-- forwarded message, please reply to sender and MMD --

 [ From previous letter to John Tuttle: ]

My grandfather, Albert Alleg, was reputedly inventor or co-inventor
of the first portable player piano mechanism, an external player(?)
which could be attached to a regular piano to make it a player.

He and a man named Bard sold stock and started the Bard Piano Company
in 1916 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, but WW1 started and raw material
for hardware became unobtainable and the company soon failed.  Ouch!
My grandfather was treasurer and Mr. Bard was president.

I'm looking for references in print or a photo of one of the stock
certificates, if you happen to know anyone.

 - - -

John,  Thank you for the prompt reply.  All the information I have
is that which I received from my dad in brief references while he was
living.  I actually did see a hardcover prospectus type of publication,
which described Mr. Bard as a genius, and the company, etc., but I don't
know what happened to it.  I was very young and, as MacArthur would say,
"The world has turned over many times" since then!

I do know that evidently my grandfather was, at sometime between 1899
and 1916(?), a superintendent for Aeolian, Sohmer and I think Laudner
piano companies in parts of their operations, according to my dad.
(I'm not sure about all the dates.)  My grandfather retired at 65 in
1937, but I know that the family moved to Newark NJ when my grandfather
went to work for one of the three in 1912.

Seems like a lot in a short time but my family is well known for
changing jobs.  When I was a tool and die maker they used to call
me "the gypsy".  Many of my family, including my father, worked for
Steinway, sometimes more than once.  They were all German and lived
in North Beach/Bowery Bay Settlement which is now La Guardia Field,
New York.  Sorry to go on about it so.

Thanks again

T. Alleg