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WELTE-MIGNON CENTENNIAL BULLETIN-------1904-2004-------
//~:-,- ,..------------..-------- ~.I '~
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OCTOBER, 19°7 COUNTRY LI FE IN AMERICA If you are plan ning to build the Readers'Servia can give you helpful suggestions 735
The W lte Ml·gnon plays as Paderewski plays, as Lhevinne plays,as Grieg, Hofmanne - Pugno, Sauer and other recognized masters of the piano-forte play
These artists have themselves made and signed the records by means of which their playing is reproduced. Youwill recognize their individual touch, their phrasing, their accenting, their pedaling, their powerful forte and thevarious degrees of their caressing pianissimo.
JOSEPH HOfMANN says
"The incomparable Welte-Mignon has
opened an eventful future for the musical
world. Henceforth the piano-player will
be on a level with the productive artists
in regard to the imperi shability of his work.
since he will live for all time in his work.
What a loss it means to us not to have had
the Welte-Mignon long ago! But what ablessing it will prove to future generations!"
VLADIMIR de PACHMANN says
"The Welte-Mignon reproduces theliving soul of the artist. It is unequ aled."
ALfRE,D GRUENfE,LD says
" Now that I have had an opportunity
of personally hearing the reproduction of
the pieces played by me for the "Mignon"
piano-forte-player, I cannot refrain from
givingexpress ion to the great pleasure and
adm iration with whi ch these really ex
traordinarily successful renderings have
filled me. The pieces I had played were
reproduced with such deceptive accuracy,
with all the shades of expr ession intro
duced by me, that my friends who were
present received the impression that I
myself was at the piano."
Paderewski Playing for the Welte -Mignon Recorder
Messrs. J . T. Wam elink & Sons Piano Co., Cleveland, Ohio .Th e Whitney & Currier Co.. To ledo, Ohio.The Rudolph Wurli tzer Co.. Cincinna t i, Ohio.
Messrs, E . F. Droop & Sons Pian o Co., Washington , D.C.Messrs. Ei lers Music Co.. San Francisco, Californ ia .Messrs. Eil ers Piano House, Portland. Oregon.Mr. Edward Gram. Milwaukee. Wi s.
To und erstand how well this wonderful instrument plays, you must eliminate from your mind absolutely everyimpression which every self-acting piano or piano player has ever given you.
Only by hearing the instrument can you realize that it embodies a truly wonderful achievement-the recordingof so intangible a thing as a pianist's touch, and the possibility of its reproduction at will.
Go to any of our s tu d ios and hear the classics played b y y o ur favorite virtuoso.
ON EXHIBITION ATThe S. Ha mi lto n Company . Pi ttsbu rg, Pa .Messrs. Lyon & Healy. Chicago . Ill.Sm ith & Nix on, Loui sville . Ky.Messrs. N. Stetson & Comp any. Philad elphia. Pa ,
Booklets and Fu11Information from WELTE-MIGNON ARTISTIC PLAYER PIANO CO.,398 Fifth Avenue, Ne'w York Opposite
Tiffany's
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Entire contents © 2004 AMICA International Printed by Engler Printing Co., Fremont, OH • [email protected] 197
VOLUME 41, Number 3 July/August 2004
FEATURESSayings We’d Like — 200CD’s, DVD’s Not So Immortal — 201The Case of the Missing Bottom Bellows — 202Reproduces Playing of World’s Noted Pianists — 203Autogramme Beruhmter Meister Der Tonkunst — 205Favorite Daughter — 211News From the Netherlands — 212Adopt-A-Piano Campaign Letter — 213An American Instrument - The Banjo — 215Ampico History in a Nutshell — 219Some Welte-Mignon Recordings on CD — 219Excerpts from The Welte-Mignon: Its Music and Musicians — 225Welte-Mignon: Patentiert in Allen Culturstaaten — 242The Welte Musicale — 258
DEPARTMENTSAMICA International — 198
President’s Message — 199From the Publisher’s Desk — 199Letters —200He Shall Be Remembered —242New Piano Rolls & Recuts —270Chapter News — 271Classified Ads — 277
Front Cover: From The Welte-Mignon: It’s Music and Musicians
Inside Front: Ad From The Country Life In America, October 1907
Back Cover: Welte-Mignon Ad
Inside Back Cover: Max Reger Photo
THE AMICA BULLETINAUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COLLECTORS' ASSOCIATION
Published by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors’ Association, a non-profit, tax exempt group devoted to the restoration, distributionand enjoyment of musical instruments using perforated paper music rolls and perforated music books. AMICA was founded in San Francisco, California in 1963.
PROFESSOR MICHAEL A. KUKRAL, PUBLISHER, 216 MADISON BLVD., TERRE HAUTE, IN 47803-1912 -- Phone 812-238-9656, E-mail: [email protected] the AMICA Web page at: http://www.amica.org
Associate Editor: Mr. Larry Givens
AMICA BULLETINDisplay and Classified AdsArticles for PublicationLetters to the PublisherChapter News
UPCOMING PUBLICATIONDEADLINESThe ads and articles must be receivedby the Publisher on the 1st of theOdd number months:
January JulyMarch SeptemberMay November
Bulletins will be mailed on the 1st weekof the even months.
Dr. Michael A. Kukral, Publisher216 Madison Blvd.Terre Haute, Indiana 47803-1912Phone: 812-238-9656e-mail: [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
New Memberships . . . . . . . . . . $42.00
Renewals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $42.00Additional $5.00 due if renewed
past the Jan. 31 deadline
Address changes and corrections
Directory information updates
Additional copies ofMember Directory . . . . $25.00
Single copies of back issues($10.00 per issue - basedupon availability)
William Chapman (Bill)53685 Avenida BermudasLa Quinta, CA 92253-3586(760) 564-2951e-mail: [email protected]
To ensure timely delivery of yourBULLETIN, please allow 6-weeksadvance notice of address changes.
AMICA Publications reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all submitted articles and advertising.
198
AAMMIICCAA IINNTTEERRNNAATTIIOONNAALL
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERSPRESIDENT Dan C. Brown
N. 4828 Monroe StreetSpokane, WA 99205-5354
509-325-2626e-mail: [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT Linda Bird3300 Robinson Pike
Grandview, MO 64030-2275Phone/Fax 816-767-8246
e-mail: OGM [email protected] PRESIDENT Mike Walter
65 Running Brook Dr.,Lancaster, NY 14086-3314
716-656-9583e-mail: [email protected]
SECRETARY Christy Counterman544 Sunset View Drive, Akron, Ohio 44320
330-864-4864e-mail: [email protected]
TREASURER Wesley Neff128 Church Hill Drive, Findlay, Ohio 45840
419-423-4827e-mail: [email protected]
PUBLISHER Dr. Michael A. Kukral216 Madison Blvd., Terre Haute, IN 47803-1912
812-238-9656e-mail: [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY William Chapman (Bill)53685 Avenida Bermudas, La Quinta, CA 92253-3586
760-564-2951 – Fax 775-923-7117e-mail: [email protected]
— COMMITTEES —AMICA ARCHIVES Stuart Grigg
20982 Bridge St., Southfield, MI 48034 - Fax: (248) 356-5636
AMICA MEMORIAL FUND John Motto-RosP.O. Box 908, Sutter Creek, CA 95685-0908 209-267-9252
AUDIO-VISUAL & TECHNICAL Harold Malakinian2345 Forest Trail Dr., Troy, MI 48098
CONVENTION COORDINATOR Frank Nix6030 Oakdale Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367 818-884-6849
HONORARY MEMBERS Jay Albert904-A West Victoria Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-4745
(805) 966-9602 - e-mail: [email protected]
WEB MASTER Meta Brown400 East Randolph Street, Apt. 3117, Chicago, IL 60601
312-946-8417 — Fax 312-946-8419
BOSTON AREAPres. Bill Koenigsburg -(978) 369-8523Vice Pres: Bob TempestSec: Ginger ChristiansenTreas: Karl EllisonReporter: Don BrownBoard Rep: Karl Ellison
CHICAGO AREAPres: Curt Clifford - (630) 279-0872Vice Pres: John MuellerSec: Thad KochannyTreas: Joe PekarekReporter: Kathy StoneBoard Rep: George Wilder
FOUNDING CHAPTERPres: Bing Gibbs - (408) 253-1866Vice Pres: Karen Ann SimonsSec: Lyle Merithew & Sandy SwirskyTreas: Richard ReutlingerReporter: Tom McWayBoard Rep: Richard Reutlinger
GATEWAY CHAPTERPres: Tom Novak - Vice Pres: Bob CrowleySec,/Treas: Jane NovakReporter: Mary WilsonBoard Rep: Gary Craig
HEART OF AMERICAPres: Tom McAuleyVice Pres: Robbie TubbsSec/Treas: Kay BodeBoard Rep: Ron Connor
LADY LIBERTYPres: Vincent Morgan (718) 479-2562Vice Pres: Keith BiggerReporting Sec: Maureen SabodaCorresponding Sec: Richard KarlssonTreas: Ira MalekReporter:Marty RosaBoard Reps: Marvin & Dianne PolanNewsletter Editor: Bill Maguire
MIDWEST (OH, MI, IN, KY)Pres: Stuart Grigg - (248) 356-5005Vice Pres: Liz BarnhartSec: Sharon NeffTreas: Alvin WulfekuhlReporter: Christy CountermanBoard Rep: Liz Barnhart
NORTHERN LIGHTSPres: Phil BairdVice Pres: Sec: Jason E. Beyer - (507) 454-3124Treas: Howie O’NeillReporter: Dorothy OldsBoard Rep: Dorothy Olds
PACIFIC CAN-AMPres: Carl Kehret - (360) 892-3161Vice Pres: Peg KehretSec: Halie DodrillTreas: Bev SporeReporter: Mark Smithberg Board Rep: Carl Dodrill
SIERRA NEVADAPres: John Motto-Ros - (209) 267-9252Vice Pres: Sonja LemonSec/Treas: Doug & Vicki MahrReporter: Nadine Motto-RosBoard Rep: John Motto-Ros
SOWNY (Southern Ontario,Western New York)
Pres: Mike Walter - (716) 656-9583Vice Pres: Stan AldridgeSec/Mem. Sec: Gary & Anne LemonTreas: Holly WalterReporter: Frank WarbisBoard Rep:
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAPres: Frank Nix - (818) 884-6849Vice Pres: Richard IngramSec./Reporter. Shirley NixTreas: Ken HodgeBoard Rep: Frank Nix
TEXASPres: Jerry Bacon - (214) 328-9369Vice Pres: Bill BoruffTreas: Vicki BradySec: Janet TonnesenBoard Rep: Dick MerchantBulletin Reporter: Haden Vandiver
CHAPTER OFFICERS
AFFILIATED SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONSATOSPresident - Fr. Gus Franklin6508 Willow Springs RoadSpringfield, IL 62707-9500Phone: (217) 585-1770 Fax: (217) 585-0835E-Mail: [email protected] - Dale BakerP. O. Box 51450Indianapolis, IN 46251-0450Phone: (317) 838-9345E-Mail: [email protected]
AUSTRALIAN COLLECTORS OFMECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS19 Waipori StreetSt. Ives NSW 2075, Australia
DUTCH PIANOLA ASSOC.Nederlandse Pianola VerenigingEikendreef 245342 HR Oss, Netherlands
FRIENDS OF SCOTT JOPLIN1217 St. Croix Ct.Kirkwood, MO 63122-2326
website: http//stlouis.missouri.org/[email protected]
INTERNATIONAL PIANOARCHIVES AT MARYLANDPerforming Arts Library,University of Maryland2511 Clarice Smith Performing Arts CenterCollege Park, MD 20742Phone: (301) 405-9224Fax: (301) 314-7170E-Mail: [email protected]
INT. VINTAGE PHONO & MECH.MUSIC SOCIETYC.G. Nijsen, Secretaire General19 Mackaylaan5631 NM Eindhoven, Netherlands
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETY OF GREATBRITAINAlan Pratt, EditorP. O. Box 299Waterbeach, Cambridge CB4 4PJEngland
MUSICAL BOX SOCIETYINTERNATIONALRosanna Harris, Editor5815 West 52nd AvenueDenver, CO 80212Phone: (303) 431-9033 Fax: (303) 431-6978E-Mail: [email protected]
NETHERLANDS MECHANICALORGAN SOCIETY - KDVA. T. MeijerWilgenstraat 24NL-4462 VS Goes, Netherlands
NORTHWEST PLAYER PIANOASSOCIATIONEverson Whittle, Secretary11 Smiths Road, Darcy Lever,Bolton BL3 2PP, Gt. Manchester, EnglandHome Phone: 01204 529939Business Phone: 01772 208003
PIANOLA INSTITUTEClair Cavanagh, Secretary
43 Great Percy St., London WC1X 9RAEngland
PLAYER PIANO GROUPJulian Dyer, Bulletin Editor5 Richmond Rise, Workingham,Berkshire RG41 3XH, United KingdomPhone: 0118 977 1057Email: [email protected]
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONDivision of Musical HistoryWashington, D.C. 20560
SOCIETY FOR SELF-PLAYINGMUSICAL INSTRUMENTSGesellschaft für Selbstspielende Musikinstrumente (GSM) E.V.Ralf SmolneEmmastr. 56D-45130 Essen, GermanyPhone:**49-201-784927Fax:**49-201-7266240Email: [email protected]
As my term in office as AMICA President draws to a close, I remain a defender of the player piano (maybe not quite as dramatically as in the photo). Since my last message, I've receiveda number of responses from members with suggestions aboutbuilding membership and strengthening the organization. This will be a major topic for the Board at the convention this year. It's clear that the strength and growth of the organization is directly dependent on the chapters and that those which makeefforts to welcome and involve new International members as well as the general public produce interested and involved newAMICAns.
Reminiscent of the performances by our late President Molly Yeckley, the Pacific Can-Am Chapter and member Dick Spady recently supported a live performance/Ampico performance at the recital hall at Seattle's Benaroya Hall, where the Seattle Symphony performs. Nathan Bello, who became known to us at last year's convention, was the concert pianist. The enchantment of the public with the abilities of the Ampico was obvious and I was again reminded that those instruments which are so familiar to AMICA members are quite unknown and exotic to the general public. Watch for details of the concert in a future Bulletin.
Thanks for all of the support during my term of office. Overall, it's been a lot of fun and I look forward to continuing my active involvement with this great organization.
Dan BrownAMICA President
199
President’s Message
“Your publisher and Edwin Welte’s personal Steinway in the Augustiner Museum, Freiburg, Germany.”
From the Publisher’s Desk
Hi Dan,I especially enjoyed the most recent
AMICA Bulletin (March/April 2004). It was very informative and especiallyentertaining. I particularly enjoyed the article about you and the tongue-in-cheek article about the ReproducingRollmonica.
I have been a member for about 2years and am among your "new" targetdemographic - I am in my mid-30s andhave a foot pedaled player piano and aRollmonica. I also completed building aCastlewood busker organ kit about a yearago. I am very interested in automatedmusical instruments and would love tokeep them "alive" but I am finding it difficult to get very involved in AMICA.I have small children and the meetings(Founding Chapter) are not generallyvery close to my house and it is difficultto get child care for meetings that are 2-4 hours away plus meeting time. Similarly, conventions are difficult. I am also finding it to be financially prohibitive to acquire additional instruments since instruments that are beyond the standard player pianoappear to be quite costly. (However, you
mentioned in your President's letter thatsometimes people are looking to givetheir instruments away. Depending onwhat they are.... please consider me!) I'mnot sure how to resolve the gaps becauseI would like to be more involved in thefuture. I have had the player piano forseveral years and I joined AMICA after Ihappened to catch an organ rally in LA atDescanso Gardens a couple of years ago.I saw a bunch of wonderful instruments,was handed a brochure, and the rest ishistory. The ad for the Castlewood organkit was in my first AMICA bulletin.
On the positive side, I recently playedmy monkey organ in my daughter'skindergarten class and did a demo of howit worked. A buddy had made me an extrademo bellows and a pipe that opened upso you could see inside. The kids werefascinated by the fact that the monkeyorgan required no batteries or a CD! Thekids LOVED it and told their parents allabout it. (I heard from several parentsafter the fact). I also played at a schoolcarnival last weekend. It was a huge hit there as well. Maybe people withportable instruments could volunteer to share their instruments in school classrooms or assemblies and get anothergeneration interested so that the love ofautomated instruments continues. Maybe
brochures could be passed out at theschools for the kids to take home andperhaps some of the parents would beinterested as well. At least for me, mylove of automated instruments started inchildhood - my aunt had an antiquesbusiness and she had a variety of nickelodeons in her home over the years.I loved going to her house to visit her andsee her instruments.
Anyway, I love getting the Bulletinand hope that eventually I can get moreinvolved in AMICA.
Karen [email protected]
Hi Mike I really enjoyed the article on
Musical Boxes for New Collectors in the March/April 2004 issue of THE BULLETIN. Authors Ron Bopp &Angelo Rulli are to be commended for their simple straight-forward talkabout music boxes. What a great article.
That same issue also had an article onone of my favorites--Busby Berkeley.We have a Laser Disc with shorts frommany of his Warner Bros. productions. Itwas great to see his piano.
Keep up the good work,John Motto-Ros
AYINGS WE’D LIKE
Rome did not create a great empire byhaving meetings; they did it by killingall those who opposed them.
If you can stay calm, while all aroundyou is chaos... then you probablyhaven't completely understood theseriousness of the situation.
Doing a job RIGHT the first time gets thejob done. Doing the job WRONGfourteen times gives you job security.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't getsucked into jet engines.
Artificial Intelligence is no match forNatural Stupidity
A person who smiles in the face of adver-sity... probably has a scapegoat.
Plagiarism saves time.
If at first you don't succeed, try manage-ment.
Never put off until tomorrow what youcan avoid altogether.
TEAMWORK... means never having totake all the blame yourself.
The beatings will continue until moraleimproves.
Never underestimate the power of verystupid people in large groups.
We waste time, so you don't have to.
Hang in there; retirement is only thirtyyears away!
Go the extra mile. It makes your bosslook like an incompetent slacker.
A snooze button is a poor substitute forno alarm clock at all.
Sent in By Robin Pratt
ETTERS
To See On Those Office Inspiration Posters
continue. . .
200
When the going gets tough, the toughtake a coffee break.
INDECISION is the key to FLEXIBILITY.
Succeed in spite of management.
Aim Low; Reach Your Goals, Avoid Disappointment.
Maharishi Fattifatbastards Guide to Zen
The journey of a thousand miles beginswith a broken fan belt and a flat tire.
The darkest hours come just before thedawn. So if you're going to steal yourneighbor's milk and newspaper, that'sthe time to do it.
Sex is like air. It only becomes reallyimportant when you aren't getting any.
Don't aspire to become irreplaceable. Ifyou can't be replaced, you can't bepromoted.
Remember, no one is listening until youfart.
Never forget that like everyone else, youare unique.
Never test the depth of the water withboth feet.
If you think nobody cares whether you'redead or alive, try missing a couple ofmortgage payments
Before you judge someone, you shouldwalk a mile in their shoes. That way,when you do judge them, you're amile away and you have their shoes.
If at first you don't succeed, avoid sky-diving.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for aday. Teach him how to fish, and hewill sit in a boat and drink beer allday.
Have you ever lent someone $20 andnever seen that person again? It wasprobably worth it.
If you tell the truth, you don't have toremember anything.
Some days we are the flies; some dayswe are the windshield.
Don't worry; it only seems kinky the firsttime.
Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comesfrom bad judgment.
The quickest way to double your moneyis to fold it in half and put it back inyour pocket.
A closed mouth gathers no feet.
There are two theories about how to winan argument with a woman. Neitherone works.
Generally speaking, you aren't learningmuch if your lips are moving.
Never miss a good chance to shut up.
Experience is something you don't getuntil just after you need it.
When we are born we are naked, wet,hungry, and we get smacked on ourass. From there on in, life gets worse
The most wasted day of all is one inwhich we have not laughed.
Remember not to forget that which youdo not need to know.
continued. . .
D’S, DVD’S
(AP) -- Dan Koster was unpackingsome of his more than 2,000 CDs after amove when he noticed somethingstrange. Some of the discs, which healways took good care of, wouldn't playproperly.
Koster, a Web and graphic designerfor Queens University of Charlotte,North Carolina, took one that was skipping pretty badly and held it up to thelight.
“I was kind of shocked to see a constellation of pinpricks, little pointswhere the light was coming through thealuminum layer,” he says.
His collection was suffering from “CD rot,” a gradual deterioration of thedata-carrying layer. It's not known forsure how common the blight is, but it’s just one of a number of reasons thatoptical discs, including DVDs, may be alot less long-lived than first thought.
“We were all told that CDs were well-nigh indestructible when they wereintroduced in the mid ‘80s,” Koster says.“Companies used that in part to justifythe higher price of CDs as well.”
He went through his collection andfound that 15 percent to 20 percent of thediscs, most of which were produced inthe ‘80s, were “rotted” to some extent.
The rotting can be due to poor manufacturing, according to JerryHartke, who runs Media Sciences Inc., aMarlborough, Massachusetts, laboratorythat tests CDs.
The aluminum layer that reflects thelight of the player's laser is separatedfrom the CD label by a thin layer of lacquer. If the manufacturer applied thelacquer improperly, air can penetrate tooxidize the aluminum, eating it up muchlike iron rusts in air.
But in Hartke's view, it’s more common that discs are rendered unreadable by poor handling by theowner.
“If people treat these discs ratherharshly, or stack them, or allow them torub against each other, this very fragileprotective layer can be disturbed, allowing the atmosphere to interact withthat aluminum,” he says.
Part of the problem is that most people believe that it's the clear undersideof the CD that is fragile, when in fact it’s the side with the label. Scratches on the underside have to be fairly deep to cause skipping, while scratcheson the top can easily penetrate to the aluminum layer. Even the pressure of a pen on the label side can dent the aluminum, rendering the CD unreadable.
Sent in By Karl Ellison
NOT SO IMMORTALAssociated Press Release,
May 6, 2004.
continue. . .
201
202
Koster has taken to copying his CDson his computer to extend the life of therecordings. Unfortunately, it’s not easy tofigure out how long those recordableCDs will work.
Fred Byers, an information technologyspecialist at the National Institute ofStandards and Technology, has looked atwriteable CDs on behalf of governmentagencies, including the Library of Congress, that need to know how longtheir discs will last.
Manufacturers cite lifespans up to 100years, but without a standardized test, it’svery hard to evaluate their claims, Byerssays. The worst part is that manufacturersfrequently change the materials and manufacturing methods without notifyingusers.
“When you go to a store and buy aDVD-R, and this goes for CD-R as well,you really don’t know what you’re getting,” he says. “If you buy a particularbrand of disc, and then get the same disc
and brand six months later, it can be verydifferent.”
This renders the frequently heardadvice to buy name-brand discs for maximum longevity fairly moot, he says.
DVDs are a bit tougher than CDs inthe sense that the data layer (or layers --some discs have two) is sandwiched in the middle of the disc between twolayers of plastic. But this structure causesproblems of its own, especially in earlyDVDs. The glue that holds the layerstogether can lose its grip, making the discunreadable at least in parts.
Users that bend a DVD to remove itfrom a hard-gripping case are practicallybegging for this problem, because flexing the disc puts strain on the glue.
Rewriteable CDs and DVDs, asopposed to write-once discs, should notbe used for long-term storage becausethey contain a heat-sensitive layer thatdecays much faster than the metal layersof other discs.
For maximum longevity, discs shouldbe stored vertically and only be handledby the edges. Don’t stick labels on them,and in the case of write-once CDs, don’twrite on them with anything but softwater-based or alcohol-based markers.
Also, like wine, discs should be storedin a cool, dry place. Koster’s friend Mark Irons, of Corvallis, Ore., stored his CD collection in a cabin heated by awood-burning stove. The temperaturewould range between 40 degrees and 70degrees in the space of a few hours. Now,the data layer of some of his CDs looksas if it's being eaten from the outside.
Irons is still pretty happy with CDtechnology, since it beats vinyl LPs andtape for longevity. Now that he's movedhis discs to an apartment with a more stable temperature, he's noticed that thedecay has slowed.
“I’m hoping they’ll hold out till thatnext medium gets popular, and everyonegets to buy everything over again,” hesays.
continued. . .
HE CASE OF THE
I have been in the player pianorebuilding business for over 30 years, soI assumed I was familiar with almost allthe available systems. NOT!
A local piano tuner recently sent in apiano on a consignment basis. It was1928 Bush and Lane player. I gave it avery brief once-over evaluation. Liftingthe top lid I could ascertain that the airmotor had been rebuilt within the last
20 years. It pumped quite nicely, but thepiano action needed some work, so thepiano was temporarily set aside.
One day a customer came in lookingfor a player piano and I mentioned thatthis nice walnut Bush & Lane would beavailable soon. She asked if it could beretrofitted with automatic rewind andshut-off. I told her that I probably could,so I pulled off the bottom board to check
out the linkage, spacing, etc. Much to my dismay, THERE WERE NO BOTTOM BELLOWS, RESERVOIRS,TEMPO REGULATOR... NOTHING! I was certain that I had just played thepiano the previous day. What was going on here? I tried to hide my disbelief from the customer and replied, “Suuuure, it can be automated...no problem”.
After the customer had left, I took off the rest of the panels to see how this magic piano worked. I found that the two pumpers and reservoirs wereattached to the underneath of the topplayer action, with connectors goingthrough the key bed to the pumping pedals. I then removed the player actionand took off one of the pneumatic/valveunits. There was a single row of pneumatics. The pneumatics were a very narrow accordion style with a surprisingly tiny valve.
MISSING BOTTOM BELLOWS
By Donald Barton RPT DPS
Owner of Barton Player
Piano Co. Mpls. MN
continue. . .
203
Dean Randall refers to this type ofaction in his article ‘Farrand, Cecilianand Bush & Lane Player Actions.... Comparison’ He refers to this action as the “the very late and very scarce‘Unitype’ action, a single-tier stack inwhich the valves work on an entirely different principle from the norm”.
I was awe struck when comparing theCable Carrola Inner Player ( which takesup every square inch of available space)
to this remarkable, small, and simply designed Unitype system.As with the AMPICO “B”, very fewof these systems were manufactureddue to the fact that by the time these systems were refined and perfected, the player piano lost favor to competing forms of home entertainment, the radio and phonograph.
continued. . .
OF WORLD’S NOTED PIANISTSEPRODUCES PLAYING
M. E. Burnham conducts UniqueDemonstrations at Welte-Mignon Studios-1912
Interesting programs of piano musicare given semi-weekly at the studios of the Welte Artistic Player Piano Co., atNo. 273 Fifth Avenue, New York, beingpresented on the Welte-Mignon, a type ofautomatic piano which reproduces actualinterpretations by contemporary mastersof the pianoforte.
These recitals are invariably wellattended and are conducted by M. E.Burnham, a protégé of Bertha Baur,directress of the Cincinnati Conservatoryof Music. Mr. Burnham was a scholarship pupil of that institution andstudied pianoforte under TheodoreBohlmann.
The programs for these recitals arecarefully arranged, much thought beinggiven to the formation of a series ofrecitals revealing in chronological order
the contrasting characteristics of thegreatest pianists in the world.
The liveliest interest has been evincedby the discriminating audiences thatgather at this studio, in listening to thediffering interpretations of the same compositions, as played by several artistsand reproduced through the medium ofthe Welte-Mignon; and the variations intouch, phrasing and pedal effects thusshown in the work of the virtuosi arenoted appreciatively.
Through the medium of this instrument the characteristics of the art of a Paderewski, a Hofmann or a Carrenoare preserved and reproduced withabsolute accuracy.
The entire scheme for the season’sseries of recitals at this studio has beenworked out by Mr. Burnham with greatcare and with particular reference to presenting well-balanced programs thatshall have distinct educational value. The
Welte-Mignon is used in such famousschools as the London Conservatory, theImperial Conservatory of Music, Vienna,the Royal Conservatory, Budapesth, andother large educational institutions.
Submitted By Mike Kukral
From Musical America,
1912
M. E. Burnham, a Graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
Oli8inal
2nd Hasler Roll
used as lhe masler
stencil in the freibure, lactory
(Nole lhe fsml pencil recording dale)
This roll was
from Edwin Welle's
home in freibur5. 8iven
lo me by Richard 0imonlon
c:~
~ • ..1 -
. " \
'.J
204
ASHERr-
~
1~
Sent in By Stan Aldridge
Tom boughtthe program for me.
S19.95 atSoftware Shack.
.:.-~
\ '''''
205 ~ 1 ~ ~ 2 ~
Sent in By Ken Caswell
206
~ 3
~~
4 ~
207
~ 5
~~
6 ~
208
~ 7
~~
8 ~
209 ~ 9 ~ ~ 10 ~
210
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2 ~
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AVORITE DAUGHTER
Leavenworth, Kansas
The town of Leavenworth can now
buy a $15,000 band organ, thanks to
rocker Melissa Etheridge.
Etheridge, who grew up in
Leavenworth, donated the $15,000
needed to buy an organ the town
had its eye on for a long time.
Jerry Reinhardt, a carousel aficionado
who’s worked with the Leavenworth
Historical Museum Association for
years, was ecstatic last week when
the check for the band organ arrived.
He said people restoring a small
1913 carousel that will be on display
during the Taste of Leavenworth
next month had been wanting a band
organ to go with the carousel.
“But we also knew we did not have
enough money to buy one,” he said.
The one they wanted was in the
Kansas City area. They expected to
have to scrounge for money for several
years, until a group member suggested
contacting Etheridge.
When Reinhardt learned she would
pay for the organ, he offered to
engrave a brass plate, as she wished.
The plate, which will be on display
at the Feb. 28 event, will say: “Given
to the Great People of Leavenworth,
with much appreciation. From Melissa
Etheridge.”
Submitted By Clara Wingfield
From “Wichita Eagle” SundayMarch 14, 2004
No one from the more than 2200passengers and crew of the Titaniccould ever have thought that after 86years, the film of the sinking of thisship would produce such giganticprofits. But that is another story.
The English Oceanic Steam Navigation Co., Ltd-the White StarLine-had ordered the largest passenger steamer in the world to bebuilt. It became a ship of 46.328gross register tons and everyone was convinced that is was unsinkable because of its watertightcompartments. Therefore, the nameTitanic was chosen in relation to its size and strength. The maidenvoyage was planned as a sailing from Southhampton in the south ofEngland to New York. But theseagod, Poseidon did not like such alarge ship in his imperium. So, hesent an iceberg to intersect with theTitanic just off the coast of NewFoundland. The collision with theiceberg took place at 41 degrees 46’ latitude north and 50 degrees 14’ longitude west. There was insufficient life-saving equipmentand after about three hours the ship sank on April 14, 1912. 1503 people lost their lives from a total of 2206 passengers and crew. In peace-time, thisnumber has never been surpassed in anyshipping disaster.
In the well known museum ofmechanical musical instruments in the splendid Castle of Bruchsal (nearKarlsruhe in Germany) you can see andhear a Welte organ. The claim is that itwas saved from destruction because itwas not delivered in time to be installedon the Titanic. This Welte philharmonicorgan (see illustration) plays from paperrolls with 100 holes. There are 260 pipes.It has 7 stops. The dimensions are: 232cm (7’7”) side, 125 cm (4’1”) deep and302 cm (9’11”) tall. The instrument cannot be played by hand. It is powered
by an electro-pneumatic system and atsome time it came into the hands of amanufacturer in Aalen (Wurtemberg).Ultimately it was bought by Jan Brauers,whose magnificent collection is displayed in the Castle at Bruchsal. JanBrauers wrote about the organ in his book, Von der Aolsharfe zum Digitalspieler (Klinkhardt & Biermann,Munich, 1984). On pages 218-219 hewrote that this organ was ordered onbehalf of the Titanic. To add weight to this statement he reprinted a letterfrom Ilse Bockisch, the wife of KarlBockisch (1876-1952). She was the onlydaughter of Berthold Welte (1843-1928).Berthold also had a son, Edwin. KarlBockisch was a technically gifted man who was involved extensively with thecreation of the reproducing piano. In the year 1900, he became co-partner
with Welte and with his brother-in-law, Edwin.
The above mentioned letter from Ilse Bockisch is undated. Thetranslated text of the letter is: “Thisorgan was saved from the sinking ofthe Titanic! How was that possible?The firm Michael Welte & Sohne inFreiburg im Breisgau had built theinstrument by order of the WhiteStar Line on behalf of the Titanic.Several delays caused the organ notto arrive timely in England. KarlBockisch, who was already in Southhampton, was, however, invited for the maiden voyage of the Titanic. By a happy (unhappy)coincidence he eluded fate. Hereceived a telegram calling him backhome because a close relative wasperilously ill.” So, both survived-theorgan and its builder. The disasterand the outbreak of World War I alsofrustrated the plan to place the organon later ship on order from the WhiteStar Line.
Such a remarkable letter-does itmatch the facts? The Dutch pressman, Edward P. deGroot has
written a lot of articles and also a leadingbook about the Titanic. In l980-81, heconducted a detailed correspondencewith Jan Brauers who could not produceany clear proof that the organ which hehad acquired was really the organordered for the Titanic. One the contrary,in reference to the matter, Mr. deGrootwrote to Mr. Jacques Gerssen the following on April 26, 1987: “Mr.Brauers could only show a small letterwritten by Ilse Bockisch. From this letter,it is apparent that Mr. Brauers was led bythe nose by her and a clever salesman toget a substantially higher sum for theorgan. Neither in the building plans ofthe ship nor in the specifications of theship-builder in Belfast can anything befound about plans for an organ (e.g. in
EWS FROM THENETHERLANDS
No Connection Welte - Titanic
By Hendrik Strengers
Musical Box Society International News Bulletin
May/June 2004
The Welte Philharmonic Organ in the Castle of Bruchsal
continue. . .
212
Hi Mike,I am enclosing some updated
information for the Bulletin re: Adopt-a-Piano campaign. Also the following info about two of our Founding Chapter members:
In the past year two of our FoundingChapter members passed away. Bothwere long-time members who wereactive some years ago. Dr. Luis Chardonhad a charming, rambling 1920’s homedown the peninsula from San Franciscoand was noted for the spirited local meetings he hosted. Elmer Klein alsowas active with the chapter assisting his wife Lou who was our local treasurer for a number of years. We willmiss both of these individuals.
I am enjoying the bulletin and have had a couple of very enthusiasticcomments from local members. One is a neighbor across the street who is a relatively new member, has just had his J. & C. Fischer restrung and thoroughlyrestored and can’t say enough goodthings about the Bulletin. So, cheers to you.
If things ever quiet down a bit aroundhere I will get something down about the
early days of AMICA. Dale Lawrencewas a house guest here for a week whenhis daughter was in the hospital here inS.F. so we had some good times talkingabout how he and Sally got involved withthe hobby and helped found AMICA.
Keep up the good work. Hope to seeyou at the convention in Denver.
Richard D. Reutlinger
AN UPDATE ON THE ADOPT-A-PIANO PROJECT
With the publication of the article“Adopt-a-Piano” in the AMICA bulletin I have had several inquiries from chapters wishing to take part. The Found-ing Chapter voted at our March meetingto pledge $3,000 toward the fund and atthis point I am suggesting that chapterswishing to participate make a pledge toWes Neff who will establish a separatefund for this project.
I have been in touch with the MontanaHeritage Commission which oversees thepreservation and restoration of structuresand artifacts in Virginia City and Nevada
City, Montana. At one point they asked if AMICA would be interested in establishing an endowment fund for present and future restoration of instruments but under their administration. I declined for two reasons: (1) that AMICA is not a largeenough organization to establish a sizeable endowment fund, and (2) wewould not be inclined to fund somethingnot under our direct control. Too oftenmoney in such a fund can be siphoned off for administration costs.
Because of this inquiry, I producedour actual proposal to the Commission.Jeff Tiberi, Executive Director of theCommission, had accepted our proposalby letter (copy included). I am going toVirginia City in late July on my way to the Denver convention to meet personally with Jeff and other representatives of the Montana HeritageCommission. I will report to the Board at the Denver meeting.
Once we have a list of instrumentsneeding restoration I will make it available so that individual chapters may choose one to fund or perhaps join
continue. . .
213
the third –class day-residence, because anorgan would be unthinkable in the first or second class). A similar organ wasnever placed on the sister ship, Olympic,and it was still in service until 1935! TheWelte organ should have been installedon the Olympic had it been ordered.”
In the available archives, nothing canbe found concerning any correspondenceor contact between the White Star Lineand the Welte firm! But there are morequestions.
In the letter of Ilse Bockisch, it ismentioned that her husband stayed inSouthhampton. The question is, why? If the organ was not finished in time for installation, he had no reason forremaining in Southhampton.
Ilse writes that the organ was built in1911/1912. World War I started two years
later on August 1, 1914. So there wouldhave been sufficient time to place theorgan on another ship, e.g. the Olympic.
Would not the Welte firm haveclaimed the deposit money and final payment (or at least a good part of it) hadthe White Star Line refused to place theorgan on a sister ship?
In conclusion the White Star Linenever ordered an organ for any passengersteamer. It is quite clear, then, that in theCastle in Bruchsal you can see and hear amagnificent Welte organ. But it is notclear for whom the organ was originallybuilt. It is not even clear how it wasacquired by the manufacturer in Aalen.The story mentioned by Jan Brauers inhis book has to be consigned to the realmof fancy. Unfortunately many seriousauthors have quoted this fairy-tale in
books and articles without any realresearch on their part. But it is, as youknow, fairy-tales last forever!
The author has stated the following:In regard to the White Star Line
never having ordered an organ for any passenger steamer-Mr. Edward P.deGroot has made extensive researchinto the archives and he could not findany trace of an order for an organ ororchestrion.
The letter from Ilse Bockisch-Mr.Brauers could not prove that this undatedletter was authentic.
The conclusions arrived at in the article are the opinions of the authorafter doing extensive research into thesubject.
continued. . .
DOPT-A-PIANOCAMPAIGN LETTERS
214
with another chapter to fund a moreexpensive instrument.
NOTE: If members attempted to contactme via e-mail, the e-mail address in the newDirectory is incorrect. My correct e-mail [email protected]
Richard D. Reutlinger
This is a modest, grass-roots proposalfrom the Automatic Musical InstrumentCollectors’ Assn. (AMICA) to the Montana Heritage Commission. One ofthe primary goals of AMICA as stated in our Bylaws is “to encourage therestoration of automatic musical instruments to a condition consistent with the original intent of their manufacturers”. With this in mind, one of our Founding Members, Richard
Reutlinger, proposed an “Adopt-a-Piano”campaign to help finance restoration of instruments in the Nevada City Music Hall. He introduced the idea at last year’s National Board Meeting andreceived an enthusiastic response. Hethen put an article in the NationalAMICA Bulletin to inform the generalmembership about this campaign. Todate, he has received favorable commentsfrom several chapters.
20th April 2004
Richard D. Reutlinger824 Grove StreetSan Francisco, California 94117
Dear Richard,
Thank you for your letter of 14th April 2004 concerning the music machines. It is always a pleasure to hear from you and I lookforward to working with you on this project.
The endowment idea represents the ideal situation for us, but it sounds like this approach is off the table at this point. There areoptions that I believe could address your concerns and hopefully we can continue the discussion this summer. Nonetheless, we wantto move forward with your proposal.
Jim Carpita, our Site Manager, and I will meet with John and other staff to discuss the first candidates for the program. We will prepare a list in the next few weeks and send it to you. Hopefully Art will have time to doctor our first patient sometime this summer.
It gives us great pleasure to know that this partnership is underway and that we are setting up a program that will protect theseunique machines well into the future. Hopefully this program will last for years, and both organizations will be able to take pride inthe respective roles we play to look out for the future by taking care of the past. Future generations will appreciate the work that weare able to accomplish today.
Thank you for your kind and generous offer. We look forward to working with you on this exciting project.
Best regards,
Jeffrey TiberiExecutive DirectorMontana Heritage Commission
OUR PROPOSALTo establish a separate fund administered by our national treasurer to fund restoration of one or more instruments in the Bovey
Collection.Individual chapters could contribute funds to restore a particular instrument or band together to fund restoration of more complex,
larger instruments.Art Reblitz of Reblitz Restorations would handle the actual restoration work as he is very familiar with the collection and has the
trust of the Montana Heritage Commission from past involvement.Once restoration work is completed, AMICA would pay Reblitz Restorations directly including costs of transport and insurance.
This keeps the focus on the work and minimizes any administration costs.Instruments to be considered would first be chosen by John Ellingsen, Curator of History, Jeff Tiberi, Executive Director of the
Montana Heritage Commission, and Art Reblitz. Once candidates for restoration are chosen AMICA chapters could choose whichinstruments to “Adopt”.
Art Reblitz, early on, had proposed that the restoration of these instruments be solid mechanical work so that the instruments canremain in good playing condition for the general public to play with their own coins. We are not concerned here with expensive “cos-metic” restorations where the finish is flawless and every screw is replated. Your collection is displayed in an environment not unliketheir original locations.
One of the goals of this program is also to make the public aware of AMICA and it’s involvement in this restoration program. Weexpect some recognition in the form of a plaque or sign stating this.
We (AMICA) hope that this proposal meets with the approval of the Montana Heritage Commission.
continued. . .
– PART TWO –
The choice of building a custominstrument over a replica was a personaldecision. To me, either choice would pre-sent equal difficulties, but the challengeof building something unique is some-what offset by the flexibility afforded inthe design, layout, and parts that could beused.
PARTS THAT WERE ADAPTED INCLUDE:
1. A restored Duo Art pump and motor for the vacuum supply.
2. Valve plates, stems, bleeds, etc. from discarded player stacks.
3. Transmission and spool box parts from an upright player action.
4. Piano Roll spools.
CUSTOM-MADE OR CUSTOMIZED PARTS
1. Walnut case.2. Customized banjo.3. Walnut spoolbox and tracker bar.4. Drive train from the pump to the
transmission.5. All valve and pouch boards.6. All pneumatics with various
fittings.7. And the most difficult, the picking
mechanism with all its parts.
From the beginning I thought thepicking mechanism would pose thebiggest challenge, and indeed it did.
My first thought was to use ramps orcams; but a few sketches revealed toomany complications. My next idea, theuse of a race, was rejected because it would require machine shop work, and I had decided to fabricate everything myself. (A race is a groove or channel that forces moving parts to follow a prescribed course.)
My third attempt made use of a crankand was successful. (See Figures 1 & 2).
When adjusted properly, the mechanismworks flawlessly.
Solving the mechanical operation didnot solve the speed problem. As shown in Part 1, Figure 2A, the roll limits therepetition to 6.4 notes per second. Togain more speed in the rolls I cut, I usedan oval brass insert in the four tracker bar holes for the picks, reducing theheights of the holes from 1/8” to less than 3/32”. I also made a special ovalpunch for the pick perforation under3/32” in height. This raises the roll limitto 8 notes per second, but getting thepouch, bleed, valve and pneumatic trainto operate this fast presented the realchallenge.
The demands on the picker pneumaticare different from those of a player piano,demanding more of the time allotted per note be devoted to keeping the valvein play position.
TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE REQUIRED THE FOLLOWING:
1. Adjustable bleeds-setting the bleeds identical (as far as possible) on the bench did not result in satisfactory performance, only by
individual adjustments did each picker reach test speed.
2. The use of double valves (not a primary and secondary)-the need for the least possible resistance in transferring vacuum/atmospheric pressure between valve and pneumatic required a large valve or two smaller valves. I opted for two valves.
3. Valve return springs-the slowest
continue. . .
N AMERICANINSTRUMENT THE BANJO
Written By Yousuf Wilson
215
Figure 1- Experimental picking mechanismmounted on an old banjo. With very little modification, this system is used on my instrument. Seen on the banjo head are twocranks made from brass stock and silver soldered. Between the cranks is a reworkedbanjo pick, which I preferred over metal for its softer sound.
Figure 2-Picking Mechanism (not to scale)1. Path the pick
follows2. Path the picking arm follows due to the crank (See Figure 1).3. Path followed by the point where spring A and the picking arm
are connected (Bearing point).
The picking mechanism is shown at rest, with the crank held down slightlypast dead center by Spring A. As the collapsing Pneumatic D starts the picking cycle, the crank forces the parts to follow paths 1, 2, and 3. Note that throughout the downward power stroke of the pneumatic, the angle of Arm B and Spring A change, (dashed lines), with Spring A applyingincreasing upward force to the picking arm. However, until the crank hascompleted half of its circle, the picking arm cannot move upward. When thepower stroke is completed and the Pneumatic D is allowed to open, SpringC, which was put under tension by the collapsing pneumatic, forces the pneumatic to open rapidly. Spring A has enough tension to overcome gravity and the picking arm and pick lifts up past dead center and over the string. By the end of the return stroke, the angle of Arm B andSpring A again exerts enough downward pressure to hold the crank slightly past dead center. ThePneumatic D and Spring C along with Arm B would tend to hold the crank at dead center, eitherlocking the mechanism or allowing it to move in the wrong direction. Although not shown in thedrawing, spring tension along with the position of the crank are adjustable.
action in the complete cycle from the opening to closing of a port (in this case, the tracker bar hole) is the return of the valve from the outer seat, where the pouch has forced it, to the inner seat. The vacuum/atmospheric pressure that returns the valve is not as efficient as the pouch, so a return spring helps this operation.
4. Efficient pouches-pouches are governed by the same laws that govern pneumatics, so the least possible pouch dish along with the largest practical pouch disks are used.
5. Sufficient vacuum pressure and volume-although I hoped for a mechanism that would work at 10 or 12 inch pressure and assure quiet operation, the energy requirement of the mechanism as I designed it requires between 18 and 20 inches vacuum so sound baffles were used when possible. The Duo Art pump supplies adequate volume and pressure.
The expression mechanism also poseda challenge. The Encore roll is of the endless variety with 5 to the inch spacing. By eliminating double OFF perforations (one on each edge), approximately 1/2 inch of blank paperper edge was available for use. Each 1/2inch edge was used for 3 perforations (8 to the inch), the resulting 6 tracker bar holes are used for off, rewind, wood block, tambourine jingles, bassexpression and treble expression.
Having separate base and trebleexpression was desirable; and with bassand treble pickers already separate, the
availability of only 1 tracker bar hole forbass and 1 hole for treble presented themain problem. Using chain perforationsthat could possibly be several feet longclose to the roll edge was not an option.Changing vacuum pressure was also notan option.
After some thought, I came up withthis solution, the use of 2 pneumatics, afast acting pneumatic and a slower actingadjustable pneumatic, both working fromthe same valve. With one tracker hole,loud, medium and soft are possible. (SeeFigure 3)
The banjo I selected for my projectwas a six-string tenor banjo tuned andfingered the same as a guitar. The wideneck allowed the correct spacing for the4 strings and 40 finger buttons needed formy instrument. (See Figures 4 & 5) Thenormal narrow neck of the 4 or 5 stringbanjo would not work without buildingup the width of the neck.
Particular care was needed in thedrilling of the 40 holes through the neck, and the guide block (center, Figure 4) was clamped behind each fret in succession for this purpose. Inpreparation for this operation, the neckwas removed from the banjo head, the nut knocked off (that’s the piece that spaces the strings) and the tuning pegs removed. The neck also had a metaltensioning rod imbedded, which had tobe hacksawed apart before it could beremoved. The last operation before thedrilling could be done was to band sawthe rounded bottom portion off the neck,providing a flat area needed to hold theneck stable. This work, of course, wasdone on a new banjo that had neversounded a note!
The pouch, valve, pneumatic work for the finger buttons was fairly straightforward with the exception of the closespacing needed. This spacing is governedby the spacing of the frets. An explanation of various parts will be found in the Captions 1 through 12.
OTHER REFINEMENTS INCLUDE:
1. Soft, medium and loud playing by positioning the curved glass lid.
2. A switch in the spool box for single or multiple tune selection.
3. A clutch using the off perforations between tunes to tighten the paper on the take-up spool avoiding annoying tempo hesitation.
4. An area for roll storage.
5. For the child in all of us, a view of the spoolbox and transmission/roll tracking system and planned moving figures.
continued. . .
continue. . .
Figure 3-Expression MechanismThe banjo normally plays loud. A single perforation causes the fast-acting pneumatic (A) to lock the system in medium by moving the picking mechanism (B) slightly to a spring-loaded catch (C). Theslower acting unlocking pneumatic (D) does not close enough for the unlocking action, so the system stays at medium. A 1/4” or longerperforation causes the fast-acting pneumatic to close whether the system is on loud or medium, and gives the slower pneumatic time tounlock the catch, and the system returns to loud. Alonger than 1/4” perforation causes the fastpneumatic to raise and hold thepicking mechanism slightly pastthe notch in the spring-loadedcatch, causing soft playing, andagain, the system returns to loud.
Figure 4 - The neck after it was drilled and bushed. After the glue has dried, thebushing cloth will be cut flush with theneck. The fabricated piece at bottom will beglued and screwed to the bottom of the neckto keep the neck rigid and to provide anarea to attach the pneumatic boards.
216
Figures 11 & 12 - Cutting my own rolls did not present the
insurmountable problem I thought it would, even not reading musicwasn’t an excuse! Figure 11 is a
photo of the marking/punching jig.The paper, which has been slit toroll size, is a snug fit between the
fence guides, as is the markingguide #1. The sheet music is
enlarged, then cut into strips; andby placing panels #2 and #3 to
cover all but one measure, mistakesare almost eliminated. The marking
guide #1 slides up and downbetween the fences and is marked
with the music staff (the 5 horizontallines); and with notes and letters
in their appropriate places. As canbe seen in Figure 12, the note D,circled on the sheet music strip,
can be found on the marking guide(2 circles) in two places. The note Dcan be transferred to the music roll
by placing a pencil point in the holedirectly below either of the circled
notes, and scribing a line by movingthe marking guide #1 up or down.
This procedure can be done withoutknowing the note is a D; but since
the notes are all lettered below the staff, it isn’t long before the notes on the sheet
music are known by letter.
Before note marking, the roll paper is marked in sub-divided measures (horizontal
lines), and vertical lines for the 4 pickers, the latter made with the marking guide #1.The lines made by using the marking guide
are used as centers for the hand punch.Before using a hand punch or exacto knife, a punching surface, (in my case scrap 1/8”
birch plywood), is placed between the paper and marking jig.
The months spent on this project weresome of the most enjoyable and produc-tive I’ve ever spent. The advice I wouldgive anyone contemplating a project-large or small-is to do it now! No time tospare is not a valid excuse. TV screens,computers, cell phones, pagers all use upprecious time but leave little tangibleresults. This is not the case when time isspent on a musical instrument. Enjoyableresults are immediate and enduring.
continued. . .
continue. . .
217
Figure 5 - The finger button pneumatics shownmounted beneath the finger board. Another tierof pneumatics are below those visible for atotal of 40 pneumatics. Careful alignmentallows the finger button wire to go through thebushed hole and screw through a dowel in thepneumatic finger, allowing easy adjustment tothe string and each other (Figure 6)
Figure 6 - As seen in the photo, the pneumatic fingerswere made in groups, bushed, then sawn apart. At left isseen how the holes for the threaded wire were drilled. Atright the assembly complete except for the leather punch-ing glued to the bottom of the finger button.
Figure 8 - The customized pneumatic boards ready forassembly. As some have probablyguessed, the dark wood used forall pneumatics and many othercomponents inside the case is walnut. After re-sawing a largeamount of 1” thick stock into various thicknesses for severalprojects, I used the excess ofremaining thin stock whereverpractical.
12
11
Figure 7A & 7B - Figure 7A shows the 2-pouch boards,
one face up and one face down. The small brass nipples are
tubed to a junction block, then to the tracker bar. Figure 7B shows
the 2 valve boards, one face up, one face down. The aluminum nipples are tubed to the finger
button pneumatics.
Figures 9 and 101. Motor mound and motor2. Vacuum Pump3. Transmission drive pulley4. Belt tension arm5. Cone-shaped pulley6. Belt guide shaft7. Tubing junction box8. Valve chest for off, rewind, etc.9. Finger button valve chest
10. Roll storage compartment11. Governor12. Valve chest with picker and expression components
Figures 9 and 10 are photos taken from the right and rear. The sides and back can be removed from the banjo case for easy access to various components.The complicated-looking drive chain (3, 4, 5, and 6) deserves an explanation. The Encore uses an endless roll and has no problem with the tempo,which is fixed. My instrument uses spooled rolls, and I thought the 5 tunes on each roll could pose a built-up problem on the take-up spool (causing
objectionable tempo speedup.) The drive train (3, 4, 5,6) was designed to solvethis problem and wouldwork thus:The shaft at #6 has a pulley(not seen) that guides thebelt to a position on thecone #5. The cone shaft has a sprocket and chain(visible to left of cone) thatdrives the transmission.Using the off signal thatoccurs after each tune,shaft #6 would ratchetslightly moving the belt upthe cone, causing each tuneto start at 80 tempo. Therewind signal would causeshaft #6 to return to start,and the first tune on thenext roll would start at 80tempo.I have held off attachingthe ratcheting mechanismuntil I get more 5 tune rollsto see if it is needed at all. Ihave limited my hand-cutrolls to two tunes per spool.
218
continued. . .
9 10
7A7B
219
continue. . .
OME WELTE-MIGNONRECORDINGS ON CD
Addenda
Additional paragraphs to be inserted insequence directly under the existing subheading – “Resolution Of Interference#40,391” on page 149
One major bone of contention in Interference #40,391 revolved around theWelte legal team’s assertion that theinvention depicted in Stoddard’s
December 9th (1913) application(#805,488, for the Ampico Type 1A, presented in evidence as Stoddard Exhibit #4) could not function (“is inoperative”). This allegation wasquashed by Stoddard himself when, during his testimony, he personallydemonstrated a Chickering pianoequipped with a Type 1A Ampico (presented in evidence as StoddardExhibit #2). Thereby, Stoddard provedthat the Type 1A did, indeed, work quitewell!
Stoddard’s lawyers had counteredearlier that the Welte legal team washypocritical in making such an assertion(that the Type 1A could not function) inlight of the fact that the invention (i.e., cheek’s clone) depicted in the ‘Welte’application (#840,912) is, in actuality,itself non-operative (i.e., phony). Clearly,the Welte side was using the timewornploy of falsely accusing an opponent of the very trick they (Welte) were guiltyof themselves.
MPICO HISTORYIN A NUTSHELL
Front Back
By Jeffrey Morgan
Printed inMay/June 2004, page 145
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This interesting Welte letter contributed by Jeffrey Morgan.
XCERPTS FROMTHE WELTE-MIGNON: ITS MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
3. Michael Welte and the 19th Century Beginnings
The Black Forest area of Baden insouthwest Germany was a center of mechanical clock making whenMichael Welte was born in the town ofVoehrenbach in 1807. Regarding the family name, there continue to be differences in its pronunciation. The German manner is approximately “VELteh,” with accent on the first syllable. There are German-Swisscolonies which spell the name Welty. As the name spread into the English-speaking world, the pronunciation whichevolved may be expressed phoneticallyas “WELLtea,” again, with the accent onthe first syllable.
The making of clocks in Baden progressed from a simple striking ofhours or quarter hours to the playing oflittle tunes on the chimes. Pipes wereadded in time, and this type of clock wascapable of playing more sophisticatedmelodies operated by a cylinder or barrelwith pins. In 1827, at the age of twenty,Michael Welte became an apprentice to Johann Blessing in Unter-Kirnach.Blessing was a noted maker of musicalclocks. During the next five years,Michael learned his trade well fromBlessing and from an uncle, also amechanical clock maker. Michael thenleft Unter-Kirnach and opened his ownbusiness in Voehrenbach, his birthplace.This move in 1832 marked the beginningof the future firm of M. Welte & Soehne.
A talented inventor as well as a craftsman, Michael began adding morepipes and instruments to his clocks. Heincreased interest in these creations to thepoint where people were purchasing the mechanisms for their musical performances, not for their time keeping.He began dropping the clocks entirelyand built larger units, though the musicwas still triggered by wooden cylindersand their pins. Filled with more imitations of the orchestra, the units grewto include various drums and percussioninstruments. It was a simple step for
these creations, offered in a growingnumber of sizes and in finely carvedcases, to be called “orchestrions.” Princesand kings, including the Sultan ofTurkey, ordered instruments, and overtime the Welte orchestrions won prizesand awards at industrial and world expositions wherever they were shown.
Many of the quotes in this historicaloverview are from letters written in the later 1940s and early 1950s by Edwin Welte, Michael’s grandson, to the late Richard C. Simonton of North Hollywood, California. Richard Simonton became acquainted with and afriend of Edwin Welte after World War II.The following description of the earlyinstruments was made to Dick Simontonin a letter from Edwin dated August 20,1947. It and others herein included areedited on occasion only to give flow toEdwin’s sometime awkward ability withthe English language.
“Before 1914, I had the intention to get a collection together of the most characteristicautomatic musical instruments my grandfather, my father anduncles and myself built . . . I intended to exhibit in our musichall in Freiburg the followinginstruments of Welte make.
“1. A Blackforest ‘Spieluhr’, aclock containing a small set ofpipes which would by means of awooden cylinder play at certaintimes little dances (about 1800-1840). . . . The letter of apprenticebetween Johann Blessing, Unter-Kirnach Schwarzwald, andmy Grandfather to learn how tomake ‘Spieluhren,’ is still hangingat the wall of my smoking room(1827).
“2. An Orchestrion playablewith wooden cylinders. With themusical part of the Spieluhr moreand more completed, the clock wasleft off, and the instrument calledOrchestrion. A large instrument ofthis kind built by my grandfather
and exhibited in Frankfurt andKarlsruhe, 1848-1849, received thehighest reward, the gold medal.[This was by far the largestOrchestrion at that time, and it took Michael Welte three years tocomplete. It was operated by threecylinders.]
“3. A small, a medium, and a large size orchestrion with paper-music rolls (1887). The threebrothers, Emil, Berthold (myfather) and Michael (Jr.) Weltedeveloped the Orchestrion playableby paper music rolls. They were agreat success.”
After thirty years in Voehrenbach andthe business having gone so well, it was prudent to consider other markets.Therefore in 1865, Michael’s eldest son,Emil Welte, moved to the U.S. to found abranch of the firm. Other than visits toGermany, Emil stayed in the States for the rest of his life, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.
It is said he opened a “wareroom” on East 14th Street in New York Cityopposite Steinway Hall; also in July ofthat year, 1865, he registered the firm inNew York State as M. Welte & Sons. Thefirst orchestrion was imported that sameyear; it was sold to William Kramer andthe Atlantic Garden, the Bowery, NewYork City.
Before long a showroom was opened,located per one report at 557 FifthAvenue, and soon the Welte orchestrionswere as well accepted in America as inEurope. Emil’s son, Carl Welte, was bornin August of 1871, four years beforeEdwin. Cousin Carl, who through hisinheritance later became part owner ofthe original firm as well as the New Yorkbranch, visited Germany on occasion.But he remained in New York City untilthe outbreak of the Great War. At somepoint he retired with his father to Norwichtown, Connecticut, and into ahome on East Town Street which hadbeen built in 1770.
By Charles Davis Smith & Richard James Howe
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The town of Voehrenbach, Germany,was somewhat isolated. In 1872, MichaelWelte moved his business to Freiburg, a prosperous hub city in the lower southwest of Germany near the bordersof France and Switzerland. Michaelselected a location across from the railway station. This gave his factoryaccess to the world at large. Although theFreiburg location of M. Welte & Soehneis usually cited as being older, the FifthAvenue site of the firm and its showroomestablished by Emil Welte pre-dated theFreiburg factory by some seven years.
In 1880, eight years after moving hisbusiness to Freiburg and when grandsonEdwin was just four years old, MichaelWelte died. Now the firm was vested inthe hands of Michael’s three sons, Emil(father of Carl and residing in the UnitedStates), Berthold (father of Edwin), andMichael, Jr. there were other children aswell; Carl Welte wrote in a letter ofpleasant visits with his aunts, his father’smarried sisters. But this was an era whenwomen were home-bound and rarelyinherited or managed property. The sisters are not known to have played arole in the business.
By the late 1880s, the three owner-brothers had reportedly inventedand patented new uses for the paper roll.Punched cardboard was already in use inweaving mills, and there are suggestionsthat the paper roll was already used withreed organs. If so, the use was littlenoted. It is not questioned that the Welteswere the first to promote and exploit themusical paper roll. Whether or not theyknew of earlier experiments, there was an application which could be patented.No protests are known against their claim and thus it stands as a first. Thislandmark use of the paper roll by a majorfirm signaled its importance to the entiremechanical musical instrument industry.Perforated paper thereafter was used to perform the functions of the olderwooden cylinders, and by the 1890s hadentered its most widespread and lastinguse: first in paper rolls for push-up pianoplayers, then for interior-action player-pianos. Indicative of the growth:as of October, 1904, Pianola catalogs,bulletins and supplements promoted12,978 selections as available on paperrolls.
Again quoting Edwin Welte:
“In 1887 we originated, patented and built the first organsand orchestrions on the pneumaticsystem with paper music rolls and, being protected by patents,remained sole manufacturers thereof for years.” (Note: Actuallypatented in the United States in1883. U.S. Patent No. 287,559 wasgranted to Emil Welte of NewYork, New York on October 30,1883. The application for thispatent was filed January 2, 1883.)
Some sources, Edwin included, attributed the “we” above to all three of Michael’s sons, while others gavecredit for the paper roll invention, “DiePapiermusikrolle mit PneumatischenSystem,” to Emil Welte. This may seemstrange with manufacture said to be inFreiburg and Emil busy in the States. Butthe possibility of his sole contributionexists. He was a talented inventor as washis son, Carl. They applied over the yearsfor several U.S. patents coveringmechanical organ and orchestrion inventions. The last known applicationwas in 1913 about the time Emil wrotethat he retired. An undated companybrochure gave credit to Emil.
“In 1887, a patent of Mr. EmilWelte startled the world, and this invention, the use of papermusic-rolls in connection with apneumatic action, revolutionizedthe trade, as it did away with the expensive, bulky wooden music cylinders, and gave to the instrument an unlimited repertoire.”
From Baker’s Biographical Dictionaryof Musicians:
[Emil Welte] improved the thennewly invented paper roll (takingthe place of the earlier woodencylinders), and was the first to useit, in connection with a pneumaticaction, in a large orchestrion builtfor Theiss’Alhambra Court (N.Y.)
This orchestrion was later said to havebeen the equivalent of the Welte firm’s
huge Concert orchestrion style No. 10.There is no reason to believe that the Alhambra Court orchestrion was fabricated in the States, but this sourcealso points to the paper roll pneumaticvalve control accomplishment as Emil’s,and that it was created for a specific customer in the United States. This wastypical Welte procedure for decades.They placed demonstrators in their warerooms but did not stock large inventories. Quite often they built theirinstruments on order in accordance witha particular customer’s wishes as toinstrumentation and case style. Withincreased interest in their product, theyissued illustrated brochures which in time presented ten styles of cottage and concert orchestrions. Even then,individual product variations could berequested and supplied.
Later information from an Estey-Welte Corporation brochure issued about1923 added that there was “an exactduplicate [of the instrument] which he installed a few years later in Patti’sresidence, ‘Craig y Nos.’” Adelina Patti(1843-1919) was a famous sopranosoloist who retired in 1906: “WhenAdelina Patti was the world’s ‘Queen ofSong’ every audience demanded this ofher [the song, “Home, Sweet Home”] asone of her encores.” Freiburg literaturealso spoke proudly of Emil’s instrument,the “Welte-Orgel im Schlosse der Soengerin Adelina Patti in Craig y NosCastle.”
Before the century ended, many hundreds of Welte instruments of varioussizes were purchased by the rich and thefamous around the world. Theseorchestrions, at times all but one of akind, found homes in town houses and onestates, in castles and aboard yachts, inthe best of hotels, in large entertainmentareas and even aboard steamships. Weltebrochures began to include for publicitypurposes lengthy, impressive lists of thenoble and rich – kings, queens, sultans,tycoons, opera stars, etc. – who ownedthe Freiburg factory’s instruments.
In some sources, Emil is credited withthe invention of the paper roll two yearsearlier, or in 1885. Whichever date, itoccurred about twenty years after Emil’sarrival in America. This accomplishmentbrought additional recognition of, and
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prominence to, the Weltes in the field of mechanical musical instruments. This major position in the mechanicalinstrument field of organs, orchestrions,and then in the reproducing piano, gavethe company an overall presence inEurope and North America that wasrarely surpassed for another thirty years.It allowed the Weltes to establish andhold to prices that were premiere as well.Then, a victim of the Great War and theU.S. Alien Property Custodian, thebranch in the U.S. disappeared into a new American firm, the Welte-MignonCorporation, in 1920. The Freiburg factory remained in business into theGreat Depression, but M. Welte &Soehne never again held the presence, onboth sides of the Atlantic, which it heldfor over fifty years, from 1865 to 1918.
4. Karl Bockisch, Edwin’s Brother-in-law
Michael’s second son, Berthold,fathered a son, Edwin Welte, in 1876.There was also a sister, who seeminglywas adored by Edwin.
He evidently later could not bear tosay her name and it has never been foundin his letters. In time she married a KarlBockisch, which various sources also spell Bokisch and Bockish. The following is quoted from Q. David Bowers’ definitive Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments:
Karl Bockisch, son of a familyof Alsace vintners, spent his childhood in Anaheim, California,a community founded by Germanimmigrant farmers. Success eludedthe Bockisch family in California,so Karl and his parents returned toGermany. Bockisch married EdwinWelte’s sister, thereby gaining a foothold in the Welte firm. Bockisch quickly demonstrated hisbusiness and technical abilities.
The Alsace region lay just west ofBaden and the Black Forest. Perhaps theBockisch family returned here and livednear Freiburg. However, a brother, Heinrich Bockisch, listed himself as aresident of Austria-Hungary. Heinrichmoved to the U.S. by 1913 and joinedM.Welte & Sons, Incorporated at
Edwin’s new factory in Poughkeepsie,New York. Whether by purchase orthrough his brother, Karl, Heinrich secured an interest in the firm. During the Great War years he served as president of the company, then factorymanager, then was interned by the U.S.government. After World War I he created inventions which were assigned to the successor Welte-MignonCorporation.
In 1950, Carl Welte, Edwin’s cousin,who along with his father had been a director and stock owner of the New York branch, M. Welte & Sons,Incorporated, wrote briefly about Welteand Bockisch family history to RichardSimonton:
In 1901, the grandsons, Edwinand Carl [himself], were admittedinto the firm plus Karl M. Bockischwho had married Edwin’s sister.Karl Bockisch was born in 1878,Edwin 1876, and Carl [again, himself], 1871, so I am the oldestsurvivor of this firm.
Carl explained not too clearly theownership arrangements made in 1901 as follows: the preferred shares weredivided amongst the “older Weltes.” Carldid not list this distribution, neither thespecific amounts nor to whom they weregiven. The “surplus,” explained as that“after the 5% for preferred shares,” wasdivided as follows: three-twelfths to KarlBockisch, four-twelfths to Edwin Welte,and five-twelfths to Carl M. Welte as theeldest grandson.
5. Edwin Welte, and the Welte-Mignon
A work published in 1903 helps placethe music industry at the turn of the century in perspective. “Paul de Wit’sWelt Adressbuch der MusikinstrumentenIndustrie” covered the world (“Welt”)and contained an impressive 796 pages.Items within are short, and the type average, with space unwasted and tightlyfilled, so that an estimate is that this catalog listed names and addresses of a minimum of 25,000 concerns and individuals. This display of musicalinstruments, firms and people as of 1903is astonishing. It illustrates that before
cars, home appliances, oil, the radio, aircraft, movies, records, television, electronics, waste disposal and sophisticated defense, the music industryreigned supreme in overall industrialsize, and in its contribution to personalentertainment and pleasure. The Welteposition may not have been primary inquantity, but its product quality and its market share with the upper classesplaced it high among international musical firms.
Edwin commented on his life with thecompany when he was some nineteenyears old:
[In] 1895 in fall I had to placeand tune an orchestrion . . . inLouisville, [Kentucky, USA]. Istayed a day longer to make a tripto the Mammoth Cave.
Whether this was his first trip to theUnited States (probably it was) it was farfrom his last. He said that for some time,“I did travel in America every fall andspring.” And to other places as well. In1948 he wrote about his life when twenty-two:
50 years ago, I was in the Isle ofCrete (Greece) just after the longfight between the Turks and theGreeks for independence . . . I hadto place an orchestrion in the residence of Prince George ofGreece, the nominated governor ofthe island. I liked such interestingtrips.
In the above quotes, Edwin used thephrase that he “had to place” anorchestrion, both regarding the work inLouisville and that in Greece. He alwaysspoke with great love about his Mignonbut referred to organ and orchestrionendeavors more as a job. Possibly for thisreason, Karl Bockisch in Germany,together with Emil and Carl in America,more often saw to those phases of thebusiness. His reproducing Mignon wouldremain Edwin’s active interest for somethirty years, and then an icon in his memory.
In the 1890s, the Freiburg firm developed one of the earliest piano players using the paper roll, but like
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the orchestrions and organs of the time, itplayed a mechanically-produced product.These instruments lacked the subtletiesand dynamics, the effects of someoneactually playing the instrument. Therewas a growing conviction within Edwinand others that the public would purchaseand enjoy a piano instrument totallyreproducing the artist. At a dateunknown, but about the turn of the century when he was some twenty-fiveyears old, Edwin and his brother-in-law,Karl Bockisch (himself all of twenty-three years), began the co-invention of an automatic artist-reproducing, piano-playing mechanism.Who contributed what and how muchwill remain a mystery. Edwin’s cousin,Carl Welte, wrote to Dick Simonton:
Whenever I visited Freiburg, myvisits lasted several months at atime, enjoying the hospitality of theWeltes, among them my father’smarried sisters. The surroundingcountryside is very beautiful. . . .
I was in Freiburg in 1901 [at thetime when he became one of theowners of the firm, as describedabove] when Edwin was workingon the device, later known as theWelte-Mignon, which reproducedthe exact interpretation of thepianist when his playing wasrecorded.
There will always be a doubt as towho initiated the idea of a reproducingpiano, Edwin or Karl. Or, Hugo Popper.An Austrian by birth, Popper had movedto Leipzig by 1891. This city was an important hub of art, science andindustry. With a partner, he founded Popper & Company. At first dealing in the exporting of general merchandise,the firm gradually turned to the field of music, especially mechanical instruments. By the turn of the century,Popper & Company was a distributor ofmusic boxes, and distributed a growingvariety of orchestrions and violin-playinginstruments of their own manufacture.Popper also held major distribution rightsto Welte organs and orchestrions.
The association of the three men addsdifficulty in saying who decided what inthe development of the reproducingpiano. David Bowers stated in his
Encyclopedia: “Together with EdwinWelte, Bockisch worked on the reproducing piano.” And also: “It wasHugo Popper who furnished encouragement to Bockisch during thedevelopment of the Welte reproducingpiano.” At this point Bowers gave nocredit to Edwin.
However, Carl Welte spoke ofEdwin’s early participation. He observedhis cousin “working on the device” threeyears before the first public displaywhich occurred in 1904. In Edwin’s letters, one can note his great pride in theMignon, almost as if it were his ownchild. He was probably an equal in theinvention, and perhaps even more.Though others had an initial input, theyalso had other demands on their time.Edwin’s interest remained particularlystrong. Over the years he continued tothink of changes and improvements. Heapplied for a number of U.S. patents, allin his own name and no other. Some of these important patents were a foundation for the future American 11 1/4 inch Welte Mignon systems. Theremust be a reservation regarding viewswhich tend to dismiss Edwin’s role and omit mention of his continuinginventiveness over the next ten years.The Welte-Mignon was not a one-timething but under Edwin, and especially in America, continued to evolve. Illustration through a single quote is notpossible, but Edwin’s letters to DickSimonton and Simonton’s contacts withEdwin and Karl after World War II cancause a growing conviction that Karl’sprimary interest was in organs, not in thereproducing piano or its masters. KarlBockisch attempted to re-establish anorgan business in the late 1940s, but theproduction of the Welte-Mignon hadceased in 1932. As the Depression deepened, and with Edwin’s retirement,what was left of the firm after bankruptcybecame Karl’s and his son’s, for Karl tomanage as he pleased.
The following is also from Mr. Bowers:
Sometime around the turn of thecentury Bockisch conceived theidea of what was to later becomethe Welte-Mignon reproducingpiano. Together with Edwin Welte, Bockisch worked on the
reproducing concept. By 1904 a successful instrument was produced. Most of the inventiveideas were Bockisch’s, but creditwas officially given to Karl Bockisch and Edwin Welte on anequal basis.
What should the instrument benamed? Edwin Welte proposed thatit be called the Welte Mignon. KarlBockisch, long resentful that hisname was virtually unknown to thepublic, objected vigorously – and aheated argument resulted betweenthe two men.
The Welte-Bockisch argumentproduced a stalemate in 1904. As acompromise the instrument wasoffered simply as the Mignon –without the Welte prefix.
The concept involved two creations: amechanism, the recording piano, whichwould record the live playing of an artist,from which a master could be made; andanother invention, later called the Welte-Mignon, which would operate the pianoaction, recreating the performer’s art byway of a copy of the master.
The completed inventions resulted inan “autograph” performance, a musicalsignature of the artist as individual as theperformer’s written signature. Indeed, inthe US, “Autograph” would become overtime one name for Welte-Mignon product.
The following is from Musik Instrument Zeitung, July 11, 1905, in apurposefully literal rather than literarytranslation from the German as made bycollector Mark Reinhart. The Feurich, awell-known instrument of quality, is herein 1905 tied to the Mignon apparatus. Ina letter by Hugo Popper of November,1906, he appears to use “Feurich,” thename of a popular piano, as a synonymfor the Mignon. The first version of theMignon was as a cabinet piano withoutkeyboard, with the piano encased inside,invisible and unnamed. The two references indicate that in 1905-06, mostor all interior pianos were supplied by theFeurich firm of Leipzig. The year 1905was one of Mignon recording in a quantityprobably never surpassed. It was also, asthis mid-year release shows, a year ofintroduction probably more than sales.
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Mignon-Reproducing-Piano.This from the firm of M. Welte &Soehne in Freiburg in Baden andPopper & Company in Leipzig andnow on the market. The “Mignon”reproducing piano reported in [Musik Instrument Zeitung]number 17 contains a descriptionwith a picture. At all places wherethe music loving public and musiccritics have become acquainted,acclaim and excitement for thisgreat invention has developed.Weeks of invitations from theimpresario Ludwig Gruenfeld inVienna to about 400 personsincluding music critics, professorsfrom the conservatories and numerous faculty from smallermusic salons have as a whole founda practical guide in this medium.The top piano manufacturer inLeipzig, Julius Feurich, is buildingpianos for the ‘Mignon.’ The production of this medium haswithout oral commentary become aportrait of the regal right of concertfor whom a series of knownpianists have become acquainted.The result that is forthcoming is praise worthy of a star acknowledged from all sides. Wehave learned that the firm of AlbertGutmann of Vienna is to be therepresentative of the “Mignon” forAustria.
The earliest known publicity about the invention had come in March of theprevious year, 1904. A pictorialannouncement and description of its display at a Leipzig trade fair was published. It was also shown at this timein the U.S. Carl Welte wrote in a letterthat his cousin, Edwin, “brought the first[!] Welte-Mignon to New York City in1904 where it was exhibited in our NewYork Studio and later in the same year, atthe St. Louis World’s Fair [or, TheLouisiana Purchase Exposition]. Edwin’ssimple comment in later years: “We hada large exhibit in St. Louis [Missouri,USA].” This exhibit included Welteorgans and orchestrions, the primaryinterests of Emil and Carl Welte.
In 1906 when Edwin moved to the U.S. to direct the marketing of theinvention in the States, the copyright to
the name “Mignon” was held by another.Wm. Knabe & Company, “of Baltimorecity,” earlier applied for, then receivedregistry for the trademark “Mignon” as ofAugust 1, 1905. Edwin could not use theterm in America. Thus, from 1906, theinstrument was titled in full in the States,“The Welte Artistic Player Piano – InEurope, the Mignon.” This was only oneof numerous names applied over time inthe United States to the Welte-Mignonapparatus with instrument, “Artistic Player Piano” being the earliest.
The ongoing problem of a name restedin the fact that the Welte-Mignon was thereproducing mechanism. It was not the total instrument in its various manifestations. When Edwin’s Mignonwas combined in whatever manner with a piano of some make, be it the keyboardless cabinet, upright piano, thepush-up type or a grand, the namingbecame difficult and inconsistent. TheWelte-Mignon was a specific unit, a keyboardless cabinet piano. Over time,this became a generic term covering allversions. Edwin, in his late writings, usedWelte-Mignon, Welte Mignon withouthyphen, or, the Mignon interchangeably.The term to be avoided is that whichrefers to piano instruments as a “Welte,”as done in more contemporary circles.This can be meaningless, since “I have a Welte” defines nothing. WelteOrchestrion, Welte Philharmonic Organ,Welte-Mignon, or Mignon, does properlydifferentiate the subjects.
In 1904, people had long known of theWelte orchestrions, as well as the largermechanical pipe organs, both of whichthe firm would continue to build. Thisnew invention was aptly named theMignon, the little, petite or small Welte,to distinguish it from the larger instruments. In Europe, the various versions were sometimes called as agroup, “Welte-Mignon Reproduktions –Piano und Flugel” (reproducing uprightand grand). In America, among variousnames in use before the Great War, inaddition to Artistic, was that of Welte-Mignon Autograph-Piano.
The American public tended to callevery mechanical piano a player-piano.Edwin stressed that his Mignon was not aplayer-piano, and yet named his earlyU.S. firm The Welte Artistic Player PianoCompany and the instrument, The Welte
Artistic Player Piano. Whether or notthere was an argument with Karl Bockisch, in America the name Weltewas prominent from the beginning.
The 1904 exhibition of an originalWelte-Mignon cabinet piano in Americawas indicative of Edwin’s early and continued interest in the U.S. Edwinfound his niche in America as early as histeens when he “placed and tuned”orchestrions in the U.S. In the States,away from Freiburg and Bockisch,Edwin created his own firm, his ownFifth Avenue studio in which to sell, andthen his own Poughkeepsie factory inwhich to manufacture the Welte-Mignon.With owners Edwin, Emil, Carl, and for atime even Berthold Welte active in theU.S., Karl Bockisch probably assumedmore and more of the decision making atthe Freiburg factory.
And, it would seem, this decisionmaking and its ramifications were notsimple. A letter appearing on stationeryof “Popper & Company, Leipzig –Orchestrionfabrfik,” was sent from HugoPopper “by courier” to a Herm. C.Moehle on November 27, 1906. Becauseit opens a door wherein we can see intothe ordinary business of the firms and theMignon in its early stages, it is quotedalmost entirely, again in translation courtesy of Mark Reinhart. The positionof Herr Moehle is not known, whether amember of the firm or an interceding representative on Popper’s behalf. Theterm “Welte” is used but it is unclear inwhich cases it refers to the firm and, ifand when, to an individual unnamed.
This afternoon we received aletter from Welt in which theyinform us that everything is becoming so expensive that essentially a surcharge on Feurichof M 30 is required, and on the rest they are consulting. The Weltefirm will thence increase the manufacture price for the Mignonby 10 percent, and would like us toagree to this price rise.
Welte wrote that they earnabsolutely nothing on the Mignon.You will find enclosed a copy ofthe whole letter. In any event, Iproposed that both Herr Bockischand Welte reduce their enormously
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high licensing fee of M 139, that isonly painful to Welte that it doesnot earn. You know very well thatthe customers positively screamover the price of the Mignon andthat when the manufacture priceincreases by 10 percent then mustthe sales and retail prices becomehigher. I will first wait for your fullreport on the matter beforeresponding in case I am agreeableto the price increase, so that we donot intercede at the same time. Insummary, the customers willpromptly inform us of what mustcome.
Of interest to you, the seniormanager of the REGINA-BOX[sic] Company was here, andwould like to be our general [Popper] representative in theUSA. Their company could sell ourorchestrions. We have time forreflection to decide. The manageralso had some interesting facts totell with regard to other matters.The Mignon is sold in New Yorkfrom Welte for only $1500, not forM 6000. The extreme calculationof freight and duty charges come toM 700. So you know you are rightin calculation, and that the Mignondoes not cause the Welte firm to grow poor. This is all a very confidential communication.
As our orchestrion sales broadenI need not mention that we suffer with our own manufacturingproblems. We recently had a wholepack of salesmen here who toldtales of competition having lowerprices and that the end is coming.Basically, we have an IDUNA[large orchestrion] promised fordelivery in February. Feurich justsold a Mignon to Bielefeld and we wrote the order to Welte thismorning.
When you read the main contract with Welte you will seethat Welte has obligated us to takedelivery without the motor and music rolls at M 1390. Withtransportation the differencebetween wholesale and respectiveretail price becomes a very smallshare indeed. Under the retail pricethe discount is only 25 to 33 1/3
percent and retailing at that pricewill reduce a steady seller. We muston the whole grant compensationof outside jobbers. Obviously whenwe agreed to the Welte frameworkof a 10 percent commission allother prices were to be maintained.Hupfeld and Pianola are caseswhere I gave agreement in the easiest of terms.
In any case we will not be handling their goods in the futureas I foresee enormous difficultywith our customers. I should repayWelte, like with like, and couldsimply send a telegram of the firstresult of a return to the lowerprices, free to the Peru-Nachricht[Peru-News]. Would you alsoplease see if they could be more energetic and hurry up withnew music rolls. Last time theywere so slow in coming. Perhapsyou can call on them . . . I mustleave now so the courier can deliver this to you. . . . My verybest greetings. . . .
The above is a leap forward to somematters which will be discussed shortly.Edwin probably left for America as earlyas the spring of 1906. Concurrent withhis departure, there was a break in newrecordings lasting from April throughmost of the year. It was probably verytrue that new music was slow in coming,and it didn’t much improve. It was 1909before the quantity of artists and releasescame anywhere near approaching therecording levels accomplished during thefirst sixteen months.
Other complaints sound typical of a distributor or dealer. A rise in price usually causes an automatic reaction: Itjust can’t be – nothing will sell. Perhapsit wasn’t the Mignon price increase thatupset Popper as much as the prospect that“on the rest they are consulting.” Heprobably wished to lodge his protestbefore increases were announced for allWelte products. It was undoubtedly anuntruth on Welte’s part to say that theMignon earned nothing. It was wrong ofPopper to assume Welte’s profit was hisbusiness. Neither position is unusual.
Comment will come later about thefact that Welte-Mignon rolls in the United States were very expensive,
selling for $15.00 and more. But the U.S.selling price of the Welte-Mignon itself isimpressive. Yet, Popper used the phrase“for only” $1,500.00 as though this was a bargain. This American price forthe original cabinet piano version intoday’s value of the dollar would be inexcess of $25,000. Add to that a motor tofit the varying local electrical systems,perhaps a transformer or in areas a storage battery, plus roll selections, andthe Welte-Mignon was indeed intendedfor a select clientele. Nevertheless, Popper’s statement is somewhat puzzlingbecause the exchange rate at that timewas 4.2 Reichmarks per Dollar. Thus, the$1,500 in New York would have beenequivalent to M 6,300, very close to theM 6,000 figure.
In 1950, Karl Bockisch wrote to DickSimonton, evidently in answer to a question from North Hollywood:“Brahms has never been recorded by us.He died already in 1897 in Vienna andour first records has [sic] been made1904.” This probably dates the first of the Freiburg experimental recordings.January, 1905, is the earliest date so farlocated on collector roll labels. Knownissues with this month’s dating presentperformances by Gruenfeld, Roessel,Krah, Reinecke, and Friedheim.
The recording system which Edwinand Karl created was evidently built intoa Steinway grand, and quite possibly intoa Feurich grand. Surviving pictures ofartists performing at recording pianosshow a straight leg grand, which is perhaps a Steinway. In other photographsthe grand has a turned leg, possibly aFeurich.
During a recording performance, themotion of the piano keys played by theartist was sensed by a carbon rodattached to the underside of each key.When a key was depressed, its rodplunged into a bath of mercury makingan electrical contact which in turn energized an electromagnet. This electromagnet pushed one of a series ofinked soft rubber rollers, one for eachkey, onto a moving paper roll. Each noteplayed was registered in this manner; aslong as the key was depressed, the rollerremained on the moving paper.
The velocity at which the key wasdepressed was similarly recorded by the
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same rod. As the rod submerged deeperinto the liquid metal, the resistance in theelectrical circuit it made steadilydecreased until the key became fullydepressed. At this point the resistance inthe circuit became constant, providingmaximum current flow to the appropriateelectromagnet.
When a key was swiftly depressed, asin a loud blow, its circuit resistancequickly dropped to its low constant,rapidly energizing its electromagnet and forcefully driving its roller onto themoving paper. When a key was moreslowly depressed, as in a soft blow, itscircuit resistance took longer to drop toits low constant. Hence, its electromagnetwas energized less abruptly and drove itsroller onto the paper more languidly.
The corresponding differences inslope between initial and final widths ofthe ink markings gave indication of thedynamics of the notes struck. Thesedynamics were then encoded intopunched holes placed at the edges of the master roll and any subsequentcopies. These holes in turn controlled the expression devices within the reperforming Welte-Mignon action.
There has been talk over the years of a“secret process” involved, although themechanics of the inventions as well astheir patents were general knowledge.Perhaps the mystery element resided inthe ability to interpret correctly the ink markings. A careful reading of allrecordings is thought to have been donein the early years by Edwin and Karlthemselves. Edwin mentioned that greatcare had to be spent in translating theimages. It has been said that a LydiaReinbolde was the noted master dynamiceditor at Freiburg over many later years.
Since so much discussion and evendoubt has been cast on this subject, thefollowing view is quoted from Player-Piano – the History of the MechanicalPiano and How to Repair It (Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume, 1970).
The methods by which Welterolls were recorded are shrouded inmystery. In an article contained inthe Journal of the British Instituteof Recorded Sound, John Farmerstates that, unlike Aeolian andAmpico, Welte always insisted thattheir recording system was fully
automatic and did not ask for theservices of the pianist in the laterstages of preparation of the masterroll. It seems that the recordingpiano had a trough of mercurybeneath the keyboard. Each keyhad a light carbon prong suspendedfrom its lower side which dippedinto the mercury when that notewas played. This was said to haveenabled the recording of the exactforce and duration of the note. Thisdoes, however, seem unlikely, butMr. Richard Simonton, whobefriended Edwin Welte during hislater years, told John Farmer thatthe carbon prongs were in fact suspended form the key by a finecoil spring and consequently thedepth of penetration of the carbonrod in the mercury would have varied with the force with whichthe key was depressed. From this, it would follow that the resistanceto the flow of current would vary lightly with this depth of penetration and if this could betraced against each note, a fairlygood idea of the pianist’s dynamics would be obtained. But,as John Farmer rightly asserts, the techniques of electrical measurement with the limitedknowledge available at the timemakes this a little doubtful.Undoubtedly this is not as reliablea recording system as one whichdirectly measures hammer velocityand Farmer suggests that this may be one reason why some ofthe passages in Welte rolls tend tosound a little rough.
Other collectors occasionally mentionthat Welte-Mignon rolls can at timesseem a little “rough.” With questioning,the recordings to which they refer includeeither Poughkeepsie war-time issues or Freiburg 5500 series popular rolls. The latter were often performed by classically-trained European artists not in tune with the American ragtime or jazz styles they were playing. Any noted“rough” selections seldom encompassparts of the early classical recordings created under the responsible supervisionof Edwin Welte and Karl Bockisch. Theyalso rarely include the recordings by De
Luxe in the 1920s using seismographprinciples. Roll companies put varyingamounts of time into roll coding, with thepopular selections overall receiving theleast care, for they were expected to be saleable only for months, not years.Popular product from all reproducing rollcompanies often was inconsistent inquality of both arrangements and editing.
The measuring of hammer velocitycame late in the era of reproducingrecording, often when classical performance totals were minor in comparison to the many popular newreleases. Even after later methods such as the Ampico spark chronograph cameinto being they weren’t always used.Works of only passing interest, especiallypopular titles, might still be subject to“drawing board” production as the 1930shand-cuttings by the prolific Frank Milnebear witness.
As for the “limited knowledge” of electrical measurement, and the statement that John Farmer “rightlyasserts” electrical measurements wereprimitive, and the Welte-Mignon recording system for this reason a “littledoubtful”: surprising capabilities in themeasurement of electrical current werewell advanced by the first decade of thetwentieth century. Moreover, the Welte-Mignon recording system did not relyupon the precise measurement of electri-cal current.
The electric components and useswithin the Welte-Mignon recording system, and in the reperforming instruments, were relatively simplistic incomparison to industrial uses, rapidlyexpanding in what some think a primitiveera. The marvel of the Welte-Mignon wasnot in its use of electricity, but in the totalinvention, in recording and reproducingartists to the satisfaction of performers,critics and public. What the two men didwhile still in their early twenties seemedimpossible then and to some even now.But it happened, and their inventionremained a match for all later reproducingsystems, which never managed to bypassthe basic Welte-Mignon patents.
Perhaps in part the problem was thatthe inventors were young, too young tocreate something of that magnitude. Alleras have mistrusted youth. It is anaccepted canard that greatness is a result
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of suffering and age, and musicians areoften pictured in the histories as aged andgray. It is refreshing to look throughWelte-Mignon catalogs and see so manyyoung faces, to read biographies of people already recognized in their teens.Still, an Edwin Welte in his twenties wasnot likely to be trusted in the musicalworld of the time. It was fortunate that Hugo Popper was interested, a mannearing fifty years, whose age and statusin Leipzig undoubtedly helped to securethe interest of the great classical artists ofthe day. Most of the performers wouldhave been senior to young Edwin, andprobably superior in attitude, with artistictemperaments difficult for one so youngto handle. Popper had the age and experience to enlist the greatest names.
The quantity of issues recorded in thefirst sixteen months, titles long recognized as having excellent coding,would seem to belie laborious hand editing. No names other than Edwin andKarl have been mentioned as involved atthis time in the secretive “holy of holies.”If all dynamic editing had been done byhand without any guidance, without theassistance of a recording system, theintrinsic artistic merit of these recordswould have required the full time effortsand more of these two men. But duringthis time they were not only managing an international business, as well as organizing and supervising the recordingin Freiburg, Leipzig and perhaps elsewhere, but traveling and demonstrating their product as well. Thecapability of dynamic recording helpsaccount for the beginning record quantityand quality. More than 1,000 titles wererecorded in the first sixteen months. Theperfection included in these recordingsbecame the foundation for the latercopies issued under Licensee and PurpleSeal labels. Even “reading” that manymarked masters seems a major task.Adding dynamic coding to that many titles from scratch would seemimpossible. It would surely have cried forartist assistance, something the Weltepeople publicized they didn’t need to do.
The recordings were considered faithful to their performer, a musical“autograph.” The firm often secured letters and signatures which verified the roll as the authentic intent of theartist. The firm placed copies of these
signatures on roll labels, in catalogs andin literature. Many of the comments, withpictures and signatures, were publishedin catalogs, promotional booklets and incomplete books devoted to the same.Ever stressing accuracy, Edwin made a clear distinction in a letter that the testimonials were “written to Mr. EdwinWelte and Karl Bockisch, the inventors,and not to M. Welte and Soehne.”Though not easy to state flatly, there are indications in Edwin’s own words,such as the above, that Edwin consideredhimself and the Welte-Mignon apart from the parent firm and its multipleownership. Edwin was an inventor andan entrepreneur, who worked best nothamstrung by corporate structure.
Ever protective of his rights, Edwin later recalled an “8-day patentinvestigation I made in Washington in1904.” Stressing the strength of hispatents, Edwin wrote the following.Whether his memory was wrong aboutthe royalties, or whether Aeolian paid fora time and then ceased is not clear. It isknown that they were finally forced topay fees to the new American owners, theWelte-Mignon Corporation, in the 1920s.
In 1905 my uncle, Emil Welte,who successfully managed ourbranch in New York since 1865,came to Freiburg and explainedthat he did not want to have anything to do with the selling ofthe Welte-Mignon in America. Hedeclared that no competitionagainst such firms like the AeolianCompany was possible . . . Aeoliantried to bluff me. I turned aroundand made them pay me a royaltyfor every reproducing piano theysold.
When Emil declined to market theWelte-Mignon in the U.S., Edwin soonarranged to do it himself. Thus, he wentto the States in 1906, a move which probably reflected itself in the meageramount of new recording at Freiburgfrom the spring of 1906 into 1909. Also,it seems evident that relations were not the same with Hugo Popper, andrecording at his Leipzig salon may haveceased by 1906. With his salon no longeravailable and his influence with artistsmildly offered at best, it took time to
establish an admired Freiburg studio andtrusting new relations with performers.Less than two dozen artists made recordings in that two-and-a-half years,1906 and into 1909, with some of thesenames seemingly “in-house” and of dubious stature.
6. Instruments, Four Choices
There is little disagreement regardingthe initial instrument. It consisted of the Welte-Mignon action built within a keyboardless cabinet piano. This instrument was sold in Europe from 1905and by 1906 in the United States, whenEdwin arrived in America to launch itssale. Feurich supplied most of thesepianos. Steinway also made some. This initial cabinet model without keyboard was first called the “Mignon,”then gradually the “Welte-Mignon.”
At some point, perhaps by 1907, theWelte-Mignon apparatus was adapted tofit rather awkwardly within an uprightpiano case with keyboard. This appearedin a tall-case model with the reproducingaction above the keybed. Somewhat later,certainly by 1912, it appeared in a standard-height upright with part of thereproducing action placed in front of thepiano action above the keyboard and the rest below the keybed. When theseself-contained uprights with keyboardsappeared they were called the “Welte-Piano.”
An early U.S. catalog appeared about1907 titled a “List of Music for theWelte-Mignon-Piano.” The July, 1908,supplement was more simply titled:“The Welte-Mignon Piano.” These titleswere not limiting, but offered rolls forboth keyboardless cabinets and the lateststyle with keyboard.
There is disagreement regardingwhich came next in order, the grandpiano (“Fluegel” or, literally, wing) withinterior installed Welte-Mignon action, orthe push-up “Vorsetzer,” i.e., that whichsits before or in front of, but it was probably the Vorsetzer. In regard to thelatter, it was designed to be used withalmost any piano. “Fingers” operated thepiano keys with varying touch as directedby the mechanism inside, and leversoperated the sustaining and soft pedals,all on command from the paper roll. The
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cabinet piano (keyboardless), and cabinet(Vorsetzer), have often been confusedbecause of their similar names. In the1920s, the Welte-Mignon Corporationbegan marketing an 11 1/4-inch cabinet(push-up) instrument, but – perhaps toavoid this confusion – later used theirown designation of “Console.”
An undated but earlier Freiburgbrochure described the four instrumentalstylistic variations in which the Welte-Mignon might appear. It is thought tohave been published about 1910-1912.The first three styles it described, as listed below, “will be delivered upondemand with pianos built by the famousmakers: Steinway & Sons, Bechstein,Bleuthner, Ibach, Feurich, Berdux.” The following is taken from the versionprinted in English.
1. The “WELTE-MIGNON”without keyboard . . . This Model isspecially built for reproducingartist’s playing, but as it has no keyboard it cannot be played by hand. This instrument is particularly suitable for rooms orhalls in which an ordinary piano isalready placed, or in which forsome architectural or decorativereason the form of an ordinaryUpright or Grand piano is notdesirable . . . The Welte-Mignoncan be supplied in any special orperiod designed case.
2. The “WELTE-PIANO” with keyboard . . . In outwardappearance is an ordinary UprightPiano, with keyboard, and can be used with equal facility as areproducing instrument or forhand-playing.
3. The “WELTE-GRAND” . . .This is the Ideal combination as it consists of the Welte-Mignon, fitted inside a Grand Piano, and,like the Welte-Piano, can be playedeither by hand, or as a reproducingpiano. One of the main principlesin the construction of this instrument is that the mechanicalapparatus in no way interferes withthe tone quality of the piano, whileat the same time keeping the symmetrical lines of an ordinarygrand piano. The motor and blowing gear are placed in a
separate case, which can be supplied either in the cabinet formto be placed somewhere near theGrand, or in a box, which can beput into a separate room, the onlyconnection between the Grand andthe box being a rubber tube andtwo wires for the electric current.The case designs for the Berduxand Feurich Grand are very similarto the case of the Steinway Grand.In addition to the regular cases,these instruments can be suppliedin any special or period design asdescribed.
4. The “WELTE-CABINET-PLAYER” . . . Can be attached toany existing piano, Grand orUpright, and faithfully reproducesthe tone, touch and personality ofthe Artist who made the record.The small electric motor is placedinside the case. When the CabinetPlayer is to be used in connectionwith an Upright or Grand in specialor period designed case, same canbe supplied in a case to correspondwith.
The comment above that the instruments “can be supplied in any special or period design” generallyapplied to all Welte instruments. Examples and demonstrators were available for customers to view andenjoy. Product in that period, however,was often special ordered, with individual details provided to satisfy thatparticular customer.
Another Freiburg brochure, undated, listed “Die Drei Arten WelteReproductions Instrumente”: 1.“DerWelte-Fluegel.” The grand with theWelte-Mignon. 2.“Das Welte-Piano.”The upright keyboard piano with theWelte-Mignon. 3.“Der Welte-Vorsetzer.”The cabinet, or push-up, style.
German names were many: “Das Welte-Mignon”; or “Welte-MignonReproduktion Instruments”; or, the “Welte-Mignon Reproduktion-apparates.”
In the United States, the pre-GreatWar names in use included the originalArtistic; The Autograph; The Welte-Mignon; The Welte-Mignon Piano; TheWelte-Piano; Welte Cabinet Player; andthe Steinway-Welte-Piano.
Although the Welte-Mignon apparatusinterior-built into grands seems to haveappeared by the second decade in Germany, the United States brochures aslate as 1913 only offered the Welte-Mignon cabinet piano, the Welte-Pianoupright, and the Vorsetzer, not a grand.The American product will shortly bediscussed in added detail.
To enlighten the novice, as well ashopefully prevent confusion and error bythe otherwise knowledgeable individual,additional explanatory comment will bemade concerning the naming and styles.
1. The earliest version, keyboardless, was later known asthe Cabinet Piano or KabinettPiano. It was “ohne Spielklaviatur”– or, without keyboard. This instrument was the originalMignon, or Welte-Mignon, LittleWelte, or, Das Welte-Mignon. Itwas the demonstrator in 1904, andappeared over time with variousinternal pianos. It was available inAmerica from 1906 to 1918, andprobably almost any time atFreiburg.
2. The upright piano withMignon was listed in Europe as Das Welte-Piano, or “mitSpielklaviatur,” with keyboard. Itwas also described as “Spielen vonhand,” and instrument playable byhand. Upright in style, the “Welte-Piano” appeared in Europe and inthe U.S. in tall cases and later in regular-height cases. Thesesometimes were named to includethe piano brand, especially Steinway-Welte-Piano or justSteinway-Welte. In America,brands included the Mason &Hamlin and Krakauer Welte-Pianos. The Welte-Piano of stan-dard height is the most commonversion of Red roll player in theUnited States today.
3. The grand piano appearingwith the Welte-Mignon action wascalled Der Welte-Flugel, and againwas noted “von Hand gespielt,” orplayable by hand. The grand from1916, with the creation of the 111/4-inch format, became the Welte-Mignon instrument of choice in
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America. The Freiburg wide rollgrand was rarely available in theU.S. If wanted, it could be orderedfrom Europe but this was seldomdone. Instead, the Poughkeepsiefactory produced the Vorsetzer.Customers could then select anygrand of their choice, or add thepush-up apparatus to a grand orupright already in the home.
4. Der Welte-Vorsetzer, thepush-up Cabinet Player, would perform with almost any piano,either a grand (usually) or anupright, “var jades Pianino, oderFlugel.” This version of necessityrelied heavily upon the quality ofthe piano to which it was weddedfor its results.
In 1923, the Auto Pneumatic ActionCompany commented on early Welte-Mignon history as follows. Here again,the term “cabinet” is applied to the twodifferent instruments: one keyboardless,the Cabinet Piano, and the other thepush-up Cabinet Player.
The original Welte-Mignon wasa large cabinet containing anupright piano with the mechanismplaced in front instead of the usualkeyboard, giving the instrument the appearance of a big sideboard,and its great disadvantage, apartfrom its clumsiness, was, of course,that it was of no use at all as apiano. They therefore brought out a Cabinet Player, similar in appearance to other cabinet playersof that period, which could bepushed up to any piano, and thisinstrument in combination with agrand piano created a sensationwherever exhibited.
After being given the name Artistic inthe United States, by the second decadeand into the third, Edwin’s invention wasoften called the Autograph. But althoughMignon was copyrighted by Knabe andcould not be used singularly by Edwin inthe U.S., during the first decade it didappear casually, probably from the European example. The following isfrom a program note for a Paderewskirecital in Pittsburgh, November, 1907. Itquotes this famous artist:
The only objection I have to the ‘Mignon’ [Little] is foundedexclusively in its name, as the latteris not in keeping either with itspowerful effect or its enormousimportance.
It could have been statements such asthis which led to the search for a specificand more meaningful name for the apparatus. Other than Welte-Mignon,none was ever found. Instead, there was aproliferation of names in use then andnow. Many of these will be mentioned asthis history progresses.
An ad in the same program gives additional insight into the viewpointsheld in the year 1907. The ad was for “S. Hamilton Company, Hamilton Hall,531-533 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, Mason& Hamlin Pianos.” It publicized the original Welte-Mignon Cabinet Piano.The Welte-Piano and Cabinet Player liein the future, with the upright thought tohave been available in the United Statesby 1907-08, and the Vorsetzer by 1909 orpossibly 1910. The ad also shows that by1907 the Welte name had been added.Despite Karl Bockisch, Welte-Mignonhad come into its own, at least in theUnited States.
The Welte-Mignon is the mostmarvelous and ingenious musicalinstrument the world has known. Itis a piano of beautiful tone qualityand power enclosed in a cabinetwhich also contains a wonderfulreproducing device . . . The Welte-Mignon is not sold for use in anypublic place. Price $1,500.
In a letter to Simonton, Edwin statedstrongly that his Welte-Mignon was notmarketed for public entertainment. Evidently, as in the above, he requestedthat dealers state this in their ads. Also ofinterest, this ad, as published a year afterthe earlier quoted letter by Hugo Popper,indicates that Hugo was given the correctprice for the Mignon in America.
An ad published sometime about1910-1911 by “The Welte-Mignon Artistic Piano Company, 273 FifthAvenue, New York,” presented “TheSteinway-Welte Reproducing AutographPiano, Manufactured In These Styles:Steinway Welte Piano, Steinway Welte
Mignon, Cabinet Player For SteinwayGrands.” The first is obviously anupright, and the last the Vorsetzer. However, “Steinway Welte Mignon” isvague and could mean a smaller Cabinet Piano or, less likely, an interior-built grand.
Another ad from about 1912-1913 for “M. Welte & Sons, Incorporated, 273 Fifth Avenue, N.Y., Opposite theHolland House,” listed “Steinway PianosIncorporated In the Welte-Mignon –Demonstrations Daily At Our Studio . . .The Welte-Mignon Autograph Piano Is the Living Soul of the Artist.” Ofstrange wording, a more accurate phrasewould have been the reverse: “TheWelte-Mignon Incorporated In SteinwayPianos” – unless the ad was publicizingthe Cabinet Piano with keyboard in which case the piano and player mechanism were both “incorporated”into the one instrument.
Elsewhere an exclusive agreementbetween Steinway and the Aeolian Company is discussed. The authorityafter June, 1910, to offer Steinway Welteproduct as in the ads above, cannot at thistime be explained: except if all the aboveproduct were imported from Hamburgand without connection to Steinway &Sons, New York.
From the beginning, the Welte-Mignon in its various styles was outfittedwith what is called the T-100 or 100-holetracker bar. The paper rolls were in a“Wide” or “German” roll width of about12 7/8 inches. They were perforated in a scale of eight holes to the inch. Thepaper was generally Red (“Rot”). Rollsmanufactured in Poughkeepsie, NewYork also appeared in various colortones, including red, pink gray-green, andcream. The original red paper caused the12 7/8-inch scale instruments to benamed by some the “Red Roll Welte,” or,as often will be used herein, the Red T-100 mechanism and roll.
The instruments with Welte-Mignonaction operated from the beginning underelectrical power and the mechanism wasactivated by a simple lever, after whichthe owner could relax and enjoy the “live” performance. In the pre-GreatWar era, where the major mode of localtransportation was still the horse or bicycle, where the hand pump probably
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brought water to the sink, and the outhouse would continue to be a familiarsight for many years, the Welte-Mignonwas all but beyond most people’s comprehension. In the present era of electronic sophistication, the turn-of-the-century creation of metal, rubber,
wood and leather which operated on vacuum can still be judged incredible. It is too easy for knowledgeable individuals of today to dismiss as of small import the creativity of one generation removed, much less one ofnearly one hundred years in the past. But
it remains astounding, the individuallycreative and inventive genius in their dayof an Edison, a Marconi, a Henry Ford,the Wright brothers, or the Weltes ofFreiburg. And of Edwin Welte, whoselasting wish was to have remained inPoughkeepsie, New York.
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APPENDIX CWelte-Mignon Recordings – Numbering and Estimated Quantity
Roll Type Issue Dating Record Numbers Possible Numbers Known TitlesRed (T-100) (12 7/8 inch)Freiburg 1905-1920 1-3499 3,499 2,650Poughkeepsie 1913-1919 3500-3961 461 431Poughkeepsie ca.-1916 8001-80?? ? 16Poughkeepsie ca.-1916 8500-85?? ? 18Bronx 1919-1920 3962-4062 101 78Freiburg 1920-1930 3601-4205 605 590Freiburg 1922-1932 5500-6052 533 506
5,219 4,294Green (T-98) (11 1/4 inch)Freiburg ca. 1922-1932 Selected 4,637 350
Pianon (T-98/T-100) (11 1/4 inch / 12 7/8 inch)Freiburg ca. 1922-1932 Selected 4,637 ?Freiburg ca. 1922-1932 9000-90?? ? 19Freiburg ca. 1922-1932 9500-95?? ? 34
“Licensee” Label (De Luxe Reproducing Roll Corporation)(11 1/4 inch)Copied 1916-1930 1-3958 3,329 837New 1920-1930 6000-7925 1,926 1,919Renumbered 1926 50000-50152 153 153New 1926-1928 50153-50169 17 17Renumbered 1926 75000-75198 199 199New 1926-1930 75199-75496 298 297W-M/D-A 1930 75497-75501 5 5W-M/D-A/Amp 1931 75502-75535 34 34W-M/D-A 1931-1932 75536-75571 36 23
5,035 3,484
“Purple Seal” Label (Welte-Mignon Corporation) (11 1/4 inch)Copied 1920-1928 1-4062 ? 172
APPENDIX DWelte-Mignon Recordings – Technical Summary
Tracker Bar Notes PlayedType/Width Dating Paper Color Holes Holes/Inch Reproducing Non-ReproT-100 Red / 12 7/8 inchFreiburg 1905-32 Red, pink 100 8 80 NoneNew York 1913-20 Red, gray-green or cream 100 8 80 None
T-98 Green / 11 1/4 inchFreiburg 1922-32 Green 98 9 88* 88*
U.S. “Standard” / 11 1/4 inchPoughkeepsie 1916-19 Light buff, green 98 9 80 88De Luxe 1920-30 Light buff 98 9 80 88De Luxe coded 1930-32 Light buff 98 9 80 88Purple Seal 1920-28 Greenish, dry waxed 98 9 80 88
* Some T-98 Green pianos have been found with 80-note stacks. Also, since T-98 rolls were made from 80-note T-100 masters,most do not contain 88 notes. Additional notes were added to a small percentage of T-98 rolls.
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APPENDIX EUS Roll Numbering Prefixes and
Corresponding Prices
“Licensee” Label (De Luxe Reproducing Roll Corporation):From 1916. After about December,
1922, only A, X, B, Y and C
A–$1.00B–$1.50C–$2.00D–$2.50E–$3.00F–$3.50G–$4.00W–$2.25X–$1.75Y–$1.25
“Purple Seal” Label(Welte-Mignon Corporation)
1920-1928
J–$2.00P–$3.00L–$2.50
M–$2.75
APPENDIX FWelte-Mignon T-100 and T-98
Library SummaryA study of allotted numbers, years,
and artists, based on present knowledgefrom numbering order, and/or label dating, as well as on known catalogs and bulletins. Also based on a study of recording studio photographs.Assumptions, where necessary, were by compiler.
A. 1905 through 1912: European Red T-100 Masters
1905: Numbers 1 through 1060.Probably recorded at Popper & Co.,
Musiksalon, Leipzig. Adam, Eug.;Adam-Benard; d’Albert; Ansorge;Bose; Brockhaus; Brzezinski;Burmeister; Busoni; Carreno; Cionca;Conne; Dohnanyi; Dreyschock;Droucker; Edlesberg; Elmoeh; Elvyn;Friedheim; Gabrilowitsch; Galston;Gernsheim; del Grande; Gruenfeld;Hambourg; Hegner; Hermanns & Hermanns-Stibbe; Hofmann;
Humperdinck; Jonas; Kienzl; Kirsch; Kleeberg; Koch, E.; Krah;Kupfernagel; Lambrino; Lamond;Landowska; Lessor; Leoncavallo;Mahler; Marx-Goldsmith; Maurina;Meroe; Meyer-Helmund; Moehle;Motta; Neitzel; Pauer; Petri; Popper;Pugno; Reger; Reinecke; Reisenauer;Ripper; Roessel; Saint-Saens; Sapellnikoff; Sauer Scharwenka,Schillings; Schnabel; Schnitzer; Schumann, G.; Schytte, Slivinski;Stavenhagen; Stebel; Stenhammer;Weingartner; Weiss, J.; Wendling;Weitzig; Wurmser; Zadora; Zoelner;Zschernick
1906-A (January-April): Numbers1061 through 1277.
Probably recorded at Popper & Co.,Musiksalon, Leipzig. Carreno-Tagliapietro; Chevob; Dohnanyi;Essipoff; Friedberg; Greef; Grieg;Grosz; Leschetizky; Morsztyn; Ney;Nikisch; Pachmann; Paderewski;Schelling; Schmidt; Schwarz; Siebold; Strauss, R.; Uzielli
1906-B (August & October): Numbers1278 through 1305.
Probably recorded at M. Welte & Soehne,Freiburg. Fichter; Lhevinne
1907: Numbers 1306 through 1458.Probably recorded at M. Welte & Soehne,
Freiburg. Busoni; Fryer; Kuehn;Mottl; Orlando; Pugno; Rafaelsohn;Schelling; Schilling; Starke; Timanoff
1908: Numbers 1459 through 1527.Probably recorded at M. Welte & Soehne,
Freiburg. Orlando; Puckler; Samaroff;San Galli; Utz; Zeisler
1909: Numbers 1528 through 1936.Probably recorded in England, at
Steinway Hall, London, but couldinclude some Freiburg-recordedissues. Bird; Brightwell; Brown;Bufaletti; Buhlig; Cory; Davies;Fichter; Fischer; Francklyn; Fryer;Haley; Keith; Kohlberg; Lambelet;Margolies; Meroe; Peppercorn; Pintel; Roland; Scott; Taylor; Vogrich; Webbe; Wolf; Utz
1910-A: Numbers 1937 through 2171.Probably recorded in Russia: Moscow &
St. Petersburg, but could include someFreiburg-recorded issues. Barinowa;Beklemischeff; Berlin; Borowski;Brick; Charitton; Douloff; Drosdoff;Eneri-Gorainoff; Evann; Feldman;Glazounow; Goldenweiser; Hill; Hoffmann, N.; Igumnoff; Kaschperow, Kaula; Khvostchinsky;Kimontt; Koenemann; Korestchenko;Lemba; Liapounow; Meytschick;Michelsohn; Nicolaieff; Pawlow;Pokrowski; Pyschnoff; Romanowsky;Schorr; Scriabine; Seiliger; Stember; Wengerowa; Zaleska
1910-B: Numbers 2172 through 2300.Probably recorded at M. Welte & Soehne,
Freiburg. Adam, Eug.; Bernick;Burkard; Coloma; Ebenstein; Epstein;Feldman; Goodall; Margolies
1911: Numbers 2301 through 2531.Probably recorded at M. Welte & Soehne,
Freiburg. Adam, Eug.; Bernick;Burkard; L. Danziger; Dubois; Ebenstein; Grande & Utz; Lhevinne;Mackle; Sarrazin
1912: Numbers 2532 through 2777.Probably recorded at M. Welte & Soehne,
Freiburg, although certain artists possibly recorded in Paris. Adam,Eug.; Angieros; Battala; Benici; Bernick; Brown; Burgstahl; Chretien;Debussy; Delacroix; Diemer; Ebenstein; d’Egville; de Falla; Faure; Goodall; Loehr; Meroe; Paur; Sarrazin; Weiland; Zeisler
B. 1913 through 1918: Separated German (Freiburg)and U.S. (Poughkeepsie)recording facilities.Note: an asterisk is used throughout this compilation to indicate number-titles recorded in Poughkeepsie, New York.
M. Welte & Soehne (Freiburg)No evidence that masters after about
3097 came to Poughkeepsie, NY
1913:Numbers 2778 through 3096Adam, Edw.; Adam, Eug.; d’Albert;Baker; Cor de Las; d’Equille; Epstein;Ganz; Gayraud; Goodall; Granados;
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J. Hofmann; Lemare; Leon; Long;Moreau; Moulle; Novaes; Oreal;Ravel; Ruebner; E. Sommer; Steinway; Winogradoff-Georges;Zeise
1914 through 1918: Numbers 3097through 3288 Adam, Eug.; Carreras; Cor de Las; Danziger, A.; Fischer-Bernauer; Hofmann, W.;Kiek; Pembaur, Jr.; Rehberg; Reinert;Ritter; Schatt; Sommer, E.; Starke;Zarman
M. Welte & Sons, Inc. (Poughkeepsie)No evidence that masters after *3600
went from New York to Freiburg.
1913: Number *3500 through *3580Burkard; Cusack; Daly; Danziger, L.;Europe & Dabney; Merrigan; Savino;Van Dyck
1914: Numbers *3581 through *3651Burkard; Burnham; Cusack; Hart, F.;Heinick
1915: Numbers *3652 through *3715Beck; Burkard; Cone; LaForge; Popper, L.; Szumowska; Telleria;Woolford
1916-1917: Numbers *3716 through*3820 & Numbers *8000s & *8500sBurkard; Danziger, L.; Embree;Embree & Burkard; Pollock, M.;Spross
1918-1919: Numbers *3821 through*3961 Adler; Blair; Burkard; Burn-ham; Coudert; Danziger, L.; Ganz;Johnson & Potter; Oliver; Pintel;Schwartz, J.; Strecker; Sylvia; Tidelman; Wagnalls; Wheeler
C. From 1919: Separate German and United StatesCompanies: Freiburg and theBronx, New York
M. Welte & Soehne (Freiburg)
1919-1920: Numbers 3289 through3499 & Numbers *3962 through*4062 Backhaus; Berend; Bender-Hartlaub; Blumen; d’Egres;Flohr; Haass; Haeuser; Hoehn;
Hoffmann, W.; Kwast-Hodapp; Laszlo; Reinert; Renner; Weismann
1921-1922: Numbers 3600 through3785 Dark; Haass; Haeuser; Johnson,Edw.; Maison; Munkel; Renner;Weiss-Koschitz; Zadora
Welte-Mignon Corporation (the Bronx, NY)
1919-1920: Claxton; Elliot; Fairman;Gershwin; Lhevinne; Mann; Perry;Smith, M.; Ullrich
D. From 1922: Red T-100 masters recorded at M. Welte & Soehne, Musiksalon,Freiburg
Classic & Salon
1922 through 1926: Numbers 3786through 4064 Dark; Gieseking;Gueller; Haass; Hare: Haeuser; Heinemann; Johnson, Edw.; Koczalski; Liebling; Marshall; Medtner; Munkel; Petrek; Schaefer;Schapira; Singer; Strecker; Wolff, E.
1927: Numbers 4065 through 4153Haass; Haeuser; Horowitz; Niemann;Weismann; Zecchi
1928 through 1930: Numbers 4154through 4205 Haass; Happel;Haeuser; Kolessa; Munka; Peterka;Serkin; Sommer, H.
Popular
1922 through 1923: Numbers 5500through 5602 Baumgart; Coach;Crigniss; Dark; Haeuser; Fox;Munkel; Kutsche; Schoenig;Schrempp; Wolf, A.
1924 through 1925: Numbers 5603through 5750 Black; Hare; Haeuser;Johnson, Edw.; Schumacher
1926: Numbers 5751 through 5850Haeuser; Johnson, Edw.; Maison; Milner
1927: Numbers 5851 through 5903Haeuser; Milner; Munkel; Rice
1928: Numbers 5906 through 5944Haeuser; Munkel; Sommer, H.
1929: Numbers 5945 through 5985Happel; Munkel
1930: Numbers 5986 through 6021Happel; Munkel
1931: Numbers 6022 through 6038Eisele
1932: Numbers 6039 through 6052Munkel
E. About 1916: Red T-100issues created to accompanyVictor and Edison phonographrecords.
These issues from the Poughkeepsiefacility were not listed in known literature, and the time and extent of theirdistribution is not known.
“Victor” record Accompaniment Rolls:Numbered in 8000s. Burkard; Spross
“Edison” Record Accompaniment Rolls:Numbered in 8500s. Burkard; Spross
F. About 1922 through 1932: Green T-98 rolls, manufactured by M. Welte & Soehne, Freiburg.
Selected titles were issued from theFreiburg Red T-100 library in an 11 1/4”Green T-98 format using the same numbering as the corresponding master.No special catalogs are known, but anyRed T-100 roll title could evidently berequested in the Green T-98 format. Thetotal library of titles issued in the Greenformat most likely will never be known.In this listing, Red T-100 titles reportedby collectors as issued in the Green T-98format are indicated thusly. “(GN)”.
G. About 1922 to 1932:“Pianon” rolls manufacturedby M. Welte & Soehne,Freiburg.
The “Pianon” mechanism and its rolls,based on Red T-100 masters, was
continued. . .
continue. . .
238
produced in either (both) a 12 7/8” Red,or an 11 1/4” Green spooling. Singleselections were labeled with the corresponding Red T-100 number. Inaddition there were “combined” rollsavailable for these automatic instruments,probably to lessen the need for rollchanging in the commercial settings forwhich the instruments were intended. Inaddition to those titles in the 9000s and9500s, collectors report a few combinedrolls numbered in higher 3000s conflicting with Red T-100 master numbers. How many, when and why this was done is not known, but thosereported are listed in the “Pianon” section, as are the titles and corresponding numbers for the 9000 and 9500 series.
Kombinierte Konzert-Musik (CombinedRolls): Numbering from 9001through at least 9037
Kombinierte Tanz-Musik (CombinedRolls): Numbering from 9501through at least 9592
APPENDIX GWelte-Mignon Licensee
Library Summary
A. 1916 to 1919
The Welte-Mignon Music Company,1916-1917.
De Luxe Reproducing Roll Corporation, 1918-1919.
The first company was formed at the1916 “Alliance” between M. Welte &Sons, Inc., and Auto Pneumatic ActionCompany. The rolls were produced bythe Poughkeepsie factory for use on“Auto De Luxe Welte-Mignon” playeractions, the later-known “Licensee”. By 1918, the Welte-Mignon Music Company was melded into the De LuxeReproducing Roll firm.
Selected cuttings (classic, salon, popular and accompaniment) fromFreiburg T-100 masters, 1 through 3068,and the Poughkeepsie T-100 mastersfrom *3500 through *3961, were manufactured by M. Welte & Sons forAuto Pneumatic Action Company in “Licensee” format, and distributed initially by the firm, then its successor.They appeared in what has become
known as the “Welte” or “Poughkeepsie”black box.
B. 1920 through 1930
The De Luxe Reproducing Roll Cor-poration, New York City
This company, created in 1918, was a division of Auto Pneumatic ActionCompany, a division of Kohler & Campbell Industries, Inc. Numbering andyears below are approximate listings,except where they could be verified fromavailable literature. These were new,original reproducing recordings: except,early on, when a number of the“Licensee” rolls were codings of theRepublic Player roll Corporation’s division of 88-note hand-played performances. Known performersappearing on both “Republic” and DeLuxe labels are coded below with (+). Inaddition to the new recordings issued forten years, De Luxe continued to cut“Licensee” rolls from selected T-100 rollmasters: Freiburg numbers 1 to 3068,and Poughkeepsie *3500 to *3958, theasterisk denoting the latter. All De Luxe“Licensee” issues or copies were numbered with a price code prefix, andissued in the De Luxe striped label black box, 1920-1926, and brown box,1926-1932.
From September, 1920: Numbers 6000– 6050. Carroll(+) & Johnson(+); Delcamp (+); Delcamp(+) & Car-roll(+): d’Giovanni(+); Foster(+);Lane(+); Lane(+) & Adams(+); Rollini(+); Shannon(+)
1921: Numbers 6051 – 6152.Adams(+); Ashton; Carroll(+); Carroll(+) & Foster(+); Carroll(+) & Rollini(+); Collini; Conradi; Davis; Delcamp(+); Delcamp(+) & Carroll(+); Fabre; Foster(+); d’Giovanni(+); Graham(+); Hart;Lane(+); Lane(+) & Foster(+); Narinska; Rollini(+); Rollini(+) &Lane(+); Shannon(+)
1922: Numbers 6153 – 6320.Adams(+); Asherfield; Bingaman;Billings; Cesare; Carroll(+); Carroll(+) & Lane(+); Collini; Conradi; Davis; Fabre; Foster(+); Gre-gory; Hart; Kahn; Klein; Koehl;
Lane(+); Lutter; Martin; Mitzski; Narinska; Notaeh; Overstreet; Remden; Robertson; Rosoff; Washburn; Watts; Wirtz
1923: Numbers 6321 – 6604. Bailhe;Carter; Chapman; Conradi; Davis;Dodd; Fabre; Friedman; Gregory;Hamilton; Hart; Horvath; Koch;Koehl; LeClair; Leonardi; Levin;Levy; Locust; Lutter; Lutter &Spencer; Martin; Masson; Mitzski;Narinska; Netzorg; Nikoloric;Oswald; Perkins; Reid; Remden;Rosoff; Roth; Scionti; Spencer; Sollitt; Tollefsen; Van Straten; Vollenhoven; Ware; Webb; Whittington; Wolf; Yagodka
1924: Numbers 6605 - 6953. d’Albert,E.C.; Ashton; Bacon; Bailhe; Berger;Bilotti; Bingaman; Boyle; Brenton;Cady; Clair; Conradi; Cox; Davis;Duckwitz; Fabre; Farnum; Gregory;Criselle; Hamilton; Hart; Horodyski;Horvath; Janssen; Jentes; Johnson;Koenemann; Lawnhurst; LeClair; Le Grand; Leonardi; Levin; Levy;Loscalzo; Lutter; Mitzski; Narinska;Netzorg; Nikoloric; Oswald; Patricola; Redel; Remden; Rosoff;Roth; Scionti; Singer; Sollitt; Spencer;Todd; Tellefsen; Volavy; Vollenhoven;Webb; Whittington
1925: Numbers 6954 – 7301. Alcuri;Ashton; Bacon; Bailhe; Bergere;Boyle; Brard; Burt; Cady; Casella;Caskey; Conradi; Corneliessen; Cox;Dickinson; Duckwitz; Duret;Erlebach; Farnum; Gieseking; Giron;Grand; Gregory; Haase; Hamilton;Horvath; Janssen; Johnson; Lawnhurst; Le Grand; Lendry; Levin;Liebling; Luebtow; Lutter; Magnuson; Mendez; Milinowski;Mitzski; Narinska; Netzorg; Norden;Oswald; Packman; Parker; Patricola;Pepper; Perkins; Perrella; Pouishnoff;Rechlin; Reichman; Reid; Robinson;Saar; Serli; Singer; Stanley; Sturgis;Thatcher; Tolefsen; Valasquez;Volavy; Walter; Ware; Whittington;Zeisler
1926: Through October: 7302 – 7512.Classic & Salon, November-
continued. . .
continue. . .
239
December: 7513 – 7574. ReissuedPopular rolls, November: 75000 –75198. New Popular, November-December: 75199 – 75215. ReissuedAccompaniment, November: 50000– 50152. Bacon; Berger; Boguslawski;Brard; Casella; Cox; Dickinson;Duckwitz; Duret; Elwood; Fabre; Farley; Farnum; Gieseking; Giron;Gregory; Haase; Hamilton; Hampden;Harris; Hart; Horvath; Jessup; Johnson; Kiselik; Lawnhurst; Lendry;Levy; Liebling; Lutter; Magnuson;Maier; Maier & Pattison; Menzel;Mitzski; Morrey; Netzorg; Patricolo;Pattison; Perrella; Pouishnoff; Rapee;Reichenthal; Reichman; Rodney;Saar; Scott; Serli; Singer; Singer &Reichmann; Sishler & Lutter; Stanley;Thatcher; Volavy; Wehrlen; Yeargain
1927: Classic and Salon: 7575 – 7749.Popular: 75216 – 75314. Accompa-niment: 50153 – 50165. Banta; Bergere; Blumen; Brard; Carreras;Casella & Respighi; Curtis; Deering;Desbois; Elwood; Fabre: Gieseking;Gray; Gregory; Haase; Hallett; Hamilton; Hampden; Harris; Headden; Howard-Jones; Horvath;Jenkins; Johnson; Johnson & King;King; Kiselik; Kreutzer; Laros; Larrimore; Lawnhurst; Lawnhurst & Lutter; Lee; Lendry; Liebling; Linderman; Lutter; MacGregor;Maier; Marshall; Milhaud; Narinska& Singer; Netzorg; Pattison; Perrella;Pouishnoff: Rapee; Reid & Ashton;Robinson; Rodney; Serli; Singer;Singer & Reichmann; Smedley; Steward; Tollefsen; Turner; Volavy;Yeargain; Ward; Weiss; Zardo
1928: Classic and Salon: 7750 – 7858.Popular: 75315 – 75407. Accompa-niment: 50166 – 50169. Bartok;Beggs; Carreras; Davis & Singer;Deering; Fabre; Elwood; Giron; Gray; Haase; Hamilton; Harris; Johnson; King; Kiselik; Larrimore;Lawnhurst; Lendry; Levy; Liebling;Lutter; MacGregor; Maier; Maier &Pattison; Netzorg; Pattison; Perrella;Rapee; Ricardo; Robinson & Singer;Rodney; Serli; Siegel; Singer; Stewart; Sturgis; Ward; Wehrlen;Zardo
1929: Classic and Salon: 7859 – 7919.Popular: 75408 – 75481. Ashton;Burrows; Carreras; Davis; Gray; Harris; Hart; Horvath; King; Kiselik;Kreutzer; Lawnhurst; Lendry; Lutter;Maier; May; Netzorg; Pattison; Perrella; Robinson & Singer; Serli;Singer; Sturgis; Ward; Wehrlen;Zardo; Zelaya
1930: Classic and Salon: 7920 – 7925.Popular: 75482 – 75496. Ashton;Davis; Deering; Gray; Howard-Jones;Milhaud; Netzorg; Sturgis; Ward;Wehrlen
C. 1930 through 1932: DuplicateIssuesIssues coded for both Welte-Mignon
and Duo-Art, and in some cases triplecoded, including Ampico versions. Distributed by an Aeolian division, Standard Pneumatic Action Corporation,Garwood, New Jersey and Meriden, Connecticut.
“Twin” Popular Issues: Welte-Mignon/Duo-Art. November &December, 1930, numbers 75497through 75501. Addison; Armbruster;Ferguson; Kerwin; Leith
“Triplet” Popular Issues: Welte-Mignon/Duo-Art/Ampico. Januarythrough July, 1931, numbers 75002through 75535.
Nos. 75503 & 75532 known for Welte-Mignon and Duo-Art only; Nos.75519 & 75520 known for Welte-Mignon only.
Addison; Arden; Arden & Carroll; Car-roll; Chase; Kerr; Lawnhurst; Milne;Pollock
“Twin” Popular Issues: Welte-Mignon/Duo-Art. July 1931 throughMay 1932, numbers 75536 – 75571.
Nos. 75547, 75550, 75551, 75557, 75569& 75570 never located.
Addison; Alpert; Claar; Ferguson; Kerr;Leith; Lester; Milne; Ohman; Pollock;Warren; Winslow
D. From 1932: Imperial IndustrialCorporation (QRS),East 135th Street & Walnut Avenue,Bronx, New York.
This firm secured “Licensee” inventory in 1932, and had rights andwas capable of creating new “Licensee”rolls. They sold Welte-Mignon“Licensee” rolls from stock taken overfrom Auto Pneumatic Action Corporationto as late as about 1947 when much was said to have been destroyed. Theyseemingly did some additional cuttingsas needed to replace the stock which soldout. Contrary to rumor of new titles beingcreated as well, none from this period areknown.
E. 1920 Through 1928: Welte-MignonCorporation“Purple Seal” label issues.
Selected issues were copied from T-100 masters for performance on the“Original” and “Licensee” type actions,using Red roll numbering with their own price prefix: J, L, M and P. Fromperforating dating marked on under sideof leaders, “Purple Seal” issues appearedby September 1920, and continued to beperforated through December 1928. Thecorporation stamped “De Luxe” bulletinsand catalogs with its name, and thesewere available to the “Original” playerowner as well.
APPENDIX HPiano Brands With
Welte-Mignon Actions
This is a list of piano manufacturersand brands which did come, or possiblycame, equipped with a Welte-Mignonreproducing action. Brand names weregathered from various collectors and sources, and could not always be verified.
T-100 (12 7/8 inch) Red Roll FormatPlayer actions manufactured by M.
Welte & Soehne, Freiburg, Germany. TheT-98 11 1/4” format Green roll action aswell as the “Pianon” appeared in anunknown number of European brandsincluding those from manufacturersbelow.
European Manufacturers (Brands)Bechstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Berlin, GermanyBerdux AG, V . . . . . . .Muenchen, GermanyBluethner, Jul. . . . . . . . . . .Leipzig, Germany
continued. . .
continue. . .
240
Feurich, Jul. . . . . . . . . . . .Leipzig, GermanyFoerster & Co., H. . . . . . .Leipzig, GermanyGaveau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paris, FranceGrotian-Steinweg . . . . . . . . .Braunschweig, GermanyGuenther . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bruxelles, BelgiumIbach Sohn, Rud . . . . . . . .Barmen, GermanyIrmler, J.G. . . . . . . . . . . . .Leipzig, GermanyLoefflerMustel & Cie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paris, FranceNeindorg AG, Gebr. . . . . . . . .Luckenwalde, Germany
Patterson & Sons (distributor) . . . . . . . . . . . . .ScotlandSchimmel, Wilh . . . . . . . .Leipzig, GermanySeiler GmbH, Ed . . . . . . . . .Liegnitz, PolandSteinway & Sons . . . . . .Hamburg, GermanyM. Welte & Soehne . . . . .Freiburg, Germany
Australian BrandsBeale . . . . . . .Annandale, New South WalesBechsteinCarnegieHoward Paling (distributor)Allan’s (distributor)
United States ManufacturersKrakauer Bros. . . . . . . . . .The Bronx (New York City)Mason & Hamlin . . . . . . . . . .Boston, Mass.Steinway & Sons . . . . . . .Manhattan (New York City)M. Welte & Sons . . . . . . .Manhattan (New York City)M. Welte & Sons, Inc. . . . .Poughkeepsie & ManhattanWelte-Mignon Corp. . .The Bronx (New York City)
continued. . .
Brand ManufacturerAcoustigrande . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chickering Bros.Ahlstrom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ahlstrom Piano Co. (Jamestown, N.Y.)Alden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alden (Lester Piano Co., Philadelphia, Pa.)Astor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kohler & Campbell (New York City)Autopiano . . . . . . .Autopiano (Kohler & Campbell New York City)Francis Bacon . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kohler & Campbell (New York City)Baldwin . . . . . . . . . . . .Baldwin Piano Company (Cincinnati, Ohio)Bauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julius Bauer & Co. (Chicago, Illinois)Baus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Becker Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Becker Bros. (New York City)Behning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kohler & Campbell (New York City)Behr Bros. . . . . . . . . .Behr Bros & Co. (Kohler & Campbell, N.Y.)Bellaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lester Piano Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)Bennett Bretz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chas. M. Stieff (Baltimore, Md.)Bjur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bjur Bros. Co. (Kohler & Campbell, N.Y.)Boardman & Gray . . . . . . . . . . . .Boardman & Gray (Albany, N.Y.)Bogart . . . . . . . . . . .Bogart Piano Co. (The Bronx, New York City)Bond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Packard Piano Co. (Fort Wayne, Ind.)Bowen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowen Piano Co.Bradbury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bradbury, William G. (New York City)Brambach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brambach Piano Co.
(Kohler & Campbell, N.Y.)Braumuller . . . . . . . . .Braumuller Piano Co. (West New York, N.J.Briggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .National Piano Mfg. Co. (Boston, Mass.)Brinkerhoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brinkerhoff Piano Co. (Chicago, Ill.)Bush & Gerts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bush & Gerts (Chicago, Ill.)Bush & Lane . . . . . . . . . .Bush & Lane Piano Co. (Holland, Mich.)Butler Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Butler Bros. (Cincinnati, Oh.)Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cable Piano Co. (Chicago, Ill.)Hobart M Cable . . . . . . . .The Hobart M. Cable Co. (La Porte, Ind.)Cable & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cable & Sons, Inc. (New York City)Cable-Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . .Cable-Nelson Piano Co. (Chicago, Ill.)Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A. B. Cameron Co. (New York City)Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carter Piano Co. (Kohler & Campbell, N.Y.)Channing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lester Piano Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)A.B. Chase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A.B. Chase Co.
(United Piano Corporation, Norwalk, Ohio)Chase Bros. . . . . . . . .Chase-Hackley Piano Co. (Muskegon, Mich.)Chickering Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chickering Bros. (Boston, Mass.)
Brand ManufacturerChristman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christman Piano Company, Inc.
(New York City)Clarendon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Haddorff Piano Co. (Rockford, Ill.)Connor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Francis Connor (New York City)Conover . . . . . . . . . . . .Conover Co. (The Cable Co.) (Chicago, Ill.)Cunningham . . . . . . . . . .Cunningham Piano Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)Davenport-Treacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Davenport-Treacy Piano Co.
(Kohler & Campbell, New York City)Decker & Sons . . . . . .Decker & Sons (The Bronx, New York City)Doll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Emerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Emerson Piano Co.
(United Piano Corporation, Norwalk, Ohio)Ellington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Baldwin Piano Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio)Faber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Farrand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Farrand Piano Co. (Holland, Mich.)J. & C. Fischer . . . . . . . . . . . .J. & C. Fischer, Inc. (New York City)Florey Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Florey Bros. (Washington, N.J.)Jesse French & Sons . . . . . .Jesse French & Sons (New Castle, Ind.)Gabler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Gorham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(said to be from Boston)Gounod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lester Piano Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)Haddorff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Haddorff Piano Co. (Rockford, Ill.)W. P. Haines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .W.P. Haines & Co.(New York City)Hamilton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Baldwin Piano Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio)Hardman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hardman, Peck & Co. (New York City)Harrington . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hardman, Peck & Co. (New York City)Hazelton Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hazelton Bros. (New York City)Heinzman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mansfield Co. (New York City)Hensel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hardman, Peck & Co. (New York City)Holland . . . . . . . . . . .Holland Piano Mfg. Co. (Menomonie, Wisc.)Howard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Howard Piano Co.
(Baldwin Co., Cincinnati, Ohio)R. S. Howard Co. . . . . .Howard-Stowers Co., Inc.(New York City)Ivers & Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ivers & Pond (Boston, Mass.)James & Holmstrom . . . . . . . . . . . . .James & Holmstrom Piano Co.
(New York City)Kimball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .W.W. Kimball (Chicago, Ill.)Kimberly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Kindler & Collins . . . . . . . . . . .Kindler & Collins (New York City)
continue. . .
“Licensee” Action, 11 1/4 inch FormatManufactured by Auto Pneumatic Action Company, Kohler & Campbell Industries, Inc. In some instances, parts of player action
mechanisms were supplied for their piano by the piano manufacturer, with other parts supplied by and per arrangement with Auto Pneumatic Action Company. A few names have been omitted when there appeared to be spelling errors of known names.
Brand ManufacturerKohler & Campbell . . . . . . .Koehler & Campbell (New York City)Krakauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Krakauer Bros. (New York City)Kranich & Bach . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kranich & Bach (New York City)Kreiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kreiter Mfg. Co.
(Milwaukee, Wisc.)Krell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Krell Piano Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio)Kroeger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kohler & Campbell (New York City)Kurtzmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C. Kurtzmann & Co. (Buffalo, N.Y.)Laffargue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Laffargue Co. (New York City)Lauter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Lauter Co. (Newark, New Jersey)Laurence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lester Piano Co. (Lester, Pa.)Lehr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H. Lehr & Co. (Easton, Pa.)Leonard & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lester Piano Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)Lester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lester Piano Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)Lucien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Ludwig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ludwig & Co. (Bronx, New York City)Lyon & Healy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lyon & Healy (Chicago, Illinois)Madison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Madison Piano Co. (New York City)Mansfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mansfield Piano Co. (The Bronx, N.Y.)Mason & Risch . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mason & Risch (Toronto, Canada)Mathusek & Son Mathushek . . . . . . . . .Mathushek Piano Mfg. Co.
(Bronx, N.Y.)McPhail . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A.M. McPhail Piano Co. (Boston, Mass.)
(Kohler & Campbell)Merrill . . . . . . . . . . . . .Merrill Piano Co. (Jacob Doll & Sons, N.Y.)Mehlin & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul G. Mehlin & Sons
(West New York, N.J.)Melodigrand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S.G. Lindeman & Son
Piano Corporation (Norwalk, Ohio)H.F. Miller . . . . . . . . . . .Henry F. Miller & Sons Piano Co.(Boston)
Milton Kohler & Campbell (New York City)Needham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Needham Co. (Kinder & Collins,
New York City)Newby & Evans . . . . . . . .Newby & Evans (Bronx, New York City)Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Newton Piano Co. (New York City)George B. Norris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Holland Piano Mfg. Co.
(Menomonie, Wisc.)Norris & Hyde . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Oktavec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Laffargue Co. (New York City)Orpheus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Adam Schaaf, Inc. (Chicago, Illinois)Packard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Packard Piano Co. (Fort Wayne, Ind.Pease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pease Piano Co. (New York City)Poole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Poole Piano Co. (Boston, Mass.)Premier . . . . . . . . . . . .Premier Grand Piano Corp. (New York City)Raudenbush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Raudenbush & Sons Piano Co.
(St. Paul, Minn.)Rauworth Regent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Lester Piano Co.
(Philadelphia, Pa.)Ricca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ricca & Son (Bronx, New York City)Adam Schaaf . . . . . . . . . . . . .Adam Schaaf, Inc. (Chicago, Illinois)Schiller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schiller Piano Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(Oregon, Illinois)
Schmidt-Dauber . . . . . . . . . .Schmidt-Dauber Co. (New York City)Schomacker . . . . . . . . . . .Schomacker Piano Co. (Philadelphia, Pa.)Schoniger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shongier Piano Co.
(New Haven, Conn. & New York City)Schubert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schubert Piano Co. (New York City)Schulz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M. Schulz Company
(Chicago, Illinois)Schumann . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schumann Piano Co. (Rockford, Illinois)
Brand ManufacturerSchwab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schwab Piano House (New York City)Settergren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B.K. Settergren (Bluffton, Indiana)Shaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chas. M. Stieff (Baltimore, Maryland)Shoninger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schoniger Piano Co., Inc.
(New Haven, Conn. & New York City)Sohmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sohmer & Company (New York City)Smith & Barnes . . . . . . . . . . .Smith, Barnes & Strohber Continental
Piano Co. (Chicago & Milwaukee)Spector . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spector & Son Piano Co. (New York City)Stark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P.A. Stark Piano Co. (Chicago, Illinois)Steger . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co. (Chicago, Ill.)Sterling . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Sterling Piano Corp. (Shelton, Conn.)Charles F. Stein . . . . . . . . . . .Charles Frederick Stein (Chicago, Ill.)Steinert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steinert Piano Co.(Boston, Mass.)Steinway (custom) . . . . . . . . . . .Steinway & Sons (New York City)Stieff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chas. Stieff (Baltimore, Md.)Stodart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Story & Clark . . . . . . . . . . .Story & Clark Piano Co. (Chicago, Ill.)John L. Stowers . . . . . . .Howard-Stowers Co., Inc. (New York CityStraube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Straube Piano Co. (Hammond, Ind.)Strich & Zeidler . . . . . . . . .Strich & Zeidler, Inc. (The Bronx, N.Y.)Stultz & Bauer . . . . . . . . . . . .Kohler & Campbell (New York City)The Tonk . . . . . . . . . . . .William Tonk & Bro. Inc. (New York City)Underwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Victor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bush & Lane Piano Co. (Holland, Mich.)Vose & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . .Vose & Sons Piano Co. (Boston, Mass.)Waldorf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Waldorf Piano Co. (Autopiano)
(New York City)Waltham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Waltham Piano Co. (Milwaukee, Wisc.)Horace Waters . . . . . . . .Horace Waters Piano Co. (New York City)Weaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weaver Piano Co. (Weaver, Pa.)Webster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .W.P. Haines & Co. (New York City)Weisner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weisner & Sons (Chicago, Ill.)Wellsmore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Weltmore Wentworth . . . . . . . .Jacob Doll & Sons (New York City)Werner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Werner Piano Co. (Chicago, Ill.)Weser Bros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weser Bros. (New York City)P.S. Wick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P.W. Wick Co. (North St. Paul, Minn.)Winertz Wissner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wissner, Otto (Brooklyn, N.Y.)York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weaver Piano Co. (York, Pa.)
“Original” Action, 11 1/4 inch FormatManufactured by Welte-Mignon Corporation,
Bronx, New York.
Estey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Estey-Welte Corp. (New York City)Steinway (custom) . . . . . . . . . . .Steinway & Sons (New York City)Welte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Estey-Welte Corp. (New York City)
continued. . .
241
ELTE-MIGNON:PATENTIERT IN ALLEN CULTURSTAATEN
continue. . .
“Welte-Mignon Vorsetzer playing a Hallett & Davis GrandPiano” at the Cars & Music of Yesterday, Saratoga, Florida.
- Submitted by Anita N. Johnson
During 2004, the Welte-Mignon
celebrates its 100th anniversary.
This remarkable device was ready for its
debut one century ago. Edwin Welte and
Karl Bockisch co-invented what would
revolutionize automatic piano playing.
They also understood the value of such
an instrument and sought to protect their
intellectual property just as Edwin
Welte’s Uncle Emil had done with his
paper roll orchestrion roughly 20 years
before.1
To protect against infringement,
Edwin Welte and Karl Bockisch applied
for patents in countries in which they
would later sell these instruments. This
was something that Emil Welte also did
years before. The first patent applications
for the Welte-Mignon date from or had
priority to May 1904. The US application
was filed in August 1904.
Many of the Welte-Mignon rolls bore
the ink stamp “Patentiert in allen
Culturstaaten.” Edwin and Karl wanted
to make certain that users of their device
knew that they intended to protect their
rights. The later patent litigation in
the US would bear out the value of this
foresightedness.
The entire US patent is presented
here. The German, French, British and
Austrian patents all used the same first
two figures as the US patent but figures 3
to 6 appear only in the US patent. The
first page of the specification for the
German, French and British patents are
also presented to illustrate their filing,
priority, and publication dates.
This year marks the centennial years
for what is still a machine that can render
playing with startling realism. Edwin and
Karl gave the musical world a device
with lasting value as evidenced by the
interest still shown today.
1. Patents to Emil Welte US 287,599 issued
30 October 1883; DE 48741 issued 22
March 1889; CH 1216 issued 25 June
1889. These are representative patents
and not intended to be a comprehensive
list.
By Mark Reinhart
RICHARD SCHLAICHOn March 18, 2004, long time A.M.I.C.A. member Richard
Schlaich, 72 passed after a long illness. Born and lived in San
Francisco, he was a retired civil servant. He possessed a Duo Art
upright, and a modern string band orchestrion. Among his many
accomplishments was building from scratch an Arburo type Bel-
gian dance organ complete with accordion. He also installed a
separate tracker bar to facilitate standard 88 note piano rolls. For
his pleasure he also arranged and cut rolls for both player piano
and organette.
One of his many loves was this city’s railway system. He
excelled in the knowledge of San Francisco’s historical rail travel.
His expertise was frequently called on as advisor in the restoration
of rail cars and in discovering obsolete routes.
His family and many friends will dearly miss him.
242
continued. . .
PATENTSCHRIFT- M 162708
KLASSE S1 d.
~ PATENTAMT.KAISERLICHES
M. WELTE & S6HNE IN FREIBURG 1. BADEN.
Vorrichtung an menhanlschen Tasteninstrumenten zur Abstufung des Tastenanschlages.
Patentiert 1m Deutschsn Relcbe yom 21. Mat 1904 abo
Erfindungsgegenstand ist cine Vorrichtungan mechauisch spielbaren Tasteninstrumenten,durch weiche in vollkommener Weise dieAnschlagstarke der Tasten abgestuft werden
5 karin.Man hat bereits Vorrichtungen, durch die
die Tonstarke des Gesamtspiels verandertwerden kann, doch eignen sich diese teilweisenicht fiir die Verwendung bei rnechanischen
10 Tasteninstrumenten , oder sic sind nicht unabbangig vom Windverbrauch. Bei Einstellung der Vorrichtung auf cine gewisseTonstarke wird diese nicht erreicbt, wennbeispielsweise rnehrere 'Tasten angeschlagen
IS werden, da diese entsprechend mehr Windgebrauchen, so daB ihr Anschlag auf Kostender Tonstarke vonstatten geht. Wiirdenandererseits weniger Tasten angeschlagen unddie Vorrichtung zoe Erzielung einer be-
!I0 stimmten Tonstarke nicht entsprechend verstellt, 80 erzeugte der im 'O'berilu13 vorbandeneWind eine groDere Tonstarke, als beabsichtigt,
Bel dern Gegenstand del' vorliegenden Erfindung dagegen soli, sobaId einrnal die Vorricb-
as tung fUr eine gewjinscbte Tonstdrke eingestelltworden ist , sich del' Wiadverbraucb derAnzahl der angeschlagenen Tasten sofortanpassen, so daB unabhangig von der Anzah1der angeschlagenen Tasten die gewiinschte
30 Tonstarke erhalten bleibt.Die Vorrichtung ist in den Fig. I UDd 2
dargestellt. Es zeigen Fig. t einen Schnittdurch den Hauptbalg, Steuerungsbalg undRege1ungsbatg, Fig.:2 einen Schnitt durch
35 einzelne Relais zur Einschaltung und Au&-
schaltung der Forte-, Piano-, Crescendo- undMezzofortewirkung.
Im Balg a (Fig. r) wird in bekannterWeise stets gleichbleibendes Vakuum erzeugt,Von dem Hauptbalg a '!yelleD vVindleihmgenb 40
aus, die durch je einen regelharen Schieber cmehr oder weniger geoffnet bezw. ganz geschlossen werden konnen, Dieser Schieberbefindet slch zwischen dem Hauptbalg a undeinem Regelungsbalg d, der wiederum mit 45dern Relais der Klaviatur in Verbindnngsteht.
Schieber c und Regelungsbalg d sind inihren Bewegungen dadurcb voneinander abhangig gemacht, daB sie mit einem Seilzuge, Soder uber eine Rolle G gefiihrt ist , miteinander verbunden sind. Der Schieber c 5ffnetsich also weiter, sobald sich der Boden desRegelungsbalges d senkt, d. h., sobald wehrTone erklingen als bei der kurz vorher- 55gehenden Stellung des Regelungsbalges, DieRolle g sitzt an einem Steuerungshebel oder,wie bel der dargestellten Ausfiibnmgsforrn,an der unteren , beweglichen Klappe f einesSteuerungsbalges e. Die verschiedenen Stel- 60lungen des Steuerungsbalges oder Steuerungshebe1s ergeben eine verschiedene HohenateUung der Rolle K und bedingen durch diedavon abhangige, verschiedene SteHung desRegehmgsbalges d und Sehlebers c die ver- 65schiedencn Tonstlirken des Tasteninstruments.
Befindet Bleb beiBpielBweise der Steuerungshebe! oder die untel'e Klappe f des Steuerungsbalges in ihrer tiefsten Stellung, so bedeutet dieses die Piauostellung. Der Schieber c 10
continue. . .
243
continued...
REPUBLIQUE FRANQAISE.
rOFFICE NATIONAL DE LA PROPRIETE INDUSTRIELLE.
-------l><l>cr--
BREVErr D'INV;E~Nl~TO'N.'.1 I .•
XVII. --- Arts industriels.
II. - MusIQUE.
". ~..~:.i, ,
e, ' N° 354.1 82..,,"
.. '_.~Jf' .."~
Dispositif pour obtenir les nuances avec les appareils servant a actionner mecaniquement Ie clavier d'un instrument de musique.
Societe: \1. WELTE & SOIlNE residant en AUemagne.
Demande Ie 11 mai 1905.Delivre Ie 19 juillct 1905. - Public le 30 septcmbrc 1905.
(Demande de brevet deposce en Allemagllc Ie 20 mai 19°4. - Declaration du d~posaJlL)
L'iuvention a pour objet Ull dispositif quiest destine a Mre adjoint aux appareils servant a actionner mecauiquement Ie clavier... l' • 1
I " " "~"'l"'(,l'lt ,',' 1111''::':''11'''. pI l~"l ')(""""j'~ (,'\... LJ..J, 1, ... • .. 11< ........1. "_ ..... :, ~ • '_l i"ll"~"
;) graduer, de faeou parfaite , I'action exerceesur les touches de I'instrument.
On a hien imagine deja de nombreux dispositifs pour nuancer Ie jeu, mais, ou biences dispositifs ne sontpas tout a fait pl'opres
loa etre appliques aux claviers, ou hien ils ontl'inconvenient de ne pas ~tre independants del'utilisation de la quantite d'air mise en jeu.Un semhlahle dispositif etant regie en vuede l'obtention d'une certaine nuance, celle-ci
15 n'est pas donnee d'une faeon correcte si plusieurs touches sont frappees a la fois, parceque, la frappe de l'ensemhle de ces touchesabsorhant une quantite d'air relativementgrande, Ia force du son se trouve diminuee,
20 De merne , si le nomhre de touches frappeesest faible et si Ie dispositif n'a pas etC regIe enconsequence pour donner la nuance voulue,de rail' se trouve en exces et il y a emissiond'un son plus fort qu'on ne le veut.
25 Avec Ie dispositif du present systeme, aucontraire, une fois que celui-ci a etC regiepour une nuance donnee , la quantite d'airmise en jeu devient immediatement exactement ce qu'elle doit etre pour Ie nombre de
30 touches Irappees , et onohtient ainsi la force
de son voulue, que] que soit lc Hombre detouches Irappees.
Le dessin ci-annexe penuellra de hien comI "cnr!I'(' l'invcntiou., .
La fig. 1 de ce rlessin est la coupe verticale 3 [)de la ventouse principale, de cello de commande et de celle de reglage, et la fig. 2 lacoupe, egalement verticale, des divers relaisqui commandent Ies C! forte", C!piano", ~ cres-cendo" et C! mezzo-forte". ~ (
De la ventouse a (fig. 1) dans IaqueUe estproduit, it la maniere connue , un vide quireste toujours uniforme, partent des canaux bqui possedont chacun un registre rcglahle c.al'aide duquel ils peuvent ~b'e ouverts plus h 5ou moins completement ou. meme fermes , etqui est intercale entre la ventouse principale aet une ventouse de reglage d, laqueJle, asontour, est ell communication avec le relais duclavier. 50
Le registre c et la ventouse de reglage dsont relics l'un a l'autre par un cordon quipasse sur une poulie If et qui rend interdependants les mouvements des deux pieces. Dcla sorte, des que Ia joue inferieure de la ven- 5 f)touse de reglage d s'abaisse , c'est-a-dire desque plusieurs sons resonnent , Ie registre cs'ouvre davantage que pour Iii position pl'ccedente de ladite joue de la ventouse. La poulie fJest montee sur un levier de commando ou, 6(.
r-.--
('--.-_ i
244
Prix du fascicule : 1 franc.continue, ..
--?'.,../
continued. . .
N° 10,219 A.D. 1905
1904
--- -----------
- --------------------
0." claimed "" Patent underPatent. Act, 1901'}being date of flret Forei,n ApD/ication 20th May,(in Germany),
Date 0' ApDlication (in the United Kingdom), 15th May, 1905
Accepted, 8th June, 1905
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
" Apparatu for Graduating the Striking of the Keys in KechanicalPiano Playing Apparatull " .
We, DUTROLD WELTE, EMIL WELTE and lbclL\EI. WELTE, trading under theFirm of M. Welte & Sohne, of 7 Lehener Stra81M.', (If Freiburg, in the GrundDuchy of Baden, Germany, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of thisinvention and in what manaer the same is to be performed, to be particularly
5 described and ascertained in and by the following statement r-c-
The subject of the present invention is an arrangement in mechanical pianoplaying apparatus, by which the strikin, of the key8 can be graduated asdf'llired, 1D the most perfect manner. This 18 obtained according to this inventionby the different arrangement of bellows. which are operated dependently on
10 eacJa ether by relay•.TIle ammgement is illustrated in Figures I and 2.Figant 1 _ho...s a crou aeetion t.hrough the main bello...s, governing bellows
and regulating belIoWi.Figure 2 _hows in section the various relay. for actuating and disengaging
15 the "forte-piano". "creacendo ,., and "menoforte"-action.A con.tant vacuum i. produced in a bello.... a. Figure I, by un electro-motor
or by pedal action. Several air channel. b branch (1ft from this main bellow.and are eloaed by elide. t: adapted to be .reg.lat~c1. These slides r. interrupt theconnection between the main bellows a and 8tJl:lll n-gulating bellows d. which
20 are connected ...ith the eerresponding .Jivi.ion8 of the l'elay8 of the keys.The .lide. e and the J'eR;ulating bellows d are dependent on one another in
their movement in the following manner.Above the slide -c of the ",~lating bellows d is situated l\ small governing
bello.... e, on the lower movable flap I of which is arrange.} a roller g. A wire25 or the like i8 carried from the slide e over this roller and is then fixed to t.be
bottom of tlMl bellow d.The arraopmeDt i. adjusted 80 that, 8S soon all the governing bellows e is out
of aetion, i.e., ...hen the bellow. i. not exhausted and the flap f i. in its lowcltL. po_iUoo, the l1ide t1 occupies luch a ~ition that the channel b is Illil[htly open."" In consequence thE' l'f'gulating bellow tl is exhaullted by the main bellows a, the
(PM 84.]
continue. . .
245
continued. ..
E. WELTE &; K. BOCKISCH.MECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE EXPRESSION IN APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS.Al'PLIOATIU l'ILED AUO.17. 1904.
1,008,291. Patented Nov. 7,1911.3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.
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continued. . .
Patented Nov. 7,1911.3 BHEETB-SIlEET II.
E. WELTE & K. BOCKISCH.MEOllABISIl FOR REGULATING THE EXPRESSION Iff APPARATUS FOR PLAYIlIG JlUSIOAL
IlISTBUIiENTS..lPPLIOATIO:l rILED .lU&. 11, 1904.
'"~ ;Ii!1,008,291.
~tt"l&".'~')
eJf~~_.d:',~7kdt...~~-
j
.,...,.,./
continue...
247
continued. . .
r-
Patented Nov. 7, 1911.3 SREETIl-IIREET 3.119- $
E. WELTE &; K. BOCKISCH.JlEClUNISM FOR REGULATING THE EXPRESSION IN APPARATUS FOR PLAYUf9 JlOBIOAL
IliSTBUMENTS.Al'l'LIOATIOlJ PILED ADG. 17, not.
1,008,291.
r>
Eq.5.
61V.t..u~coe1L;.tJu-r~.~-~
/00
~,fM!03 1()410"
flU"o_.,
r·
continue . . .
248
continued. ..
UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.EDWIN WELTE AND KABL BOCKISCH, OF FREIBURG, GERlrIANY.
MECHANISM FOR REGULATING THE EXPRESSION IN APPABATUS FOR PLAYINGMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
1,008,291. Speci1lcation of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 7, 1911.Application filed August 17.. 1904. Seriallio. 221,034.
To all whom it may concern.'Be it known that we, EDWIN WELTE and
K.\RL BOC]{ISCn, both subjects of the GrandDuke of Baden, and residents of Freiburg,
5 in the Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mechanism for Regulating the Expression in Apparatus for Playing Musical Instruments, of which the fol-
IO lowing is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which->
Figure 1 is a section through the mainbellows, the expression bellows and tire regulating bellows of the present invention.
lIS Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough a portion of the pneumatics forcont rolling the pressure of the fingers orlevers upon the keyboard of the piano.Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the
20 connection and relative arrangement of themain operating parts, the expression actionsand tone-producing actions being shown invertical longitudinal section, one regulatingbellows and one pumping bellows being
25 omitted. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 1-4 of Fig- 3. Fig. 5 is adetail view of means that may be employedfor Opl'l"llting the slide or valve c hy hand.Fig. 6 is an end view of the parts shown in
so Fig. 5.Similar letters of reference indicate cor
responding parts in the different figures ofthe drawings,
This invention relates to that chnructer of35 mechanical devices for playing pianos and
other musical instruments wherein the tonesof the piece of music are produced throughthe medium of air currents controlled by nperforated note sheet. These currents are
40 l1l's('l'ihecl herein as produced by loweringtill' pr('ss\II'e within the instrument belowatmospheric pressure, and it is usuallybetter to produce them in this way ratherthan hy raising the pressure in the instru-
H) ment nhove atmospheric pressure, The invention more especially relates to the expression means of such devices.
The principal object of the invention is toprovide such devices with means whereby
1)6 the piece may he reproduced with more accurate or artistic expression than at present,whic·h expression is automatically controlledhy the note sheet.. Tn the accompanying drawings we have
66 shown the mechanism of the playermounted
in a casing A outside of and separate fromthe piano or other musical instrument X,but we wish it understood that this is merelyexemplificatory and that the invention isnot restricted to such arrangement
1it being 80
within the spirit and scope of the Inventionto arrange the mechanism of the playerwithin the casing of the piano or other instrument to operate upon the inner ends ofthe keys thereof or upon any other suitable 65part of said instrument. In the form shownin the drawings, the casing A has within itsinterior a tracker board A' which is formedwith a series of ducts a' which communicatewith the pneumatic actions B. The actions 70whereby the sound is produced we hereinterm "tone-producing actions" to distin~ish them from the actions which controlthe expression. These tone-producing actions in the present exemplification of the 75invention operate the strikers of the keysof the piano, but considered in its broadaspect, the invention is not restricted to suchspecific relation of parts.
Any suitable pneumatic actions for the 80strikers may be employed, but we prefer theconstruction shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein each of a series of compartments 1 is connected with a strike pneumatic C having a finger lever C', by means 85of a passage 2 which leads from said compartment 1 to the interior of said strikepneumatic, as shown best in Fig. 4. It willbe understood that there is a different compartment 1 for each strike-pneumatic C and 90that there is one of such strike-pneumaticsand fingers for each key of the Instrumentwithin the range of the player. As indicated in Fig. 3, each compartment 1 is provided at bottom and top, respectively, with 95air ducts 3 and 4, and with a pair of valves5 and (; for opening and closing said ducts.The valves 5 and (; are connected so as tooperate in unison, each closing its ductwhile -the other is open. Through the duct 1003 the interior of the compartment 1 communicates with the wind trunk 10, while theduct 4 affords communication of the interiorof said compartment with the atmosphere.Each pair of valves 5 and 6 is controlled by 105a diaphragm 7 which is mounted in saidwind trunk above a chamber 8. Air conclucting tubes 9 lead to the respective airducts a' in the tracker board A' from thesechambers 8. 110
continue. . .
249
continued. . .
2 1,008,291 r
For the purpose of producing the neces- It will be understood that the strength ofsary air currents through the apparatus, w.e the touch of the fingers or other strjking depreferably provide an air chamber and ad- vices C' on the keys or other parts of thevantageously employ therefor a main sue- piano or other instrument being played de-
is tion bellows a having strong springs a"', pends on the intensity of the suction to 70from which the wind is pumped by means of which their pneumatics are subjected, andbellows R which are operated by foot power, in order that this may be varied withoutor by a motor or the like. The tone produc- varying the degree of vacuum or the sueing actions are connected by a suitable air tional force within the main bellows a the
10 passage or passages with the means for pro- latter is employed to deflate the regulating 75dueing the air currents, and means for vary- bellows or other suitable air chamber ding or governing this passage as well as op- which has communication with the winderating means therefor are provided. trunk 10 through the wind passages b and
It being understood that the note sheet is pipes or other suitable ducts 11. Each regu-15 caused to travel over the tracker board and lating air chamber or bellows is connected 80
the main bellows a is pumped out and main- by an air passage b' with the main bellows,tained constantly in a highly exhausted con- and suitable means is provided for varyingdition, and it being further understood that or governing this passage, as a slide or otherthe tracker board has channels or passages valve c. This valve, in the form illustrated,
20 and that the note sheet is formed with cor- is arranged in the air passage b' between 85responding openings for said channels or the main and regulating bellows and is conpassages, the operation of the narts thus far neeted to the movable board d' of said reguset forth will readily be seen'"to be as fol- luting bellows and to a. movable device e',lows:-When a note opening is brought into This movable device e' in the specific ar-
25 registration with a duct or passage in the rangement illustrated supports the connec- 90tracker board, atmospheric a1r will be ad- tion r;' between the valve c and the regulatmitted to the chamber 8 connected with ing bellows. A pulley g or other suitable antisaid duct, which air raises the diaphragm 1 friction device is preferably provided to en-in said chamber, thus raising from and ele- gage said connection and said pulle:r is pref-
30 vating to their respective seats the valves 5 erably carried by said movable device, The 9Gand 6 connected with said diaphragm 7. connection is preferably a wire or other flexiCommunication of the particular compart- ble means, and, for reasons which will herement 1 containing said valves with the inafter appear, the movable device e' is prefstrike-pneumatic C connected therewith and erably tlie movable part or board of an ex-
35 with the wind trunk 10 is established where- pression chamber or bellows e. The re~- 100by said strike-pneumatic C is exhausted hy lating bellows d is provided with a, sprmgthe suction produced in said wind trunk and f the power of which increases to an extentcontrolled by the regulating bellows il, corresponding to the extent of deflation ofhereinafter described, causing its striking the regulating bellows.
40 device C' to strike the corresponding key of The words "lower" "raise," etc., in the 105the instrument hard or soft according to following description are used for eonven-the position of the movable board d' of ience and clearness and with especial refersaid regulating bellows, that is to say, ae- enee to the relative arrangement of the V2
cording to the degree of vacuum. produced rious parts of the apparatus as illustrated in45 therein by the mam bellows a. When said the drawings, and not as limiting the in- 110
note opening has passed out of registration vention to the said arrangement.with said duct or passage in the tracker When the expression bellows e is out ofboard, the admission of atmospheric air action-that is, when it is fully inflatedthrough the latter is cut off, the diaphragm its board e' is in its lowest position and the
50 7 and the valves 5 and 6 connected therewith slide c is adjusted. to nearly close the pas- 115return to their former positions, thus cut- sage through the wind channel b' betweenting 01£ communication of the strike-pneu- the main bellows a and the regulating belmatic C with the wind trunk and establiSh-I lows d. This position of the parts is showning communication of said strike-pneumatic in Figs. 1 and 3, and is the pianissimo posi-
liS with atmospheric air, which enters the com- tion. If now suction is prodnced in the main 120partment 1 through the duct 4 and passes bellows a, the regulating bellows becomesthence through th~ passage 2 to said strike- somewhat deflated, its movable board d'pneumatic C and inflates the same, thus rises and moves the slide o to further reraising the striking device C' from the key strict the passage b' and practically cut off
60 of the instrument X. the main bellows. The movable board d' of 125Through very small passages 11" (Fig. 4) the regulating bellows is now, however,
the chambers 8 are placed under slight sue- raised but Iittle, so that the tension of thetion to facilitate the downward movement spring t is weak, and there is a low degreeof the diaphragm '7 and consequently of the of tension in the regulating bellows. The
65 valves 5 and 6. movable board of this regulating bellows 130
r
r>.I
continued. . .
)/="
1,008,291 afalls according to the demand made upon thesuction by the pneumatics of the tone-producing actions, and in so doing correspondingly moves the slide to open the passage
5 from the main bellows; but the low degreeof suction is maintained at the tone-producing actions, because the expression bellows ehas already set the valve or slide c to verymuch restrict the passage b', Thus though
10 the slide c is moved, in accordance with thedemands made by the pneumatics of thetone-producing actions, the tension of airto produce the pianissimo volume of tone ismaintained by the action of the regulating
15 bellows d.To produce a stronger tone volume the
section in the regulatin~ bellows has to bebrought to a higher tension. This is accomplished by moving the movable device e'
20 upward, thus correspondingly raising theslide c and opening the channel b': Consequently the regulating bellows becomessomewhat deflated, lowering, at the sametime, the slide c, and again allowing, as
25 soon as the movement of the movable devicee' ceases, only the passage of the suctionused to produce tones of the desired volume,whereby the movable board d' is kept in thispredetermined raised position. In this posi-
30 tion the spring! is under stronger tensionthan before, whereby the increased power ofthe suction in the regulating bellows is maintained.
To change a stronger volume of tone to a35 softer one, the movable device e' is moved
downward; the slide c more nearly closes thechannel b' and, consequently, the suctionconsumed in the striking of the keys is notso rapidly renewed. The regulating bellows
40 likewise becomes inflated and the degree ofsuction in it becomes reduced. When themovement of the movable device e' ceasesthe movement of the regulating bellows dalso is stopped and said regulating bellows
45 by reason of its connection with the slide cand also its free communication with thepneumatics of the tone-producing actions isenabled to replace the suction consumed inthe striking of the keys.
60 Thus it will be seen that upon the positionof the movable device e' depends the momentarily normal position of the movable boardof the regulating bellows and that upon thelatter depends the quantity of the tone vol-
55 ume produced and the maintenance of thatvolume.
One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide means for raising saidmovable device e' to produce the tone volume
60 desired automatically under the control ofthe note sheet. It is obviously advantageousto provide means operable to produce theexpression automatically and the structureherein shown embodies this advantageous
65 feature. The mechanism shown is adapted
to produce automatically all the various expressions, ;pianissimo, piano, mezzo forte,forte, fortissimo, forzando, crescendo, decrescendo, etc. and to permit the same to beproduced manually. For purposes of auto- 70matic regulation, the movable device e" ispreferably, the bottom board of an expression bellows e which bellows is controlledby pneumatic expression-actions, which, inturn, are controlled by special openings in 15the note sheet and special ducts in the trackerboard.
Any suitable construction of expressionactions may be employed without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, but we pre- 80fer that shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein there is one set of expressionactions for each expression bellows e and eachset of such actions, in the form hereinshown, comprises one action, r', for sudden 85forte effect, another r 2
, for sudden pianoeffect, a third, r, for crescendo effect and afourth r 4
, for releasing the crescendo effect.Each set of expression actions, furthermore,preferably comprises actions rs and ".0 to 90actuate a bellows h having a stop i adaptedto engage a stop i' carried by the expressionbellows e, said compartments rT> being connected with the bellows h by a pipe h/:
Each expression action (r', r, r, 1", r5 96and 7"'), like those of the tone producingactions above described, comprises a chamber (k, k', k', k3, k 4 and k5 , respectively,)arranged at one side of the wind trunk l()a
and having valves q' which control com- 100munication of said chambers with said windtrunk and the atmosphere; and each alsohas, at the other side of said wirH~ trunk, achamber 8A having a diaphragm-pneumaticq2, said chambers 8A thus corresponding to 106the chambers 8 above described, and havingducts 9A from which passages lead to thetracker board A' which tracker board, asstated" has special perforations or air inletstherefor. 110
Each of the expression-actions r' and rfor forte and crescendo effects respectively,and r5 for operating the bellows II" is provided with a chamber 8 within which isarranged a membrane q connected with the 115valves q' and membrane g2 of said action.The portions of said chambers 8 above themembranes q are connected, respectively,with the valve-chambers k, k" and k4 bybores or passages t. In practice, the passage 120t for the forte action may be omitted. Thevalve chamber k' of the action for produc-ing a "piano" volume of tone is connectedwith the portion u of the chamber 8 belowsaid membrane of the forte action by a 126passage 'IJ; and similarly the valve chamberkS of the action 1" for releasing the crescendo effect is connected with the portionof the chamber 8 below the membrane q ofthe crescendo action r; which likewise is 130
continue . . .
251
continued. . .
4 1,008,291 r
252
true as to the valve chamber kG of the actionr" and the lower portion of the chamber sof the action r5. Thus, when the valvechamber k, for example, is evacuated by the
15 quick rising of the valve, the space abovethe membrane q is placed under suction sothat the valve cannot return to its seat.Even when the original force which hasraised the valve ceases to work, the valve is
10 kept raised until the neighboring actionallows exhaust to operate by means of thechannel v on the membrane q from below.In this manner short openings only need beprovided in the music sheet in order to pro-
16 duce sustained tones or a series of tones ofthe same quantity.
The communication between the expression actions and the expression bellows econtrolled thereby is shown best in Fig. 3,
20 upon reference to which it will be seen thatfrom the valve chamber k of the forte actionr'- a comparatively large duct or pipe lleadsinto said expression bellows; from the similar chamber of the piano action r a smaller
25 duct or pipe m leads to a small expressionbellows n which is provided with and actuates a valve 0 which normally closes a passage 0' in the expression bellows e, throughwhich passage said expression bellows has
30 communication with the atmosphere, whereby it is quickly inflated when it is desiredto pass suddenly from a stronger to a weakervolume of tone; and from the valve chamber of the crescendo action r" extends a very
85 small duct or pipe p to said expression bellows e.
The wind trunk loa of the expressionactions is connected by means of a pipe 12with the main bellows a, whereby said ex
40 pression actions are controlled directly bysaid main bellows instead of by the regulating bellows a.
In practice, it is preferred to have tworegulating bellows, one for the treble and
46 the other for the bass, and to correspondingly duplicate the distributing bellows andother expression devices. The expressionactions may be arranged at any suitableplace, without departing from the spirit of
IiO the invention. In the drawings, they areshown us arranged at opposite ends of theseries of compartments 1 of the tone producing actions with their respective windtrunks loa divided from the wind trunk 10
&6 by rneuns of walls w.In theoperation of the expression pneu
matics:-When a Budden forte is to be produced, the forte action (1") comes into operation and, through the air passage l,
eo quickly deflates the expression bellows e,thus causing the slide c to be raised quicklyand the regulating bellows d to be forciblySlicked by the main bellows a. At the sametime with forte the crescendo is always pro-
16 duced, so that if the forte-hole in the note
sheet has passed, the expression bellows iskept by the crescendo action in forte position.If piano is to be produced, the piano
action r2 is actuated whereby the small valve 70bellows n is evacuated by means of the channel or pipe m. The opening 0' in the expression bellows is then opened and thelatter quickly returns from the forte position into the piano position. Simultaneously 75with piano the decrescendo action r' is actuated, so that the crescendo which up to nowkept the expression bellows in the forte position, is released.
If crescendo effect is to be produced, the 80crescendo action comes into operation andgradually evacuates the expression bellowse by means of the small pipe p. If decrescendo is to be produced the crescendo effectis released by the action r' and the expres- 85sion bellows e is gradually filled with atmospheric air through the pipe p and slowlyreturns to the piano position.
For producing mezzo forte the action r5jS arranged, which deflates the bellows 11" 90whereby the stop i comes into the path ofthe expression bellows e. A short time laterthe forte action is operated by which theexpression bellows e is deflated in such amanner that stop i' is engaged with stop i 96and the expression bellows is therefore prevented from being fully collapsed. It iskept in this position by the crescendo actionactuated at the same time. If piano is toagain enter, the mezzo-forte and crescendo 100are released by the actions r8 and r4 andthe piano action r Z is actuated. For passingfrom mezzo-forte through decrescendo topiano, mezzo-forte and crescendo are released and the expression bellows e slowly 105returns into its piano position. For pass-ing from mezzo-forte through crescendo toforte only mezzo-forte is released and thecrescendo sucks the distributing bellows upto the forte position. If it is desired sud- 11 0denly to pass from forte to mezzo-forte,mezzo-forte is inserted and the stop i isthereby moved into the path of the contactpiece i' of the expression bellows e. There-by crescendo is released and the piano action 115is put into operation.
For passing from forte through decrescendo to mezzo-forte mezzo-forte is insert-ed, crescendo is released; then the expression bellows e gradually returns up to the 120stop i of the bellows h.
It will not be a departure from the scopeor spirit of the present invention to embrace novel features thereof in a construction wherein the operation of the bellows e 125is effected manually, by a hand or foot lever,for example. The expression bellows e mnybe omitted (in such case for example) andthe adjustable supporting device for thevalve 0, in this case the board e' and pulley 130
r""'
r>,\
continue . . .
continued. ..
1,008,891
U, may be directly actuated manually, byhand or foot operated means for instance.Furthermore, means for manual operationmay be embodied in a machine which also
i has means for automatically controlling theexpression, whereby provision is made foreither individual or automatic control of theexpression, at the will of the operator. Inthe latter event, and with a machine having
10 automatic expression regulating means, likethose hereinbefore described for example,the manually operable means should be ofsuch character that atmospheric air will beadmitted below the membrane or diaphragm
16 of the" piano" action r, for example, aslong as the manually-operable device is inaction, thereby preventing the forte pneumatic from being actuated by the note sheet.To exemplify this feature of the invention
20 we have illustrated one form of meanswhich may desirablv be employed for thepurpose, but to the "details of which we donot restrict ourselves, nor do we claim saiddetails in the present case. In the form
26 shown means are provided for manually operating the expression bellows e, or ratherfor raising and lowering the pulley g of thelatter. Those shown are operated by handand comprise a shaft 100, which is journaled
30 in suitable bearings and provided with aconveniently accessible handle 101 by whichit is turned. A cord or other suitable means102 leads to the movable support of thevalve c, from a pulley 103 which is fastened
35 on said shaft 100. Thus, when the shaft isturned the means which supports the valvec will be moved accordingly, and such manual movement will obviously cause the samemovement of the regulating bellows d that
~o would he effected by similar movement ofthe said support produced automaticallythrough the automatic expression meansaforesaid.
The shaft 100 has a flat portion 104, or45 is otherwise suitably formed to make it cam
shaped or eccentric, and bears upon the upper ends of a series of plates or valves 105which are arranged in juxta~osition toopenings lOG in a casing 107. Said openings
50 are in communication with passages 108which in turn communicate, through ducts109, with the chambers 8a of the expressionactions 1.2, r, and ".e, whereby, when theshaft is turned it also presses said plates
til> 105 and uncovers said openings 106, thusestablishing communication of said chambers with the atmosphere. Thus the valvesin said actions r 2
, r 4 and ".e are elevated, andheld in elevated position, as long as the
60 hand operated device is in operation, thereby, through the passages v, preventing theforte pneumatic from being operated by thenote sheet while the hand operated deviceis in use, and said hand operated device
65 then can be manipulated by the player to
produce various changes of expression corresponding to his own idea or interpretation.
From the above description it will be apparent that by reason of the reciprocal action of the valve and the regulating air 70chamber or bellows, the valve tends to seekat all times during the operation of the instrument, some one of a number of meanpcsitions, each representing a particularpressure in the regulating chamber and in 76the air passages leading to the tone producing actions.
The particular mean position which thevalve seeks and thus the particular pressuremaintained, is determined by the position 80of the expression air chamber or bellows,which in turn is controlled by the selectiveaction of the expression actions, or by themanual operating device. This results m obtaining and retaining for the period desired 8liany particular pressure in the regulatingchamber and in the air passages referred to.
The relation between the valve, the regulating air chamber or bellows, and the expression air chamber or bellows is such that, 90the valve is moved to a degree equal to theresultant of the forces of the two air chambers referred to. The parts may be so arranged that the movement of the valve mayhe the resultant of the movement of the two 95chambers, though this is not necessarily thecase. By resultant is meant the algebraicsum of the movements of the two chambersor other corresponding elements, giving tomotion of either element tending to move 100the valve in one di...ection that + sign, andto motion of either element tending to movethe valve in the other direction the - sign.
As already stated, the expression actionsare connected directly with the main air 106chamber without the intervention of theregulating air chamber, while the tone producing actions are connected with the regulating air chamber and thus indirectlywith the main air chamber. It follows that 110the expression air chamber is operated independently of the regulating air chamber,and that the expression air chamber makeseffective immediately any selection by theexpression actions. US
Having thus fully described the nature ofour invention, what we desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is:-
1. In a musical instrument, the combination of striker pneumatics, a main source of 120power for actuating them, expression-controlling means arranged to control the degree of pressure at the striker pneumaticsaccordingly as such means are set, automaticactions for setting the expression-control- 126ling means for high, low or intermediatepressure, and pressure - maintaining meansoperatively connected with the said expression-controlling means for maintaining substantial uniformity of that pressure for 130
continue . . .
253
continued. ..
6 1,008,291 r>
which the said controlling means may atany time be set whatever number of strikerpneumatics be simultaneously operated.
2. In a musical instrument, the combina-5 tion of striker pneumatics, l1 main source of
power for actuating them, means for controlling the air supply located between thesaid pneumatics and the main source of supply, a pneumatic in free communication
10 with the striker pneumatics c~>Dnected w}thand arranged to move the air controllingmeans to maintain substantial uniformityof pressure at the striker pneumaticswhether many or few of these are simul-
15 taneously brought into operation, a.nd operable at whatever pressure the said controlling means may be set to maintain, expression-controlling devices also operativelyconnected with the air - supply - controlling
20 means arranged to change the position ofthe latter to vary the degree of pressure atthe striker pneumatics accordingly as theexpression-controlling devices are set, andautomatic actions for setting the expression-
26 controlling means.3. In a musical instrument, striker pneu
matics, a main source of power, a regulatingmotor intermediate the striker pneumaticsand the main source of power, having means
30 for automatically maintaining constant condition of action between the main source ofpower and the striker pneumatics includinga valve in the connection between the regulating motor and the main source of power,
36 and an automatically actuated device arranged in the connections of the valve forchanging to any degree the operative effectof the main source of power upon the keypneumatics through the regulating motor.
40 4. In a musical instrument, striker pneumatics, a main source of power for actuating them, means for maintaining at thestriker pneumatics uniformity of pressurefrom the main source of power, as the said
45 pneumatics are operated, devices cooperating with the said pressure - maintainingmeans for varying the degree of pressure,whether high, low, or intermediate, whichthe said means will maintain, and automatic
50 actions for setting said pressure varying ]means.
5. In a musical instrument, striker pneumatics, a main source of power for actuating the same, means for maintaining un i-
55 formity of pressure of the main source ofpower at high, low and various intermediatepressures with reference to the striker pneumatics, and means cooperating with the firstnamed means for automatically varying
60 such pressures at varying speeds. .6. In a musical instrument, striker pneu
matics, a main source of power for actuating the same, a valve controlling the actionof the main source of power upon the striker
65 pneumatics and two automatically actuated
valve - operating devices for maintainingand producing numerous operative effectsof the main source of power upon the strikerpneumatics.
7. In a musical instrument, striker pneu- 70matics, a main source of power, a regulatingdevice for automatically maintaining predetermined pressures upon the striker pneumatics, and an automatically actuated device connected therewith for varying the op- 75erative effect of said automatic device andfor producing and maintaining any predetermined degree of pressure of the mainsource of power upon thestriker pneumatics.
8. In a musical instrument, striker pneu- 80matics, a main bellows, a regulating bellowsconnected with the main bellows and thestriker pneumatics, a valve situated in thepassage between said main and regulatingbellows so as to regulate the same, a flexible 85device connected with said valve and regulating bellows, a pulley over which saiddevice runs, and means for adjusting saidpulley to vary the action of the flexible de-vice with respect to the valve, 90
9. In a musical instrument, pneumatictone producing actions and expression actions, a main bellows, a regulating bellowsin communication with said tone producingactions and main bellows, a valve arranged 95in the passage between said main and regulating bellows, said valve being connectedwith and moved by the regulating bellows,and an automatically adjustable deviceinterposed in the connections for moving 100said valve, independentlv of or in conjunc-tion with the regulating bellows, said uutomatically adjustable device controlled bysaid expression actions.
10. In a musical instrument, pneumnt ic 105tone producing actions and expressionactions, a main bellows, a regulating bellowsin communication with said tone producingactions and main bellows, a valve arrangedin the passage between said main and regn- 110lating bellows and connected with said regulating bellows, and an expression bellowscontrolled by said expression actions andconnected with said valve, and adapted toactuate the valve independently of its move- 115ment by the regulating bellows.
11. In a musical instrument, pneumatictone producin~ actions and expression actions, a main bellows, a regulating bellowsin communication with said tone producing 120actions and main bellows, a valve arrangedin the passage between said main and regulating bellows and connected with said reguluting bellows. an expression bellows hnvingconnection with said valve and ducts con- 125necting different expression actions withsaid expression bellows, whereby the latteris controlled for various positions to varythe movement of the valve independentlyof its movement by the regulating bellows. 130
/'""'
rr-
continued. . .
1,008,201 7
12. In a musical instrument, a main bellows, a regulating bellows, striker pneumatics connected therewith, a valve situatedin the passage between the main and regu-
15 lating bellows so as to regulate said passage, said valve being mechanically connected with the regulating bellows, anexpression bellows mechanically connectedWIth said valve interposed in the connecticn
10 of the valve and regulating bellows, and automatic expression actions, acting upon the expression bellows and comprising compartments provided with actuating and releasingvalves, one of said actions also provided
16 with a chamber having a membrane dividing the same into spaces above and belowsaid membrane, means connecting one ofsaid spaces with the compartments of one ofsaid actions, and means connecting the other
20 of said spaces with the compartment of theother of said actions.
13. In a musical instrument, in combination, striker pneumatics, a regulating bellows in connection therewith, a main source
25 of power connected with the regulatingbellows, means intermediate the regulatingbellows and the main source of power formaintaining a predetermined action of themain source of power upon the striker pneu-
30 matics, and automatic means in operativerelation with the first named means for increasing and decreasing the operative effectof the main source of power and regulatingbellows upon the striker pneumatics.
35 14. In a musical instrument, pneumatictone p1[oducing actions, a main bellows, aregulating bellows in communication withsaid tone producing actions and main bellows, a valve arrunzed in the passage be-
40 tween said main and regulating bellows, aflexible means connecting said valve withsaid regulating bellows, a pulley over whichsaid flexible means runs, means for adjusting said pulley, and means for holding the
45 same in different positions of adjustment.15. In a musical instrument, pneumatic
tone producing actions, a main bellows, are~lating bellows in communication withsaid tone producing actions and main bel-
50 lows, a valve arranged in the passage between said main and regulating bellows, aflexible means connecting said valve withsaid regulating bellows, an automaticallyactuated device over which said flexible
55 means runs, means for automatically adjusting said device, and means for holding thesame in different positions of adjustment.
16. In a musical instrument, pneumatictone producing actions and expression ac-
eo tions, a main bellows, a regulating bellowscommunicating with said main bellows andtone producing actions, a valve arranged inthe passage between said main and regulating bellows, means for connecting the valve
16 to the regulating bellows, an expression bel-
lows controlled by said expression actions and connected with the last mentionedmeans, and stop devices for said expressionbellows, said stop devices comprising a. projection from said expression bellows, and a 10bellows connected with one of the expressionactions and arranged contiguous to the expression bellows and having a stop to engage said projection.
17. In a musical instrument, pneumatic 15tone producing actions and expression actions, a main bellows, a regulating bellow!'>communicating with said main bellows andtone producing actions, a regulating devicearranged in the passage between said main 80and regulating bellows, means for connecting the regulating device to the regulatingbellows, an expression bellows controlled bysaid expression actions and interconnectedwith the means connecting the regulating 85device and regulating bellows, and stop devices for said expression bellows, said stopdevices comprising a supplemental bellowsand interengaging parts between the expression bellows and supplemental bellows con- 90nected with one of the expression actions.
18. In a musical instrument, pneumatictone producing actions, a main bellov s aregulating bellows, an expression bellows, apulley connected with the expression bel- VSlows, a valve between the regulating bellowsand the main bellows, and means extendingover the pulley of the expression bellowsand having one end secured to said valveand its other end connected with the regulat- 100ing bellows.
19. In a musical instrument, pneu marietone producing actions, a main bellows, aregulating bellows, an expression bellows, amovable device connected with the expres- 105sion bellows, a valve between the regulatingbellows and the main bellows, and means extending over the movable device of the expression bellows and attached at one end tosaid valve and at its other end connected nowith the regulating bellows.
20. In a musical instrument, key pneumatices, a main bellows, a regulatingbellows in communication with said mainbellows and key :pneumatics, expression 115actions, an expression bellows controlledby said expression actions, a valve arranged between the main bellows and theregulating bellows, operating means for saidvalve including a connection from the valve 120to the regulating bellows whereby theformer is operated by the latter, and a connection from the expression bellows to thevalve whereby the latter may be operated.by the expression bellows in conjunction 125with or independent of the operation of theregulating bellows, and stop devices for saidexpression bellows, comprising an auxiliarybellows controlled by one of said expressionactions and interengaging projections on ISO
continue. . .
255
continued. . .
II 1,008,291 ;----
256
said expression bellows and auxiliary bellows.
21. In a musical instrument, the combination of striker pneumatics, a main source of
5 power for actuating them, means for maintaining uniformity of pressure from the saidmain source of power for actuating thestriker pneumatics whether many or fewof these be operated at once, a tracker board,
10 automatic actions controlled from thetracker board, and means controlled by thesaid automatic actions, operatively connected with the said pressure-maintainingmeans for varyin~ the degree of pressure
16 supplied to the stnker pneumatics.22. In a musical instrument, in combina
tion, striker pneumatics, a main source ofpower, a regulating bellows interposed between the striker pneumatics and main
20 source of power, means including the regulating bellows for maintaining varying operative conditions of the main source ofpower with relation to the striker pneumatics, a music roll, and automatic means
25 interconnected therewith and with the regulating bellows for controlling to various degrees the operative effect of the main sourceof power upon the striker pneumatics at anyposition of the regulating bellows.
30 23. In a musical instrument, in combina-tion, striker pneumatics, a regulating bellows connected therewith, a main source ofpower connected with the striker pneumaticsthrough the regulating bellows, a regulator
35 intermediate the regulating bellows andmain source of 'power and controlled in partby the regulating bellows for maintainingpredetermmed constant actions of the mainsource of power upon the striker pneumatics,
40 and a mechanism automatically actuated bythe main source of power and connectedwith the regulator for varying the operative effect of the main source of power toany desree and at varying positions of the I
46 regulating bellows, substantially as described..
24. In a musical instrument, in combination, striker pneumatics, an expansible bellows in connection therewith means for ex-
60 hausting the air from said bellows, meansfor expanding the bellows against the action of the exhaust, a wind-trunk connecting the bellows and the exhaust, a valve controlling said wind-trunk, connections inter-
mediate the bellows and valve for operating 5~
the valve, and automatic means actuated bythe exhaust and interconnected with themeans for controlling the valve for movingsaid valve during its control by the regulat-ing bellows. 60
25. In a musical instrument, tone producing actions, a main air chamber, a regulating air chamber in communication with saidtone producing actions and main air chamber, means governing the communication be- 65tween said chambers and connected with saidregulating chamber, an expression air chamber connected with said governing means,and means for increasing or decreasing thepressure in said expression chamber ab- 70ruptly or gradually.
26. In a musical instrument, pneumatictone producing actions, expression actions,a main air chamber, a regulating air chamber in communication WIth said tone pro- 75ducing actions and main air chamber, a vnlvegoverning the communication between saidchambers and connected with said regulating chamber, an expression chamber tochange the position of the valve, and ducts 80of different capacities connecting differentexpression actions with said expressionchamber.
27. In a musical instrument, pneumatictone producing actions, pneumatic expres- 85sion actions, a main air chamber, a connection between the tone producing actions andthe main air chamber, a valve governing thesaid connection, an expression bellows provided with an opening, means controlled by 90an expression action or actions for evacuating said expression bellows, and an auxiliary expression bellows connected to an expression action and controlling said openingto permit the sudden expansion of the ex- 95pression bellows on the actuation of the saidexpression action.
In testimony whereof we have signed ournames to this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.
EDWIN WELTE.KARL BOCKISCH.
Witnesses as to Edwin WeIte:JULIUS MULLUCK,LAMBERT E. WALTHER.
Witnesses as to Karl Bockisch:LUDWIG ZINBAL,BENJAMIN F. LIEFELD.
~
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257
r-..J THE WELTE MUSICALE~by Mark Reinhart, edited by James Keaton
Automatic music is enchanting for many reasons.Certainly a large part of the fascination comes from theproduction ofmusic by pedaling, dropping a coin or tripping a switch . I personally enjoy the music and thelonger the roll the better; I am not the first to want a longprogram of music. The Welte-Mignon Corporation staffrecognized this desire and successfully marketed the ultimate in automatic music-the Welte Musicale.
The Musicale was an attachment for piano or organwhich held 10 music rolls, automatically playing anyselected roll at the touch of a finger. The Musicale wasdesigned for ease of operation. Once the changer wasloaded with the 10 favorite rolls, the listener need onlyrelax and enjoy uninterrupted music at the touch of a button . The cost of this attachment rendered it too expensivefor the average consumer, indeed only the most wealthycustomer could afford this level of comfort. Of course,the customer who could afford a residential pipe organprobably had no difficulty including the Musicale in thebudget. This is why there are many more survivingMusicale changers for Welte-Philharmonic pipe organsthan for Welte-Mignon pianos.
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Welte-Philharmonic Musicale made in 1929. Mahogany case .
Sold to the public as the "Musicale", the changer wasreferred to by factory service personnel as the "MultiControl" or simply "Multi" unit. The mechanisms forchanging the rolls were made by the National PianoManufacturing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.National Piano Mfg. Company had a history of successful roll changing pianos with their popular line of coinoperated instruments. The Grand Rapids people calledtheir machines "Multirecord Controller" which is
undoubtedly thesource of the name"Multi Control". Theroll changing mechanism was built by theGrand Rapids groupbut was finished andinstalled by theWelte-MignonCorporation.
The Musicalewas a free standingdevice connected tothe piano or organ bya wire cable. Sincethe changer was aseparate unit, in someorgan installations thedevice was built intoa wall with a small
. . . . opening to access theWelte-Philharmonic MUSicale front view. II f .
ro s or changing. Inother installations, very elaborate cases were built tomatch a customer 's existing furniture. The Musicale wasflexible insofar as the original buyer had many options inthe changer embodiment.
Our multi control unit, origninally sold to EleanorBoleter of Perryville, Maryland in 1929, is in a lovelymahogany case with carved decorations. In 1939, Ms.Boleter employed W. W. Kimball to move the organ andMusicale to her home in Havre de Grace, Maryland ;Kimball placed their own name plates on the multi unit atthat time. Visitors to our home who know nothing ofwhat this case houses have admired the woodwork, wondering about the nature of our "china closet".
The Welte-Mignon with Musicale was available in theline of Welte-Mignon "Original" pianos or as a custombuilt attachment by the Welte-Mignon Corporation. TheMusicale played Purple Seal or Welte-Mignon Licenseerolls with the tempo for each roll controlled by separatetempo knobs. The changer unit selects the desired roll,reads each roll pneumatically then converts the information electrically. The multi unit is attached to the pianoby a large cable which operates a series of magnets toconvert the information back to pneumatic signals tooperate the Welte-Mignon player.
The Welte-Philhannonic organ with Musicale playedstyle V-VI Philharmonic "150" rolls. Like the T-IOO (redpaper) counterpart, the" 150" rolls were played at a singlespeed and required no adjustment of speed for the multicontrol unit. The changer units were either self contained
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258
continue. . .
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Welt e-Philharmonic Musicale close up of mechanism.
Note that there is only a single tempo control for a ll ro lls since
they operate at a commo n speed.
Welte-Philharm onic Music ale se lector tabl et c lose up .
The numbers are backlit showing the ro ll in play .
Sowada and assigned to the Welte-Mignon Corp. for thepneumatic to electric converter.
Unfortunately, by April 1931 National Piano Mfg.was in receivership. The Welte -Mignon Corp. had undergone restructuring and was eventually broken up and sold .The fate of the piano divi sion is not clear but the organdivision was sold to Donald Tripp and mo ved from theBronx to Sound Beach, Connecticut. The new firm ,Welte-Tripp Organ Corporation, also failed and was subsequently sold to W. W. Kimball. Rich ard C. Simontonpurchased a residence organ from W. W. Kimball withmulti control ca . 1947 . The origin of this late changer isunknown since National was in receivership by 1931 .Perhaps the changer was old stock or reacquired from anea rlier owner.
The Mus icale is an extraordinary devi ce, the epitomeof automatic opera tion. The multi ch anger enables thelistener to enjoy the benefit of lon g uninterrupted musicalprograms wh ile blending well with existin g decor. Themulti unit take s the fine Welte -Mignon piano and WeltePhilharmonic organ to a new level of listening pleasure.Enough Musicale units survive today that, with diligenceand persistence, the collector may eventually possess thisfascinating machine.
or built into the structure housing theorgan. It is importantto note however thatwhile the Mu sical ewa s a se lf containedunit, the WeltePhilharmonic playe rrequired two largerelay units to complete the player.
The relay unitscontrol the registerselection and pedalnotes . The registerrelay, like the AeolianDuo-Art ReproducingPipe Organ , is neededto actuate the regi sters as selected by theWeI te-Phi Iharmonic
Welte-Philharmonic Musicale openrolls. The pedal note s
with access to change roll s.on the Welte-Philharmonic " 150" roll s are multiplexed on the rolls.The pedal relay is required to determine if the note is tobe played on the pedal, great manual or both. All of thisto say that the multi control unit can be connected to other(non-Welte ) organs but , in addit ion to the changer unit,the relays are required. This is often overlooked by collectors today.
The Multirecord Controller was invented by CliffordH. Green of Grand Rapids , Michigan. Green was grantedtwo patents for the multi control: U S Pat. No. 1,752 ,171and US Pat. 1,80 1,343 . The Welte-Mignon Corp. s taffde veloped the connecting hardware including the pneumatic to electric hardware . United States Patent No .1,582,002 was granted to John G. Goll and Paul 1.
continue. . .
259
continued...
US Patents for Welte Musicaleus Pat. No. 1,582,002, John G. Goll and Paul J. Sowada, filed 10. Dec. 1923, granted 20. Apr. 1926, Pneumato- r.
Electric Device, assigned to Welte-Mignon Corporation. (This device con verts the pneumatic roll information to electrical signals, used in both Musicale and single Philharmonic players.)
April 20 , 1926. 1,582,002J. G GOLL ET At.
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April 21, 1931. c. H GREEN 1,801,343
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Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Box 6, Washington, DC 20231.
US Pat. No.1 ,752, 171, Clifford H. Green, filed 13. Oct. 1923, granted25. March 1930, Multirecord Controller, assigned to National Piano Mfg.Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Welte-Mignon Musicale in period case with close up view of selector tablet.
263
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Welte-Mignon Musicale closed. Welte-Mignon Musicale open for roll changing and tempo adjustment.
264
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20114-R Welte-Mignon showing electric to pneumatic converter and cable from the multi control unit on the underside of a grand piano.
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20123 Front ofMusicale with covers in place.Access to rolls and tempo still possible.
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20124 Front view offset ofMusicale with covers in placeand closed. Note the cable on the floor at the rear.
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270
EW PIANOROLLS & RECUTS
Three New ArrangementsFOR 20-NOTE ORGANETTES
Rolls have been produced to suit the Aeolian "Celestina" and the Wilcox & White "Symphonia" organettes. Roll production by John Wolff.
PO Box 101, Belgrave VIC 3160, Australia • Web site: home.vicnet.net.au/~wolff/mechmusic/newrolls.htm
Three new arrangements, by AMICA member, Stephen Kent Goodman.
1. Whistling Rufus. “Whistling Rufus” is an early rag/cakewalk by Kerry Mills, which was copyrighted in 1899;
it was (and still is) one of his most popular compositions.
Roll length 13ft, duration 2 minutes 37 seconds.
2. Alabama Dream - a ragtime cakewalk. Composed in 1899 by George Barnard. During his youth Barnard learned to
play many different instruments, and later became a bandmaster working in various towns throughout the United States.
He had over 400 published works, most of which were composed for orchestra.
Roll length 16ft, duration 3 minutes 14 seconds.
3. The Belle of Chicago. Composed by John Philip Sousa in 1892. Sousa composed this march as a salute to the ladies
of Chicago. Although Sousa was soundly criticized in the press for this march, with such news quotes as: "Mr. Sousa
has made his Chicago belle a strapping kitchen wench”:, it outlived it’s criticism and it became a popular march mostly
overseas. The march certainly reflects Sousa's background conducting Offenbach operettas and has a French, dance-like
quality to it.
Robin Pratt: Artist Choice Music Rollswww.wiscasset.net/artcraft/pratt.htm
[email protected]: (419) 626-1903
Rob Deland: Blues Tone Rollswww.bluesrolls.com
[email protected]: (847) 548-6416
Steve Bentley: Playrite Music Rolls1536 N. Palm St.,
Turlock, CA 95380 U.S.A.Phone/Voice: (209) 632-5784
Fax: (209) 667-8241
Tim Baxter: Meliora Music Rollswww.members.aol.com/meliorarol/index.htm
David Saul: Precision Music Rolls1043 Eastside Road
El Cajon, CA [email protected]
David Caldwell400 Lincoln Lake Ave., N.E.
Lowell, MI 49331Phone: (616) 897-5609
DavidWFrom [email protected]
Magic Melodies & Keystone360 Lawless Road
Jamestown, KY 42629Phone: (270) 343-2061
Leedy Brothers Music Rolls4660 Hagar Shore Road
Coloma, MI 49038www.leedyrolls.com
Phone: (269) 468-5986Fax: (269) 468-0019
Larry Norman: Rollertuneswww.home.earthlink.net/~rollertunes
[email protected]: (504) 721-7188
PLEASE VISIT THESE SUPPLIERS OF RECUT ROLLS
271
NewsFrom
The Chapters
Amica Pig RoastOn April the 24th Galen and Linda Bird hosted a Pig
Roast for the Heart of America Chapter and guests with about60 in attendance. This has become a very popular event forthe chapter. Galen smoked a whole pig as well as 2 brisketsand a turkey. Many of the ladies brought food and snacks. Itwas a rainy morning but it turned out to be a beautiful day forthe party. People started arriving around noon and we snackedand played instruments all afternoon and evening. The Birdshave a newly restored 7 ft. Mason Hamlin Ampico which wasplayed for hours with and without the midi. Several people inattendance played the piano including Craig Brougher andScott McDonald. Scott played the keyboard for AndyWilliams for several years and is now a well known jazzpianist in Kansas City. He and Craig entertained us along withsome of our outstanding singers in the chapter. We were eventreated to an improv duet with Scott and Craig. The Bird’schildren’s carousel was a big hit with the children and adultsalike. People also spent time in the music room in a separatebuilding listening to the other instruments in the collection.
On Sunday morning a brunch was held at the Bird’s followed by the business meeting. Final preparations werediscussed for the Band Organ Rally at Gage Park in Topeka,KS on June 19th. There will also be a meeting in September at the Washburn’s and the Christmas meeting will be at the Tyler’s.
HEART OF AMERICA CHAPTERReporter: Kay Bode
President: Tom McAuley
Scott McDonaldat Mason
Some of the girls
Gary Craig, Ron Connor, Charles Tyler
Galen & Linda Bird at Mason Ampico
Doug Cusick & Linda Bird
Bill, Kay,Sandy and
Ellen
272
MIDWEST CHAPTERReporter: Christy Counterman
President: Stuart Grigg - (248) 356-5005
On Saturday May 1, members of the Midwest Chaptermet at the entrance to the Cleveland Museum of Art to beginan afternoon in University Circle. Some of us viewed theexhibits at the museum, while others went to see the newlyopened Glasshouse at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Wewere surrounded by butterflies in a tropical rainforest setting.The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum of the Western ReserveHistorical Society was next, where almost 200 classic cars aredisplayed, plus our favorite Steinway Duo-Art. We then tooka scenic journey through Cleveland neighborhoods includingLittle Italy, to our eventual destination of Mayfield Heightsand dinner at Bucca diBeppo. Family-style dining includednever-ending platters of salad, breads, pasta, lasagna, pizzaand multiple desserts.
We could hardly make it to our cars to travel to ChagrinFalls and the beautiful new home of Karl and Carol Theil,who moved from southern Ohio. Karl’s dad was a member ofour chapter, and many of his instruments and memorabiliawere in evidence here. I tried out the Wilcox and White playerorgan, purchased by Karl after waiting in line for an estatesale. Next was the 65 note Wheelock Pianola with a uniquebird’s eye maple spool box. The roll cabinet was just asunique, as you can see by the photo, the rolls are suspendedby their pins and the shelves fold out for easy access. Thetwin Knabe Ampico A & B pianos sat back to back and weretuned in unison by our guest technician Wanda Dawson. TheMarshall and Wendell Ampico and Bush and Lane Welterounded out the downstairs collection. Karl played the StroudDuo-Art and showed us the framed collection of Seeburgsales posters and other advertising.
The next morning we traveled back to the Theils whereKarl’s mom joined in hosting brunch before our businessmeeting. We discussed plans for the July gathering in Indianapolis, Indiana, along with a possible trip to Michiganfor the fall meeting. Afterwards, we added to our roll collections by checking out the selections in the dining roombrought by members for an informal Mart.
We had a wonderful time in northeast Ohio visiting a collection most of us had not seen before, and would like tothank Karl and Carol for planning a great weekend.
Dee, Paul, Gordieand Billie
Charles Tyler & Leonard Railsback
Carousel
Hosts Carol and Karl Theil show a unique roll
cabinet that hangs 65-note rolls by their pin ends.
Sherri and Wes Neff takeshelter in a hollow tree atthe Botanical Gardens
The business meeting washeld after a delicious
breakfast buffet.
273
Karl Theilexplains the latest Ampicoselection to Liz and MikeBarnhart.
Mike Stephens,Karl Theil andWes Neff enjoya selection on
the Theil’s Bush& Lane Welte.
Sherri Neff plays a roll on the Chein Pianolodeon.
SIERRA-NEVADA CHAPTERReporter: Nadine Motto-Ros
President: John Motto-Ros - (209) 267-9252
On Sunday, June 26, the Sierra Nevada Chapter met atthe home of our newest, and certainly youngest, member Alex Thompson (age 14) in Stockton, CA. Alex’s pride andjoy is his 1918 Style 40 Fotoplayer. The Thompson’s alsohave a 1915 Style 42 Fotoplayer (under restoration), a 1909NYC Francis Bacon Kohler and Campbell pumper, and an1899 6’3” Knabe grand in a beautiful rosewood case.
After a great potluck meal, chapter president JohnMotto-Ros conducted a business meeting. Our chapter webpage was discussed, and we hope to have it up and runningsoon. Chapter members were encouraged to attend the 2004 convention in Denver. It looks like we will have eightchapter members attending. At the end of the meeting, we
viewed an interesting video, furnished by Kent and MargieWilliams, on the restoration of a 1799-1800 Tannenburgorgan (America’s oldest and largest) in Old Salem, N.C.
Alex was trying to promote a Fotoplayer rope-pullingcontest. Kent Williams gave it his best try, and did well. Therest of us chickened out after Alex’s great performance.
Many thanks to Alex and his parents, Phyllis and TedThompson, for inviting us to their beautiful home and for supporting Alex’s interest in mechanical musicalinstruments. Special thanks to Ted for bringing out the 1909Pierce-Arrow.
Arlo (Chip Lusby),Phyllis Thompson
& Doug Mahr-chow time
Margie & Kent Williams arriving atthe Thompson home
Host-Alex Thompson getting ready todo his thing at the Fotoplayer
Ted Thompson in thePierce-Arrow
Bob & Sonja Lemmonon the patio
274
S.O.W.N.Y. CHAPTERReporter: Garry Lemon
President: Mike Walter- (716) 656-9583
May 2004Photographs by Nancy Group and Anne Lemon
Spring time in upper New York State and southernOntario brings the promise of warm and long days, just the right amount of rain, and the planting of our favorite vegetables. Stan Aldridge, host of our May gathering, gave a
tour of his recently planted vegetable garden and offeredfreshly picked rhubarb to fellow SOWNY members. Thanksto Stan and my wife Anne, I have enjoyed both rhubarbmuffins and a rhubarb-strawberry pie.
Stan lives in a large 19th Century home in downtownTonawanda. The post office is beside his home, the townmemorial band stand and its tree lined park is two blocksaway, and the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum a merefive minute drive across the historic Erie Barge Canal. Smalltown America is indeed alive and Norman Rockwell wouldcertainly recognize the thoughtfulness of the local policedepartment who allowed us to park along a street that doesnot normally permit Saturday parking.
For those who ventured to Niagara Falls for the 1998AMICA Convention, I will rekindle your memories of ourgroup visit and update the museum. Our recent tour to theexpanded display at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museumcertainly demonstrates the interplay between the importantrole of volunteerism and the trained guidance of museum personnel. To understand a lost technology and a century old ‘way of life’, the museum is indeed busy researching thebusiness of carrousel making, restoration and recreation of various animals, the distribution and sales and paymentsystem, and the impact of carrousels on the towns they wereonce part of.
We are curious about the working conditions, about theimpact of lead paints on the health of the workers and their neighborhood, and about the role of management in controlling the product line and encouraging worker loyalty.Questions from the tour group were thoughtfully answeredand peaked our curiosity. There are plenty of examples of thevitality and dedication of this museum staff, from the classesfor woodworkers and painters, and the researchers for suppliers of the mechanicals and gears to make this ‘traveling’ carrousel work, to the administrators and efforts to make this a viable economic project.
We are hopeful that the children who visit and play on theminiaturized carousel will also find their favorite animal, becurious and enjoy this amazing piece of Americana.
After our tour and ride on the carousel, we made a shortdrive to Pane’s Family Restaurant, selected our supper meal from an extensive menu and renewed friendships. Harrold and Muriel Hodgkins, honorary members, recentlycelebrated their 60th Wedding Celebration-congratulations!John and Janet Johns traveled from Ottawa, Canada. John is rebuilding a Chickering Ampico A. Bruce Bartholomewand Alan Mueller traveled from Rochester, home of the original American Piano Company (Aeolian Co.). Alan convinced the local museum to accession the original plansfor the Ampico B.
Stan invited us back to his home to hear his interestingand varied collection of musical instruments. These instruments represent an incredible period of invention, consumer spending and the age of travel. Travelers from allover America and Europe were fascinated by the hills andcaves of Kentucky. Cave owners were entrepreneurs andwanted to become rich. Floyd Collins wanted to discover anew cave and thereby become rich and famous. He was tobecome famous as the first person to have his tragic storyreported on coast to coast radio! While searching for a cave
Betty & Ray Stacey enjoying theoutdoors
Kent Williams working the ropes
Alex’s bedroom full of neat stuff including a reed organ
275
entrance, he slipped and got stuck in a rock crevasse. The lines of tourists grew as the radio reported about his misadventure and eventual death. The musical about FloydCollins is being presented by the Shaw Festival in Ontario andStan has an original musical roll from the 1920’s about this story. A melodramatic and long suffering representationfrom the past lives on the Buffalo manufactured Kurtzman Welte-Mignon. What a moments!
Allan Herschell Factory-www.carrouselmuseum.org
SOWNY Chapter-2004
Historic photo of woodworkers
Ed Group and family
HarroldHodgkins
Mike Walter,Alan Mueller
Harrold Root,Muriel Hodgkins,
Lori Root
Stan Aldridge, Mike Walter-Kurtzman Welte Mignon Reproducing PianoFrog-rare
Bruce Bartholomew, Garry Lemon -Music box,Weber Duo Art Reproducing Piano 59P
276
“The second day of a diet is always easier than the first,” Jackie Gleason
once said, because “by the second day,you’re off it.”
~ Jackie Gleason
Stan’s orchestrion
TEXAS CHAPTERReporter: Jerry F. Bacon
President: Jerry F. Bacon - (214) 328-9369
On Saturday May 01, 2004 25 members and guests met in Duncanville,TX for our May meeting.
We started at 12:00 noon at The Golden Corral Restaurant for lunch and at 1:00 caravaned to the Olden Year Music Museum which was about 1/2 mile away.
This museum was started by the DeFord family of Duncanville and has grown since. Rick Wilkins is the curator of the museum and was in Michigan, so Mr. DeFord and his two sons showed us around. It really has to be seen to be believed.
We began with a business meeting which was efficiently conducted by our President Jerry Bacon. Mention was made of the untimely passing of the President of the Pacific Can-Am chapter, Carl Kehret. Oursympathy goes out to them and to Mrs. Kehret who is the co-president of that chapter.
We adjourned and turned over the proceedings to Mr. DeFord who welcomed us and demonstrated everything for our pleasure.
The first thing we saw was a single Mills Violano which came from a restaurant in Dallas and was moved to the Texas Centennial of 1936 and was seen and heard by thousands of people at that great event. Next to the single was a Double Mills which played a snappy 6/8 tune “Barcalona”. Close to the Mills was a fine Seeburg KT which has Piano, Mandolin, Xlophone, Tambourine and Castanets.
Recently purchased from Europe was one of only two known “Ehrlicks Music Disk Playing Organ”
which was about 5’ tall with an exquisite inlayed front. It has a rank of flutes in it and played flawlesly.
About 3 different Barrel Organs were demonstrated next. All were in excellent tune and very pleasant to hear.
A large cylinder orchestral music box was next and next to it was a rare “Pianolin” with it’s endless roll whichplayed a ragtime piece.
They also have a “Regina” Sublima piano, a WurlitzerCaliphone from 1928 and a Ruth Band Organ.
All sorts of disk music boxes abound from small to a large three disk Symphonion which was lovely.
In the next portion is a large collection of Phonographs. One, which is memorable, is an EnglishGramophone with a paper mache' horn which is about 4’ in diameter, the sound of which equals or surpasses the famed Victor Credenza, which most of us are familiar with.
They have a complete collection of Edison cylindermachines from the lowly “Gems” to an “Opera” machine.
A Victor Schoolhouse with a large oak horn was shown by our own Bill Boruff as well as many of the otherphonographs.
A rare Scopitone showed us a couple of 1950's “music videos” which were a hoot and provided much interest with comments about the robust dolls with those huge beehive hairdoos of the period.
After much visiting and a closing demonstration by our own Michael Barisonek of a fabulous Aeolian Orchestrelle of 11 sets of reeds, the day ended with a final performance by the Double Mills which played “Moonlight & Roses”.
We are grateful to have been allowed to visit this World Class museum in our midst and thank the DeFords for the excellent hospitality we were afforded.
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FFOORR SSAALLEECREMONA MODEL J ORCHESTRION, unrestored, complete andoriginal, with rolls. Don Janisch, 4794 Wildflower Ct., Dousman, WI53118; 262-965-2627. (4-04)
STEINWAY PIANOLA VERTIGRAND, upright player, serial number 140216 (circa 1911), restored, with bench, located in Ithaca,NY. $3,000 or best offer. Call 607-273-7589 evenings. (4-04)
MARSHALL & WENDELL AMPICO, electric player 5’ baby grand,sn#113128, refinished off-white lacquer, new keyboard, re-strung,excellent playing condition. Pump in player requires repair. Asking$7,700, call 201-224-2265. (4-04)
AMPICO B & A ROLLS, 100+ regular and 30 small Ampico rolls,$750 for all. Call Carl 440-593-2155 (OH). (3-04)
CLOTH-COVERED ELECTRICAL WIRE FOR REPAIRS ANDRESTORATIONS. Many styles, colors, gauges. Safe and authentic.Sundial Wire, PO Box 1182, Easthampton, MA 01027; phone 413-582-6909. Full service web site: http://www.sundialwire.com; e-mail: [email protected] (4-04)
1929 KNABE GRAND AMPICO B, #108445, restored in 1980’s,plays well, plain cabinet, $12,000. HIGEL PLAYER PIANO #122,restored, plays fair, $700. ANGELUS PUSH-UP PLAYER, restored,plays well, $200. CHASE & BAKER PUSH-UP, restored, plays well,$300. Transposing Piano (GEO. RUSSELL, LONDON, FORREST& SON) #89375, not restored, in pieces (work was in progress), makeoffer. EDISON DISC PHONOGRAPH #0032 SN 1417, plays, nicecabinet, many records, $300. All located near Fortuna, California. Call Linda at (805) 967-7920 or email [email protected] for more information. All prices negotiable (5-04)
“Rose City Rag” 2003 Convention Rolls available for $12, shippingincluded. Contact [email protected] (4-04)
AMPICO, DUO-ART, WELTE, AND 88 NOTE PIANO ROLLS.New Recuts and Originals, including “Jumbo” and Program Rolls. AlsoN.O.S. QRS 88 Note rolls. Dave Caldwell, 400 Lincoln Lake Ave. N.E.,Lowell, MI 49331; Check out my website: www.maui.net/~uni/caldwell/;e-mail: [email protected]; phone 616-897-5609. (6-04)
The Golden Age of Automatic Musical Instruments. Art Reblitz’ magnificent 448-page book. Fabulous photos, history, collecting stories, tracker scales, original prices and more. $120 plus $5 S/H (single copy USA ground shipment). Mechanical Music Press-A, 70Wild Ammonoosuc Road, Woodsville, NH 03785; 603-747-2636.http://www.mechanicalmusicpress.com (4-04)
HANDMADE BARREL AND PNEUMATIC ORGANS made inGermany. With moving figurines and a lot of humorous surprises. See: www.magic-mechanical-music.de Musik & Spiel Automaten Geratebau, Ing. Hansjorg Leible, D-79400 Kandern/Holzen, Kirchstr. 2;Tel: 07626-7613, Fax 07626-971009 (6-05)
NEW REPRODUCING ROLLS FOR SALE – Magic Melodies isnow the Exclusive Dealer for new Keystone Ampico and Duo-Art rolls.For periodic Catalogs and other listings, write or call us. MagicMelodies, 360 Lawless Road, Jamestown, KY 42629 or phone 270-343-2061. (1-05)
STEINWAY ART CASE DUO ART REPRODUCER GRANDPIANO - Model AR-3, 7’-0’’, circa 1920. Outstanding condition withIvory keys. This is an amazing musical instrument and is in like-newcondition with unbelievable tone and sound, superb. Being sold by private party/collector, I have moved and the new house does not haveroom. The asking price of $55,000 includes rolls, contemporary benchAND professional moving and set up to most US destination. Great history also, the Minneapolis Philharmonic Orchestra borrowed thispiano, moved it to the Orchestra Hall where, for the first and only time,a concert was performed between the Minneapolis PhilharmonicOrchestra and a Reproducer Steinway, I have photos, a copy of the program and ticket stubs for this performance. A complete first classrestoration of the piano was performed 14 years ago, since then it hasalways been expertly maintained by Steinway representatives, tuned and played. The following was done during the restoration: New pinblock; New finish; restrung; repined; New dampers; the player workswere all redone, this work was done by Bill Ackman; All new leather, hoses, belts, etc.; New Ivory keys; Basically everything wasrebuilt/refinished. I think the cabinet style is “Aeolian #3011” - A slide show of photos can be seen on the internet here, click on theSteinway portfolio: http://photos.yahoo.com/norsepottery, John Danis,2929 Sunnyside Dr D362, Rockford, IL, 61114, (815)978-0647, Email, [email protected] (4-04)
WELTE-MIGNON PIANO 1927 – Seiler upright, Oak, T-98 greensystem, made in Germany. Complete and original, perfect ivories, brassinlay, restrung. Asking Only $1,900 Mike Kukral, 812-238-9656 [email protected] (6-05)
WWAANNTTEEDDRED WELTE MIGNON piano rolls (T-100). Paying top dollar. MikeKukral 812-238-9656 or [email protected] (6-04)
WANTED: 88-note Ethnic Rolls, especially Russian, Greek, Jewish,Hungarian, and Syrian. Happy to buy, trade, or borrow rolls for copying. Excellent references. Help spread diversity! Contact Bob Berkman at [email protected] or 716-882-1826
AMPICO --- DUO-ARTWELTE - RECORDO
88 NOTEIncluding, Jumbo, Program and Medley Rolls
Offering listings of new recut and original rollsof above for direct purchasing, without bidding.
Also buying small and large collections
Write or e-mail for listings and prices.Include P.O. address
and type you're interested in.
Dave Caldwell400 Lincoln Lake Ave., N.E.
Lowell, MI 49331616-897-5609
(6·04)
Barrel organs for collectors and enthusiasts.Complex moving figures with various sounds,delightful music and a lot of surprises.
Musik & Spiellng. Hansjorg Leible, Kirchstr, 2 • 79400 Holzen/Gerrnany
Phone ++49 7626-7613 Fax ++49 [email protected] www-magic-mechanical-music.de
'''-::... /
AMICA ITEMS FOR SALE
e: ~0\f1J ~ ~~~~I)<:ft~ Get the Whole Story! 'r-«;
The AMICA Bulletin remains the single source of complete information about the technical and 9social aspects of our hobby. No home library would be complete without a FULL SET of theAMICA Bulletins, bound into sets by year.
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278
AMI CA TechnicalitiesSince 1969, AMICA has been publishing into bound volumes, collection s of technical articles written and contributed by its members for publication in The AMICABulletin . They may be purchased as follows:Vol I - 1969 to 1971 $10.00Vol2 - 1972 to 1974 8.00Vol 3 - 1975 to 1977 9.00Vol 4 - 1978 to 1980 7.00Vol 5 - 1981 to 1988 20.00Vol 6 - 1989 to 1993 20.00
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A
~.~ -
LEEDY BROTHERS MUSIC ROLLS4660 HAGAR SHORE ROAD
COLOMA MI 49038Phone 269-468-5986
Fax 269-468-0019email: [email protected]
Welte LicenseeDUO-ARTAMPICO
88 NOTELimited edition reissues and new music rolls.
Contact us or check our web page for our latest list of music rolls.Web page www.leedyrolls.com
(4-05)
BENNET LEEDY RESTORATIONS4660 HAGAR SHORE ROAD
COLOMA MI 49038Phone 269-468-5986
Fax 269-468-0019email: [email protected]
High quality restorations of Ampico,Duo-Art, Welte and other reproducingpianos. All makes of 88 note player
pianos, and other automatic instruments.
BENNET LEEDY ROLLSTHE PIANO ROLL CENTER4660 HAGAR SHORE ROAD
COLOMA MI 49038Phone 269-468-5986
Fax 269-468-0019email: [email protected]
Reproducing, 88 note, 65 note, rolls.Musical related publications and othercollectibles for sale by mail auctions.
Serving collectors since 1970.Contact us to receive our auction lists.
Web Page: www.leedyrolls.com (4-05) Web Page: www.leedyrolls.com (4-05)
279
280
REPLACEMENT LEADERSThese 11 1/4” x 17” reprints, not trimmed and without tabs, are excellent replicas of the more popular types ofreproducing piano roll leaders. While intended for roll repairs, they may also be used for decorative purposes.To splice, overlay new leader on old roll, lay a straightedge on an angle, cut through both papers with a sharpknife, discard scrap, and butt-join with magic mending tape on top surface.
A. Brown on buff (For early red label boxes)
B. Black on ivory (Area for reusable artist photo)
C. Black on ivory (Most common)
D. Black on ivory (Very late rolls by combined Aeolian/American)
E. Green on ivory (Most common)
F. Green on ivory (Favorite Fifty & Selected Roll Service)
G. Welte Brown on buff (Most common)
Note: Early Welte’swith blue leaders maybe repaired with thisbrown leader. Many ofthese when reissuedhad brown leaders.
Please make checks payable toAMICA INTERNATIONAL, And send to:
BRIAN K. MEEDER904A West Victoria StreetSanta Barbara, CA 93101-4745
e-mail address for orders:[email protected]
Checks or moneyorders from foreign
countries must be drawn on U.S. bank.
Style QuantityA ______________
B ______________
C ______________
D ______________
E ______________
F ______________
G ______________
Total Quantity ______________
Price: $ 1.00 eachMinimum Order: $10.00
Postage and Handling $ 5.50
Roll Order $ ________
Total Amount (U.S. $) $ ________
