Thanks Pete (Woodworth) for forwarding that information from Meredith Naeff
about the national museum Van Speelklok Tot Pierement ("From Music Box to
Barrel Organ") in Utrecht.

This museum began as an exhibit in 1956 by the Friends of the Street Organ
Society and the Cultural Committee of Utrecht.  The exhibit was quite
successful and led to the establishment of a permanent museum with the
current name in the Convent of Saint Catherine.  In 1971 the museum moved to
space in the Old City Post Office.  Ten years later they moved to their
present location.

In 1994 the museum published a 'catalog' in the form of a 256-page hard bound
book.  It is quite an exquisite book that contains both color and
black-and-white pictures of over 200 of the items in the museum collection
with histories and  descriptions of them.  The text was written by Dr. Jan
Jap Haspels, Director-Curator of the museum.  Both Dutch and English text
versions were published.

The Catalog contains sections on Musical Clocks, Musical Boxes, Reed
Instruments, Stringed Instruments, Orchestrions, and Organs.  A review of the
Catalog written by Hendrik Strengers appears in Issue 122 of the MBSI News
Bulletin (January/February 1995).

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Haspels at the MBSI International meeting
in Orlando, Florida 2 years ago.  He is indeed vigorous in his conversations
about the museum and is enthusiastic about preserving and restoring
mechanical music.  His attitude reflects that of an advocate for this field
that we all love so much and provides a model for us all.

Bill Wineburgh
WWineburgh@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/WWineburgh/musicbox.html