I have just finished reading the Q. David Bowers' new book on the
Hupfeld and Mills violin machines.  It brought back some memories.
First, my thanks to Mr. Bowers and to Art Reblitz for an excellent
job.  I loved the old ads and the pictures of restored instruments.

I found Mike Kitner's name mentioned a number of times as I read and
it answered some questions I had about him and posed some new ones.

I started in the piano business in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in the
early 1970s.  Mike's shop was four blocks away and I would visit him
periodically.  He was always working on something interesting.  He
quit doing player pianos around then because they were "too easy."
He would usually crank up the enormous Hooghuys band organ in his front
room and I think I still have some hearing loss.  I had a hard time
keeping it going but he seemed to have no trouble as short as he was.

He had a Mills Violano of some kind in his house and he played it for
me.  I believe it is the only one I have seen or heard.  I had lost
touch with Mike when he passed.  I was in a different business for
a while.  I am wondering if anyone knows which of the Violanos it was
and what happened to it.

Joseph Osborne
Carlisle, Penna.