We just returned from a trip to Washington DC.  Mechanical music was not
overly abundant, but it did show up in a few places.  There was a very
nice large cylinder music box with bells and drum in a display case in
the Science and Industry museum.  We found a Regina changer, Welte
Philharmonic Organ and an art case Mason & Hamlin Ampico B outside the
Palm Court Cafe in the Museum of American History.  The Welte and the
Ampico are demonstrated weekdays between 12:30 AND 1:00.  Unfortunately
we discovered these on Friday after 1:00, so we did not get to hear them.
I really wanted to hear the Welte organ.  The Ampico was in nice shape,
original finish (walnut) with an art case.

Upstairs in the same museum on the second floor was a very interesting
display.  We walked through the door and were greeted with the sounds of
a Disklavier playing.  Next to it was a custom Steinway Duo-Art with a
Concertola attached.  The Steinway was in an unusual custom oak art case.
It was square, I think this is the one that is referred to as the coffin
case.  The Concertola was fascinating, what a beautifully designed and
constructed mechanism.  They had a good write-up describing the Duo-Art
and Concertola.  On the wall opposite the piano was description and
example of a Duo-Art AudioGraphic music roll.  They had a very
interesting advertisement for a projector that mounts on the spool box
and goes to a large screen at the back of the piano for projecting the
pictures and text on the Audiographic rolls for schools.  Has anyone ever
seen one of these devices?

Other displays on the wall talked about the other systems, Welte and
Ampico.  Next to the Duo-Art was supposed to be an Aeolian push-up piano
player but it was removed for some reason.  What really struck us as
funny was the sign by the Disklavier explaining how it worked and telling
how it was so much superior to the "old" reproducing pianos.  After
reading all the posts here, that is still up for debate.

Michael Swanson