast anyone who doesn’t do what we feel they should. I don’t have any answers here, only questions, and I’m only talking music - not getting into the video games and movies, that’s another kind of problem . . .Or maybe part of the same problem? I know I’m happy when I go out and listen to our instruments - the music there touches something in me that is good, and that’s what is important. I have seen women start crying with emotion when they hear a romantic or sad song on the Violano . . . again, the music directs their emotions and feeling. Music should always reach the good in us - regardless of our age.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS CHAPTERS CALENDAR OF EVENTS ANNUAL CONVENTIONS Heart of America Chapter June 22-25, 2000 AMICA Convention, Sacramento, California September 10-12, 1999 February 16-26, 2001 AMICA Convention, Kansas State Fair Organ Rally, Hutchinson, Kansas Melbourne, Australia Contact: Len Railsback...... 316-665-5740 June 26-30, 2002 AMICA Convention, Springdale, Arkansas

Walton Heath Jones 1915-1999 Nephew of Max Kortlander

Walt Jones was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He joined Panagra (Pan Ameri- can-Grace Airways) in Lima, Peru, and later Ameri- can Overseas Airlines, which merged with Pan American World Airways in 1950.

Walt was the nephew of famed composer and Help!!! Information Needed!!! piano roll artist, Max Kortlander, and fondly recalled Wiring diagram/schematic for an stories of growing up with his Uncle Max. An Automatic Music Company player unit accomplished pianist himself, Walt’s love of music from Prarieview, IL 60069; and sense of humor made him a beloved member of the Pacific Can-am Chapter of AMICA. Walt is sur- Model X, serial number 1087, installed in a small late vived by his wife, Betty Vanderburg Jones, of 1960’s-’70’s Kimball Minuet grand piano. Pneumat- Issaquah, Washington; a son, David W. Jones of ically reads roll, but plays piano with electromagnets. Brentwood, New York; a daughter, Kathleen Berkley of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and two grandchildren. Please contact Bennet Leedy, 616-468-5986.

205 From Country Life, July, 1928 Sent in by Willard Burkhardt

Colonial standards of living, leisured, This Louis XVI piano with spinet gracious yet simple, find expression in lines has caught the charm of the early this authentic adaptation from that instruments. A good type for the small period. home. The modernist craftsman excels in the use of rare woods. Peacock, thuya, snakewood, camphor wood, amboyna, rosewood, boxwood, ebony, and pearl are combined in this piano. THE NEW IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN IN PIANOS By LEE McCANN

Photographs from Sohmer & Co., The Gulbranson Co., Steinway & Sons, Lester Piano Co., The Aeolian Co., Wurlitzer & Co., J. and C. Fischer, Hardman Peck & Co., Hazelton Bros., Everett Piano Co., and M. Schultz & Co.

he collaboration of two arts is mak- pianos that here was a piece of furniture grand piano which was recently created by ing new history in pianos. Not which should be adapted to the decorative Lee Simonson as an example of what mod- Tsince the early days of the character of the home. If anyone had pre- ernist art can achieve in this field. pianoforte has there been such a concentra- dicted then a peacock blue grand piano It has been noted that the age of a tion of interest on the design as well as on with no legs, but metal struts for support, piano design can be told by its legs. If we the musical character of the instrument. he would have been laughed to scorn. Yet skip the period in which the huge cumber- Twenty-five years ago the architectural such was the quite stunning style of the some legs were the only kind used and go structure of the grand piano seemed to back to the time of Clementi, we find plen- most people nearly as unalterable as the ty of originality and interest in the appear- laws of nature. It simply didn’t occur to ance and cabinet craft of the piano. In the buying public or to the makers of those days the mechanism had not devel- oped to the point where cabinetmakers

An interpretation of Heppelwhite design that is in key with Georgian and colonial interiors.

Below. An Italian period grand which derives its rich carved detail from the woodcraft of the late seventeenth century.

Black lacquer with silver stripings and interior of Chinese red Chinese Chippendale is an interesting and unusual note is the dashing scheme of this piano designed by Kem Weber. in period design. The straight simple lines and good 206 proportions are admirable. were awed by its size and intricacy and as a problem in decoration to reduce as so failed to keep pace with it. far as possible the size, actual and The piano was still of small size, apparent, of the piano. Marvels have partaking somewhat of the delicate been accomplished to this end. The lines of its predecessors, the spinet, the lightness, grace, and daintiness of many harpsichord, and the clavichord - pianos are simply astonishing in view instruments which the modern piano of the fact that nothing of their fine is studying to advantage in creating tone is ever permitted to be sacrificed. models of slimmer grace. It was one of The instrument of course comes first. those early makers who conceived the The slim lines of Sheraton, Heppel- glorious desire to design “the most white, and Chippendale furniture and beautiful piano in the world.” His idea of the period of Louis XVI have had took the form of a case with the strings tremendous influence for this reason. up ended at the back as though a harp There is a simplicity about these styles sat on top of the piano. This in turn Here the delicacy and fine detail of a Heppelwhite design with spinet that is popular in American decoration, back receives full value silhouetted against the light tone of the room. was draped, presumably with brocade, and it is logical to see, as one does, since draperies were inevitable in that many fine pianos of this type. One of mode. It will be true whenever a new and era. Perhaps when he designed it he had in the newest designs, after Heppelwhite startling change is broached to the piano mind the words of the great Sheraton that shows a spinet back tapering to a delicate world, since such ideas must be tested slow- “fancifulness seems most peculiar to the angularity that is charming and entirely ly before they are accepted for quantity taste of females,” for piano playing at that suitable to the detail of the carving. production. time was almost a monopoly of “cultured This and a number of other pianos are Period pianos of authentic design are at females.” This assumed feminine taste was now made of highlight mahogany with present broadly available and each season boldly courted by another early designer walnut finish. The result is a beautiful tone sees the introduction of many fine new who created a combination piano, writing something between mahogany and walnut models, the result of careful research and desk, and dressing table with space for bot- and suitable for a room furnished in either experiment in historical design, supple- tles and other dressing table paraphernalia. wood. mented by the development of modern Apparently he credited the accomplished For stately rooms with the lofty pro- craftsmanship. gentlewoman of his day with the versatility portions that permit the use of heavier Since no home is complete today with- to write a note, play a tune, and powder design, there are any number of the fine out a piano and many homes are small her nose at the same time. Spanish or Italian period models beautifully ones, it has been a practical problem as well Naively amusing as are such early hand carved. The variety of these is designs, yet we must credit their mak- interesting and pleasing, since each ers with a decorative point of view and designer is attracted by some different a feeling for the piano as furniture phase or detail of the century he stud- which was lost by later piano makers ies, and embodying this in his design, and has only been reachieved within he gives his work a special character the last few years. which, while historically authentic, is Period decoration in America cre- individual too. ated a demand for pianos in keeping. The newest development of piano The first interest in period furnishings design is the modernist point of view. was confined to the homes of the very This is so recent that it is still news of wealthy and to collectors of antiques. the freshest sort. One of the promi- The pianos decorated in the style of a nent piano houses sponsored this particular era were at first few and far movement to the extent of giving a between. They were built to specifica- number of designers well known in tion and it was not possible to walk other fields of art carte blanche to cre- into any of the great piano houses and ate new and epoch-making types of be shown, offhand, designs in the peri- design for the piano. Within the last od manner. That situation is now true few months the work of such mod- A Louis XVI design which has the lightness and grace that make this one of pianos created in the modernist of the most popular types in pianos. ernists as Edouard Steichen, Lee

207 ideal art form for the piano which so far has never been evolved. Two points of view diverge in modernist work. One of these holds that art, like time, is a fluid thing in which division is arbitrary and artifi- cial. There is no break, and new forms must be evolved from preceding ones. One important designer spe- cializing in pianos considers that modern art affiliates particularly with early Greek design, and traces one expression of this through the Direc- toire. He embodied this feeling in a Contrasting woods in rich subdued tones are used by Eugene Schoen in a masterly man- piano with unusual inlay, making use ner to develop a modernistic theme. of a variety of exotic woods, and the Simonson, Kem Weber, Eugene result is a style with the formal grace Schoen, and others has come before and elegance one would expect from the public in the field of piano design. these influences plus something one They have introduced color, life, and does not find in either, and which is ideas that are new and stimulating, and modern. have opened up a mode of decoration Other exponents of the new art that will undoubtedly affect both the hold that our industrial civilization had detail and the architectural structure of created a definite break in the type of pianos in the more or less near future. life and therefore the type of art of our The use of color by the modernists time. They point to the automobile as is consistent with demands that color a fine art expressive in the new man- shall enter into every phase of decora- ner, organic in style based on function. tion, not excepting pianos. Certainly There was never a chance for a Louis the effective use which they make of it XV car or a William and Mary garage justifies the contention. Such changes interior, they gleefully point out, and as they may in time make in the struc- with the automobile in mind as an art The eighteenth century keyed to modern requirements of ture of the case are also, as we men- ideal they intend to transform the restraint and conservatism is successfully achieved in the piano. Maybe. But we look to see the feeling of this design. tioned, in line with the older traditions of piano making, and may give us the other point of view come through first, in quantity production at least. The present interest shown by public and designers alike in rare woods and in distinguished han- dling of their possibilities for design and color combination and carving, points to the development of piano decoration as preeminently along these lines, judging from the fine examples have which already been done in this manner.

A complete departure from traditional piano architecture makes use of “set- backs,” and substitutes for legs struts of various metals.

208 Harold Smith Interview Samarkand Retirement Community • Santa Barbara, California January 28, 1999 Mr. Smith’s Ampico By Jay Albert

ome time ago our good ings. The case and piano are friend, Esther Schulz, visit- choice unrestored, the player has Sed our home - it must have been rebuilt recently (I was not been a church meeting of some able to get the name of the kind, as that is where we had first rebuilder). met. Dependence on a walker Tell me a little bit about doesn’t seem to slow Esther this piano, Harold. What is it’s down: she is at church every history? Sunday and attends the Santa Barbara Symphony and other “That piano was down-cellar events around town regularly. here, underneath the dining room Her caring attitude and concern, - for how many years, I don’t coupled with a sharp wit and know.” slant on current events, belie her eighty-something years and Just in storage? makes every visit with her a pleasure. “It was way in the back, in the corner. There’s a great big The first thing she noticed in our home that day were our storage room back there. Well, they found that (the piano) and two grand pianos… which she immediately recognized as play- all of those (the rolls). And, I thought, that’s really nice, how ers, and mentioned that at the retirement home where she lives about working on it. The thing wouldn’t work, of course.” they have an Ampico! Brian and I wasted no time in wrangling …The Player? an invitation to dine with her at the nearby Samarkand Retire- ment Community, a lovely campus and impressive facility in “Yes, the player… so I had a fellow come up from way suburban Santa Barbara. down in Los Angeles; nobody up here knew anything about it. So, he came up and took it down.” Joining us in their elegant dining room that night were Esther’s friends Harold Smith and Belva Bundy. As a pianist He took the whole piano down to Los Angeles? herself, who had played the Chickering Ampico piano right out- “No, just the player - with the drawer - he took the whole side the dining room, Esther was anxious for us to see and hear ting out… and he says ‘I’ll be back in six weeks… I’ve got two the piano and to meet Harold. He was the person responsible or three others I’m working on, so I’ll be coming back up.’ So, for resurrecting the Ampico. this wiseguy [another resident, I suppose] says to me ‘The parts Recently, we were pleased to entertain Esther, Harold, and of that piano are going to be all over Los Angeles by now’ …so Belva in our home for a relaxing Sunday afternoon tea and I said to him, ‘That’s right, I agree with you, thoroughly agree musicale, courtesy of our Fischer and Weber. What a delight to with you.’ So, when he [the rebuilder] called up and said, ‘I’m get to know these gracious folks and share our love of music just about done, I’ll bring it on up,’ I call this guy over and said and pianos together! to him: ‘I just want to show you something - he found all the parts, it took him a long while to find all those parts that were Meanwhile, Harold was kind enough to allow me to “inter- spread all over Los Angeles, but he got the whole thing back up view” him, and take some pictures, with my hopes of getting an here!’ “ article published in the AMICA Bulletin to pass along the story of how he brought the music of the Ampico to the residents at (Laughter) Samarkand. I know from my own experience that it’s rare to find some- Harold Smith has lived at Samarkand since 1991. He grew one that has the knowledge to work on these instruments, and up in New Jersey, about 20 miles outside of New York. His that it’s not an inexpensive thing to undertake. Did you many reminiscences of that period in time are delightful. finance this yourself, or did Samarkand? Following is a transcription of my interview with him “We have a fund here at Samarkand called the Smith Fund. about the piano: Chickering 141893, a sweet mid-1926, 5’2” A brother and sister lived here and they liked it so much that plain case (in walnut, I believe) Ampico grand, complete with a they left two million dollars, no four million dollars, to use (later) roll cabinet and impressive collection of Ampico record- however we want.”

209 That’s wonderful! I’ll transpose this into the key of C,’ then he sits there and “That four million is now up to eight million - we can only plays.” use so much a year out of it.” So, the residents here are getting some enjoyment out of So, you took a proposal to the powers that be, and said the piano? you’d like to use some of these monies to have the piano “Oh sure, they really love listening to it.” restored? When you got into the project to have the player restored, “Oh, well, I always talk to the boss, no reason going to these and collecting the Ampico rolls, did you become aware of the short guys, you can never get any answer out of them. So, I difference between the Ampico player and the regular player said ‘I’d like to get the piano fixed,’ and they said, ‘Sure, find pianos that don’t play with expression? out how much it is and show me the bill …get if fixed.’ “ “I didn’t notice that. My ear isn’t that good. I just like good …And there were rolls with the piano? music.” “Yes, many of them…I’ve had boxes down there (as well) I can see that. I should point out that the vast majority of but they were all so torn, I don’t think you could even put them your rolls are classical recordings. together.” “Oh yes . . . that’s all I’ve got in there (in the roll cabinet). I’m very interested to know, and I know the readers of our I’ve got three rolls of . . . oh, what’s his name . . . it’s not dance- Bulletin will be too: What encouraged you to take this on as a able music, it’s too fast.” project? I mean, most people might say to leave the old thing A lot of the popular music at that time was pretty fast! alone and just buy a new piano. “This is new… it’s these two fellows that got together and “I thought, well, we’ve got it, it’s there, we’ve got all the put this out… like the kind of music you’d get up there in the rolls, why not use it?!” Cotton Club!” [In discussing the New York City of the ‘20’s, I understand that, on a regular basis, you play the piano he mentioned that he used to go to the Cotton Club up in for the residents. Harlem:] “We’d go to a show with the gals, then up to the Cot- “Yes, I usually play it every Wednesday from 4:30 to 5:30. ton Club afterwards.” [Sorry, but I neglected to seek what roll this was. My assumption is that he was talking about Arden and That’s just great, Harold! Carroll, as we’d talked about their recordings previously. By “And, I’m breaking in three other people so they can play it ‘new’ we’re talking late ‘30’s!] whenever they want…showing them how to play it, giving Real ‘jazzy’? them the key.” “Yes.” I was so impressed by the way you have all the rolls cata- logued…you made a list of them. Are you still buying rolls? “A fellow is going to do it on the computer.” “Not unless I see something I want. Clair de Lune; that’s about the only one I want right now.” [We had played Ampico Could you tell me about the roll collection you just came 52305 Clair de Lune (Moonlight) p/b Olga Samaroff during upon recently, to add to the existing collection? their visit to our house and Harold loved it.] “This lady that came in here, she had a grandson — the We’ll keep an eye out for that for you. grandmother gave him a (player-grand) piano and he just took the Ampico out of it and threw it away and was throwing the “The others are pretty much what everyone likes right now. rolls away until she found out about it and stopped him. She Once in awhile they’d like a little bit of so and so, and I’ll have only caught some of the rolls before he threw them all out.” the roll to play. I have one with the composer, who plays it . . .” Unfortunately many of the players and rolls were thrown Victor Herbert? out like that; but as we were discussing earlier, over the last 20 or 30 years, people have realized what they have in these instruments and are saving them. Do you remember Harold, and I’m not trying to ask your age, but if you were at the Cot- ton Club in the ‘20’s… “I’m ninety-two… born in 1906.” …Do you remember when player pianos were very popular? “Oh yes… the upright ones… that you pumped with your feet. They were everywhere; everybody had one.” Do you remember seeing player grands? “No, this is the first grand one I remember seeing.” I guess they (the grands) were out of reach financially for most people at that time? “Probably… only the wealthy people had the grands! There’s one guy here who doesn’t know note X from A, and he sits here and plays the piano and just loves it - he says, ‘Now

210 Let’s pick out something to listen to. Do you have any favorites? “The Blue Danube.” [Harold inserts Ampico #52327-H Blue Danube Waltz, p.b. Brockway] All right Harold, let her rip! [Perhaps an unwise substitu- tion for the word “play”! j.a.] [As the roll is playing, I took the liberty of explaining the expression coding and noting some of the controls in the draw- er. Note on the photo the instructions posted on the drawer panel re: not touching the levers!] I notice that the piano has a presentation plate on the fall- board. “Yes, ‘Presented by Adelaide Gautier’ …she gave the piano to Samarkand originally. I think she passed away many years ago.” [I note that several people over in the adjacent part of the room have stopped talking and are listening to the music . . . Harold and I discussed his roll collection. I noted several of the Favorite Fifty collection, a few of the Ampico Christmas rolls (one with a piano dealers name on the label) and a copy of the ‘window display recording’. Many of the rolls are in remarkably good shape. Harold mentioned that on a trip to San Francisco with his son, they came across some piano rolls “Yes, that’s the one… I’ve only one of his. Every time in a shop and he bought four boxes of Ampico rolls.] someone comes in the door I put it on - they like it.” [I believe You’ve got a lovely collection of rolls here, Harold. The it’s Babes In Toyland.] residents here are lucky to have you to take care of this piano We all have our favorite rolls. You know, they are current- and entertain them with beautiful music. ly making new Ampico rolls . . . they have masters of the old “I just hated to see that thing sitting there having to be fixed recordings that they are re-cutting. [We had previously put … it cost some money to fix, but it was worth it.” Harold in touch with Keystone and other sources for new Ampi- co recordings - and have shared duplicates from our personal collection with him.] Like most of his generation, Harold is very polite, modest, “Well, the only one I know of that I want now is Clair de and not one to brag about his accomplishments . . . a true gen- Lune.” tleman. I am sure, however, he would be thrilled to get a note from an AMICAn thanking him for his effort - and, perhaps if We will put an appeal out to the readers of the Bulletin. you have a duplicate copy of Ampico #52305, send it along for Maybe someone has a duplicate of one they can donate to his collection. [And if you’re ever in Santa Barbara on a Samarkand! Wednesday afternoon, you know where to go to hear some “If they can’t, I’ll buy it.” great Ampico music being played for an appreciative audience!] I’d like to take some pictures of you and the piano and the rolls. “Good. I’ll get the key.” Where’s the lock? Oh, it’s on the drawer. Did you have that put on, or was it there originally? “It was there …everything original. As is. The wood on the drawer front where the lock is matches the piano so it must have been on there when they bought the piano new.” The drawer is in beautiful condition, very nice. It’s rare to see a lock on the drawer. I’ve only seen one other on an Ampico, back East. “I had to take out the whole lock to have the key made. There wasn’t one there.” [As I take some pictures, Harold is opening the drawer and sitting at the bench. I can’t help but notice he does this gently, with both a sense of pride and respect.] “When I’m sitting here (playing a roll) I make believe I’m playing. I’ve heard enough of the rolls: I don’t even have to look down - just sit and ‘play’.”

211 Just like buyingFrom a the Morning car Journal, October 20, 1998 Take piano for test drive before taking it home

By Wayne Lee Gay Knight Ridder Newspapers

Shopping, buying and caring for a piano is amazingly similar to shop- ping, buying and caring for a car. First of all, you need a place to put it. Not, however, in the garage or the driveway. Pianos are sensitive to temperature changes. That means no direct sun, and keeping it far away from the fireplace. Don’t put the piano against an outside wall that changes temperature, and try to keep it out of a direct draft from air-condi- tioning vents. Be prepared to spend $50-$100 twice a year for tuning and mainte- nance - just like getting the oil changed in your car. Fortunately, a good piano, well maintained, will last a lifetime. Buying new is the best choice. Unlike a good violin, which can get better with age, a piano, like a car, tends to deteriorate even in the best of circumstances. As for used pianos, there are some nice, well-maintained, refur- bished instruments out there; check the Yellow Pages under piano dealers and take a peek at the classifieds. If you find a used instrument you like, pay an independent technician $40-$100 to take a look at it before you fall in love with it. You can spend as little as $3,000 and get something serviceable to take a kid through a few years of lessons. For $5,000-$20,000 (less than you paid for the car that will wear out in five years), you can have an instrument that, properly maintained, will last a lifetime. If you’re not prepared to make the total investment right away, most dealers offer rental-purchase plans. Just as when you buy a car, don’t pay the sticker price. The sales staff will probably offer you a discount the minute you show an inkling of interest, and if you let them know you’re serious, you’ll get an even better deal before you leave the store. By all means, go home and sleep on it. The good deal you’re offered on Saturday will still be good on Tuesday. And by all means let the salesperson know you’re looking at other comparable instruments at other stores. To get a good sense of what’s available in your price range, shop first for the big four brands - Yamaha, Steinway, Baldwin and Kawai. In general, a brilliant tone and easy touch are appealing in the showroom, but a warmer tone and slightly more resistant touch will be more rewarding through the years. A good grand piano is the first choice if you have the space and money. However, some uprights, particularly the top-line uprights of the big four, are better than many of the high-gloss, low quality baby grands out of Asia. If you’re just looking for something to put a vase and some family portraits on, the cheap shiny grand will work nicely. Most dealers offer plenty of both. Unlike a good violin, which can get better with age, a piano, like a car, tends to deteriorate even in the best of circumstances. 212 From the Smithsonian Paderewski’s Piano Sent in by WHEN POLISH PIANIST IGNACE PADEREWSKI TOURED AMERICA, Dianne Polan and HE BECAME A CELEBRITY - AND BOOSTED STEINWAY Doug McGee BY DAVID TAYLOR

I TS GLEAMING BLACK FRAME PERCHES WITH DIGNITY packed concerts halls everywhere he went. But the tour on three fluted columns. The ivories are white, all nearly ended his career. In Rochester, New York, he walked bloodstains now carefully removed. Only the inscription onto the stage and struck the opening chords of Beethoven’s under the lid of Steinway concert grand No. 71227 at the Appassionata. Immediately, a scorching pain shot up his National Museum of American right arm as if something had shat- History - a few words in black ink tered. He kept playing and man- scrawled onto gilt metal - bears aged to finish the concert. But he testimony to a trying musical tour had seriously injured his hand on and the great musician who sur- the stiff hammer action of the vived it: “This piano has been Steinway. He had often com- played by me during the season plained lightly about the “danger- 1892-1893 in seventy-five con- ous” action, cheerful referring to certs. I.J. Paderewski. the piano as “my enemy.” But Today Paderewski is often after Rochester he played in con- recalled not for his music but for stant pain, needing massages and his famous epigram about dili- jolts of electricity before concerts gence: “If I don’t practice for one just to get his injured finger to day, I know it; if I don’t practice move. Doctors warned of perma- for two days, the critics know it; if nent damage, but Paderewski I don’t practice for three days, the insisted on honoring his pledge, audience knows it.” By 1892, even though it meant teaching though, Paderewski was more himself to play with just four fin- than a great pianist; he was a gers of his right hand. He never mass-market wonder who inspired recovered full use of his ring fin- ad campaigns for shampoos, ger. candy, soaps and party treats, even This 1892 Steinway concert grand iano was the top of But the 1891-92 tour was a a windup toy of a little man fre- the line when it made a 75-concert tour with Ignance tremendous boon for Steinway & netically pounding his little piano. Paderewski. Sons, which had been thriving “Paddymania,” a London newspa- ever since Heinrich Steinweg left per gasped, “has reached such heights that three New York Seesen, Germany, in 1850 and settled his piano-making ladies have embroidered musical phrases from [his] Minuet business in New York City. Piano technology was a growth on their stockings.” industry, and the Steinways were at the hot center. Tinker- Paderewski’s triumphal assault on America started with a ers had been improving on Bartolomeo Cristofori’s recommendation to William Steinway from an agent in pianoforte since the early 1700s. Heinrich’s son, Henry Jr., London, urging him to sign a young Polish pianist for a U.S. opened the lid on every piano he came across, looking for tour. Ignace himself arrived in New York on November new ideas, among them the use of a cast-iron frame for hold- 1891, only to be gloomily greeted at dockside by Steinway ing heavy-gauge strings under enormous tension, which gave representative Charles Tretbar bearing grim tidings. “You a more brilliant and powerful sound. Henry improved the have had brilliant successes in London and Paris,” Tretbar metal frame’s shape, rearranged the strings for a richer tone, declared, “but let me tell you, Mr. Paderewski, you need not made the soundboard more vibrant and improved the piano’s expect anything like that here in America. . . We are not responsiveness to the musician, logging seven patents in the easily pleased here.” Famous last words. process. By the time of his death in 1865 at 34, he’d essen- tially created the modern piano. His brother Theodor filed A grueling schedule put Paderewski through 107 con- another 45 patents. certs in just 117 days. Concerts often lasted for hours, but they included encores to appease the roaring applause. In an Each Steinway concert grand that emerged from the era when solo piano recitals were uncommon, Paderewski original factory in Manhattan was a masterpiece of some

213 40,000 parts, including screws, Paderewski’s head.” “There’s and the product of 300 crafts- Music in the Hair!” chortled a men. New York headline. “Matinee In their advertising, the Girls on Rampage!” warned Steinways capitalized on another. Americans’ love of technology, The eye of the storm was a but for renown, they set their deeply insecure performer who sights on demonstrations at had begun formal study late, Europe’s great expositions, with a fingering technique that which also functioned as trade made his piano teachers groan. shows. Pianists played each piano A London reviewer named on display, and judges awarded George Bernard Shaw caught prizes for quality. National pride was Paderewski’s first concerts in London often at stake. At the 1867 Paris Expo- and alternated between scorn and sition, the Steinway competed with more praise. Shaw mockingly hailed “the than 400 pianos and took a gold medal. The immensely spirited young harmonious black- Steinway triumph shifted the center of piano mak- smith” and his playing as “a brutal fantasia on the ing from Europe to the New World. In 1890, Steinway & theme of the survival of the fittest.” But Shaw also conceded Sons made more than 2,300 pianos, part of a national indus- Paderewski’s genius for interpretation. Other critics agreed. try that produced more than 150,000. From its roots as an “There are many persons who shun piano recitals as intoler- amusement for the rich, the piano had become a token of able bores,” wrote Henry Finck, music critic for the New respectability for all households, and the home entertain- York Evening Post, “but who never miss a Paderewski con- ment center of the late 1800s. cert because when he plays, Bach and Beethoven are no After Henry Jr.’s death, it was brother William Steinway, longer riddles to them but sources of pleasure.” more than Theodor, who saw that the artists’ endorsements Paderewski launched his second American tour in late could broaden the market further. William started as the 1892 on a Steinway with improved action. This time “bellyman” of the business - the person who installed the around, he enjoyed his own private railcar with room for his soundboard - and ended as a captain of industry. He paid secretary, valet, piano tuner, manager, chef and two porters. touring musicians well but imposed a factory-like schedule Crowds gathered at railroad crossings for a glimpse as he on their performances. The tour he set in 1872 for the leg- passed. He, in turn, was fascinated by his American audi- endary Russian pianist Anton Rubinstein left Rubinstein ences, who greeted him as “Paderooski” instead of swearing never to return to America. Paderewski, despite “Paderevski.” In Kansas City, he marveled as several hun- his injuries, found a second Steinway tour irresistible. dred Texans arrived, all clutching volumes of music. “They Paderewski was an exotic 32-year-old European widower crowded the hotels,” he recalled later, “they gathered in whose poverty-stricken childhood was romantically embell- clusters at the street corners, and they stood in line in front ished by ancient connections to nobility. He was no brood- of the box office - all with their music in hand.” He ate ing artist, however, but a man with a disarming sense of nothing on the day of a performance and worked out with humor. His appearance cast a spell of its own: pale, even dumbbells every morning. He practiced endlessly as well, to features, dramatic cheekbones and an unruly mane of red- quell his nervousness. dish-gold hair. Acquaintances often likened his effect to There were some trials, too. Because nothing could electricity. “He is electric as life,” said one woman. Another keep him from the concert stage long enough for it to heal, pianist marveled at how Paderewski’s “presence illuminated a scratched finger grew infected under the relentless pres- that room . . . as though a blinding light had been turned sure of playing. During a performance the bandaged finger on.” The press seized on his dramatic plumage as a focus: a opened and blood seeped onto the keyboard. “I soon got Philadelphia hack wrote, “It was only a feather duster / But accustomed to it,” he admitted. “During the rest of that she worshiped it, she said, / For its fascinating likeness / To tour . . . the keyboard was always red when I finished.”

214 That tour netted him a princely $160,000. After four more and New York.” Chicagoans responded by banning extra concerts to benefit charities, he was ready to return to from the fair’s stages any piano not entered in the contest. Europe, only pausing long enough to play at the opening of And that ran smack into Paderewski’s agreement to play the Chicago World’s Fair, generously offering to forgo his only Steinways. fee as a tribute to his affection for bustling Chicago. That With rumors flying and just days before President proved a mistake. Grover Cleveland was to inaugurate the fair, Paderewski Chicago’s piano makers prided themselves on their supe- held firm. “Throughout the wide world, any artist is per- riority to East Coast outfits like Steinway and hoped that the mitted to use the instrument of his choice,” he announced, fair’s piano competition would prove their point. That “and I do not understand why I should be forced to play an seemed likely, since the contest was to be decided by just one instrument of a manufacturer strange to me.” Negotiations judge: Florenz Ziegfeld, father of the Ziegfeld Follies were still angrily proceeding when he reached the fair- impresario and head of the Chicago Musical College. As it grounds. Attempts to solve the piano stalemate embroiled a happened, Chicago piano mogul W.W. Kimball sat on the national commission and a piano committee and gave rise to some hopeless suggestions, one being that during his performance Paderewski rotate between several onstage pianos. On the morning of the day of the opening concert, fair officials decreed that the Music Hall was separate from the official Chicago World’s Fair and so not bound by its rules. Paderewski could play his Steinway. Still nursing an infected finger, he took the stage. Wind whipped through the unfin- ished hall. William Steinway, confined to a sickbed in New York, had followed Paderewski’s progress by cables. His May 2 diary entry notes proudly, “Paderewski’s played at the Chicago Fair on Steinway grand in spite of all the opposition.” Days later Paderewski sailed back to Europe. In his wake, he left a swirl of Steinway con- demnations in the Chicago papers, and crowds that stretched around the block to see the piano he had played, which was on view in the Chicago Steinway dealership. In his future, which lasted until 1941, when Paderewski, fourth from left, and his second wife, Helena, stand on the platform he died at 80, lay an even greater career as of their private railcar during a 1900 American tour. He slept, ate, practiced and statesman - and patriot. He was Poland’s traveled in the car. premier in 1919 and the revered elder statesman of the Polish government in exile, defending the hopes of his country, overrun by Nazi and board of Ziegfeld’s college. The Steinways and other East- Soviet armies, with the same fiery determination and passion ern piano makers were outraged by this plan and caused a he had brought to his brilliant piano tours. fuss by pulling out of the competition. Midwestern pianos, the New York Times sniped, “will sound much better when they are not compared with the pianos of Boston and Balti-

215 CHARLIE STRAIGHT ON PEP AND ART From The Rag Times for May 1998 Jazztime recording Artist Talks of the Special Recording Talent and of the Injection of “Ginger” into Rolls. • — • Thanks to Mike Montgomery for unearthing this article.

harley Straight, ragtime king, gives some interesting and has peculiar talent in the reproducing of extremely sidelights on modern methods that are making it difficult selections from the classics so as to produce a Cpossible for music merchants to play a profitable player roll which gives the public a truer portrait of a tune on their cash registers by means of the music roll masterpiece than they could secure were the number to department. be played by even a greater musician who laced what for One of the outstanding features of the Chicago want of a better term I will call recording technique.” convention has been the unusual interest evidenced in the Mr. Straight also had something to say on the interest- player roll business and the possibilities for its greater ing subject of putting pep into player rolls. development. Here we found Charley absolutely at home, for he is a We took occasion to seek information from a number Paderewski in the jazz rag, the banjo rag, the marimba of the leading player roll enthusiasts gathered in Chicago, rag, and other musical effects which have done much to and among those whom we interviewed was Charley raise player rolls above the dead level. Straight of the Imperial Player Roll Company. Mr. On the day we visited with him, he was working with Straight is too well known to need much of an introduc- Burt Franklin on their recording of Baby, Kahn & Van tion to trade paper readers. Alstyne’s fox trot hit song from “The Passing Show.” He said: “The player roll was a pretty crude affair We had heard Baby played on several previous occa- when I first became interested in it. Every time I heard a sions, but we never heard it played as these two ragtime so-called masterpiece it reminded me of some little Mary rascals were playing it into the Imperial master roll. As doing her hour and a half of enforced practice. The time they worked through it, we noted any number of new was perfect - you could set your watch by the regularity notes, a bit of original ragging, a cleverly interpolated run of the thumps and bumps with which every note came or a chord or two that the original composers never out of the player, and about the only variety ever intro- dreamed of. In other words, they were rounding out a duced was that caused by a warped roll, which gave you good song so as to give the public a performance that was an excellent imitation of a tragic collapse in the pantry, absolutely finished down to the last pianistic possibility. resulting in the precipitation of all the pots and pans onto It is this kind of conscientious, skillful work that is the floor. putting pep into player rolls, and what is probably more “However, I was firmly convinced that the real important, putting pep into the player roll business to possibilities in player roll production had not even been make it a really profitable business. imagined, and I therefore set myself diligently to work to You can’t expect one player-piano to sell another if discover the cause of music roll mediocrity. folks that hear that player-piano never hear anything new “After associating myself with the Imperial Player or novel coming out of it. Furthermore, you can’t expect Roll Company, I had an opportunity, not only to study people to come to a store regularly if you don’t have out the problem as it related to my own reproductions, something new to talk to them about, something new for but I also had an opportunity to study the work of other them to hear. members of the Imperial staff. As regards the Imperial player rolls, seldom a month “I found that not every good pianist was necessarily a goes by that we do not work something new into a player good recording pianist. This is no reflection whatsoever roll, and thus give the merchants associated with us upon their ability, but it is a fact that it does take a partic- something new to talk about. ular sort of skill to get effect into a roll so that the public can get them out. “I believe Miss Mary Angell’s work emphasizes this point most strikingly. She is an accomplished musician (From: Music Trade Indicator - June 1, 1919)

216 B E R N A R D H O L L A N D From The New York Times, Arts & Leisure November 29, 1998 Performers Duplicated, Like Sheep?

ENETICISTS have their Dolly. They also have the stage than a whole new event. goods on Thomas Jefferson: the old miscegenator long Think of Dolly. Previous technologies - early recordings, Gsuspected, now betrayed by his own DNA. Where the old piano rolls and the modern Disklavier - are a little like progress of science is concerned, art is rarely far behind, and building an elaborate mechanical sheep that at its best moments now comes Sergei Rachmaninoff, dead since 1943, walking walks on all fours, simulates eating grass with reasonable among us again. verisimilitude but could never cause the perspicacious mutton- Telarc has released “A Window in Time,” a CD made from lover to salivate. What Mr. Stahnke and Telarc do to Rach- piano rolls, and promises another in March. On the first, the maninoff comes close to cloning. At least, the relationship of great man plays his own music and arrangements ranging from original to copy is close enough to make us worry. Bizet to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” On the second, Rach- maninoff addresses the significant (Chopin, Schubert, Mendelssohn) and the less significant (Henselt, Rubinstein and bowdlerdized Bach, Beethoven and Gluck). The music comes from a process developed by Wayne Stahnke, who got his ideas working on the Voyager space mission for NASA. My colleague Harold C. Schonberg, who experienced Rachmaninoff many times in the flesh, says that Telarc’s repro- ductions come eerily close to the Rachmaninoff he remembers; he also says that the 78-rpm record and the player piano don’t. I don’t know who or what played these performances, but they constitute masterly pianism. Is this Rachmaninoff positively identified, in the manner of our third President, or Rachmaninoff duplicated, after our famous Scottish sheep? Let ontology and science battle this A piano roll made by Rachmaninoff is one of several one out. The results are extraordinary. Played on a mechanized transfered to CD by Wayne Stahnke for Telarc. and electrified Bosendorfer piano, the performances have a nuance and sophistication that no original disk or previous he performance of Chopin’s B flat minor Scherzo on the piano-roll technology comes close to. How does it work? Let disk not yet released is one that few humans or not the blind lead the potentially sighted. Suffice it to say that a Thumanoids would disavow. The familiar Gluck air from transformation takes place that moves discourse from mechan- “Orfeo,” also in the second volume, has an intimate personal ics-speak to electricity-speak. vocabulary that one can’t keep from calling human. Inhumani- The traditional player piano (high-end purveyors prefer the ty pops up elsewhere and in ways that make it hard to decide term “reproducing piano”) can’t avoid spillage. For no matter whom to blame. That Mendelssohn’s “Spinning Song,” a mod- how sophisticated the old Ampico process in registering touch, est character piece, becomes a virtuoso race course, and the last pedal and expression, pumping air through perforations on of Schubert’s Opus 90 Impromptus a kind of abstract mechani- mass-produced sheets of paper invites small miscalculations of cal drawing, may have to do with pianistic ability out of con- hand and machine, and the debilitating frictions of moving trol. On the other hand, perhaps the source is less to blame than mechanical parts. Mr. Stahnke first devised his own updated the process that cleansed it. player piano, powered by electric current, not air pressure. Other items are so scientifically perfect that they make the Assuming that the local power company kept things steady, flesh crawl. The absolute symmetry of touch in Rimsky-Kor- commands to the keyboard could be received through circuitry sakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee,” for one, is deeply suspi- without hindrance. Bypassed are the dangers of misaligned cious. Mr. Schonberg may tell me that this is the way Rach- machinery or the vagaries of flagging feet pumping pedals furi- maninoff played, but I feel the presence of a synthetic process ously at home. dedicated to righting the weaknesses of fallible man, a perfect The next obstacle was the purity of source; and when Mr. sheep updating the accidents of nature. Stahnke could not find the master rolls used as manufacturing These are not releases intended for musical discovery. Very templates, he managed, through computer hocus-pocus, to few of the items here are of vital artistic consequence; it is how recreate them from their imperfect offspring on the retail mar- they are done that is significant. The confusing mix of virtuosi- ket. Much refined, the perforations pass before a computer ties gives one little idea where pianist leaves off and machine scanning process and the results are stored on hard disks. begins. One can argue that Mr. Stahnke’s process is just one further Anyone who doubts that hidden somewhere in the collec- refinement on the original process, and that too much excite- tive unconscious is a unified field theory binding science to the ment over it reinforces the myth of attainable reality; that the arts should read the newspapers and then listen to these disks. gap between the event and our mechanical memory of it will For they elicit exactly the delight and dread we feel toward sci- eventually narrow into nothingness. Live and recorded perfor- entists fiddling with creation. I’m not sure whether I am listen- mance are separate experiences and need to be received as such. ing to Rachmaninoff, Mr. Stahnke or a shadowy doppelganger: I also believe that too much machinery takes our minds off some artificial conglomerate made in the laboratory but claim- music. Yet what one hears from these CD’s seems less a new ing a life of its own. 217 Saturday June 26, 1999 From National Post (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Sent in by Terry Smythe Grand The Return of a master Heintzman pianos were once the toast of the Canadian music industry, but the advent of mass production ended their supremacy. Or did it? A Winnipeg importer is once again using the Heintzman name — on a piano worthy of the pedi-

used to be, then maybe we can make something of this,” he says, pointing to the pianos he is importing from the Czech Republic. When Theodore Heintzman arrived in Toronto in 1860, he brought with him the old-world skills he had honed while apprenticing in his native Berlin. That year, he began labouring in his kitchen on what would be his first Canadian-made piano. Heintzman and Co. was incorpo- rated six years later. The company was a success from the start, but it was son George who was the driving force behind its growth. In 1888, George insisted on shipping pianos to the Indian and Colonial Exposition in Lon- don, England, where Queen Victoria expressed amazement that such a product could come from the colonies. By 1890, JONATHON CLIFF Heintzman and Co. was one of the largest The Heintzman name is again gracing pianos. manufacturing firms in Toronto, employ- ing 200 craftsmen and producing 1,000 BY STEWART HOFFMAN pianos a year from a factory in the city’s West End. tape deck packed away in the basement. f you look carefully, you can still In 1911, the doors opened to Heintz- But the Heintzmans that have weathered see the faded letters that spell man Hall, home to what the early publici- the years - that have not succumbed to “Heintzman and Co.” on the south ty dubbed “the most beautiful warerooms dry air or humidity or dozens of missed wall of an elegant, eight-storey in the British Empire.” With brass doors, tunings - provide proof of the instru- building half a block up from the a majestic, marble staircase, pillars, ments’ reputation: that their components Icorner of Toronto’s Queen and Yonge stained glass windows, Oriental rugs and and sound were of the highest quality, streets. From 1911 until 1971, “Heintz- potted ferns, the building embodied all and that the great Heintzman uprights man Hall” was the nerve centre of what the dignity and refinement that the name were, arguably, the best produced any- had been the most prestigious of this Heintzman had come to represent. where. When the company closed its fac- country’s piano manufacturers - and there But all of Heintzman Hall’s opulence tory doors for good in 1986 - one of the were no fewer than 28 of them in the was just a backdrop for its raison d’etre: last in Canada’s industry to do so - it pret- early 1920s. Those were the days when a the hundreds of grands and uprights of ty much ended an era. house wasn’t a home without a piano in the finest polished woods, crafted by the So it comes as a surprise to walk into the parlour, and Heintzman met the best cabinet makers and technicians of a local music store and discover the gold- demand for instruments with a network of the day. Glenn Gould practised on the en “Heintzman” stencil staring out off the 18 branch stores and 13 distributors nine-foot grand in the sixth floor artist’s fallboard of shiny new ebony uprights coast-to-coast. room. Oscar Peterson occasionally and grands. Although for Casey Siepman, Today, Heintzman pianos - at least, dropped in for an impromptu perfor- the pianos’ Winnipeg importer, it’s simply authentic ones - are readily found in mance on the showroom floor. good marketing sense to draw on the schools, conservatories and homes Verne Edquist is somewhat of a leg- Heintzman legacy. throughout the country. Many have been end himself. Head tuner, tone regulator “It was a great old name, and I battered about for decades. Some are and assistant manager of the grand piano thought if I could take that name, and put neglected family heirlooms, receiving department at Heintzman in the ‘50s and about as much attention as the eight-track it on a piano worthy of what a Heintzman 218 ‘60s, he was also Gould’s technician, and remaining piano makers, got swamped.” is pianos do attract attention - the fastidious pianist’s second set of ears The move in 1962 to a state-of-the-art perhaps even nostalgia. But, are during recording sessions. “I think,” factory in Hanover, Ontario, 125 kilome- Hthey good? Paul Gilchrist, an Edquist says, “that you’ve come to the tres northeast of Toronto, streamlined independent piano technician in the holy grail of the Canadian piano industry production, but cost the company when Toronto area, thinks they are. “I think,” with the Heintzman upright.” His own the older, experienced technicians would- Gilchrist, says, “they’re the best pianos upright dates from the late ‘20s. A basic, n’t relocate. As a result, standards slipped made with the Heintzman name on them workhorse model, it was built to weather to the point where technicians in the in the past 40 years. They’re precise, the onslaught of music students in Yonge Street repair division, as one for- they’re neat and the construction looks schools and conservatories across the mer employee says, had to “salvage some good, with solid maple bridges and solid country. And when Edquist draws a series of the pianos coming from Hanover. We spruce boards. Even the wood grain ori- of chords from the instrument’s upper had to call and say there were parts miss- entation gives them maximum strength.” register - round, rich, cathedral-like ing here and there. Quality control was The upright comes mostly from the chimes - they seem to hang, miraculously, gone.” Czech Republic, while much of the in mid-air. In the ‘70s, the financial problems grand, Gilchrist says, originates in South The Heintzman sound was no acci- became critical. Heintzman Hall was aban- Korea’s Young Chang factory, which has dent. The circular, acoustic rim in the doned; an old marble factory, far from the long been making pianos for European corners of the soundboard, Edquist says, downtown hub, would suffice for office and American companies. Siepman “was scientifically placed to give maxi- space and grand piano production. The looked to a company in the Czech Repub- mum resonance.” The Agraffe bridge was retail chain was sold next. Bill Heintzman, lic for the pianos’ scales - the design and patented in 1873: A raised bar running who, in 1967, had taken over another plan that outline the inter-play of the across the upper octaves of the instru- piano firm, Sherlock-Manning Piano, tried instrument’s different parts - because the ment’s cast-iron frame, its tiny holes to breathe life into the failing family busi- craftsmanship, although comparable to guide the taut, treble strings. “The energy ness by merging the two companies under Germany’s high standards, comes at a went into this bar,” Edquist says, “and the the name Heintzman Ltd. He gave it his lower labour cost. Gilchrist says the tone would resonate in the heavy cast best shot for three years. But when he took Czech handiwork, as well as the German iron.” He points out the wooden shanks over, Heintzman says, the company, in Renner action that is used in most mod- attached to the felt hammers. “You see effect, was bankrupt. In 1981, it was sold els, gives the pianos a more European how these are shaved on the sides? They to the Sklar-Peppier furniture company, “flavour.” cut down the mass because you don’t which hung in for five years before bailing “Asians tend to go for a hard, dense want a great big clunky hammer hitting out of the piano business. hammer,” he says, “while Europeans pre- the string.” Even today’s better grands The remaining Heintzman inventory fer a slightly more resilient, softer ham- don’t get it right, Edquist says. “Too and trademarks were sold to The Music mer.” The piano, in general, is slightly much dunk and not enough tone.” Stand, a chain of retail stores then operat- less bright and aggressive than its Asian The Depression hit the company ing in Ontario. When that company start- counterpart - more “classical.” hard. With only 200 pianos produced in ed shipping inferior South Korean and And the end result, says Gilchrist, is a 1934, the most beautiful warerooms in American pianos into the country, only to “premium” instrument. The Heintzman the British Empire saw fridges and stoves slap Heintzman nameplates on them, a name, it seems, shall endure on a fine added to their inventory. Government Federal Court judge ruled against the piano. contracts to build boxes for telescopes practice, stating that “there was dearly a and bombsights helped get the company deliberate attempt... to camouflage the through the Second World War, but the fact that a change of source had novelty of television brought further occurred.” It finally seemed like the end hardship in the early ‘50s. By mid- of the line for the decade, though, Heintzman piano produc- Heintzman name. tion - fuelled perhaps by pianist Liber- But about two years ace’s spectacular popularity - was up to ago, Siepman resurrect- about 1,000 annually. But it was still a far ed it. He says the cry from the heyday of the early ‘20s, Heintzman name was when roughly 3,000 left the factory each essential if he had any year. chance of breaking into The big blow came in the ‘60s. At an extremely difficult the beginning of the decade, Yamaha was market. “If a good piano putting out 50,000 pianos a year - and was going to be intro- twice that by 1967 - because of cheaper duced into this country Japanese labour and more efficient pro- that wasn’t from the DOWNRIGHT UPRIGHT: A HISTORY OF THE CANADIAN PIANO INDUSTRY duction techniques, explains Bill Heintz- Orient, then it pretty man, a Heintzman vice-president at the much had to be time. “And they were making a good a Heintzman piano,” COURTESY OF product. We, along with a few other Siepman explains. A Heintzman factory in Toronto’s West End, circa 1905. 219 Sent in by Mel Septon From The New York Times, The Living Arts December 30, 1997 274 Pianos to Coddle? You Have to Pull Strings

Source: Juilliard School, Steinway & Sons Charles M. Blow/The New York Times; Photograph by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

pianos, open 13 hours a day Mondays Long Island City never has that many BY ANTHONY TOMMASINI through Fridays; 11 hours on Saturdays, pianos in house at one time. and 6 on Sundays. There are also 16 Maintaining these instruments has Ask any qualified piano technician practice rooms with pianos in the nearby been a major topic among administrators how often your home piano should be Meredith Wilson Residence Hall, and recently. Last month, to celebrate the tuned, and you will be told: It depends, those are open even longer, from 6 a.m. 80th birthday of Joseph Block, a piano among other factors, on how much use it to midnight, seven days a week. teacher who had been on the faculty for gets. With 117 piano majors to serve, the almost 40 years, Juilliard inaugurated a Of course, there is use and there is rooms are almost never vacant. Compar- piano fund in his honor. A re-inaugura- use. Am amateur may play only now and ing a home piano and a Juilliard piano is tion, actually, since the fund was started then. Even many concert pianists may like comparing “a family car to a taxi five years ago when Mr. Block retired spend no more than five or six hours a cab,” said Masaru Tsumita, the school’s and had to be restarted after support from day at their own instruments, when chief piano technician. He supervises a patrons petered out and the administra- rehearsals elsewhere, tours and down staff of four full-time and three part-time tion let the fund slide, something that did time are taken into consideration. assistants who tune, repair, rebuild and not entirely surprise its namesake. But the Juilliard School’s 247 pianos, restore the instruments. “Usually you give money to the almost all Steinway grands, are played It is a formidable job. Mr. Tsumita, school for a scholarship, or a plaque on a virtually nonstop during waking hours. who is 54, believes that Juilliard’s collec- door, or, if you give millions, a building At the school’s main building in Lincoln tion of Steinway grands is the largest in with your name on it,” said Mr. Block, Center, there are 74 practice rooms with the world. Even the Steinway factory in sitting in the faculty lounge as the intense

220 sounds of a string quartet rehearsing Beethoven’s gnarly “Grosse Fugue” seeped into the room. “But a fund for the care and purchase of pianos struck me as a good, pragmatic idea. So I gave some seed money to start it off, and my friends and colleagues gave some more.” Not much more, it turns out. Right now the fund has only $13,000 in it, though pledges from the recent reception for Mr. Block are expected to help. But the annual cost of maintaining the pianos, which includes paying the staff and pur- chasing, on average, two or three new instruments a year, is approximately $375,000. One new Steinway grand, model L (5 feet 10 inches long, the stan- dard practice-room piano) costs $37,000, Sara Krulwich/The New York Times list. (As a major purchaser and an educa- Pianos at the Juilliard School must endure torturous use and satisfy demanding stu- tional institution, Juilliard gets a dis- dents and teachers. That means frequent trips to the school’s workshop, where Steven count.) Joseph Polisi, the school’s presi- Sokolich, a piano tuner, worked on a Steinway. His boss, Masaru Tsumita, the chief dent, would like to build an endowment piano technician, calls the Juilliard’’collection of Steinway grands the world’s largest. for the piano fund of $5 million. This would mean that about $250,000 (5 per- shop on the main floor. The piano itself work when his older sister started taking cent of the capital) could be directed can be taken down on a special elevator. piano lessons, arrives at Juilliard in a suit yearly to piano maintenance. Then there are emergencies: a frantic and tie and freshly polished shoes. Once Even with twice the staff, it would be faculty pianist calls because a string has there he dons a lab technician’s white hard to keep up. The pianos in the teach- broken, or a key has stuck. And near the coat with tuning forks and memo pads ing studios are tuned or at least touched fourth-floor practice room is a memo box bulging from its pockets. His workshop up every day, starting at 7 a.m., when Mr. where the students can leave reports of has a curious assortment of items: a drill Tsumita’s primary assistant, Steven problems that need attending to, like an press, a sanding machine, clamps in Sokolich, 38, whose father was also a uneven action, or, most annoying, a buzz. every imaginable size, boxes of felt, rows piano technician, makes his morning Striking a key will sometimes set off a of wire strings, even a hair dryer (used on rounds. Minor repairs can be done in the rattle or buzz that could come from any glues and lubricants). In the room that studios, but most jobs require carting the of the piano’s moving parts or vibrating functions as Mr. Tsumita’s office, dia- entire action of the piano (the keyboard, surfaces. Tracking down the source can grams of various piano actions line one the hammers, the dampers - the whole be exasperating. wall next to posters of Mr. Tsumita’s works - which slides from the case like a Every day, the Tokyo-born Mr. favorite star, Marilyn Monroe. drawer from a bureau) down to the work- Tsumita, who got interested in piano The New York Times 221 Mr. Tsumita has a deferential air, and speaks of his work with quiet pride. But he rules with unquestioned authority. This was a condition of his accepting the job 12 years ago, when Juilliard enticed him away from the Steinway Company. “I told them that my goal will be to satisfy the teachers and students,” he said. “But the final word must be mine. Some pianists are very demanding. But I am responsible for keeping all the pianos in the best condition possible. Eventual- ly, I must say to someone, this is all we can do on your piano.” With good maintenance, and “new tires, pistons and parts,” as Mr. Tsumita put it, a piano at Juilliard should last for 50 or 60 years. The two oldest pianos in use were built 98 years ago. The school usually purchases its pianos new. Period- ically, someone makes a gift of used ones, as Cole Porter did in 1964. But there is no current documentation of whether the two Porter pianos are still Sara Krulwich/The New York Times around. They may have gotten lost in the Masaru Tsumita, left, the chief piano technician at the Juilliard School, presides shuffle over the years. over its piano workshop and supervises four full-time and three part-time assistants. It is the practice habits of Juilliard students that dictate specific adjustments the wheels on the three piano legs with Every pianist has stories of showing to the pianos. There is no sign-up proce- small wooden blocks. These in turn are up for a recital and encountering what dure for the 74 piano practice rooms in fastened to the floor, immobilizing the students call a “P.S.O.,” for, piano-shaped the main building. So it’s first come, first piano and sparing the plaster walls and object. Mr. Block recalls playing a con- served, which means that Juilliard the piano’s ebony case. cert in Spain on a piano with a broken pianists routinely get up early. At $400 each, adjustable piano pedal. “The worst ever,” he said, “was at Once you claim a room, it is yours benches have been deemed too expen- a university in Shiraz, Iran. I played a for as long as you stay. But beware of sive. So Mr. Tsumita has supplied chairs concert in a huge new hall that must have bathroom breaks or trips to the cafeteria. which he has fortified with rectangular seated 6,000. Onstage were an atrocious Once a room is left unoccupied, it’s fair wooden supports between the legs, mak- baby grand with chipped keys and a slip- game. ing them almost indestructible. Students ping lid. The F-sharps stuck for some “But it’s not as hard to find a room as who want to sit higher must bring a cush- reason, and, of all things, I was playing you might think,” said Terrence Wilson, a ion or sit on a book. Students who want the Schumann Sonata in F-sharp minor.” student taking a break from Samuel Bar- to sit lower must resort to the black Quick adaptability is a professional ber’s difficult piano sonata. “I seldom wooden boxes that Mr. Tsumita prerequisite. And in this regard, nothing have to circle the corridor more than two euphemistically calls “technicians’ could be better preparation than roaming times to find a free room.” tables.” Mr. Tsumita, who built them the practice rooms and working on what- The rooms themselves are comfort- himself, meant them to hold personal ever you get. “The function of a pianist able, but typically drab, with pale green- belongings, like sheet music (or those is to make do,” Mr. Block said. ish walls and curtains, and dingy gold cups of coffee no one is supposed to be Of course, Mr. Tsumita’s career is carpets. drinking in the rooms). dedicated to keeping Juilliard pianists Mr. Tsumita has fortified the pianos In a way, a piano is a standardized satisfied with the school’s instruments. against the inevitable wear from students machine. But they vary tremendously, And now there is a financial mechanism who camp out all day in a room. Offi- far more than most non-pianists can in place to support his work. The task cially, drinks and food are not allowed, imagine, in the responsiveness or resis- will be to convince donors that piano but this is unreasonable, given that stu- tance of the keys, the brightness or thick- maintenance is a worthy cause. Perhaps, dents practice for hours at a time. So Mr. ness of the tone, and the quickness or Mr. Block suggested, donors could Tsumita has fitted the pianos with black slowness of the repetitive action. endow a particular piano. A practice plywood trays that rest beneath the music Like all pianists, Juilliard students room piano could even have a brass stand, covering the hammers and exposed must learn to adjust to whatever instru- plaque bearing the name of a benefactor. parts of the action. This is to prevent ment awaits them. Violinists can become It might not be one of those endowed vel- Cokes, chips, paper clips, combs and cof- one with their violins. For a pianist, hav- vet-cushioned seats at the opera house. fee from spilling inside. ing your own cherished instrument to But it will be invaluable to the students In an effort to foil students’ efforts to practice on every day can make adjusting who practice on it for hours and hours, reposition the practice-room pianos to to a different piano in performance all the every singe day, for 60 years or so. suit themselves, Mr. Tsumita has replaced more difficult. 222 From Scott Stamp Monthly May 1999 Sent in by Willard Burkhardt Adjoining Shelves

BY HERBERT MOORE

he numbers 769.56 and 780.3 are adjoining areas on a The 19th century, especially in the post-Civil War decades, library reference shelf. For a music topicalist like me, that was a booming economic era. More disposable income was Tneighborhood should have been evident long before this. being generated and many families could begin to think about However, even collectors of worldwide stamps may not have how to spend that income. The parlor piano thus became one of recognized the Scott Dewey decimal numbers. Just past philate- the important signs of some affluence and of culture in the ly, a little bit further along the shelf, I found 780.3, the 20 vol- home. The manufacture of pianos, and with it, the publishing of umes of Grove’s dictionary of Music and Musicians. sheet music, became the largest beneficiaries of this develop- What brought these research ruminations to mind recently ment. And when it came to sheet music, Arthur Loesser wrote, was a realization that advertising covers, especially within a top- “Ditson’s were the largest house in the country.” ical collection, offer a unique double challenge. The first is to It would be too cumbersome to delineate all of the Ditson identify the relevant postal elements; the second is to discover offspring here, so let me just follow a few branches of this tune- connecting elements among the topical parts. ful family tree. A particular topical continuity occurred to me recently when One of the brand names near the top of the sales charts at the my Broderbund Family Tree program announced that I had just turn of the 19th century was Mason & Hamlin. Henry Mason entered my 700th name. Not only that, but it even hinted that and Emmons Hamlin joined forces in 1854 to build what they my wife and I had married incestuously, since way down our called an “organ harmonium.” The two had met at the Ditson separate roots the same family name appeared. The final impe- store where Mason was a “melodeon mechanic.” Mason was tus to creating a small version of a postal family occurred when I the son of Lowell Mason, perhaps the best known of the early saw such names as Harold Arlen, songwriter, and Don McNeill, hymn collectors and publishers, and the man credited with set- host of radio’s “The Breakfast Club” from 1933 to 1968, a pro- ting the foundation for a uniquely American musical life. gram that began each weekday morning with a wake-up “march Beginning with a pair of $5,000 loans from Lowell Mason around the breakfast table.” and Oliver Ditson, the Mason & Hamlin name, famous on piano Those were all the signs I needed to send me in search of the fallboards, became one of the premier brands in the field of following six degrees of philatelic separation. small organs for the home. These, and pianos, became the home The old adage about the certainty of death and taxes reminds entertainment centers of their day, replaced eventually by the us about the uncertainty of life. In this case, not so much about phonograph, which gave way to the radio, which - well, you the start of life as about whose life to begin with when creating a know the rest. (Before the installation of the large pipe organ in genealogy. the Salt Lake Tabernacle in 1867, that Mormon Church had a I’ll begin, not quite arbitrarily, with the Oliver Ditson Co. It Mason & Hamlin reed organ.) was established in Boston in 1842. Eighteen years earlier, 13 The cover from the Mason & Hamlin Organ & Piano Co. year old Oliver had gone to work for Col. Samuel H. Parker in (Figure 4) has a backstamp that indicates that the letter took only his Boston book store. By 1842 he was able to acquire Col. four hours (from 1 p.m., Dec. 17, 1888, to 5 p.m. the same day) Parker’s interest and shortly thereafter began publishing music to travel from Union Square in New York City to Newburgh, a scores. By the mid-1850s Ditson had Haydn’s “The Creation” city only about a two hour train ride up the Hudson today. and Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas in his catalog. A more unusual piece, especially from a philatelic point of The Ditson Company became a cornerstone of Washington view, is the bill of sale, dated April 5, 1867. It records the sale Street establishments when that avenue was about to become of an Estey Organ, costing $225, by William Cluett & Sons of Boston’s Tin Pan Alley. Oliver Wendel Holmes may have been Troy, New York, to A.B. Baucus of Ganesevoort, a small town just a little provincial when he noted that “if you don’t know about 30 miles up the Hudson from Troy (Figure 5). The rev- where Washington Street is, you don’t know anything.” enue stamp is of a type first issued in 1862 and was to be used as Because of its size, longevity and sales territory, Ditson cov- evidence of a tax payment on bank checks. Its use was broad- ers are not hard to find. In addition to its various addresses, cov- ened a few years later to include other transactions. In addition ers from Ditson are also distinguished by cachets that were to the Mason & Hamlin brand of keyboard instrument, William updated regularly with advertisements for new products. Simi- Cluett and his two sons also featured the Steinway and Chicker- larly, postage varieties abound, such as the top guide line on the ing brands. 1897 cover to Derby Line, Vt., (Figure 1) and the multitude of Obviously Cluett also sold less well-known instruments, flag cancels, of which the one addressed to Pepperell, Mass., is such as Estey. What was to become the Estey Company was the least common of the three shown (Figure 2 and 3). All three founded by H.P. Greene in 1846 and purchased two years later also have the usual receiving marks on back and the Pepperell by 34 year old Jacob Estey, who, at age 13, had run away from item illustrates a common advertising gimmick - what appears to home in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. By the age of 20 he had be a personalized handwritten thought, but one which is actually settled in Brattleboro, Vermont, about 50 miles east of Troy. a printed part of the whole. As one piano historian has written, Estey made Brattleboro

223 Figure 2: An 1896 Oliver Ditson ad cover featuring sheet music and a simulated handwritten message on the back.

Figure 3: A 1906 Oliver Ditson ad cover with a flag cancel.

Figure 1: An 1897 Oliver Ditson Co. cover with a Boston flag cancel.

Figure 4: Mason & Hamlin Organ & Piano Co., Postmarked Dec. 17, 1888.

Figure 5: April 5, 1867, invoice from Wm. Cluett & Sons with a Scott R6 revenue stamp.

Figure 6: A 1949 Estey slogan meter.

Figure 7: A reply envelope from Conover Pianos to The Cable Company Figure 8: A Figure 9: The Cable Company ad cover with an early “CABLE” perfin 1929 Meter.

“the town which was to become famous all over the world The Cable Company at H.D. Cable’s death at age 50. The reply because of the organs which Estey made there and sent to all envelope (Figure 7) notes that it was the “World’s Greatest Man- parts of the globe.” Part of that success can be attributed to the ufacturer of Pianos,” and that the company had also moved into fact that in 1919 Mason & Hamlin had turned over its produc- the production of player pianos. tion of reed organs to Estey. The 1846 origin of the company is In addition to this reply envelope, the Cable name can also recalled on this 1949 cut square meter cancel from Brattleboro be illustrated with a company perfin (a device used to control (Figure 6). private use of company stamps, Figure 8), and a combination to One of the other piano entrepreneurs who helped to finance permit and meter cover that also is sealed with a “Music Trades Mason & Hamlin was H.D. Cable from Walden, New York. In Convention” label (Figure 9), also a collectible item. 1880, as age 31, he became a partner of F.R. Wolfinger, whose In addition to the artistic elements of the illustrations, name remained on their instruments until 1899, when it became diverse philatelic aspects can also be seen on this melodic family

224 tree. For example, another Cable piece (Figure 10) encloses a allel to more traditional family genealogies, the geographic letter from W.S. Collins, who signs himself as the president of diversity of Seeburg systems (Figure 11). Cable Piano Co., although the letterhead identifies him as Vice Let’s take a look at one other Mason & Hamlin offspring. President. Perhaps it’s reasonable to assume that, since it was This is the American Piano Co., incorporated in New York in wartime, outdated letterheads were used in order to save paper. June 1908. By this time, not only had home entertainment A less obvious element of this cover is the postage. It is a three- changed, but so had the structure of business. Rockefeller and cent stamp at a time when the one-ounce rate was two cents; but Carnegie are the best-known early names in business conglom- it was also war time and the additional one cent represents a war erates. Among the names prominent in the manufacture of tax levied at that time. pianos two of the important names were Chickering and Knabe. In the same way that the reed organ and piano brought cul- Jonas Chickering had started his company in 1823. By ture into virtually every middle class home in the 19th century, 1867, his sons were receiving awards at international exhibitions another development would take it out of the home and move us and C. Frank Chickering was decorated with the Cross of the into the next century. Legion of Honor by Napoleon III (Figure 12). After that, the This revolution in music, as well as entertainment generally, Chickering instruments were advertised as “The Oldest in Amer- was given its start by Thomas Edison, inventor of the phono- ica. The Best in the World.” By the end of the first decade of graph in 1877. The man who took that instrument out of the the 20th century, only Steinway rivaled the Chickering and home was born in Gotheburg, Sweden, in 1871. Knabe names (Figure 13). Justus P. Seeburg came to the United States in 1886, became There is at least one word that genealogists and philatelists superintendent at the Cable Co. and by the age of 31 had formed share, and that word is “complete.” No stamp collector worth the J.P. Seeburg Piano Co. During the next decade his company his weight in gum will ever admit to his collection being com- developed coin operated automatic pianos that eventually led to plete. In the same way, anyone who has ever created a family juke boxes. tree will know that “complete” is only a goal to be sought. In The three Seeburg meter imprints illustrate various company both fields there is only an arbitrary beginning and an indefinite advertising slogans, three different meter types and, in close par- end.

Figure 10: The Cable Piano Compnay: a 1918 cover franked with three cents, including a one-cent War Tax.

Figure 11: Three Seeburg advertising meters

Figure 12: Chickering & Sons, 1900.

Figure 13: A 1921 Wm. Knabe & Co. cover addressed to the American Piano Company.

225 30 THE MUSICAL CROSS WORD PUZZLE BOOK ...... _-- - __.--_ _----_.------_ __ ----- . -- PUZZLE NUMBER TWELVE

THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PUZZLE CONTRIBUTED BY RUDOLPH GANZ CONDUCTOR OF THE SAINT LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Hidden below ,are 8everal cla88ifications of instruments of the 8ymphony orchestra, also the name8 of many band and orchestral instrument8. Find out how much you know about the 8ymphonyorchestra. We all know Mr. Ganz a8 a conductor and a piani8t. We meet him now a8 a clever cr08S word puzzler.

HORIZONTAL 1. A definite article. 16. Initials of the composer of the opera "The Bill'­ 3. An instrument with rosewood bars graduated her of Seville." in length. 17. Soft pedal. (abbr.) 11. With. 14. An instrument invented hy Mustel of Paris in 19. First two letters of a German word meaning 1886; manipulated with a small pianoforte key­ "without." broad. ,20. Upon.

226 7'IlE MUSIC.AL CROSS WORD PUZZLE BUOK 31 ... .---._ -_ ---...... •....-

HORIZONTAL

21. FinL 63. Percuuion instruments with sheepskin or parch· 23. A section of an opera or drama havinl a com· ment heads. pleteness and often a climax of its own. 66. Gradually softer. (abbr.) 25. The keynote or tonie. 67. Double cipher. A And (French and Latin.) 68. A succeuion of rapid' and even alternations of 29. A wood wind instrument havinl no reeds. a principal Dole with an auDliary. (abbr.) 30. Third note of the seale. 69. At, by, for, to. (Latin.) 32. Initials of a Ireat modem orchestral composer. 71. A stronl or accented Dote. (Initial letten.) (See page 94.) 72. One form of Italian word meaning "in the, at 34. Melody. the." 36. Three. 73. Circular metal plates often 1I8ed with larse drum. 37. Seventh note of the seale. (French.) 76. A definite objective. 38. Tlae key of "A ~or." (G-m.) 77. Suffix meaninl "state of." 39. Larle double reed instrumenL 78. Initials of cODductor of San Francisco Symphony 42. Performed by one person. Orchestra. 45. A flIll company of instruments and players. 79. A Dote of the seale. 54. Gay,merry. (French.) 80. Le81. (abbr.) 55. Prefix meaninl "three." 81. Tones. (French.) 57. A ninth chord. (Initial letters.) 83. The rilht hand. (abbr.) 60. Half of a word meaniBg "the note on which a 85. But. chord is constructed and from which the chord 87. Chief ofticW of a department in a collele. receives its letter name." 89. Rhythmic instruments produeinl dickinl BOunds, 62. 650. first introduced by the Moors into Spain.

VERTICAL

2. Favorite stringed instrument of early biblical 44. A personal pronoun. times. 46. Initials of a French sinler and author, Doted 4. YC. for her singinl of French chansons; has made 5. First three letters of Italian word meaning several American tours. "slow." 47. A gourd shaped slrinled instrument with a 6. Initials of one of the greatest contrapuntal fretted neck. masters of the Flemish School. (Died 1594). 48. Small lIutes. . 7. A general classification for instruments such 49. A temporary solo in a concerted work. (abbr.) as drums, cymbals, etc. 50. A Hebrew exclamation of praise. (First three 8. Initials of a celebrated English organist and com· letters.) poser.

227 AMICA People

Oliver Denton By Emmett M. Ford

American composers and pianists are active and known in their lifetime but after death they become unknowns. Recreated interest can be accomplished by their phonograph discs, piano rolls and compo- sitions - such is Oliver Denton. He was born in Hempstead, Long Island, in 1886, and had a thorough train- ing in piano lessons which began in his childhood. Early piano training was from his sister, after which he enrolled in the National Conservatory in New York City to study with Mme. Melanie de Wien- zkowska and Vassily Safonov (1852-1918). After graduation, he became the conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Following several seasons of conducting, he went to Russia, accompanied by his teacher, Safonov. Returning to Paris, he began instruction with Isidor Philipp, then Berlin to study with Karl Goldschmidt. His 1913 debut was made in Berlin as soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Tours were made in Germany and Switzerland, later returning to New York to live as a teacher and recitalist. Duo-Art piano rolls were recorded by him of compositions of Rubinstein, Schu- bert, Moszkowski and other composers. He died June 9, 1928 in Paris, France.

228 AMICA People

Louis Moreau Gottschalk By Emmett M. Ford

The Temple Sinai is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and was where Louis Moreau Gottschalk played the organ.

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was born in New Orleans, May 8, 1829. He studied in Paris beginning a career as a brilliant pianist and composer.

At age 10 he began composing operas and piano compositions (90), which were favorites of concert pianists and piano stu- dents. The piano compositions were of tropical charm. Three favorites are The Banjo, Dying Poet and Last Hope. His Grand Fantasie Triomphale Sur L’Hymne National Bresilien on Duo-Art No. 6442 by Guiomar Novaes, is a reproducing piano showpiece!

His death was December 18, 1869 in Rio de Janeiro.

229 AMICA People

L to R: (seated) Ernest Urchs, Miss Roda Erskin, Prof. John Erskin, Olin Downes, Josef Hofmann, Ernst Hutcheson, Geo. Barrere, George Gershwin and Richard Singer

Photo courtesy Henry Z. Steinway 3/9/1991

Does any AMICA member know what is taking place in this photo? R.P.

230 From the Herald, January 10, 1999 Sent in by Roland Chisnell and Keith Bigger AMICA People

‘AFTER I TUNE, I PLAY’: Hi Babit tries out 88 Cafe Society’s piano after tuning. ‘I’ve gotten a lot of parties that way,’ he says. Human touch Seasoned piano tuner’s talent is all about playing it by ear

By DANIEL DEVISE, Herald Staff Writer Babit, who lives in Coconut Creek, has tuned pianos by ear for most of his Hi Babit, 81, tunes pianos aided only adult life. He is also an accomplished by his ears, a wrench and a small steel pianist with large hands that can span 11 fork. His pitch isn’t perfect. But it is white keys, or about an octave and a half. good enough. For three decades, he made a living by Piano tuning is an art, and sound is punching rolls for player pianos. an imperfect science. Traditional Piano The man born Herman Babich is also tuners such as Babit eschew electronics. an inventor and a licensed pilot. He A properly tuned piano, they believe, can made regular flights back to his home only be the work of human hands and state of New York to tune pianos until the human ears. rising costs of flying his own airplane “I don’t have perfect pitch,” Babit became prohibitive. Acoustic pianos said. “I’d be crazy if I had perfect pitch. IN TUNE: Hi Babit, 81, tightens piano aren’t such common sights in American strings to the right pitch. A traditional piano I have relative pitch. Sometimes, rela- homes as they once were. But business tuner, he eschews electronics. tives are better.” 231 is brisk at Bobb’s Pianos and organs, a “There’s a certain lilt or wave that I worked for his father in the afternoons local chain that hires Babit to tune pianos, look for,” he said. “It’s hard to explain.” and played piano in dance clubs at night. and at such restaurants as 88 Café Society Modern electronic meters can be used As an adult, Herman shortened his in Hollywood, where heavy use requires in place of the trusty tuning fork, but name for show business purposes and Babit to tune the Kawai grand piano Babit doesn’t put much stock in them. proceeded to popularize it in the restau- twice a month. An electronic tuning meter typically rants of Yonkers. “I can knock a piano out of tune in a will produce a piano with an upper regis- In 1963, he went to work for a player- couple of hours when I’m playing,” he ter that is slightly sharp. Tuners who piano company in the South Bronx, play- said. “I’m a heavy player.” work by ear subtly flatten or sharpen cer- ing notes into a punch-press machine that Variations in humidity can also tain notes to place the entire piano in spat out music rolls. Over the next 30 change the pitch of a piano string by tune. years, his signature went on dozens of causing the soundboard to expand or con- “If they’re a good tuner, they don’t rolls ranging from Beer Barrel Polka and tract. The piano industry recommends use the meter,” said Mark Mess- Chopsticks to Suspicious Minds and tunings at least twice a year for older ingschlager of Bobb’s Pianos and Organs, Muskrat Love. pianos, three or four times a year for new who sometimes hires Babit to fine-tune Babit stopped making player piano ones. Babit charges $65 for a tuning. pianos already tuned by others. “Any- rolls in the early 1980s but remains a His day begins when he strikes an A- body can be a tuner if all you have to do celebrity among aficionados of mechani- 440 - concert A - on his tuning fork. He is look at the meter. That means you’re cal player pianos. holds it to the harp-shaped metal sound- no good.” The Babits, Hi and Marilyn, moved board to produce a loud hum. Then, he Babit starts at a piano’s center and to Florida in 1993. He still plays parties goes to work. works his way up to the highest notes. and clubs for $75 an hour. Each piano key moves a hammer that Then, he works his way down to the low Sometimes, he gets gigs on the strikes three separate strings. Babit uses register. strength of the improvisational chords he tiny wedges to silence two strings at a “Boy, the top went out more than I bangs out on a piano when he’s done with time as he tunes the third. He tightens or thought,” he said, tickling the ivories of a tuning. loosens the string by turning a modified the piano at 88 Café Society on a recent “I’ve gotten a lot of parties that way,” socket wrench. He tests one pitch against morning. “Hear how out of tune that is?” he said. “Because after I tune, I play.” another, listening to layers of harmonics. Young Herman Babich worked in a As the notes slide into tune, Babit listens factory where his father tailored women’s For more information, call Hi Babit for a faint harmonic pulse that slows and clothes. As a high school student, he at 954-984-0033. eventually stops.

TICKLING THE IVORIES: Hi Babit started playing piano in clubs as a teenager; he still plays parties. 232 -~,. TECH TIPS

Tech Tip by Jeffrey Morgan

Model A Ampico static set-up (types 4 through 8; refer to: Evolution of the Ampico, AMICA Bulletin NovlDec 1991)

Note: All measurements made with main regulator/expression and re-regulator valves held firmly against their respective seats!

#6 Square Intensity/ From Pneumatic Stack Reguator Pneumatic • (numbers 2 & 4 directly behind) 1 _1'---- Parallel front to back, ...--_...... -z....,~.,...... ,. underside oflever board to ba! I Pump Suction

, Main Disc Type I I I Endview Regulator Valve • (To be held firmly against seat while making adjustments.) Re·regulator Valve .....-4..C'

3/16" ..-i::::: '_.I~~:::JI'-- To Crescendo Driver

Spring Pneumatic (Pneumatic Spring)

9/16" from guide to top nut which contacts spring. 1 & 9/16" from guide to top of metal finger.

Note: These measurements are basic rule-of-thumb; some deviation will occur on individual installations.

Note: Upon release, re-regulator. valve should open at least three­ sixteenths of an inch to insure adequate flow when not engaged!

233 TECH TIPS L..- ...... ;;;;;;;;;;...... I - - "The Themodist" by Mark Reinhart • From AMICA Bulletin April 1986

I was recently looking through some back issues of the AMICA Bulletin and noticed a query about 84. MUSIo. the origins of the Themodist. The article mentioned conflicting state­ 43 ments as to who the inventor was. RD. 673,736. Patented lIay 7, 190L I did not see a response to the arti­ E. M. SKINNER. cle, so I thought I would respond AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER. 1.....-.... -.ai, 1_) with a somewhat timely answer. '••••••1.) The texts of the period general­ ly cite Skinner and Crooks as the inventor of the Themodist. I am submitting both the Skinner 637,736 patent and the Crooks 663,118 patent. The granting of patents to both men recognizes each as inventor of a particular aspect of the art. The Crooks patent has the earlier filing date yet each has laid claim to what was considered patentably distinct inventions. The Skinner Figure 3 shows the music roll which controls the theme and accompaniment. The Crooks Figure 7 shows its music roll con­ ..,--/~~ trol. All of the Crooks drawings __ I-r=; have been included here to define I~ the environment of the inventions. 1"1--= I The answer to the query is that both .3Z~ men are inventors and each has , I made significant contributions to the art. The Pain 980,555 patent is also included here. The Pain reference is what most people associate as Themodist. The Pain citation is the earliest reference showing the "snake bite" concept that I have found. It is important to note that the Pain application for a patent was filed nearly a decade after the Crooks patent application. Themo­ dist, like so many things, was not the effort of a single individual, rather it bears the mark of effort by many men. The Themodist is the sum of its parts and not the single inventive concept of one man.

234 ~.~u~ EIAMnmRS ROOM: 43 Patented Dec. 4, 1900. J. W. CROOKS. ~ PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYING ACTION. ! ., (.t.ppllcaw.- SIe4 ...,. 18, 1IlOO., • , /. 1 ',. \. "~,o!--c- .. r..,, /'3 f .:;'1 Y/'C[C' ('·-j'Shllh-Shelt t. .. ~ ~ I ,• ~P".C.- - J;;~ d-, ~ ~r-- f1g,l, I I /10 ~.,t. ~ ~"-- .{ .-1"1t J .. }

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240 News From The Chapters

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER Reporter: Shirley Nix & Herb Mercer President: Herb Mercer The Mighty Wurlitzer Console. Well, there are two meetings reported here since it seems our reporter wasn’t as on the ball as she should have been. After the movie, about half of us went out to dinner. Herb Actually, we seem to time our meetings to just miss one edition Mercer, our stalwart President, gave us directions to the café, so we get to have two meetings in the next one. It looks like we and guess who got lost? Oh, well, the rest of us realized that the do even more than we do that way. directions were wrong and asked, but Herb kept following his February Meeting own directions and was really late, but he got there, and that was We had a meeting at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segun- all that mattered. It was really an enjoyable afternoon. do. This is always a really fun place, and those of us who went really enjoyed it. It was nice to see the theater so crowded for a change. There were groups from one of the retirement commu- nities and one from City of Hope, which is a Hospital that treats all sorts of serious illnesses. Newest AMICA members, Bill and The movie for the evening was “That Midnight Kiss” with Barbara Whitney. Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson, along with Jose Iturbi and (They have learned his sister. From the cast you know the movie was filled with to crank a mean wonderful music, and unlike the movies of today, there were no monkey organ.) car chases, no guns or shooting, no sex. Why, one can hardly imagine that a movie could be made without all the things they throw in today, right? Well, it was a very enjoyable movie, and it even made you feel good about the world - unheard of. Prior to the movie, there was the usual sing-a-long with the Mighty Wurlitzer, and Bill Coffman played a melody of Mario Lanza songs. Then there was a short comedy, and this one was just great - more laughs per frame than a barrel of monkeys.

Bill Coffman get- ting ready to play.

Bill and Dawn Leora Sear, John Schaller, Frank Nix and Evelyn Schaller on Pumphrey. their way in to see the movie.

241 was delighted. He took the ball and ran with it, contacting the city and getting them enthused, and even arranging for a motel for us. That article will follow when the pictures are developed. This has been an extremely busy year for Southern Califor- nia. Herb has arranged some really good meeting places for us, and with the organ rallies growing all the time, we seem to keep active all year. Of course, being in Southern California where the weather is such that yearlong activities are possible helps a lot. We are looking forward to the Boston trip now.

Betty and Ervin Canada and Rikki Marvin.

April Meeting On April 18th Herb had arranged a meeting in the little town of Winchester down San Diego way. We met at the Dutch Mill Trading Company, where the Van Gaale family has a Dutch Vil- lage complete with fairground organs and a Dutch Windmill. They also have an antique shop, and their hospitality is endless. The Dutch Before going to the Van Gaale’s place a lot of AMICAns Windmill built could be seen wandering the streets of Old Town Temecula just by the Van south of there. This is a small town filled with antique shops Gaale’s. and places to eat. They were having Old West Days, and the streets were filled with bad-looking cowboys, the sheriff, his deputies, and women of questionable virtue. It was like stepping back in time (if you could ignore the slightly later era cars dri- ving by and the McDonalds on the corner, that is). When we got to the Dutch Mill Trading Company, the wel- come mat was really laid out for us, and the music was going full blast. One of the gentlemen who worked there, Reim Ter- mulien (and I lost the slip I had his name written on, so the spelling may be off) plays the accordion, and he entertained us for quite a while with his musical abilities. The Van Gaale’s have several fairground organs, one of which they built them- selves. It is our kind of place!!! We spent all afternoon there, and a great big AMICAn thank you to the Van Gaale family. That was not, however, the end of it as we thought it was. A few days later, Mike Ames called and said we should have an Robert and Sonja Bartsch admire the “baby organ.” organ rally in that area. We contacted Mr. Van Gaale, and he

Dinner after the Van Gaale meeting, Frank Nix, Bob and Diane Lloyd, Marilyn and Mike Ames, Jean Hurley, Bill Blair, and The entrance to the Music Hall. Jerry Brown. 242 small Mexican Carousel Giraffe. It was Monday and the store was closed, so the family made an unplanned sleepover in town, since Herb insisted the giraffe was calling to him . . “Take Me Home” . . . There is also a Jennings 10-cent slot at the house which was found in a bordello in New Mexico when an old building was being torn down. It was behind a brick wall, along with an old safe, cash register and an upright piano. How did Herb get interested in collecting? Well, he worked in a mental hospital for twelve years . . . Is it possible he was there too long? There was a short meeting called to order after lunch and new members and guests were introduced. Dates for upcoming events were given, and a discussion Mr. and Mrs. Van Gaale and Reim Termulien. ensued about attracting new members. One possibility was to get our own children involved. Herb brought up the possibility of purchasing a banner for AMICA for the times when we are out in public. Our December meeting has not yet been set, but we will need to elect new officers and the results will be noted at that meeting. We would like to have some new meeting places.

Frank Nix, Jim Westcott, Hans Brinker, and Dan Pugh in front of the organ the Van Gaale’s built.

June Meeting June 13 was the date for the chapter meeting, and forty-four members traveled to Westlake Village for the fun event, which Our host and hostess Herb and Rochelle Mercer. was hosted by Herb and Rochelle Mercer. The Mercer collection consists of five jukeboxes, a Knabe built-up piano and a showcase Weber baby grand piano with a piano disk attachment. They were all played, luckily not at the Lloyd and Brooke same time. Osmundson - it must The Weber piano was found at an antique shop in Twenty- be that jukebox nine Palms, California. The owner of the shop had removed the playing “Some old, rusty Duo-Art reproducer (she didn’t want anything in the Enchanted Evening.” piano which didn’t look good). Her husband had cleaned, restored and polished the wood and then took the piano to a shop to have the piano disk installed. After numerous negotiations, the piano arrived at the Mer- cer’s residence, which was a lucky thing, since 17 days later there was an earthquake in Twenty-nine Palms - the roof caved in and partially destroyed the shop. The piano would have been destroyed. Herb’s favorite jukebox is a small wooden 1936 Symphonola Seeburg, which holds twelve 78-speed records which are rapidly being worn out. Whenever there is a guest in the house, they have to listen to “Some Enchanted Evening” before they are allowed to leave. Five years ago the Mercers were in Yreka, California . . . they found an antique shop of course, and in the window was a Bob and Diane Lloyd.

243 The atmosphere of the day was festive, as the nearly 70 members in attendance shared their enthusiasm about what they saw and heard. Of particular “note” was the appearance and impromptu concert provided by Richard Zimmerman, one of the world’s most celebrated ragtime pianists. The late afternoon aroma of roasting tri-tip lured members to the food preparation area, and then on to the outdoor patios where all enjoyed a sumptuous meal. Great music, food and people made the day “one to remem- ber.” We are grateful to John and Nadine Motto-Ros, and George and Sharyn Cunningham for making it possible!

Bob and Linda Little

Our hosts (L to R) Nadine and John Motto-Ros supported by fellow AMICAns and neighbors George and Sharyn Cunning- ham. Bob Lloyd with Bob and Phyllis De Sio.

SIERRA NEVADA CHAPTER Reporter: Doug and Vickie Mahr President: John Motto-Ros

The May, 1999 meeting of the Sierra-Nevada Chapter was a “The last one is mine!” springtime joint meeting extravaganza with the Founding Chap- ter at the home of John and Nadine Motto-Ros in Sutter Creek, California. The Motto-Ros’ have just completed the four-year building process of their spacious luxury home nestled on an oak-studded hillside overlooking the small gold rush town of Sutter Creek. Their new home was specifically designed to accommodate one of the finest collections of automatic musical instruments in Northern California. Evidence of their appreciation of automat- ic musical instruments is everywhere, from the sheet music cov- ers, which wallpaper the downstairs restroom, to the balcony, which overlooks the huge music room where the majority of instruments are located. Nickelodeon stained glass panels adorn a number of the header areas above the doorways, and you can play many of the instruments from anywhere in the house via (L to R) John Motto-Ros, Richard Reutlinger, and Ed Sprankle coin boxes located throughout. discuss “great ideas” for the 2000 AMICA Convention. 244 HEART OF AMERICA CHAPTER Reporter: Joyce Brite President: Ron Bopp

Band Organ Rally at Gage Park, Topeka, Kansas The summer meeting of the Heart of America chapter was held at Gage Park in Topeka, Kansas. Gage Park celebrated its 100th anniversary on June 12, and park visitors were treated to free carousel and train rides, along with free admission to the zoo. Chapter members were invited to bring their band and street organs to Gage Park for the anniversary celebration. The organs were dispersed throughout the park and the happiest music on earth was enjoyed by visitors. Blaine Thomas’ Perlee Dutch Becky Kane: Acrophobia? street organ was a big hit with children, who lined up for their chance to crank this organ. Later that evening, members gathered for dinner at the Club House Inn capped off with homemade ice cream for dessert. The business meeting was held after the dinner and plans for possible future meetings were discussed. The next chapter meet- ing will be a band organ rally at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson in September.

Kent Williams says: “This role is for the birds.”

Tom McAuley with Leonard Railsback’s Prinsen street organ.

Richard Zimmerman entertains. Rick McDowell and his band organ built by Ed Schmidt. 245 the “Farm” (Christ UMC) housed a wonderful pipe organ built by Marvin Judy of the Schudi Organ Company. Mr. Judy met us at the church, along with several members who had elected to skip lunch and go directly to the meeting. Also there was Mr. Robert Green, an organist Mr. Judy had asked to play for us. Mr. Judy explained the construction of this instrument to us, telling us that the organ actually sounded larger than the pipework would indicate, because the pipes were sup- plemented by electronics, playing through speakers strategically placed in the organ loft. He continued by saying that the elec- tronic stops used would not normally be used independently, but only in conjunction with pipes. Mr. Green showed us that the electronic stops, when played independently, indeed sounded “electronic”. However, when played as intended, that is, with Tom Bode and his street organ. the pipes playing as well, the blend was such that no one would suspect anything but pipes were playing. After playing several short pieces to demonstrate the tonal resources of the instrument, Mr. Green pressed a few buttons, got up from the console and walked across the room. Suddenly the organ erupted into one of the impressive-sounding composi- tions of the Romantic composer Vierne - with no one at the con- sole! The organ was playing from a MIDI computer file! While all of us are used to automatic instruments, this still caught sev- eral of us off guard. Suddenly everyone wanted to see how this worked. Mr. Judy proceeded to take the outer panels off the console and showed us the various electronic components that controlled the organ. As if this wasn’t enough to whet our appetites, he led several of us up the narrow ladder into the organ loft to have a look around. If you have never had the opportunity to look inside a pipe organ, you’ve really missed Tom Griffith something. The various shapes the pipes take to make their and his respective sounds is quite amazing. Mr. Judy pointed out to us Raffin street the placement of the speakers for the electronic stops, saying organ. that speaker placement was crucial for obtaining the proper bal- ance and keeping the electronics from sounding . . . well . . . “electronic.” After we had been given both a musical and mechanical tour of the organ, we had our business meeting. The main topic of discussion was future meetings. It appears our next meeting will be at Powell’s Piano and Refinishing in Dallas, but a firm date has not yet been set. Also in the works are an autumn meeting, and a Christmas party. Of course, the upcoming National Con- vention in Boston was a major topic as well. Much to the plea- TEXAS CHAPTER sure of all in attendance, it was announced that the Texas Chap- ter has a new member: none other than Robert Green, our Reporter: Brian Cather organist! President: Ken Long A special note of thanks should go to Mike Barisonek, who almost single-handedly set up this meeting. Mike is one of four The Texas Chapter had an usual and interesting meeting on Vice-Presidents of the Texas Chapter. It is the duty of the Vice- May 23, 1999. Rather than meeting at a member’s home as we Presidents to set up meetings, and Mike did an outstanding job. usually do, we met at Christ United Methodist Church in Plano, The Texas Chapter extends its thanks to Marvin Judy, Robert Texas… Well, sort of. About ten of us met for lunch first at a Green and Mike Barisonek for a superb meeting. nearby French restaurant. How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm After They’ve Seen Paree? Not a problem, because 246 SOUTHERN SKIES CHAPTER Reporter & Photographer: Howard Wyman President: Debra Legg Phone: 727-734-3353

The Southern Skies chapter celebrated May Day with a fun weekend based in Fort Myers, Florida. On Saturday afternoon Jim Gleason, at the left, Becky and Bill Shrive, and Bea Robert- fifteen chapter members gathered at the home of Bill and Linda son enjoy some of the music boxes. Endlein in Cape Coral, Florida and enjoyed the Endlein’s very large collection, housed in a separate building on their property. Included in the Endlein collection are an Aeolian Grand reed organ, a Wurlitzer 153 band organ, a Dutch street organ, a player accordian, a reproducing piano, and assorted music boxes and phonographs and memorabilia. Following the demonstrations and some “hands on” enjoyment of the instruments, the group was treated to refreshments at the main house by the pool. Following the Endlein’s open house, several members went to dinner as a group at Mozzarella’s, in a shopping mall in Ft. Myers. Then, even though everyone was going there for the business meeting and open house on Sunday morning, Stephen Brittain of Ft. Myers invited everyone to his home Saturday evening for coffee and music. Steve’s house was built to house Bill Kavouras tries his hand at a player accordian while his wife Dee, Frank Richmond and Lindsay Walker watch.

Bill Endlein pumps his Aeolian Grand while Becky and Bill Shrive and Lindsay Walker watch and listen. The Endlein’s collection includes a Wurlitzer 153 organ.

his Wurlitzer theater organ, which he played expertly. The organ also has a second console. Also in Steve’s collection are a regular Steinway, a reed organ, a self-contained Moeller organ, and an extremely pleasant sounding upright Weber Duo- Art. Bill also has a collection of antique electric fans. On Sunday afternoon the group traveled to the new home of Bea and Phil Robertson in Labelle, Florida. Their home is a rarity in Florida because it has a basement; one large room con- tains Bea’s very extensive collection of music boxes and anoth- The group listens to the Endlein’s Wurtlizer 153. Left to right are er contains Phil’s collection of Remington and other advertising Becky Shrive, Steve Brittain, Lindsay Walker, Linda and Bill memorabilia. After touring and enjoying these collections, the Endlein, Richard Bair, and Bea Robertson. In the center, facing group visited a separate building housing a workshop and ten the organ is Frank Richmond. Thunderbird convertibles, Phil’s pride and joy. Later, everyone 247 sat on the lanai, enjoyed refreshments, and watched the boats on the Caloosahatchee River at the edge of the Robertson’s back yard. It was a fun meeting that left everyone eagerly looking forward to the next one.

Bill Kavouras catches his breath after his turn cranking the Dutch street organ. Steve demonstrates one of his antique fans for Frank Richmond, and Bill and Becky Shrive.

Bill Endlein’s son cranks the Dutch street organ (seen from the rear).

This is Steve’s second theater organ console. The pipe cham- ber is hidden behind the curtain. Steve Brittain plays the main console of his Wurlitzer theater organ. The pipe chamber is behind the curtain at the rear.

At the front table, Lindsay Walker (seated on the stool), Becky and Bill Shrive, Steve Brittain, and Frank Richmond enjoy refreshments by the Endlein’s pool. Steve Brittain demonstrates his Moeller organ.

Also enjoying refreshments at the Endlein’s are, left to right, Jim Gleason, his mother, Dee and Bill Kavouras, and Bea Robertson.

At Bea Robertson’s house she demonstrates her Ampico while Frank Richmond and Lindsay Walker listen.

248 LADY LIBERTY CHAPTER Reporter: Bill Maguire President: Keith Bigger Eleanor Martin (Bob’s mother) plays the AMPICO manu- ally. A few of us enjoyed singing along to the old standards as May Meeting others looked on. She got a well deserved round of applause.

President Keith Bigger runs the business meeting. First Our last meeting took place at the home of Bob and Cather- order of business was to appoint Ron Kilfoil our new treasurer, ine Martin, Little Falls, New Jersey. Arriving early and “taking and thanks to outgoing treasurer Joe Hutter for doing a great in” the local sights can be very enriching. Here we are at Great job. Many of those in the room had good information and inter- Falls. Alexander Hamilton envisioned even at that time the esting stories to impart to the rest of us. Keith, as usual, had hydroelectric plant pictured left, that utilized the Passaic River. many good ideas for the chapter. Brilliant idea. However for some reason he still gets a lot of sec- ond-guessing on that duel with Aaron Burr.

New treasurer Ron Kilfoil dances with Gloria Lauterbach.

Pictured, Bob and Cathy Martin at the Moeller organ. Bob is telling us the story behind the organ, the computer that runs it, and the 23 ranks that include thousands of organ pipes and more than a dozen additional accompanying instruments. The organ played for us automatically and it was surely something to behold. Bob tells us how he got half the stuff at auction for $75, a bargain! The Martins built a large addition on their home to not only house all these instruments but to host large groups of people such as the Lady Liberty Chapter, the Theater Organ Dorothy Davis Society and MBSI to name a few. Thirty-five people were in and attendance, that’s an excellent turnout for us! Jean Scheffy.

249 fewer buildings now than there were because many were demol- ished, such as the phonograph works and the building that housed the recording studios, but there was more than enough to see.

Ralph Ringstad, a professional organist, demonstrates the capabilities of the Griffith Beach theater organ. Our feature pre- sentation was Race-For-Life. That’s the movie where the young lady gets tied to the tracks and gets rescued just in the nick of time. I wasn’t sure if they would ever come to her aid, let alone Out of the West Orange laboratories came the motion pic- if our heroes would catch the bad guys. Just kidding! Ralph was ture camera. Pictured is a replica of the Black Maria, which is not only right on the money with the music but also the sound the world’s first structure designed as a motion picture studio. effects. It was fun watching one of the earliest movies ever One of the nice features of the Black Maria is that it has wheels made accompanied by the organist and the organ. and rotates on a track. What makes that a good idea is that the subject of the filming can be in direct sunlight all day. The machine shop, where all the metal work was done. Pic- tured is the very large shaft which was turned by steam engine and later by electric motors. Thick leather belts run to pulleys and then to the various As they do every meeting, Secretary Richard Karlson who machine tools. The collects money from all guests compares notes with President part to be machined Keith Bigger and our host. They want to find out who is current was first made out of on their dues and who paid their $7 for food and what is owed to wood in the pattern whom. My stories are now done on computer, not on typewriter. shop as wood is less I think of how disorganized we were five years ago and how costly and can be much more efficient we are now. Well, so long from Little Falls, more easily fashioned we’ve been here before and if Bob and Cathy will have us back, as needed. we’d love to come again. June Meeting

West Orange is in New Jersey and the place where Thomas Edison lived and where the very large Edison Laboratory com- Pictured is the chemical lab and our tour guide George plex is located. This was kind of a “last hurrah” put on by the Tselos. George seemed to be the answer guy. I listened to Edison people (the National Park Service) before the place closes George talk and answer questions for about 40 minutes on the for about a year for major renovations. The laboratory unit con- subject of Edison. tains 14 structures, 6 of which were built in 1887. There are 250 Who is that guy with “Buzz” (Marty) Rosa? Beats me.

Time warp: the A.L. James Band, a 1990s rock group in an 1890 recording studio.

Pictured is Glenmont, the Edison home. Glenmont is a 16- acre estate with the original Edison furnishings built in 1880. The graves of Thomas and Mina Edison are also on the estate.

To give it a tweek or not to give it a tweek, that is the ques- tion. Peter Dilge, an expert engineer of wax cylinder recording, keeping this practice alive and showing how this great craft also has its’ place in today’s recording. The horn con- centrates and directs the sound which vibrates a diaphragm that is connected to a After spending a long and wonderful day at the Edison needle. The nee- complex, we went to the home of John Ellems who lives near- dle cuts into the by. Here is John Ellems standing next to one of his six Lauter wax. Here Peter player uprights. Needless to say, when it comes to players, John is removing the is a strong believer in brand loyalty. The Lauter Factory was in waste from the nearby Newark, New Jersey, and part of it was also one town cutting so it does over from where John grew up. John does all the rebuilding in not interfere. Looking on is the wax cylinder archivist for the his workshop and when done, these players are unbelievably Edison complex (right) and David Bryan from the famous rock easy to pump. The player that scares away many a player band Bon Jovi. The archivist has a big job as there are thou- rebuilder is more than welcome in John’s home. Also pictured sands of wax cylinders in the Edison collection. are Ron Kilfoil, Joe Dennan and Jean Scheffy. Left to right are Randolf Herr, Ron Kilfoil, (our pumper The next step for Dale Rowe), Walter Peter is to clean the Kehoe and Ira cylinder up a little Malek just having a bit and brush some good old time at the aluminum powder Lauter singing song on to make it more after song. durable. Peter lis- tens intently during playback. Ya know that actually sounds pretty damn good, if you like this type Would I endure New of music. Are any York City traffic to it of you guys 40 yet? all over again? You bet! 251 MIDWEST CHAPTER Reporter: Christy Counterman President: Harold Malakinian

Music from one of the many foot pedal players greeted us as we entered the showroom of Mark and Charmaine Haas in Clark Counterman, Liz Barnhart and Judy Chisnell lining up at Lincoln Park, Michigan. Their shop and showroom were the the buffet. first stop of our spring meeting in Detroit area, April 17th and 18th. We had a great turnout of chapter members and a lot of new attendees as well. Among the many pianos on display were a 1925 Wurlitzer Recordo grand, a 1917 Steinway XR Duo-Art, a 1922 George Steck Duo-Art grand, and an unusual Marshall and Wendell Ampico grand with original painted and shaded fin- ish. After enjoying the refreshments, we went to the adjacent shop where Mark demonstrated tools used in piano restoration, including a unique roller cutter he designed to cut leather strips, various jigs for key recovering, and tools for making new pneu- matics.

Roland Chisnell, Mike Barnhart and Hal Malakinian in the buffet line.

Donna Counterman and Margaret Frazer enjoy conversation and the buffet!

Sue Ricca samples the selections on the breakfast buffet.

Mark Haas demonstrating one of the many tools he has designed for restoring pianos.

Mark Haas and Hal Malakinian at the Amoung those enjoying the business meting are Mahogany 1925 Wurlitzer Charmaine and Mark Haas and Sue Ricca. Recorder Grand. 252 Everyone was anxious to check out the tools themselves, but dinner awaited us in Dearborn. We filled the banquet room at Kie- man’s steak house to capacity, and the seating arrangements provided a chance for us to meet some new members of our club. But the highlight of the evening was yet to come, as we traveled into Detroit to the Senate Theater, the home of Damon Atchison tests one of the many restored the Detroit Theater Organ Society. pianos for sale at the Haas’ showroom. Unfortunately the theater had been stripped of most of its original fix- Peggy Warner, Margaret & Lawrence Frazer tures and decoration, but its small and Terry Warner enjoy refreshments in the size was perfect to show off the Haas’ shop. capabilities of the organ within. The 1928 Wurlitzer 4/34 pipe organ was originally in the Fisher theater across town, but the unusu- al Mayan-design console was wonderfully restored in its current home. England’s Paul Roberts was the organist for the evening, playing selections from Stephen Foster, Noel Coward and even a medley of songs from “Mary Pop- Lawrence Frazer and Terry Wamer try pins”. He mixed humor and audi- out one of the jigs used by Mark Haas. ence participation in between numbers during which his fingers “flew” over the keys, putting the organ to the test. We had an unex- pected night tour of Detroit on the way back to the hotel, and the next morning’s detours proved chal- lenging as well.

An up close view of the Mayan inspired console of the Wurlitzer

The marquee of the Senate Theatre announces Paul A view from inside the organ chambers Roberts in concert. 253 The driving was well worth it once we arrived at the home of Stuart Grigg on Sunday morning. As we walked down the street of wonderful Victorian homes, we were greeted by “doorman” Robin Pratt on the front porch. Stuart hosted a wonderful breakfast buffet in the dining room, after which we toured the house to the accompaniment of the 1923 Louis XV walnut Knabe Ampico A grand. The 1896 Dutch Colonial revival house was restored top to bottom and housed an impressive collection of antiques, including a great collection of Detroitabilia, as Stuart called it. In the 50s it was the home of Minnie Jo and Bob Maxwell, radio and TV personalities who sometimes did their shows from the sunroom! Old newspaper articles chronicled the house’s history, and it was fun to see the original fixtures and fireplaces throughout. Joe Katulic explained that electricity was only available for a limited number of hours per day in turn-of-the- century Detroit, so the gas lighting was put to use when needed. We held the business meeting in the living room, then adjourned to the buffet for seconds on breakfast. Many thanks to the Haas’ and to Stuart for hosting a fun and educational meeting in Detroit. On the way home some of us stopped by a few of the attractions suggested in our 1930s-style meeting invitation. Stuart Grigg, Nan Flint and Christy Counterman.

Arriving at Stuart Grigg’s

Betty Malakinian, Sue Ricca and Margaret Frazer catchup on the last meeting’s notes in Stuart Grigg’s living room.

Lawrence Frazer checks out other Victorian houses in the neighborhood.

Sally Fee listens as Robin Pratt selects another roll for the Ampico. Vince Ricca, Judy Chisnell, and Pat Dewitt look on as Barry Leedy puts another roll on the Ampico Knabe

Judy Chisnell down under— studying the belly cloth (?) of Stuart Grigg’s piano—so she can make one We even got to see Tiger Stadium (Detroit vs. Yankees) herself! one more time before it’s torn down. 254 FOR SALE ADVERTISING 1913 HAMBURG STEINWAY model OR, 6’6” Duo-Art Pianola GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT #161371 Rosewood case, pedal pump. Excellent condition throughout, ALL ADVERTISING IN THE AMICA BULLETIN superb touch and tone; an artist/collector instrument, $48,000. David Amendola, 415-459-4268. (4-99) All advertising should be directed to: STEINWAY 1923 XR with Duo-Art player; complete with rolls, all in Robin Pratt original condition. Everything for $9,000 or best offer. Phone 330- 630 East Monroe Street 657-2211 Canton, Ohio. (5-99) Sandusky, Ohio 44870-3708 ROLMONICA in excellent condition with two rolls AND the original Phone (419) 626-1903 box and instruction sheet, $275. Also another rolmonica in excellent e-mail: [email protected] condition with one roll $125. Sorry no original box on this one but I Ad copy must contain text directly related to the product/service could make you a really good looking repro one. Rosemary West 818- being offered. Extraneous text will be deleted at the Publisher’s 595-2872 (days) or email at [email protected] (5-99) discretion. All advertising must be accompanied by payment in 1928 SEEBURG Audiophone jukebox - Seeburg’s first audio model U.S. funds. No telephone ads or written ads without payment will (transition from coin-operated pianos) and utilizes a be accepted. This policy was established by a unanimous vote of pneumatic/mechanical record selector. Walnut cabinet in good condi- the AMICA Board at the 1991 Board Meeting and reaffirmed at tion. Unrestored and complete except title holder; includes electro- the 1992 meeting. AMICA reserves the right to edit or to pneumatic stepper, original setup instructions, tubing/wiring schematic, reject any ad deemed inappropriate or not in keeping with $1600. Baxter, 1133 South Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14620; 716- AMICA’s objectives. 473-5322. (5-99) The BULLETIN accepts advertising without endorsement, MASON AND HAMLIN Red Welte upright. Excellent original condi- implied or otherwise, of the products or services being offered. tion, untouched and still playing; matching bench; library of approxi- Publication of business advertising in no way implies AMICA’s mately 100 rolls, $8500. Weber Duo-Art upright, older restoration, endorsement of any commercial operation. playing, $1000. Steinway XR, late, unrestored, complete, $5900. Paul Ciancia, 437 Sicomac Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 07481; 201-569-8255 days; AMICA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ACCEPT, REJECT, 201-891-6842 eves. (6-99) OR EDIT ANY AND ALL SUBMITTED ARTICLES AND KIMBALL grand piano, 6’, with Welte reproducing player action; ADVERTISING. professionally rebuilt; original ivories, includes 46 rolls, 319-394-3687. (5-99) All items for publication must be submitted directly to the TWO PLAYER 88-note upright pianos; cases in great condition, play- Publisher for consideration. ers play poorly, need restoration, $390. Fischer Ampico Grand Piano, CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: $.20 per word, $5.00 minimum case in excellent condition, player is in original condition, $2750; also for AMICA members. Non-members may advertise double the an Aeolian player console, 64 notes, $790, in great working condition. member rates ($10.00 minimum). Because of the low cost of Many 88-note piano rolls, $2.50 each. Send for list. Phone 212-690- advertising, we are unable to provide proof copies or “tear sheets”. 9999. (4-00) Two rare CHICKERING Ampico Duo-Art Reproducers - one with DISPLAY ADVERTISING original 10-31-21 documents, oak cabinet for storage of large disks. Full Page — 71/2 " x 10" ...... $150.00 Amberola 30 Edison Cylinder Box; large morning glory horn; 1920’s Half Page — 71/2 " x 43/4" ...... $ 80.00 American 5-6 Aeolian Duo-Art Reproducer in Tiger cherry case; Quarter Page —35/8 " x 43/4" ...... $ 45.00 Ampico, Duo-Art, and Cylinder rolls. All items in excellent condition, Business Card — 31/2 " x 2" ...... $ 30.00 304-645-6579 or FAX 304-645-5872 WV. (5-99) Non-member rates are double for all advertising. FISCHER 5’8” Ampico, 3 leg art case, player mechanism never Special 6 for 5 Ad Offer - Place any ad, with no changes, for a restored, $6,500. Call 215-788-1287. (5-99) full year (6 issues), and pay for only 5 issues. Payable in advance. HUPFELD HELIOS I Orchestrion, keyboard style, contains piano, mandolin, violin pipes, cello pipes, orchestra bells, bass drum, snare Photographs or halftones $15.00 each drum, cymbal and expression effects. Older restoration, looks and Loose Sheet or Insert Advertising: Inquire plays good. Only $39,500. Kavouras 352-527-9390, e-mail: We recommend that display advertisers supply camera-ready [email protected] (5-99) copy. Copy that is oversized or undersized will be changed to Reed Organs, WILCOX & WHITE, ESTEY, and SMITH AMERI- correct size at your cost. We can prepare advertisements from CAN. Also a small portable Estey; conditions vary, for further infor- your suggested layout at cost. mation, please call 203-272-6116. (5-99) PAYMENT: U.S. funds must accompany ad order. Make check Style R.R. AEOLIAN Duo-Art Grand #5111 mfg. 1917. Restoration payable to AMICA INTERNATIONAL. Typesetting and of player system in late 1960s. Piano is white. $5,000. Call 201-567- layout size alterations charges will be billed. 8371. (5-99) DEADLINES: Submissions must be received no later than the 1922 CHICKERING 5’4” Louis XVI, Mahogany, Ampico “A” fully restored, includes matching bench and rolls (pictured page 287 Ency- first of the odd months (January, March, May, July, September, clopedia Automated Musical Instruments). To settle estate - would November). The Bulletin will be mailed the first week of the cost more to restore than the $14,000 price. The Piano Exchange, 150 even months. (Rev. 6-98) School Street, Glen Cove, NY 11542; 516-671-6515, Fax 516-671- 8383. (4-99) BUILDING SOLD ! MUST VACATE CONTENTS!! NO REA- SONABLE OFFER REFUSED ON ANYTHING!!! Hardman-Duo mahog. console player $1500; PADEREWSKI player piano; several STROUD Duo-Art uprights; 25 good players; APOLLOPHONE- piano/phonograph combination $900; MARSHALL & WENDELL Visit the AMICA Web page at: Ampico upright $1000; KIMBALL Electric Player organ $350; bench- es, parts for pianos and players. Stuff and more stuff. Frank Trotta (Chicago) 773-581-0684 eves. (4-99) http://www.amica.org PIANO ROLL AUCTIONS, reproducing, 88-Note, and literature by mail auction. Serving collectors since 1970. Bennet Leedy Rolls - The Piano Roll Center, 4660 Hagar Shore Road, Coloma, MI 49038; phone 616-468-5986, Fax 616-468-0019, E-mail: [email protected]; Web page: http://www.ameritech.net/users/leedyrolls/player.html. (1-00)

255 REPRODUCO, Operators Piano Co., two complete units in good condition with many rolls. Jerry Cuda, 417-753-2063, E-mail: [email protected] (2-00) PIANO ROLL AUCTIONS - Periodic mail auctions of mostly Dave Bower’s 88-note rolls and some reproducing and expression rolls from the collection of the late Si Riman. For the latest auction, call or Encyclopedia of write: Dan Inglima, P.O. Box 769, Hayesville, NC 28904; phone: 828-389-3744, Fax: 828-389-4023 or e-mail: chime roll and installation instruction. Phone (360) 653-1799 or Fax (360) 653-8811. F. Adams. East Hampton, CT 06424 (5-99) 800-671-6333 GEORGE STECK Duo-Art grand 5’6”, restrung bass, player rebuilt 5 years ago. Nice case, perfect ivory, original bench, roll cabinet w/50 (6-99) rolls, $7500. Richard Ramsey 517-741-5167 MI. (4-99-G) 80-key STEINWAY pneumatic stack XR/OR $1,000. Ampico sym- phonique grand, rebuilt-excellent, with rolls and roll cabinet. Chester Kuharski, 608-222-3054. (4-99-G) Large VACUUM PUMP. Call 301-473-7953. (4-99-G) 2 AMPICO “A” drawers $100 & $150; Chickering Ampico “A” flange finger stack $150; Ampico “B” drawer $2500; Mason & Ham- lin Ampico “B” stack $1500. Mel Septon, 9045 Karlov, Skokie, IL Wrasse’s Custom 60076; 847-679-3455. (4-99-G) Piano Moving WANTED REGINA Music Box parts wanted: bedplates, spring motors, cases, Specializing in: etc. Rusted, broken OK. Clean out your garage junk. Wayne Finger, 7035 Hundred Acre Dr., Cocoa, FL 32927; 407-631-5568, Player Grands, Nickelodeons, and Orchestri- [email protected] (4-99-G) ons Grasshopper (alligator?) pump for the AMPICO spinet piano (1936- 1938), original, unrestored condition. Also - Jumbo Duo-Art rolls Anywhere in Continental US and Canada (originals, please) - the boxes are 4” x 4” at the end panels. Identifying numbers are of the form P-3XX (like P-301). Please contact Bill ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Koenigsberg, 77 High Pine Circle, Concord, MA 01742; phone 25 years experience 978-369-8523 or E-mail him at [email protected] (6-99) Knowledgeable Rebuilder and Collector Well-known ¥ References Available ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ Your instrument is wrapped, padded and secured for transport in an insulated and A pneumatic restoration service for reproducing clean custom-built heavy-duty trailer. pianos, nickelodeons and player pianos. Factory Professional and personal service. new restoration techniques will insure many years of trouble free operation. UPS shipping cartons John P. Wrasse furnished for any style action. 608-862-1268 464 Dugan Rd. • Richfield Springs, NY 13439 [email protected] (3-00) 315-858-2164 (2-00) 256 AMICA ITEMS FOR SALE AMICA TECHNICALITIES Since 1969, AMICA has been publishing into bound volumes, collections of technical articles written and contributed by its members for publication in The AMICA Bulletin. They may be purchased as follows: Vol 1 - 1969 to 1971 ...... $10.00 Vol 2 - 1972 to 1974 ...... 8.00 Vol 3 - 1975 to 1977 ...... 9.00 Vol 4 - 1978 to 1980 ...... 7.00 Vol 5 - 1981 to 1988 ...... 20.00 Vol 6 - 1989 to 1993 ...... 20.00 They may be ordered from: (419) 621-9758 Shawn Fox 1319 Pearl Street Sandusky, Ohio 44870 U.S.A. Please note: 1. Supplies of the earlier volumes may be unavailable from time to time. 2. Prices shown above are in U.S. dollars, postage is included, and payment must be in U.S. dollars. 3. Payment for orders from beyond U.S.A. must be accompanied by prepaid U.S. dollar money order, or bank draft, etc. 4. Please make payments payable to: “AMICA International” 5. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery in USA/Canada, and 6-8 weeks for overseas orders.

BOUND ISSUES OF THE AMICA BULLETIN 1971 to 1998 $24.00 (U.S. Dollars) per year AMICA Postage Paid in U.S. STATIONERY Make checks payable to: AMICA International Order from: and ENVELOPES (419) 621-9758 Shawn Fox 1319 Pearl Street • Sandusky, Ohio 44870 • U.S.A. This is a reduced sample of the small letterheads which can be purchased. Video-taped Interview of AMICA Honorary and QRS Roll Artist Make Checks Payable to: AMICA International Hi Babit For information, prices and Interview and piano playing of Hi Babit to place an order contact: videotaped at the SHAWN FOX 1319 Pearl Street 1998 Niagara Falls AMICA Convention Sandusky, OH 44870 Long Playing Video Cassette $15.00 pp (419) 621-9758 Hal Malakinian 2345 Forest Trail Drive • Troy, MI 48098 (248) 528-3111 (4-99)

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_.~ Coming! Richfield in re I time! First uploads 7:30am September 19/ Four phone lines open; on-site shipping! Visit our website www.intertique.com for details

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Virtual OH and Newsletter Virtual DE. The complete archives. Fourteen years Richfield and Claymont shows, of informative articles from our aisle by aisle and table by table, newsletter, Noteworthy News. with e-mail links to dealers. www.intertique.com www.lntertlque.com

Real· ime free The virtual store­ classifieds. Buy, sell or front. Hundreds of items for trade anything mechanically mu­ , sale in an easy to follow format. sical. www.lntertlque.com www.intertique.com

259 MELIORA MUSIC ROLLS Original, Hand-Played Music Rolls and High Quality Recuts for Your Player Piano or Duo-Art Our original offerings include the music of Scott Joplin, L.M. Gottschalk, Chopin, Robin Frost, James P. Johnson and others - each roll is superbly musical and painstakingly edited to maximize performance on your Pianola or Duo-Art.

Call or write for our list of titles: Meliora Music Rolls 939 Briarcliff Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30306-4664 (404) 377-1220 e-mail: [email protected]

Please visit our web page at: http://members.aol.com/meliorarol (1-00)

WANTED TO BUY MUSIC BOXES MUSICAL CLOCKS MECHANICAL ORGANS Always in the market for better quality disc and cylinder music boxes, musical clocks, singing birds, band organs, player organs, monkey organs, Wurlitzer 78rpm jukeboxes, slot machines. Any condition. MARTIN ROENIGK 26 Barton Hill East Hampton, Connecticut 06424 (800) 671-633 ¥ Fax (860) 267-1120 www.mwchantique.com ¥ [email protected] (6-99)

260 REPLACEMENT LEADERS These 11 1/4” x 17” reprints, not trimmed and without tabs, are excellent replicas of the more popular types of reproducing piano roll leaders. While intended for roll repairs, they may also be used for decorative purposes. To splice, overlay new leader on old roll, lay a straightedge on an angle, cut through both papers with a sharp knife, discard scrap, and butt-join with magic mending tape on top surface.

A. Brown on buff B. Black on ivory C. Black on ivory D. Black on ivory (For early red label boxes) (Area for reusable (Most common) (Very late rolls by combined artist photo) Aeolian/American)

Note: Early Welte’s with blue leaders may be repaired with this brown leader. Many of these when reissued had brown leaders.

E. Green on ivory F. Green on ivory G. Welte (Most common) (Favorite Fifty & Brown on buff Selected Roll Service) (Most common)

Please make checks payable to Checks or money Price: $ 1.00 each Style Quantity AMICA INTERNATIONAL, orders from for- Minimum Order: $10.00 A ______And send to: eign countries B ______must be drawn C ______BRIAN K. MEEDER on U.S. bank. D ______904A West Victoria Street Postage and Handling $ 5.50 Santa Barbara, CA 93101-4745 E ______Roll Order $ ______F ______e-mail address for orders: G [email protected] Total Amount (U.S. $) $ ______Total Quantity ______

261 Unbelievable Find!

9’ Knabe Ampico B!! 1930 Art-Deco Cabinet Best offer over $35,000

1932 Knabe Ampico B

Original ivory keys Rebuilt and refinished Fancy matched walnut Extraordinarily beautiful floral carving Very rare - possibly unique $29,000 The Piano Exchange 150 School Street • Glen Cove, NY 11542 516-671-6515 • Fax 516-671-8383

262 1926 Steinway Ampico! 5’7” “M” Louis XV

Gorgeous Walnut cabinet, mint ivory keys Recently fully restored With matching bench and rolls Unique and asking only $57,500

(New non-player Louis XV, which can’t compare in any way, is over $65,000)

Will trade up or down for vintage automobiles

1926 Knabe Louis XV 5’8” Walnut Ampico A This extraordinary piano has the most beautiful, unique matched walnut cabinet we’ve ever seen. Fully and flawlessly restored by us with original matching bench and rolls. Irreplaceable at $35,000

Many other unique pianos available. The Piano Exchange 150 School Street • Glen Cove, NY 11542 Selling collection 516-671-6515 • Fax 516-671-8383

263 ~u a,e ce;,dia~ i/lPtted te;/l'Z,ticyuzte i/l t/lejIrdtande;nIj auclt"c;/l dedicatedte; airanlt?lU: ma:A:a/lica~HUMic ttenM. :Me ~/M ~ic 9Je;z ~. sluclt"c;/l &/l t/le inte;-net24~U'd a dz? at: www.AntiqueMusicBoxes.com 9&zMe PtJttand~?~

r------~~ The Heart ofAmerica Chapter ofAMICA International invites you to attend the Kansas State Fair Organ Rally in Hutchinson, Kansas September 10-11-12, 1999

Large and small organs are welcome and there will be a display area for music boxes, phonographs, and other music machines. We need to provide forty instruments in order to receive all the benefits from the Fair, so bring along anything that can travel!

FRIDAY we will kick off the Rally activities with an open house and registration at the Railsback's in the afternoon. Dinner will start around 5:30 p.m. Special entertainment at 8:00 p.m. will be a concert on Dr. Burnett's large theater organ in Halstead (conveniently located on the way back to the motel).

SATURDAY we will get things cranking by 9:00 a.m. on the fairgrounds and we will continue until 5:00 p.m. We will have dinner at the 4-H Encampment Building on the fairgrounds at 6:30 p.m., followed by a business meeting.

SUNDAY the Rally will continue on the fairgrounds from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., so we will have another full day of making music.

The Fair is providing gate admissions, parking permits, ribbons, and two meals, so there will be no registration fee for this Rally.

MOTEL ARRANGEMENTS have been made with the Days Inn at Newton (30 miles east of Hutchinson). They are holding a block of 25 double rooms until August 20th. Make your reservations NOW by calling 1-316-283-3330. The rate for 1 to 4 people in a room is $55.85 (tax included), but you must take the room for both nights (Sept. 10 and 11) and tell them you are in the AMICA block. Most of the other motel rooms within 50 miles of Hutchinson were booked a year ago, so call Days Inn today.

Len Railsback • 1440 West 17th Street • Hutchinson. Kansas 67501 • 1-316-665-5740 • [email protected] Days InnlNewton • 105 Mapchester • Newton, Kansas 67114 Exit 31 from Interstate 135 to Days Inn • US Highway 50 West to Hutchinson

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