Hello, all!  Since the MMDigest is a reliable and interesting source
for all enthusiasts of mechanical music, I always read the Digest on
a regular basis before I finally decided to subscribe.  To introduce
myself to the community after several years of just reception of the
contents, I want to give you some information on my person.

My name is Uwe Gernert and I was born in Germany in Cologne,
where I lived till my secondary graduation.  Afterwards I studied
educational and political sciences and history at the Hamburg
university.  I have been with the German Forces quite a while and so
I spent more than one year working in the USA.  Afterwards I moved
to Bavaria and after my time with the Forces ended up I stayed in that
region, where I worked for a software corporation at Augsburg.  After
another job as a consultant at Munich I now work as a software support
specialist in the same city.

I live far away from the big cities in a very small village in
the Allgäu region of Germany, in an old farmhouse where I have
space enough to collect "items", may they be tractors, motorcycles,
antique typewriters, clocks or musical instruments -- here especially
mechanical musical instruments.

It all began in 1991 when I bought the first Aeolian pianola with
some 80 rolls.  I was so fascinated about the mechanically produced
music that I decided to have more instruments of that kind.  Okay,
not as big as the pianola, again because I experienced that it's not
the kind of instrument you have to have two or three of, especially
when living on the first floor in a small flat as I did at the time.

So in the beginning those collectibles were small instruments like
Symphonions, Mignon organs and Gramophones.  The first real organ
I bought was only three years ago; this was a 26-note, roll operated
Baus in Bacigalupo style.

My partner plays music for herself so we have a small collection of
violins, violas and brass instruments also.  At German and French
flea markets I found some old and very old instruments, especially
accordions and bandoneons.  Since she also found it very attractive
to play organ (and "the management" always used mine) I bought a second
instrument, identical to the Baus organ, which came with lots of rolls.
The former owner gave it to me heavy-heartedly because for him at his
age it was no longer possible to move that heavy instrument in and out
of his car.

After two instruments it doesn't matter any more how many one has --
that's what I found out before with my typewriters, tractors and so on.
So now we have 7 or 8 organs, some Tanzbärs and some other mechanical
instruments on top.  An end is not in sight, and I still enjoy finding
nice pieces and restoring them.

I want to encourage everybody with a bit of understanding in mechanics
to look after their instruments by themselves.  It's not a rocket
science and you get to know a lot of stuff (that you probably wouldn't
need to know, but remember: you are a collector!).  Have fun!  If you
want to contact me just visit my website and use the contacts page:

  http://www.antiques.bayern/ 

Since the last issue No. 130 I am the editor of the German journal,
"Das Mechanische Musikinstrument", of the "Gesellschaft fuer
Selbstspielende Musikinstrumente", and you're all heartily invited
to send me articles of interest for our readers.  If you want to do so,
just send a message to me at to redaktion@musica-mechanica.de.geentroep
[delete ".geentroep" to reply].  I don't care if it is written in
English since it would not be problem to translate it.

If you need further information on "Gesellschaft fuer Selbstspielende
Musikinstrumente" just have a look at our website:
http://www.musica-mechanica.de/ 

Regards,
Uwe Gernert
Editor, Das Mechanische Musikinstrument

 [ Willkommen, Uwe, auf den MMD-Seiten!  -- Robbie