Frank Metzger wrote:

> I need to find someone -- preferably a historian or a horologist or both
> -- who can do some research for me in Romania (not free - I'll pay).

I say !!! ... Hi Frank, I wonder what you have heard of in Romania?
(A whisper on the grapevine, perhaps?)

When the Berlin Wall fell down, and the East opened up, I placed a number
of adverts for mechanical musical instruments in Czechoslovakia, which
then became the Czech Republic and Slovakia.  They produced a huge
response, including a very cheap Weber Unika in Bratislava.

I made several trips to the two countries, and I think six trips to Prague
alone.  I often thought of doing the same in Romania but I never did.

You could try placing adverts in Romanian newspaper requesting help;
it sounds hard but it isn't, really.  The information on international
newspapers is widely available and they would translate for free.

I had a problem with the term "barrel organ" -- the nearest in Czech was
"Flashinet" but it always produced a smile, so I think there was more to
that word than they said.

Good luck, Brian Chesters

 [ Sing "Skoda Lasky" and see what happens!  -- Robbie   :)