Introduction
By Peter Wellburn
Greetings fellow mechanical music enthusiasts!
As I probably hold the record for 'lurking' on this list I feel I should finally post an introduction. This digest comes to me at work by the tolerance of my employers. I did start a post before but never got it finished so here goes!
My name is Peter Wellburn. I live in Edinburgh which is a very beautiful city - and that has to be a compliment coming from an Englishman! It is about the last place in the UK that had a street piano regularly touring the streets - the piano is now in a local museum and sadly unplayed.
I had the marvellous good fortune to live for many years in Leiden in the Netherlands and still remember my first impression on arriving there - a Dutch draaiorgel playing away. Of course there were lots in those days. A trip to the Mechanical Music Museum in Utrecht stirred my interests and I became a regular visitor to the place. On returning to the UK I had a hankering after an organ of my own - but settled for a pianola instead! Having restored a Steck Duo-Art I eventually passed it on to my daughter and bought an Aeolian Weber - just an ordinary pumper but a nice toned instrument. That now needs some fixing but may have to wait for my retirement - which is not so far away. I'm not sure whether I will still have the strength to lift the innards out!
There have been lots of 'threads' lately which interest me. The music box played by paper rolls reminded me of one of mine - bought about 10 years ago for approx 12 pounds st. I don't have it to hand but my recollection is it is a Sankyo, it's certainly made in Japan and plays paper rolls (2.75ins wide - 20 notes) which you punch yourself (punch comes with box). You can arrange your own tunes or use arrangements already provided. It works on the same principle as a disc box. If anybody wants the address they can email me direct.
That reminds me of the 'disc' v 'disk' controversy. I have an original Symphonion catalogue which very definitely talks about 'discs'.
You may be interested to hear that the Victoria and Albert Museum produced a small book about Tippu's tiger. The history and background was written by Mildred Archer but it includes a chapter 'Technical aspects of Tipu's organ'. According to Archer it was damaged by a bomb during the war and ended up 'in several hundred pieces'. The book also says that the organ 'has been conserved by his firm (ie Mr Henry Willis) for over seventy years'. The book may still be available.
My interests cover the range of mechanical music but especially music boxes, automata and organs. I have an extensive library as well as video and audio recordings of such devices. Anybody know anything about Dick Gaughan who delighted us over here with demonstrations of his automata - Antonio Diavolo etc? I have videos of these.
I'm also pleased to be a member of MBSI. I can't get to your meetings of course but enjoy the journal and news of what's going on.
The story about the Romans and their chariots is dear to my heart as I live not too far from Hadrian's wall - built by the Romans. I can confirm that the story about the wheelbase is perfectly true. The guide on the wall used to explain this very story when showing the ruts. It's also because their roads, having no drains, had stepping stone for pedestrians. The gaps between the stones are always 4 foot 8.25ins to allow the chariots to pass. I've seen the same system in Pompeii in Italy and the gaps are exactly the same. Shows there's nothing new.
Somebody also expressed doubt about Dallam's organ made by Henry Dallam in Queen Elizabeth 1st's reign for the sultan of Turkey. I can confirm it's true and well- documented. There is also a mechanical spinet (a very early pianola!) made for her father Henry VIII. I think it may be in the Victoria and Albert but somebody probably knows better then I do. Roll on the day when we can include pictures of these things - and sound of course!
I suppose I now also take the record for the longest 'post' in history but I should add that my wife is Spanish and some of you may know that Spain had a tradition of street pianos which seem to have died out in the last couple of years. I returned from Madrid a couple of weeks ago and on the day before I left I found a small shop advertising 'Pianos - Organillos' the latter being street pianos. I plan to go back and have a word the next time I am there. Will keep you posted.
Sorry about all this rambling. Hope I haven't bored all of you. I suspect I may get snipped by Jody so I'd better end by expressing my thanks for his excellent work. We have a marvellous tool for disseminating knowledge.
Peter Wellburn
p.wellburn@nls.uk |
(Message sent Tue 29 Oct 1996, 16:28:14 GMT, from time zone GMT.) |
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