Public Displays of MM Devices in NY State?
By Rick Inzero
Maybe somebody's already done this, but I'd like to compile a list of working mechanical music items on *public* display in NY state (with the idea of taking some road trips to see them!). Amusement parks, shopping malls, shops, bars, taverns, restaurants, that kind of thing.
Here's a dump of my complete knowledge on this to date:
I know of 2 band organs near here in Rochester, one in Sea Breeze amusement park (a newly built soundalike replacement for their burned down Wurlitzer), and another beautifully restored original (non-Wurlitzer?) at Charlotte, in the carousel building (next to the very old restored carousel). Both are seasonally available. (By the way, in response to a recent query to MMD, there are at least 3 different tapes/CDs of Sea Breseze's old Wurlitzer band organ available, 2 general ones, and one newly released, of Christmas music.)
The NYS Fairgrounds in Syracuse has a small room of mechanical music stuff, including at least 2 working player pianos (one coin, perhaps a nickelodean, one pumper). That's open minimally during the State Fair.
I know of one (apparently somewhat) modern working nickelodean in Clifton Park, at the Wit's End gift shop. It's got a piano, automatic mandolin, bass drum, snare drum, triangle, and accordian (really plays- pneumatics pull down on the keys from the back). It's made by The Nickelodean Piano Company in Arkansas.
Well, that's all I know. Any others you might know about?
And now a related question:
In Roehl's old "Player Piano Treasury" book, he has some photos from 1961 of the "Musical Museum" in Deansboro (near Utica), run by the Sanders family. Does anybody know if this place still exists and is still open?
P.S. Much public thanks to Jody & the MMD/archives in general, plus:
Bob Conant (an extra dose o' thanx to you & hope to meet you next summer)
Pete Woodworth
Matthew Caulfield
Karen Wilson
Richard Moody
Brett ? ("M. Mohr")
+anybody else I forgot
for all your help/replies/advice which resulted in my getting my first player piano last month! (And it's got a nice easy Standard action! Current status: getting air motor pneumatics rebuilt, then we'll see how the rest of the action really is.)
---
Rick Inzero
Northern Telecom, Inc.
Rochester, NY rdi@cci.com |
(Message sent Wed 13 Nov 1996, 16:07:33 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
|
|
Mechanical
Music Digest™ Archives
