automatic music machines, Ca.1910-1925

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cfz2882

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Feb 9, 2010
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anyone enjoy watching/listening to antique electric powered,sometimes coin-op,orchestons,nickelodions,pianolas or other automatic music machines made by seeburg,wurlitzer,and other companies from about 1910-25? The bigger of these machines include piano,organ,xylaphone,flutes,drums,cymbols,even violins all in one machine that plays player-piano type rolls.In most videos of these machines the mechanism is videoed operating and a motor of around 1/6-1/4 HP can be seen driving a pulley pumping the bellows as other belts/shafts/chains /gears drive the player rolls and other parts.Antique carbon filament bulbs with the little tip on the end are often seen as well.Just beautiful cabinets of wood,stained glass,and brass too!
 
OMG Yes!

For many years, I spent each Saturday night closest to Halloween in San Francisco at the home of Victorian Preservation Alliance member Dick Reutlinger, who threw a huge bash that required just a bottle of champagne for admittance -- but you could get in even without it.

 

His basement/ballroom has an array mechanical music playing machines, including a Seeburg Orchestrion.  What a rousing soundtrack those things provided in that room, which was transformed for an evening into a wild and lavish gay costume ball and packed from wall to wall.  Every floor in the house had music from either mechanical sources, or from people playing pianos.  Except for one year, Dick was always decked out in a spot-on Angela Lansbury Auntie Mame get-up adorned with plumes and feathers.

 

The last party happened a few years ago, as fewer and fewer of the core group were around or able to attend, and it was a lot of work to put on.  I will always cherish the memories of the many parties I enjoyed there, no single one the same as another, and all of the outlandish and creative costumes that have never been matched at any other Halloween celebration I've attended.

 

Here's a link to an article on Dick's collection:

 
The sweetest sound on earth is a Wurlitzer 165 band organ. I'd have one, but a working model costs a quarter million dollars and in a confined space it would cause hearing damage.

Any mechanical music machine, even a jukebox, I could stand and watch for hours.
 
wurlitzer 165

just got done watching a few wurlitzer 165s on youtube;man those things are ornate and big!they sound beautiful even through the computer-would love to hear one in person! The 165 came out in 1915 from what i could find out.
 
Automatic music machines--My favorite types of music.So miss Glen Echo Park in the Wash DC area-the park still has the beautiful Dentzil Carrosel-along with a restored Wurlitzer 165 organ.They have a COMPLETE library of rolls to play on their organ.In talking to the folks that run the park for the Natinal Parks service-they bought the rolls at a yard sale!They were in a large box marked "piano rolls" for only a few dollars for the whole lot!Incredible!
I would visit the park on my weekends from work-ride the carrosel and listen to the organ.Loved just standing in front and listening.Yes,if I could only win the lottery-would try to get a collection of such instruments-the only musical instrument I could play.A good freind of mine in the Wash DC area had a collection of such intruments and juke boxes.He let me play a few songs on a large Mortier dance hall organ.Loved putting the music book in its keyframe-then running to the front of that organ and listening to the song.Watch these things on YouTube for HOURS!!!DeCap "Robot" organs are so cool!!!Another type of band organ--German Ruth-another good one!!!Yes--If only I could win the lottery-dream of owning some of these things.
 
Ralph!

You have never been down to Fisherman's Wharf to see the the coin-op museum? It's at the foot of Taylor St., next to the submarine. Even >I< knew about this! My first trip to San Francisco two years ago included this at my insistence. I arrived with a roll of quarters in my hot little hand. I haven't spent a more enjoyable hour before or since. Player pianos, "band boxes", nickelodeons and everything else. Musee Musique Automatique or something similar is the name. Next trip out will be a repeat visit if I see nothing else.
 

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