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MMD > Archives > July 2006 > 2006.07.30 > 04Prev  Next


Visiting "House On The Rock" Museum in Wisconsin
By Andrew Barrett

Hello all,  This is Andrew Barrett writing on the road from my
personal email.  I will be going to the House on the Rock in a few
days for an entire day-long visit.  I realize there are already at
least two Internet sites full of pictures of the place:

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/houseontherock/
  http://www.pbase.com/ysic/the_house_on_the_rock

So, please let me know what you would like pictures of and I will try
to accommodate you.  I will be taking hardly any pictures of much else
(well, maybe the giant wooden clock), except the automatic musical
instruments (real and fake), and the organ room with the three
super-size consoles and loads of pipework.

I think the hardest part for me going there will be to restrain myself
from either jumping the barriers and attempting to tune the fake
instruments (all the visitor reviews I read said they were fairly out
of tune), or spiriting the fake/cobbled stuff away in the dead of the
night for my own uses!

I will be sure to enjoy the Phonoliszt-Violina and fairground organ.
Since my dad and I are taking all three tours we will be sure not to
miss much, if anything.  I will especially try to take the "workshop
tour" if that is available and see if they will sell me a violin
mechanism (at least the bow)!

Not all of the fake instruments appear to be synthetic.  The pictures
cited above also show the "modified Tangley calliope" (as per an old
MMDigest in the Archives, and apparently playing O-rolls), and a
multiple-accordion machine which looks like it has the potential to put
out some great French music!  At least, if it were mine I would tube it
up to play something along that vein, maybe a Seybold or Kuhl and Klatt
roll.  I am looking forward to the trip!

Again, please let me know what you want me to specifically photograph
and I will try to accommodate all of your requests.  Unless something
unexpected happens with the camera, I will be taking detailed pictures
of all of the musical instruments and as much silent mechanical music
equipment as I can find hidden away in the corners.

Andrew Barrett
rag1916@yahoo.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

 [ MMDigest articles about "House On The Rock" are indexed at
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/KWIC/R/rock.html
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Sun 30 Jul 2006, 04:56:43 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  House, Museum, Rock, Visiting, Wisconsin

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