Hello Folks.  I know all too well exactly what the Maestro machine is.
It is an utterly pneumatic reed organ keytop player with a hand crank
to pump the bellows.

I unearthed documents during research at the Elbridge Village Archives
at the Elbridge Public Library several years ago while pursuing
expanded study of the long lineage of Vorsetzers of any kind -- all
in connection with the 1950 Aeolian American Pianola keytop piano
player, of which I have a few...

Were I not getting ready to hit the road Tuesday, to re-visit a fellow
Duo-Art organ-installing enthusiast in Syracuse, NY (after bringing
home that 3-manual Duo-Art organ console from New Hampshire), I would
tell you all about it at length, but I am sending :

  (1) image scans of the 1935 obituary of Lewis B. Doman (the inventor
of the Maestro who went on to found the Amphion Player Piano Company
and produced the Artona reproducing organ player in 1927),

  (2) a Scientific American article of Nov. 11, 1899, with conclusive
illustrations, and

  (3) the front page of the instruction manual for the Maestro pushup
piano player that sprang from the reed organ player, all of which I
hope Robbie can put up in the MMD Archives for your consideration.

And yes, myself and a hobby colleague are in the bidding with fingers
and toes firmly crossed for this early keytop player.

Dave Kerr
Stratford, Ontario, Canada

 [  Thanks, Dave.  The 1899 article in Scientific American concludes:
 [
 [  "The construction is very ingenious and reflects great credit
 [   on the inventor, Mr. L. B. Doman, who has spent a number of
 [   years in perfecting the 'Maestro.' ... The instrument is made
 [   by the Maestro Company, of Elbridge, H. Y."
 [
 [ I'll place the document images at the MMD Tech site; look for
 [ Maestro and L. B. Doman at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech/
 [
 [ "Amphion" isn't mentioned in the 1899 article; I wonder when this
 [ company name first appeared.  Doman's obituary of 1935 follows.
 [ -- Robbie

  Lewis Doman, Piano Player Inventor, Dead
  Illness Fatal to Pioneer at Residence Near Elbridge

Lewis B. Doman, pioneer in the player piano field, inventor and
manufacturer of the reproducing pipe organ player, and founder of the
Amphion Player Piano Company, died of acute erysipelas at his home at
Halfway, a short distance west of Elbridge, yesterday.

Altho his health had failed during the last year, the widely-known
inventor's condition did not become serious until Sunday.  He had
worked steadily in his Camillus plant up to that time.

Mr. Doman was born in Maiden Bradley, England, 67 years ago and came
to this country with his parents when he was seven years old.  The
Doman family settled in Elbridge, and it was in that village that
Mr. Doman organized the Amphion Piano Player company in 1896, after
perfecting the player piano mechanism.  Business was dull at first
and orders were extremely slow in coming in.  Finally, an advertising
salesman for a science magazine induced Mr. Doman to advertise in
the magazine and it was not long before orders began to pour in.

  Get Larger Quarters

The little plant was not equipped to turn out the players fast enough
to meet demand and, in 1909, the company moved to larger quarters in
Syracuse, where the manufacture of Ampico player mechanisms for pianos
began.  Mr. Doman was chief engineer for the Amphion company 30 years,
continuing in that capacity after its merger with the American Piano
company.

In 1927, Mr. Doman perfected a reproducing pipe organ player which
controls every attachment of large pipe organs, key, stops, swell
pedals and couplers.  The music is recorded on paper rolls similar
and slightly larger than those used in a player piano.  Two such organs
had been constructed when the announcement of the perfection was made
in 1927.  One was in Mr. Doman's former Syracuse home at 2842 East
Genesee Street, and the other in the North Clinton street plant.

  Made to Attach

The latter instrument was a three manual organ, having 32 notes in
the pedal, 100 or more stop tablets, two swell pedals and a crescendo
pedal.  The reproducing player mechanism, Mr. Doman said in his
announcement, could be attached to any electro-pneumatic organ.

In 1928, the inventor and a son, John A. Doman, established the L. B.
Doman corporation, in Camillus, and began the manufacture of the organ
player in a building formerly used as a knitting mill.  The family
moved from Syracuse to Camillus and later to a farm at Halfway.

Mr. Doman is survived by two sons, John A. Doman of Syracuse, and
Thomas E. Doman of Halfway; two daughters, Miss Ethyl M. Doman of
Halfway, and Mrs. Floyd J. Orman of Mallory, and a brother, George F.
Doman of Elbridge.  Mrs. Doman died two years ago at the Halfway home.

Services will be conducted at the home at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon
by Rev. M. J. Winchester, former pastor of Elbridge Baptist Church,
assisted by Rev. E. J. Burton, pastor of Camillus Baptist church.
B. L. Bush & Son, Jordan funeral directors, will take the body to
Jordan for burial in Maplegrove cemetery.