Denise Vrana wanted to know who made the Keith Prowse piano [011211
MMDigest].  She knew as soon as she found the stamp saying Triumph
Autopiano.

This English brand of piano was made by Triumph, which I believe also
made cars.  The Autopiano was the player system which was an English
licensee version of the American Autopiano.  The differences include
the addition of Themodist to play the rolls with snakebites to accent
the melody lines.  They used smaller supply blocks to which the stack
bolts at both ends (a Themodist-divided stack).

They used a single valve system and the pouches are oval with a notch
out for the bleed cups.  This allows for less space and only two rows
of valves.  These also usually have a glass spoolbox door so the roll
may be played behind glass.  Closing this was not necessary as it is
for Orchestrelles and such.  A few years ago I restored one of these
that lives here in St. Louis.

The piano also has the obligatory English music rack that swings out
when you open the piano lid.  It unfolds and suspends itself in front
of the spoolbox.  The piano lid prop is also spring loaded so you have
to actively push down the prop to fully close the lid.  Perhaps in
England piano owners had more parties than we here in the States, or
perhaps the smaller pianos needed to let more sound out.

Can you imagine having to take everything off the top of the piano each
time you need unfold the music rest to play from sheet music?  Bummer!

DL Bullock
St. Louis, MO
http://www.thePianoWorld.com/