In all my many years (approaching 40) of involvement with the piano
roll industry I have often mused over the preoccupation of collectors,
singly or in groups, with a small, albeit glamorous group of folks
who were involved with the production of these records, namely, the
recording artists and/or arrangers.

To be sure, these people are easy to love and admire.  They are
talented and often charming and delightful raconteurs, armed with
fascinating tales of bygone eras.  I myself have spent countless
hours hobnobbing with the likes of J. Lawrence Cook, Ursula Dietrich
Hollingshead, Ruth Bingaman Smith, Eubie Blake, Marion McPartland,
Rudy Martin, Pauline Alpert, Flora Mora, and too many others to
possibly mention.  Golden experiences, all, each one recalling their
experiences while engaged in creating master rolls and retelling
tales of their unique careers.

But what of all the hard working technicians and faceless grunts,
many of whom toiled for many years, turning out copies of all those
songs for the enjoyment of all?  Are they to remain forever forgotten
by all who love to sit around the piano and sing along?

All this was brought home to me yesterday when it was announced that
Danny Papa had died.  Danny was the principal perforator operator at
QRS Music Rolls between 1968 and 1998.  Dan knew that machinery like
no engineer could.  He coaxed it and cuddled it as if it were a living
creature, ofttimes talking to it in both cordial and condemning
phrases, some of which are unrepeatable.

When I started working at QRS in 1972 the perforators were still
being programmed with thick paper masters, and because the sprocket
holes tended to elongate after several production runs, they needed
to be finessed gingerly to prevent tracking errors.  Dan's fingers
were disfigured from having to press against the heavy jute paper to
keep it in contact with the take-up spool.  He never complained because
it was part of the job and he felt that it was his responsibility to
turn out flawless copies.  He could spot a broken chain at 50 paces
and recognized any tune just by looking at the pattern of the first
few feet.

Danny spent many hours repairing and replacing broken parts and
punches, hand-sculpting and innovating shims and links to keep those
75-plus-year-old contraptions turning out a quality product.  He did
all that and more for all those years with hardly a complaint and
exhibiting a natural cheerfulness that made him a joy to work with.

So, I now take this opportunity to say to Danny Papa and all who
worked as he did before, during, and after his tenure, Ave atque vale.
If no one else appreciates your contributions to the industry, at
least I do.

Felix Klempka
QRS Chief Engineer, Retired