Hi -- I bought a magnificent oaken case Berry-Wood in the late 1960s
or early '70s.  For some years it was the most popular machine in
Yesteryear Museum, outside of Morristown, New Jersey.  We had it play
for quarters, and did well by it!

The upper panel was acid-etched "Berry-Wood" in their distinctive
typestyle, on mirrored glass.  We removed that, framed it and put it
up on the wall, and replaced it and the lower panel with glass so
people could see the works in operation.

It always fascinated folk, particularly youngsters who came in from
area schools.  Great, bright, happy arrangements -- we only had two
rolls and never could find more, although we had a few false leads over
the years.  Jim Wells insisted he had some in one of his warehouses,
but could never find them.

One 9-year old asked me, "Why is it this way?" and tried to show me
something with his hands.  He asked several times and I could not
figure his question.  So I got down on my knees and asked him to point
at what he was asking about.

He pointed into the bottom area with the motor and all, and then put up
his hands sort of like praying, but with the hands actually overlapped
to make an X-shape with them.  Aha!  He was fascinated with the
overstrung piano wires, so I had a chance to explain to the group why
without that, pianos would be 9 feet tall and showed them a photo of
a giraffe piano.

Out of the mouths and minds of babes!  That tutorial became part of
our talk in front of the Berry-Wood for years, to probably thousands of
visitors.

Sadly, I could not retain the instrument after we were forced out of
the site by the Park Commission, and I sold it and the framed trademark
glass.  It had the jazziest, best rolls, and we were told that they
were taken from QRS arrangements.  Oh, how I wish I had it back!

One other thing: we had to move it a couple of times.  Whew!  A heavy
but wonderfully articulate beast!

Best to all,
Lee Munsick