The posting of the player piano with Zolatone finish brought back
some remembrances.  In the 1950's and '60s my father 'modernized'
old upright pianos (including player pianos if there were not many
parts in the way) with Zolatone paint and a mirror.

The Zolatone paint particles were literally applied with a vacuum
cleaner reversed.  I believe he had a special paint sprayer that
connected to a typical size vacuum cleaner hose, blowing out (not
suctioning).  With this special sprayer he would blow the colored
paint pieces, which looked like globs to me as a boy.

He would also cut down the cabinet sides of the piano case and cut
the lid in half and place a mirror over the tuning pins.  With the
front lid height positioned just over the hammers on the front half of
the piano, the mirror made the piano look like a studio height piano,
rather than the tall old upright.

I believe he outfitted most rooms of our church with these pianos
very inexpensively, with very nice, sharp looking (at that time) just
painted with a very durable finish, mirrored pianos in this way in the
late 50's and early 60's.

Gary Rasmussen