On the same day that Mr. Filardo wrote about the Angelus piano he
saved from a piano smashing event many years ago, I was visiting an
elderly couple some 20 miles from Amsterdam.  They had asked me if we
would like to have their old player piano for our museum collection.
In our collection we have already an early 58/65 Angelus pushup player.

To my surprise it was a very early (65) Angelus player, in an Emerson
upright.  It was the first American Angelus player I have seen in
more than 35 years.  Here in Holland we find the English (88) Angelus
players mostly in Marshall & Rose pianos.  The people who own the
instrument find this old piano takes up too much space in their living
room, so it has to go.  They think it is a pity when it will be
smashed, but who wants it, if not a museum?

So now I have the choice of saving this old player piano, or let it be
smashed.  I don't think there are any other pianos of this model in
Holland, but where do we find the place to preserve all the instruments,
and the money to restore them?  Also in Holland there are not many
young people who take interest in this old stuff.

Every month we have a concert for children.  Maybe some of these
children will want a player piano in their homes when they grow up?

Kasper Janse - curator
Pianola Museum, Amsterdam
http://www.pianola.nl/