Not long after the Israeli/Hezbollah war started I thought I saw the
Nisco Museum of Mechanical Music near a rocket landing and therefore
I called Nisan Cohen to ask if a rocket had indeed landed nearby.
He was busy conducting a musical tour of the museum and I could hear
voices and his Red Welte piano playing in the background.  He told me
that he was too busy making the music boxes sing to go out and check.
Well, the rocket attack wasn't near his building.  That is good.

Later that day I heard from Eli Shahar that Nisan was to go check on
a music box that afternoon.  So, the next morning I called Nisan to
find out more about the new acquisition for his museum.  He told me
that the music box, which is actually an organ, was in a building that
was bombed earlier that day around the time I had called him.  He
arrived at the location only to find no one home, but discovered that
the person with the organ was in the hospital.  As fate would have it,
the seller wasn't injured very much and was to be released the next day
and they, again, had an appointment to check it out.

Fortunately, the organ survived and is now in the Nisco Museum of
Mechanical Music.  However, Nisan has some questions about it and
I have quoted his inquiry in full below.  Nisan's e-mail address is
<woundup_2000@yahoo.com>

Vincent Morgan, New York City

 - - -

Greetings, The Nisco museum in Israel has acquired a roller organ
with four cylinders: each cylinder is two feet long and 7 inches in
diameter, and each is playing ten tunes.  The organ is three feet high
and there is a penciled inscription "63 Gautchi".  The writing on the
cylinders is in French.  If any of you orchestrellians could shed some
light on this organ we would be very grateful.

Regards,
Nisan Cohen

 [ Possibly it was sold or serviced by musical box dealer Henry Gautschi
 [ & Sons (sometimes spelled Gautchi) of Philadelphia.  -- Robbie