In my continuing search of AMICA Bulletins for Artrio-Angelus articles
for reviewing here on the MMD, I found this one from the December 1974
issue at pages 6 and 7, having had for it's reporter Bill Wherry for
the Northern California Chapter.  In it, in his lively and insightful
report, are to be found still more bits of fascinating A-A detail
really hard to come by otherwise.

Of the entire work, to myself, this part stood-out as being key:
"Ed's collection numbers 700-plus rolls exclusively for the A-A, making
it rightfully the largest collection in the world.  Of some several
hundred A-A instruments originally created, Ed knows only of eight in
existence today."

In view of all that, it becomes trebly astounding that Ed Hayden
managed to collect such a huge number of titles over a not very long
period of time.  Sadly, obviously, Artrio instruments and their
record-rolls are way too rare.  ('Something must be done!')

Jim Miller
Las Vegas, Nevada

- - -

Artrio Angelus -- Alive and Well in Walnut Creek
By Bill Wherry, December, 1974

This pre-Halloween meet saw a good share of AMICAns out at the Hayden's
place in Walnut Creek to hear and see the 1919 Artrio-Angelus (or
Angelus Artrio) Wilcox & White upright in the living room.  Ed Hayden
went all out to restore the piano to like-new showroom quality.

Aside from the fact that Ed insists upon a top-notch restoration, this
piano was the unlucky victim of a neighborhood fire in San Francisco,
where Ed used to live, receiving for the most part water damage to the
case, combined with excessive moisture, which can play havoc with felt
and wood parts.  The end result is well worth the effort.

The Artrio-Angelus, hence to be referred to as A-A, is similar to the
Duo-Art in many ways, using bass and treble "snake bites" or "chicken
tracks" to bring out the theme, or melody, using variable dynamics cut
in the roll.  The accompaniment is controlled in the same way.  There
is also a pump amplifier controlled directly from the roll.

The position of each function on the tracker bar is different from
other systems, though.  Invariably, each reproducing piano system would
try to hit their rivals' rewind early on in the roll.  Like Duo-Art,
the A-A is built of quality materials, avoiding the use of die-cast or
"pot metal," which tends to self-destruct after a few decades.

Ed's collection numbers 700-plus rolls exclusively for the A-A, making
it rightfully the largest collection in the world.  Of some several
hundred A-A instruments originally created, Ed knows only of eight in
existence today.

The technical session centered on the 1922 Mehlin & Sons Patent Grand
A-A presently resting on its side in the garage on a piano dolly; an
ideal situation to study its innards carefully, but don't lean too hard
there, folks!

The layout again is similar to D-A, with intricate mechanical linkage
to the key-slip for rewind, tempo, manual expression control, etc.
The roll frame is situated above the keyboard.  Where it departs from
the American-made D-A is the placement of the stack above the keyboard,
behind the roll frame, thus allowing for easy serviceability to the
piano action.

The "stack" couldn't really be called that at all, but would better be
called the "pouch bank," for that is what it is: two rows of diaphragm
pneumatics connected by bell cranks and rods to operate the piano action
just behind the ivories on the keyboard.  The original good quality
lead tubing is dressed in black cotton sleeves or socks.  No corrosion
is apparent.  According to Ed, the diaphragm pneumatics in this
particular model are easy to remove and recover.  The valve system is
primary-secondary.

Some other unusual features are the extra long piano keys, to allow
room for the pouch bank, valves and spool box.  The hammer shanks
are graduated in size from largest in the bass to smallest in the
treble end, which might pose a bit of a problem when it comes time to
put on new hammers.  Located in the "tail" of the piano is a manually
adjustable atmosphere in-leak, similar to American Piano Company's
1929 creation.

The means of accomplishing vacuum regulation is done by internal
fixed orifices opened and closed by pouch type valves.  This idea again
borrowed much later by the A.P.C. for their type "B" or new Ampico.
I dislike referring to other makes for comparison, but feel that this
is the only way to properly describe the Artrio-Angelus clearly enough,
as it is quite rare and seldom seen today.

At present, the grand is unrestored.  It dates from 1922 and is
approximately 5' 10" in length; not its true piano length, as Ed
pointed out, because room had to be provided for the aforementioned
spool box, valves, pouch bank, again like . . . (never mind, you know
what I mean by now) . . .  To round things out, Ed showed several
photographs of the Wilcox & White factories, showing various phases
of construction and assembly.

A good table of "treats" set out by Mrs. Hayden of apple cider,
donuts, and Halloween cookies was most welcome this sunny afternoon.
The "trick?"  None that I could see except to avoid being squirted by
the pool sweep floor hose as it rounded the steps in the shallow end
of the pool.  All thanks to the Haydens for an unusual afternoon!

 [ "Artrio Angelus -- Alive and Well in Walnut Creek," by Bill Wherry,
 [ published in The AMICA Bulletin, Vol. 11, No. 12, December, 1974,
 [ is re-published here with the kind permission of AMICA and The
 [ AMICA Bulletin.  -- Robbie