Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > November 2009 > 2009.11.13 > 03Prev  Next


Welte Orchestrion at Cliff House, San Francisco
By Robert Leber

Robbie's article on the Cliff House Welte and the Cliff House Project

web site uncovered an interesting bunch of recordings of likely

orchestrions that were in a gallery at Sutro's which I believe is

mentioned with two pictures of a maintenance back room in Q. David

Bowers' "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments".



I remember when I was young walking past a stuffed monkey/mermaid

in a window at the entryway going downstairs to the museum and seeing

Egyptian mummies and going into a gallery of coin-operated "things".

I barely remember that part and I am 65 now, so figure the date back

then.  Anyway there are 15 tracks from a record you can select from

down near the bottom of the web page.  Search for "music" at

http://www.cliffhouseproject.com/environs/sutrobaths/sutro_baths.htm 



I believe I might have been somewhere around 14 years old when I heard

that Sutro's had burned down and I cried over it even though I had not

been there in maybe 10 years, plus or minus.



Robert Leber - Organ Builder

Fremont, California



 [ Prior to 2002 the Zelinsky collection was displayed in the Musée

 [ Mécanique in the lower level of the Cliff House.  This fine

 [ collection is now at Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco,

 [ visit http://www.museemecaniquesf.com/  -- Robbie




(Message sent Sat 14 Nov 2009, 02:22:34 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Cliff, Francisco, House, Orchestrion, San, Welte

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page