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American Coin-operated Pianos and Orchestrions
By Dave Bowers

The book that Art Reblitz and I are doing about American coin-operated
pianos and orchestrions is coming along nicely.  Here are some items
of esoterica that would be useful if anyone could supply, necessarily
a partial list, but challenging enough!

Catalog or other illustrations of any all Engelhardt Piano Company
(post Peerless, formed in 1916) and National Electric Piano Company
pianos and orchestrions.  Any literature at all relating to the Fort
Plain Piano Company.  Bulletins of the National Music Roll Company.

Catalogue illustrations or illustrated advertisements of the Automatic
Musical Company, Binghamton, NY, 1900 to 1912.  In February 1913 the
Link Piano Company picked up the traces of the bankrupt Automatic
Musical Co., and by January 1914 had four models on the market,
including styles O and R.  We have information on the Style R, but
not on the Style O or the other two early styles, whatever they may
have been.

In the era 1900 to 1910 various suppliers of arcade machines, Caille
and Mills being examples, offered coin pianos in their catalogues.
We would be grateful for any copies of such catalogue pages.

Factory pictures showing instruments being built, other than Seeburg
and Wurlitzer.

Pictures of coin-operated pianos and orchestrions on location, other
than those in Wurlitzer and Seeburg catalogues or in The Presto and
The Music Trade Review.  Postcards showing restaurants and other places
with coin-operated instruments of any make.

Color catalog illustrations of any Peerless pianos or orchestrions
other than the Elite and the DeLuxe orchestrion.  Any images at all
of the Peerless Photo Orchestra (circa 1914).

Catalog illustrations of the Cremona styles 10, 20, and 30 with tune
selector; any catalog pages describing the Cremona photoplayers (all
by the Marquette Piano Company).

Generally, 400 dpi black and white scans are ideal; if the illustrations
are well engraved, then 600 dpi.  Color scans for any color catalog
pages.

Plus, any recollections, information, etc., anyone might have regarding
Lou Bohnet (spelling?) of San Jose, California, in the 1960s or earlier.
Terry Hathaway went there with Jim Deroin (of Castro Valley, Calif.) to
see the long-stored hoard of Imhof & Mukle orchestrions Bohnet had in
a warehouse in San Jose and bought them, including an Admiral II and
a Lord with Fern Echo cabinet.

Best wishes to all!

Dave Bowers


(Message sent Mon 19 Oct 2009, 14:09:48 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.)

Key Words in Subject:  American, Coin-operated, Orchestrions, Pianos

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