On a recent visit to the "National Museum From Musical Clock to Street
Organ" in Utrecht, Netherlands, I saw a Hooghuys organ that had what
appeared to be piano strings in an opening on the front panel, just
above the main opening where the pipes are in view.  I inquired, but
the guide didn't know anything about them.

Does anyone know whether such strings were ever connected to part of
the mechanism?  Were they played as a piano, plucked or connected to
a mandolin mechanism?

Thanks,

Bob Fitterman