There are a few of you in this group that know that I have been doing research on the history of the Artrio Angelus reproducing piano.  I've been working on this for several years now.

I have been gradually unearthing information on Wilcox & White, The Conway Company (who purchased W & W at bankruptcy auction in 1922 and also owned Hallet & Davis Piano Company and Simplex Player Action Company) and the various people directly connected with the development and production of the Artrio expression mechanism (Frank White and Percival K. Van Yorx) and the roll recording and production process.

P.K. Van Yorx was the central character in the whole story from beginning to end.  Other interesting characters were Russell White (manager of the roll department and who assisted Van Yorx in the recording studio up till the bankruptcy), Theodore P. Brown of Simplex and Carle C. Conway, one of the most dynamic business leaders of the 20th century.

(A whole book could be written on the life and career of Carle Conway who started his business career along with his brother Earle at Chicago's W.W. Kimball Company working under their father, Kimball business partner Col. Edwin S. Conway.  The Conway boys decided to strike out on their own by the purchase of the Hallet & Davis Piano Company.  By the middle of the 1920's Carle had also become involved with the fledgling Continental Can Company, rising quickly to become President and CEO and being credited with building Continental Can into the second largest can company in the world.)

Wilcox & White maintained a friendly business relationship with the Aeolian Company during the White as well as the Conway ownership of W & W, primarily through musical director, later Vice President, K. P. Van Yorx.  Aeolian cut the Artrio Angelus rolls for W & W at their plant in Meriden (across the street from the old W & W factory).

I also believe Wilcox & White acquired one of the high speed recording perforators patented by Edwin Votey for use in their studio.  Does anyone have information or photographs of this machine?  I do have the patent, so I know how it worked, but would like more information about the recording process.

Part of my research is producing a complete (as possible) rollography of the Artrio Angelus rolls.  While I have perhaps 95% of the titles accounted for, there are still a few gaps I am trying to fill in, particularly of the rolls issued from 1926 on.  So, I would like to hear from any MMD readers who might have some Artrio Angelus rolls in their collections with numbers from the late 8300's into the 8400's.

Also, many people do not realize that after the Conway takeover, the Artrio part of the name was dropped and the system and rolls were simply known as the "Angelus".  A new design of label was also introduced at that time.  I am attaching a photo showing the two types of labels used.

Prior to the release of the Artrio Angelus, early in 1913 Wilcox & White started producing their first hand played rolls under the "Voltem" label.  I am interested in acquiring a few of these rolls, if anyone has any to sell.  I am particularly looking for one roll in particular, either to purchase or to borrow for a short time, and that is Voltem roll no. 0514, Air Boheme, Op. 39, No. 1, Schutt, played by Maurice Kvan.

If anyone out there has any information, catalogs, brochures, etc., relating to the Artrio Angelus, Voltem music rolls or Wilcox & White, I would certainly like to hear from you.  If any of our members in England have any information about the Artrio Angelus sales over there, I would very much like to hear from you also.

Thanks!
Dave Krall
17 Aug 2006 07:17:11 -0700 (PDT)

Links:
http://www.themodist.com/    Wilcox & White
http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/A/angelus.html     Angelus
http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/A/artrio.html        Artrio
http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/A/artrio_angelus.html    Artrio-Angelus
http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/A/angelus_artrio.html    Angelus-Artrio