-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD --

Hopefully someone can help me, I'm researching calliopes and
band organs to be used in the upcoming Warner Bros. picture,
"The Last Samurai."

Our scene is set at a technology exposition in San Francisco, 1875.
Our convention hall is to be filled with, among other things, a
printing press, a soda fountain, a scaled-down locomotive steam
engine, and a calliope or band organ.

I'm looking for images or information regarding what these instruments
would have looked like circa 1875.  My understanding is that they were
not built in the US in 1875, if that is so, we are willing to look to
Europe for inspiration.  Chances are we will build this item ourselves
from images we receive, however we may rent under the right
circumstances.  The size is to be determined, but 6 to 12 feet in
length and 5 to 6 feet in height is in the ball park of the size we
are imagining it to be.

Any leads are appreciated.  Pictures are the most helpful, as they
will need to be shown to the set designer and director.  Believe it
or not, accuracy is important to us.

Thanks

Max Daly
Set Decoration Coordinator,
Warner Bros. Pictures

 [ Oof!  What a challenge!  Joshua C. Stoddard's steam calliope
 [ could have been displayed.  The year seems quite early for a big
 [ orchestrion or barrel organ, but a Black Forest organ maker might
 [ have demonstrated his wares.
 [
 [ Maybe the technology exhibition could feature, as a noisy reminder
 [ of earlier technology, Maelzel's huge Panharmonicon (Panharmonikon)
 [ mechanical organ performing Beethoven's battle symphony,
 [ "Wellington's Victory, or the Battle at Vittoria".  See
 [
 [   http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/KWIC/P/panharmonicon.html
 [   http://mmd.foxtail.com/Archives/KWIC/V/victory.html
 [   http://mmd.foxtail.com/Calliope/index.html
 [
 [ -- Robbie