-- forwarded message, please reply to sender and MMD --

I just read your article "History of the Player Piano" at
[John Tuttle's] Player Piano FAQ site and find I need a bit more
information and am in hopes you can answer my question for me.

I am writing a novel about San Francisco in the 1890's.  Were there
player pianos at this time?  I did read what you wrote about the
"push-up player" and then the development of the mechanism inside
the piano.  Were these available in 1890?

The scene requiring the piano takes place in a bordello where the
patrons are expected to drop a nickel or quarter into a slot to produce
music.  Is this actually a nickelodeon?  Were they available in 1890?

I did find reference to the local police in 1910 requesting all
the houses remove all music and replace it with the Automatic Harp?
Was this the Hurdy Gurdy or did that come before?

I know I could just have someone sitting there playing a piano, even
a 3 piece band, but I liked the idea of the patrons dropping another
nickel into the coffers of the madam.

Any information you can supply me with will be greatly appreciated.

Rose Howard
rose1@fgi.net


 [ I suggested to Rose that the madam in her story might have a
 [ music box in the parlor.  She replied:


Well, the bordello, in my story, is a French one, so the madam could
very thoughtfully have sent off to Germany or Switzerland for the disc
music boxes for the edification of her clients ;-).  I assume these
were coin-operated if they were in train stations and restaurants.

As you are familiar with San Francisco, if I come up with some question
about S.F. would you be kind enough to help me find the answer.  You
should have seen the somersaults I did trying to find the name and
description of a hotel for my characters to stay in.  I finally, after
much research, decided on the Palace Hotel.

I belong to a historical writer's group and one of the members lives
near San Francisco and Berkeley and had filled me in on the fog and a
few other little tidbits.  I spent several days researching the rail-
road and cable cars.  I'm beginning to think, even though I have not
been there yet, that I have already left my heart there.  Interesting
town and history.  But I did have a hard time finding out what I needed
pre-1906.

Thank you again, Robbie for your help.  I really do appreciate it.

Rose

 [ I don't have the knowledge of music box history which Rose really
 [ needs, so I hope our MMD historians can help.  What sort of coin-op
 [ musical instruments are likely to have been seen in 1890s America?
 [ -- Robbie