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MMD > Archives > May 2001 > 2001.05.08 > 03Prev  Next


Coin Pianos at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlors
By John Rutoskey

Thanks to Glen Morris for his many replies and information concerning
the Farrell's pianos; however, I am sure the piano I saw in Farrell's
here in Baltimore was not a product of the Player Piano House.  It
doesn't sound like the same product.

In the 1970's, I would guess that every major city had a Farrell's;
I mean, if Baltimore had one, then it was big time!  I would guess that
perhaps two or three dozen could have been made, all identical, all
made from old player pianos.

Don Teach is correct: that is the piano I am trying to find out about.
The dead giveaway is the Seeburg type roll frame playing an A-roll,
mounted up in the place where the player-pianos original spoolbox was.
Someone went through a lot of trouble to duplicate this.

I remember when the Farrell's in my town closed, and that piano was put
out front for sale; I have no idea what became of it.  This was in 1982
or about.  There's a lot of sentiment attached to those pianos for me,
as they were the first ones I ever saw in my life.  I would sit there
for quite a long time plugging dimes into it.

I have the same sentiment for the roll that was on it throughout its
stay there: Automatic A-302, a very unusual roll from 1916 with a lot
of early rags, fox-trots and a few show numbers.

So -- a late generation of decently built coin pianos and all of the
information concerning them have passed into the unknown already?  In
just 25 years?  The more I think about these pianos the more determined
I am to find out about them.  I guess the next step is to contact
Marriott.

John D. Rutoskey


(Message sent Tue 8 May 2001, 17:36:05 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  Coin, Cream, Farrell's, Ice, Parlors, Pianos

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