A.B. Bonds mentions "B&B" organs in his query about the Tilden
organ, associating that company with Brooklyn. His (not-very-
well-informed) informant must mean the B.A.B. Organ Company of
Brooklyn, now out of business, its equipment being bought by
Senator Bovey and later divided with Ozzie Wurdeman (now owned by
Ed Openshaw, BTW) and its name owned by Gavin McDonough. B.A.B.
stood for the three Italian owners, Ervista Bona (not Borna, as
often reported), Andrew Antoniazzi, and Dominic Brugnolotti. The
company made no organs; their business consisted in converting
organs playing hard-to-get music systems to the B.A.B. roll
system, making such music rolls, and repairing organs.
If Mr. Bonds doesn't get an answer to his question as to the
identity of the organ in question, he should contact John Davis
(34 Rubio Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93103 is the latest address I
have for him). His father, Ross R. Davis, owned the Tilden
Regional Park MGR, as well as the Griffith Park MGR in Hollywood.
John would know the true facts. Don Rand would too
(207-354-8033), but he might be harder to contact because he
often doesn't respond to his phone until he identifies the caller
via his answering machine (busy cutting Clark Orchestra rolls or
some such activity, I guess).
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