Dear MMDs,  First, all my best wishes to everyone and a very happy
new year 2004 !

From me personally, and on behalf of the Musica Mecanica web pages
(which may give some answers to your questions(!), especially about
events, museums, associations ...), and also the French association
AAIMM (of which I am a vice-president), who may give also answers,
as I shall explain.

I understand perfectly Robbie Rhodes' reaction: of course, it seems
unfair -- at least in the context of exchanges between MMD members --
to answer somebody's question, "Buy my book."  But otherwise, so many
lazy people ask questions for which they would find almost immediately
the answer in widespread books or on the Web, that it becomes tiresome...
How many times did I answer a question from an unknown "Internaut",
without having even afterwards received a simple "Thank you" reply ?

Several bibliographies have been published about our hobby, mechanical
music, for example in the MBSI journal in the 1990's, or the book by
Helmut Kowar (Vienna, 1996) with the title "Mechanische Musik",
actually a listing of more than 1800 books, about half of which are
strongly related to our subject.

The French association AAIMM (over 600 members) publishes in its
quarterly Journal since No. 45 (1st trimester 2003) a listing of books
about the various fields of mechanical music (automatas, organs,
musical boxes, pianos, even phonos, etc.) which have been published
in French, but also in English, Dutch, German, etc.

When finished, this listing will include more than 500 books.  Normally
we will put it on the web site of the AAIMM so that everybody, member
or not, may consult it.  We are not avaricious "Harpagons"[*] about
our knowledge.

Do not forget to do some research yourself before asking a question.
It is easier to answer to someone who knows already a little of the
subject, than to give explanations to a totally incompetent 'moron,
who will not even understand one word of what you are trying to explain
to him, and will resent you for that!

Last but not the least: the best way to have answers to your questions
is to establish good relationships with the other members of the
associations of which you are a member (MMD, but also MBSI, KDV, AAIMM,
etc.).  By answering yourself to other member's questions, these
members will be well disposed to answer your questions.

I hope I have answered, partly, the question, "Where may I find an
answer?"

Again, best wishes and best regards,

Philippe Rouille  (Paris, France)
http://www.musicamecanica.org/

 [ * harpagon: 1. a grappling iron, grapnel, harpoon;
 [ 2. a miser.  Harpagon is the name of the avaricious lead
 [ character in the Moliere comedy, "L'Avare (The Miser)".
 [ More at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Harpagon  -- Robbie