[ In MMD 001017, "Puppetry and Statecraft Web Sites",
 [ Julie Porter mentioned these web sites:
 [ >   http://www.cabaret.co.uk/
 [ >   http://www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/definitions/index.html

The first of the two sites is for the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre,
which for a long while was located in central London, England.

It's really a gallery of kinetic sculpture, as I discovered on my visit
last February.  All of the automata/sculptures are safely behind glass,
but my be operated by the public at the press of a button.  The word
"charming" doesn't describe it by half.  It was an absolutely wonderful
place to visit.

Well, mostly -- except for the music, that is.  Funny you asked about
music, Julie.  Oh well, now you gotta know...

In amongst the automata was a big built-up coin piano with the whole
kitchen sink thrown in for percussion.  Foolishly, I pressed the
invitingly large red pushbutton on the front.  It lumbered to life,
playing all the way through a multi-tune roll, all in the key of
"X - the unknown".  It finally reached the end, stopped to rewind,
and I gasped a sigh of relief.  But wait... it restarted.

Last April, the establishment relocated to a seaside resort for the
summer.  The website discloses that the "exhibition has now been
removed for major restoration work", which I do hope will include the
piano.  Otherwise their neighbours may be in touch with Hew Kennedy,
the piano-lobbing trebuchet man:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/1422/catapult.html

Colin Hinz
Toronto, Canada