The following article was published in "Scientific American",
December 11, 1915, page 523.  It describes a push-up type piano for
movie theaters.  Are any MMD'ers familiar with this machine, or know
if it was ever mass-produced?  A photo of this machine can be found at:

    http://www-personal/ksu.edu/~brite/pushup.jpg


"Remote Controlled Electric Piano for Picture Theaters"

  "The contention that the ordinary automatic pianos are not suited to
motion picture theaters and that the smaller houses can ill afford to
hire proficient pianists -- poor pianists being considered worse than
none -- has resulted in the introduction of an electric piano-player
that is controlled by push buttons located in the operating booth.  It
is possible for the picture machine operator to immediately alter the
music of the piano to conform with the ever-changing action on the
screen.

  "The electric piano-player may be placed in front of any piano; the
latter being located in front of the screen or in any other part of the
picture theater.  In the operating booth are several push buttons that
control the mechanism of the piano-player.  The operator, following the
action of the picture on the screen, has the musical program constantly
under his control.  As the scenes vary, he can change instantly from
one selection to another, even to the breaking off of playing one se-
lection at any note and starting another tempo the next second.  The
extreme flexibility of the control permits of absolute consistency
between music and film action at all times, it is claimed by the
inventor.

  "Briefly, the mechanism of the electric piano-player consists of
several endless perforated rolls which serve to make and break the
circuits of the key-actuating mechanism through a series of electrical
contact pins.  Any one of the several perforated rolls may be played
by pressing the corresponding push buttons in the operating booth.
The musical program embraces: crescendo or thunderous music for battle
scenes and the like; allegretto or fast, lively music to accompany
highly animated scenes, such as horse or automobile racing, or even
chases; moderato for social or dramatic scenes; diminuendo or slow
music to accompany pathetic or sentimental scenes; Indian music to
convey realism to American Indian scenes, and staccato chords for
highwaymen or burglar action.  Automatic expression is a feature of
the records.

  "In addition to the various kinds of music to accompany screen
action, it is possible to equip the electric piano-player to emit
different noises, such as battle chaos, shooting, thunder and wind,
which at the present time are produced by the pianist with the aid
of numerous odds and ends."

(End of article)

Joyce Brite
Player Piano and Mechanical Music Exchange     * Buy - Sell - Trade *
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~brite/