· \ ,~ 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.