The other day, I picked up an unusual relic of the player piano era,
which may be of interest to mechanical music enthusiasts.

The item in question is one of a series of cards issued with Wills's
cigarettes and dates from about 1915.  Entitled 'Famous Inventions
No. 23', it depicts an upright player piano and has the following text
on the reverse side:

  'Auto-Piano.  As early as 1860 a patent was taken out in
  the United States for a keyboard piano-player, and the first
  pneumatic keyboard was made in France in 1863.  With its many
  ingenious contrivances for bringing out the melody of a piece,
  regulating the time and expression, and accentuating any notes
  desired, the modern Piano-player can be made to exactly repro-
  duce the playing of a master, even though the operator himself
  be entirely ignorant of piano technique.'

Ian McLaughlin

 [ See the "Famous Inventions" card at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/
 [ -- Robbie