I have been corresponding with a lady who has nine orphan organ barrels
(about 20" long by 6" diameter).  These barrels are from an instrument
that needed some restoration about 10 or 11 years ago.  The original
owners describe the instrument as rather large for their house, but
beautiful and ornate.

They said that it looked like a small piano and was free standing.  It
had a storage area in the front of it where the extra barrels were kept.
It had a glass piece through which you could see the barrels rotating.
They got it running once, but it didn't sound great, and they felt it
might sound better if it were reconditioned.  The barrels have bridges,
so it must be some sort of organ (although the description sounds more
like a piano).  They said that it needed to be cranked, then it played
on its own (weight or spring driven).  Another clue: the barrels have a
central hole in each end and a slot for a drive pin, just like a
cylinder music box.

They took it to a storefront in Santa Monica, where they agreed to pay
a certain amount to have it restored, and they left a substantial
deposit.  The owner may have been Middle Eastern, as they spoke to him
in Hebrew.  When the dealer/restorer called them back, he  wanted much
more than they originally agreed to pay to have it fixed.  It was more
than they could afford at the time.  The dealer refused to return the
item unless they paid him in full for the restoration cost.  They  felt
betrayed and helpless.  They did not pursue the situation, since they
didn't have any paperwork that proved that they actually owned it.
Unfortunately, they have now moved and lost track of the name of the
establishment.

So, we now have the nine barrels and no instrument.  The best outcome
would be to recover the instrument and reunite it with its barrels.  The
next best thing would be to find where the instrument finally went and
contact the present owner about the barrels.

The Question: can anyone identify the dealer from this admittedly vague
description?  I'm on the East Coast, so I have no way to approach it,
but perhaps someone from California may remember him.  Please let me
know if you do, or even if you can supply some sort of clue.

Thanks,
Craig Smith,
near Rochester, NY