I'm always looking for information about the Hardman Duo.  I've found
that the years following the Second World War are among the least
documented in the history of the player piano, and this period is
becoming increasingly interesting to me.  Were any MMDer's active in
the industry at the time the Duo was produced?  (Yes, Doug Henderson,
I expect to hear from you! :)  )

I've never been able to pin down exactly what years these instru-
ments were manufactured.  Does anybody really know for sure?  I'm
particularly interested in how the Duo was marketed: how and where was
it advertised, how much it cost, were package deals available for rolls
(buy a Duo and get a batch of 100 rolls at a discounted price, for
example), etc.  I'd also like to hear from other Duo owners, particu-
larly those who bought theirs new, and hear about how these instruments
were marketed, both in terms of advertising and the "pitch" on the
sales floor.

From what I've heard, the folks at QRS did some of the R&D on what
eventually became the Duo, and they got pretty excited about the
prospect of new players.  Doug, can you shed some more light on some
of the hopes the Duo carried on its shoulders for the folks in the
industry at that time?

I'm also very interested in acquiring printed materials on the Hardman
Duo, in particular advertising items, manuals, brochures, etc.  One of
the neat things I DO have is an Aeolian Teaching and Demonstration roll
from the 1960's or 1970's.  While not intended specifically for the
Duo, it is very useful, since the key-slip controls are almost the same
for the Duo as for the later plastic-valved Aeolian players.

This roll has extensive instructions on a sheet of paper that was
originally glued to the leader about how to set up the instrument to
play a roll, including bench placement and treadling posture.  The roll
itself is snippits of a variety of musical types, and uses these
snippits to teach proper use of the various controls (including the
tempo lever -- rare in a newer roll!).

It is very obvious from the instructions printed on this roll that
Aeolian's strategy was the old idea getting musical performances out
of the player piano in the hands of a skilled operator.  This flies in
the face of what I've read of these instruments being marketed only as
a "Fun for the whole family" entertainment device, not a musical
instrument to be learned and skillfully played.

If at least five people tell me they'd like to have a copy of this roll
for $10.00 each, I'll have it recut, Xerox the (formerly) glued-on
page, and hand write in the other instructions on the roll (assuming
150 people don't want a copy -- I've only got so much time!)

Regards

Bryan Cather - Arlington, Texas
Its Spring!  The bluebonnets are out in force!