In June I received an email from the Will Rogers State Historic
Park Museum requesting any information I might be able to provide on
a G. Capra & Co. barrel piano in the Rogers ranch house.  This came
as a result of an MMDigest post I made in 2008.

The hurdy-gurdy name applied to this particular instrument dates back
at least as far as 1935 when his obituary in the New York Times stated,
"He owned a hurdy-gurdy, the only instrument he could play."

It is mentioned in Betty Blake Rogers' biography of her husband as
being in the ranch house living room in about 1940.

According to Betty Rogers' biography, Will loved music.  He was a
good and enthusiastic singer, and owned a series of guitars, banjos,
fiddles, etc., but never got beyond a few chords and squawking out
a melody.  The "hurdy-gurdy" was, in fact, "the only instrument he
could play."

The piano contains labels and markings identifying it as a product
of Capra of Philadelphia, with factory number 570.  The list of tunes
on the barrel, as provided by the museum, is:

 1. Sidewalks of New York
 2. Dream Train
 3. Somebody to Love
 4. Skip to My Lou My Darling
 5. Honey
 6. My Wild Irish rose
 7. In My Mothers Eyes
 8. Midway Tune
 9. Lover come back to Me
10. La Paloma

Based on this list it is likely that the piano barrel was pinned in
1929, since the tune "Honey" was a popular song written by Seymour
Simons, Haven Gillespie and Richard A. Whiting and the song was a 1929
hit for Rudy Vallée & his Connecticut Yankees when it charted for eight
weeks at number one.  In addition, the tune "My Mother's Eyes",
composed by Abel Baer with lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert, was sung by
George Jessel in the film "Lucky Boy" in 1929 and recorded on Victor
21852, Jan. 18, 1929.

Since this is a Philadelphia piano with tunes dating from 1929, the
traditional story told at the museum that it was purchased in New York
in 1928 during the Al Smith campaign for President is almost certainly
incorrect.

From October, 1928, to 1 June, 1929, Will Rogers played in the stage
musical "Three Cheers," substituting for his friend Fred Shaw, who had
been injured in the crash of his (Fred's) airplane in August 1928.
After an extensive New York run, "Three Cheers" played in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, at the Erlander Theatre from May 6th to 18th, 1929.  From
Philadelphia the show moved to Detroit, then closed in Pittsburgh about
15 May, 1929.  Will returned to California to work on film commitments
in June 1929, with his first commitment being for "They Had to See
Paris," his first "talkie."

It seems most likely to me that the piano was purchased in Philadelphia,
but it may also have been purchased in Pittsburgh during the final days
of the show.  I know of no "barrel piano" builders having operated in
Pittsburgh, but I have reason to believe that such instruments were
used there.  It would have been an easy manner for a street musician
or agency to move a "street piano" on its cart between the cities as
baggage on the train, and Capra may possibly have had an operation
there.

It might easily have been purchased by Will Rogers, or it may have been
something of a "gag" gift from the Shaw family or others associated
with the show.

The emotional association with the Al Smith campaign is, however,
probably correct.  "Sidewalks of New York" was the Smith campaign
song.  In this context, it is interesting that "Sidewalks" was also
used in Rogers' film "David Harum," and that according to the Milwaukee
Sentinel for 13 March, 1929, Al Smith bought a "hurdy-gurdy" which
played "Sidewalks" for his apartment in the Biltmore Hotel.

Smith and Rogers knew each other well.  Smith's instrument cannot be
the Rogers piano since it was reported to be painted green and had a
different tune list.

Prior to being contacted about the Rogers piano I had records of four
Capra pianos:

(a) G. Capra & Co. S. Darien St. Philadelphia, PA, Serial 545 (47 notes)
which I purchased in 2008 for the DeBence Antique Music Museum in
Franklin, Pennsylvania;

(b) G. Capra & Co. Serial No. 565 (44 note);

(c) A. Capra & Co., 1218 & 1220 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA (serial
unknown) offered at auction by Skinner Inc. in Sale 2324;

(c) Bertoldi/Capra, hurdy-gurdy, stenciled case, cart, Philadelphia,
sold at unknown auction.

A. Capra is probably the same person as Alessandro or Alexander Capra,
advertised as a manufacturer of barrel pianos in London during the
period from 1890 to 1894.

From patent records, it appears that A. Capra was in Philadelphia by
1899, possibly in partnership with a Bertoldi.  It is a good guess that
G. Capra was his son.  Tunes on the barrel of the piano at the DeBence
Museum date from 1918 and suggest that G. Capra was heading the
business in Philadelphia at least as late as 1918, and possibly 1929 or
later.  I have not been able to visit libraries with Philadelphia city
directories for the 1899 to 1930 period, but such books might give more
information on the Capra companies.

The close serial numbers known for three of these pianos (545, 565,
and 570) suggest that only a small number of pianos were produced.
The first of the series might even have been number 501 or 525.  The
Rogers piano may well have been produced before 1920.

The cases for the Rogers and DeBence pianos are very similar, although
not quite identical in hardware.  Both have the same turned legs and
a painted wood grain finish.  The "wood grain" on the right ends is
almost identical.

The Will Rogers piano is a more sophisticated machine than the DeBence
Museum piano.  On the DeBence machine all of the strings are struck
directly as a result of a barrel pin releasing a hammer.  This is the
manner in which the left half of the Rogers piano operates.

The museum sent me a collection of photos of their instrument.
Examination of the right-hand side of the hammer section does not tell
us too much if taken independently, but a set of bevel gears can be
seen near the left case side.  This drives a horizontal shaft running
behind the melody string hammers.  Together these details reveal that
the Rogers piano has a set of reiterating hammers which strike the
strings repeatedly when actuated.  The sound is sometimes called a
mandolin effect.

It may have been the mid-range Capra piano since pianos with additional
features such as bells exist on machines from other builders.

I would appreciate hearing from any MMD reader who may have additional
information on the Capras, their pianos, or the Will Rogers'
"hurdy-gurdy."

Wallace Venable