Dear friends,  I just returned from Germany and during the last week
I was very busy.

On 13 April 2000 was the inauguration of the new mechanical music museum
in Speyer, housed in the "Wilhelmsbau", a large three-storied building,
newly restored.  On the first floor are very interesting instruments,
very well presented, especially a cinema organ from Morton with lights
and many other very rare instruments, for example, the "Ninola
piano".  It is possible to listen to some instruments, but through
a recording.

On the second floor we can find many rooms with furniture, instruments
and dress stands, and many exhibitions with dolls.  On the third floor
you can find other dolls, jails, and military and hunting trophies.
You can heard the stag bell.  All is made for the visits without a
guide.  At this occasion a huge sculpture "Orpheus" was inaugurated.

On 15 April many people gathered at Ruedesheim to assist at the evening
in the Siegfried Wendel museum, with the help of sausages, steaks and
drinks.  At this occasion we had the possibility to see the new (and
biggest) "Phillips Paganini orchestrion monster" rebuilt by Wendel's
team.  It was a very moving moment, but the music is fantastic.

Many people from Europe and America were present.  On Sunday we had
the flea market indoors and also outdoors, with mechanical instruments
and also many gramophones, phonograph, radios and discs.

The next flea market event at Ruedesheim is the first Sunday in
November.

Best regards from Mirecourt in France

Francoise Dussour

 [ See Hauke Marxsen's photos and story about the new Wilhelmsbau
 [ museum at MMD Pictures site, http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures/
 [ -- Robbie