[ Editor's Note:  The following 3 articles were recently
 [ sent here and also posted on 24Jul96 to USENET in the
 [ group rec.antiques.  The articles posted here are
 [ unedited, except that some of you won't be able the
 [ block printing that Larry has generated, so I've
 [ added "interpretation" of the block printing in []'s.
 [ I've also folded some lines, as lines longer than 70
 [ characters give some of our readers problems.
 [
 [ Jody

This is a repost of a review originally sent out nearly a year ago, and
is being reposted since it is relevant to another review.  - L

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 [ Review:
 [
 [    The Musical
 [    Wonder House
 [       Museum

                       ---------------------------------
                        The Musical Wonder House Museum
                       ---------------------------------
                             A Review By Larry Smith


The Musical Wonder House - "Preserving the Sounds of the Past"

On two recent occasions I had the opportunity to visit this fascinating
museum based in Wiscasset, Maine.  The proprieter, Danilo Konvalinka,
has been collecting musical boxes since 1957, and his collection is now
overflowing a large elegant home on High Street in downtown Wiscasset.

The collection includes hundreds and hundreds of boxes, from an 1815
cylinder to a 1994 reproduction cylinder, it fills eight large rooms
and two central halls.  Very nearly all of them are in prime condition
after pain-staking restoration.

There are two tours available, a lower-story tour, which is $10 a
person and takes an hour, and a whole-house tour taking 3 hours and
costing $30 a person.  During the tour you will have the opportunity to
hear a dozen or more beautiful musical boxes, along with a scattering
of reproducing pianos and barrel organs, and the odd windup phonograph
or two.  The central hallway on the lower story can be toured
unsupervised, and is filled with coin-operated musical boxes, restored
in every detail but one: they take quarters where they used to take
pennies.  Bring lots.

Some other standout pieces include several magnificent orchestra boxes
including a number with percussion, bell and reed or pipe organ
effects, a number of large disk units including a Regina disk model
built into a round table, and a number of automata of various types to
round out the collection.

The Musical Wonder House has a store in the back that sells new and
restored musical boxes, and a companion store in Lexington, Mass. that
has an even larger selection.  It also does restoration work, which I
will be able to report on in more detail once they finish my own
orchestral cylinder box, which needs the cylinder repinned and
extensive case work.  They can even repair broken combs (thankfully not
necessary on my box).

The Musical Wonder House is open from Memorial Day to October most
days.  Lower-story tours are available any time, whole-house tours must
be arranged (and are well worth it) by calling (207) 882-7163.  Tell
them I sent you - I don't get any benefit from that, but it might
encourage Mr. Konvalinka to set up a web site so people who can't get
to Maine can still enjoy a bit of his collection.