Last week Dr. Jan Jaap Haspels passed away.  He was 75 years old.
His life was devoted to the museum, "van Speelklok tot Pierement,"
in Utrecht, Holland, of which he was curator from 1970 until 2006.
With his fantastic knowledge and love for the collection he has
built a very important museum with a collection full of treasures.

In 1987 he was the first person to get a Ph.D. for a study on
"Automatic musical instruments, their mechanics and their music,
1580-1820."  He gave numerous lectures, and he published several
splendid books about the museum collection.

Everybody in our museum is shocked and we will miss him, as a
splendid source of information, as a great partner in music,
but most of all, as a friend!

Jan Kees de Ruijter
Netherlands