-- forwarded message, please reply to sender and MMD --

 [ I wrote to Philippe Rouille: "I seek an experienced player piano
 [ technician in France to write to MMD about the sealants and glues
 [ commonly used.  And then maybe he can write about zephyr skin
 [ pouches and hot hide glue!"  -- Robbie

Dear Robbie,  I have received your mail to Philippe Rouille as, being
in fact without modesty a skilled player piano technician, he resent
it to me.

I have now over 40 years of experiences in the field and I will be
happy to answer you all I know from the field -- from my corner of the
world, Paris, or to be more exact, Montmartre.

About materials: I don't think there is any difference to what will be
used in the States.  About glues: bone and hide glues are common.  I
sometimes use "colle de lapin", which is a hide glue made from rabbits.
Painters use this glue to prepare their canvas due to it's flexibility.
I use it for hinges in pneumatics or bellows.

About zephyr skin: I have used it much for pneumatic "pillows" and
pouches in German instruments; Hupfeld, in particular, uses a lot of
them.  I buy the skin from Germany or England where I have found a very
good supply.

Otherwise I can inform you that France is not a big country for player
pianos or reproducing pianos.  Her people like organs: street organs.
In front of my workshop I can still see 'true' organ grinders, people
making their living from it -- rather poor people like the ones you can
see in romantic mechanical music illustrated magazines.

Mechanical dolls are very appreciated, and music boxes, etc., but
instruments like Welte, Ampico, Duo-Art, etc., don't interest the
French very much.

Myself, I have the finest collection of these instruments, the finest
in France, of reproducing pianos: Welte, Ampico, Duo-Art, and a rare
Hupfeld DEA Vorsetzer with a beautiful collection of rolls.  I have
a big collection of documents, photos, letters, etc., in this sector.
I have met several people who worked for Hupfeld, Welte, etc.

I will stop now; my dog wants me to take her out.  Perhaps I am not the
person you are looking for, but if so let me know.

Best regards from Montmartre,
Douglas Heffer
France

 [ Douglas is originally from Stockholm, Sweden, and started collecting
 [ instruments in 1959.  He worked at QRS with Ramsi Tick in 1969 and
 [ not long afterward he fell head-over-heels in love with French women
 [ and the good life of France.  He writes, "I have stayed here for
 [ more than 26 years, and believe me, I love it -- 'Springtime in
 [ Paris' is still worth it!"
 [
 [ He recently acquired a Reproduco duplex player which he will restore
 [ and place in his 'salon de musique' to accompany silent films.
 [ -- Robbie