Greetings all: I spent a very pleasant Saturday afternoon at Wells Auto
Museum (Route 1 off the Maine Turnpike), which I would highly recommend
to all MMDers or anyone interested in "old stuff".  It has a really
fascinating collection of antique cars, antique coin-operated games
which are quite fun, and a band organ, three music boxes, and six
orchestrions.

My question stems from one of these orchestrions, which to me looked
and sounded pretty similar to a Seeburg L with which I'm familiar, with
some mild cosmetic and instrumentation differences (which are to be
expected between machines).  A sign made by the museum atop the cabinet
encouraged people to insert a quarter because "This *Seeburg* has a
great roll!"  (** Emphasis mine.)

The manufacturer's indicium plaque on the cabinet, however, read
"Kelley Automatic Music Co., Albany, NY."  The motto to the left was
identical to the Seeburg "motto horn" (as I call it), except that the
name Kelley is in the middle rather than Seeburg and the surrounding
words are "Dependability-Reliability-Endurance," which I believe
differs slightly from the Seeburg motto.

Obviously I cannot ask for help identifying the machine without
a picture or better identification (and I didn't feel comfortable
bringing my Encyclopedia of Mechanical Music with me on the plane from
Washington, although most of my mechanical music exploits occur up here
in New England).

I am just extremely curious as to this Kelley Automatic Music Company.
A Google search on that name (in different variants) yields nothing,
nor does a search of the MMD subject archive.  With no information of
which to speak except the indicium plaque, I have two guesses: that
Kelley was a "ghost company" of Seeburg (a la Western Electric) or that
Kelley was a successor in some manner of Seeburg, adopted Seeburg's
general trade dress, and continued to sell instruments of the Seeburg
line.  Any information would be very much appreciated.

Sincerely,
TJ Fisher

 [ Maybe Mr. Kelley was the route operator, who changed the music rolls,
 [ but he had visions of someday competing with Seeburg in a big way!
 [ -- Robbie