One other very interesting exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum that I
forgot to mention, was a patent awarded in 1923 for a device and method
for recording piano expression in the making of reproducing piano rolls.
This patent was awarded to the great pianist and Duo-Art artist Josef
Hofmann.  The write-up on this patent stated that it was never put into
use.

It is too bad that we don't know his motivation for this invention.  Did
he feel that the recording of expression was inadequate or possibly to
time consuming and cumbersome?  Or, was he just tinkering? All that we
can do is speculate but it certainly would have been interesting to know
what prompted him to file this patent.

Michael Swanson