Mike Roseboom asked, "were there other American manufacturers of these
instruments besides Molinari?"

I recently bought a barrel piano with a label reading "G. Capra & Co.,
Mechanical Pianos, 1109 S. Darien St. Philadelphia Pa." (Serial 545)
Because it is a Philadelphia creation, I thought it should be preserved
as part of Pennsylvania, and "my piano" is now in the Debence Museum
collection, and on display in Franklin, Pennsylvania.  It is now in
playing condition.

I am gathering information with the goal of preparing a monograph about
my machine.  I would welcome any information regarding American barrel
pianos and their makers.  To date I have found the following --

In May 1999 John A. Tuttle posted an inquiry about another G. Capra &
Co. barrel piano (Ser. No. 565) here.

I also found an auction listing for "A mechanical piano or 'Hurdy
Gurdy' ... labeled on the original wooden works 'Bertoldi & Co.
Manufacturers of Mechanical Pianos, Philadelphia.' The case labeled:
'Mechanical Piano, G. Capra & Co., Philadelphia.'"

Last year Skinner Inc., in Sale 2324 Lot 641, offered a "Barrel Piano
Case by 'A. Capra & Co., 1218 & 1220 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA',
mahogany and grained case with glass and mirrored viewing area,
soundboard and strings, ht. 53-1/2, dp. 23, wd. 36 in., (lacking barrel
and hammers)."

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has an online listing for
a "Barrel Piano, ca. 1860 ... George Hicks ... Brooklyn, New York,
United States".

Wallace Venable

 [ Did Hicks really have a manufacturing facility in Brooklyn?
 [ How does one confirm that these instruments were made in USA?
 [ -- Robbie