Glad to learn Frank Holland's museum has evolved so nicely.  I first
visited Frank in 1961, when he lived in rented premises on a small
street in London, a house with "St. Olave's" on the front gate.  He
had just leased the church for his museum.  There were many problems.
People were buried under the floor in the front of the church, and it
had not yet been "deconscrated."

He came across a hoard of Mills Violano Virtuosos plus several Mills
Race Horse pianos (I bought one of the latter from him, for 200 pounds
if I remember correctly).  He later moved into the church as a
residence, a cold, drafty place with a never-ending stream of problems.

At the time, at the antique swap event held each Sunday morning in
Portobello Road, there was no end of penny-operated Polyphon music
boxes, upright, 19-inch size, very worn from use in pubs, at 5 to 10
pounds each.

Apart from musical stuff, Frank made a few examples of the "Onocordo"
table lamp.  Its feature was that it had no cord.  However, it had to
be placed over a coil under the table top so electricity could flow by
mutual inductance.

Frank was always on the lookout for "patrons" to finance his dreams,
including making new rolls, setting  up an exhibit of large
orchestrions, etc., but not much ever happened financially in this
manner.

He was a nice guy, a generous host, very knowledgeable, and, perhaps
as others of us are, an idealist.

Best wishes,
Dave Bowers