All collector enthusiast groups wax and wane.  By the 1950s there was
very little interest in the theatre organ and then along comes HiFi
recording.  Some of the LPs first out of the gate were theatre organ
recordings, and some of the artists such as Gaylord Carter were artists
who were there before the end of the practical use of the organ for
accompaniment of silent film (a mere 15 or 16 years).  Since that
revival of interest at least 60 years ago, there has never been a
decade that there were not viable venues where one could see and hear
theatre organ music live.

The Internet is the 21st century equivalent of HiFi recording.
Already there is so much information on performance and repair of these
marvelous machines a huge amount more than ever before and they will be
continually viewed and added to with offerings like Craig Brougher's
video on Ampico rotary pump restoration.  Why don't we encourage the
younger generation to use their electronic and video talent to document
the arts of restoration.

There are also many top-flight museum collections, such as the
Nethercutt Collection, that have full time curators and restoration
talent that are supported by endowments that will be around for years
to come.  It also helps to have collections that attract many different
interests, such as vintage automobiles and other vintage machinery.

Cecil Dover

P.S.: By the way, I met a number of talented young enthusiasts and
restorers last May while in the Netherlands.