Thought readers might be interested, In a local auction house, David
Lay, the Penzance Auction House, Cornwall, UK, has a Pianola piano
player, 65-note Themodist Metrostyle, which used to belong to George
Bernard Shaw. It has a letter of provenance with it and is a light oak
case with a few rolls. It is in un-restored condition but very clean.
The estimate is quite low, under 100 UK pounds.
The player came from his house 'Shaws Corner', just outside London in the
UK, which he had built and moved into around 1906. The Pianola
probably dates from then. It is interesting and fun to think of this
erudite man and playwright pedalling his Pianola, and also the group of
writers and artists who used to regularly visit and stay at his home.
A nice item for a collector. Ought to have a roll of "My Fair Lady" cut
for it. As you probably know Shaw wrote "Pygmalion" which Lerner and Lowe
adapted to the Oscar-wining film and Broadway show !
The auction house can be contacted via http://www.thesaurus.co.uk/davidlay/
Jonathan Holmes
Penzance, Cornwall UK
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