A last trip to see
Harvey and Marion Roehl
Dale and I
went to New York to pick up an Apolloette push-up piano
player unit and while we were there we made a pilgrimage
to see Harvey Roehl. We called and he invited us over.
When we got there we found he had just discovered that
morning that his jaundice had come back and unfortunately
he later discovered his liver cancer had returned. It
claimed his life within months.
Though he felt
dizzy and slightly under the weather, he was very proud
to show us all his treasures. His wife Marion is a lovely
woman and helped give us some of the tour of the music
rooms.

He proudly
showed us the monkey organs first since Dale showed so
much interest in them. He got out the original case
for one of the little organs. He had had a new case
built for it. The old one was very much beyond its
better days.

And we had to
get a shot of Marion at one of her favorite music
makers.

He then showed
us his reproducing pianos. The Bauer
Welte,

The Ampico
B

The Mini
Recordo, which sounded amazingly good for such a small
piano.

Dale then had to get in
on the action and play a roller organ or cob organ, of which
there were several. He cranks the Gem Roller
Organ.

There were
others there


An extra large
model:

And the
underside of one that Dale played so he could read the
paper label.

Then
there was a larger player reed organ and a paper roll roller
organ.


Harvey was
trying to hear our questions over the Reproduco. I am
sure he was not feeling too well, but he did not show
it.

He then showed
us the tall case Orchestrion. He opened it for us to see
what all was inside. How many of you know what model this
is?



The grande
Dame of the Music room, of course is the Gavioli at the
end. She holds court against the far wall and believe you
me, you will hear her pronouncements. The old girl must
have had practice calling folk down from the French and
Italian Alps. She plays the normal books but while we
were there she was being played by a Midi disk by way of
a special box that merely sits upon the keyframe. It is
removable within a minute.



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