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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