I enjoyed the interchange involving Art Reblitz (a fine friend of
mine since he was a teenager in the 1960s) and Janna Norby of the Bovey
Collection in Montana [080124 MMDigest].  I've never been to the latter
place, but I have heard many nice things about it.  In the 1960s when
Oswald ("Ozzie") Wurdeman and his wife Edna spent some extended time
at my home restoring instruments, he would tell of Virginia City, where
he was caretaker in the summer.

A public collection of automatic musical instruments is an inspiration
for visitors to become interested in the subject.  Private collections
can do just as well, perhaps even better from the viewpoint of
maintenance, but these are not freely open.  Larry Givens became
interested in the hobby when he and his family, on a summer trip
through Upstate New York, stopped at the Sanders family museum in
Deansboro.  When Terry Hathaway and I operated Hathaway & Bowers in
California, and later Bonnie Tekstra, Claes O. Friberg, and I had
American International Galleries, we launched dozens of people into
the hobby -- including, for starters, J.B. Nethercutt, Siegfried Wendel
(of Rüdesheim, Germany), and others who went on to become very
important in the hobby.  We made a point of having a nice selection of
well-restored instruments on view, and played them on request for
visitors.

Horn's Cars & Music of Yesterday (later Bellm's) in Sarasota, Florida
was a catalyst, as were the instruments at Disneyland (opened in 1955),
Knott's Berry Farm, and other displays.  In Illinois, Jasper Sanfilippo
and his family have opened their marvelous display to the MBSI and
other groups.  No doubt Jasper could tell of collectors he has started
in the hobby.

To listen to an instrument can lead to a desire to own one or,
perhaps more practically, to learn more and listen more.  The Hupfeld
Phonoliszt-Violina was a non-event, and when I bought one for $600 in
the early 1960s I didn't know what to do with it.  Then Alan Lightcap
restored one that Murtogh Guinness had (perhaps bought from me?), it
sounded beyond marvelous, members of the MBSI heard it, and overnight
it was on the "must have" list of many collectors.  The Weber Maesto
orchestrion, another unknown, had a similar effect on many listeners,
as did the Hupfeld Helios orchestrion.

Ruth Bornand once told me that her favorite marque of cylinder box was
Mermod Freres, but "I don't emphasize these, or otherwise no one would
want to buy my other music boxes!"  Of course, she (and I) enjoyed fine
overture boxes and the like as well.  A nice Regina disc-changing music
box in operation will sell itself if it is available in a dealer's
stock.

Recordings should not be overlooked as a portal to our hobby.  At H&B
and A.I.G. we put out many stereo recordings and sold thousands of
them, spawning many collectors.  The records issued by Paul Eakins (of
Sikeston, MO) were probably sold even more widely, and were of interest
to many people.  Recordings of Ruth Bornand's music boxes sold widely as
did those of Rita Ford.  I would think that today there would be a good
market for quality recordings of instruments, accompanied by detailed
historical and musical information.  The video part is not as important,
beyond a little "tour" of the instrument -- as was done with the Aeolian
residence organ recently mentioned here in MMD.

Books are extremely important.  Harvey Roehl's "Player Piano Treasury"
is a cornerstone in our hobby.  Larry Givens' "Rebuilding the Player
Piano" inspired at least several thousand people to rescue old pianos,
rebuild them, and listen to their music.  Art Reblitz's books are
beyond comparison.  Overseas, any number of fine books have been
written by Arthur W.J.G. Ord-Hume and others.  It doesn't cost much
and does not require special facilities to enjoy books and recordings,
making these an asset for any and all.  In the related field of theatre
pipe organs, recordings are the _main_ way aficionados enjoy the hobby,
as the actual in-person listening to performances on well-maintained
instruments happens only occasionally.

One aspect of this hobby is that once "bitten" by it, devotees tend to
say involved for the rest of their lives.  MMD, the MBSI, public and
private collections, the nascent YouTube, books, recordings, and other
elements all come together to provide a lot of enjoyment.

Dave Bowers