Judy, I'm looking for a home for my 1919 Krakauer player piano. The player mechanism was removed a long time ago but otherwise it's in good shape. If you have any clues as to someone who might be interested, would you contact me off list?
Thanks, PJ.
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-----Original Message----- From: sopran@a... [mailto: Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 11:01 PM To: vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com Subject: [vocalist] An unexpected find!
I don't know whether any of you Vocalisters are aware, but I am active in historic preservation. Today I got a call from our city's property disposition manager about an old Victorian home that is about to be demolished but contains two pianos--big old uprights. I told him that I'd go take a look to see if they were salvageable (sadly they are in very bad shape) but decided to look through the house to see if there were any treasures that had been overlooked by the hordes of people who have already gone through it.
In the attic I found a lot of old papers and some old music from the late 1800s--I took some of it, but much was moldy and it was starting to make even non-allergic me sneeze. I also found some old opera recordings (nothing that appeared terribly valuable) lots of personal and business correspondence, some patent documents, checks and ledgers, and lots of old engravings (many of which I brought home).
I was on my way out when I decided to check into one of the back bedrooms. There, below a window, in a pile on the floor, were scads of old playbills, concert programs and a bunch of old Metropolitan Opera programs from the early 30's--all in near mint condition. Some have written comments about the performances by Flagstad, Ponselle (who had her sister Carmela singing with her that day), Lucrezia Bori, Frieda Leider, Lotte Lehmann, Ezio Pinza, Lauritz Melchior, and other greats to numerous to mention. I even found some autographs--Gladys Swarthout and Lawrence Tibbet, for example. The performances were at the old Met, of course, and Gatti-Casazza was General Manager. No particularly distinguished conductors are listed. There is a layout of the old Met and a list of who occupies what box. And of course the ads are a scream--did you know that smoking Camels is good for your digestion?
The playbills list the likes of Albert Lunt & Lynn Fontanne (sp?), Ruth Gordon, Vincent Price, Helen Hayes etc. And there is a promotional flyer for a fundraiser that featured Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Cardini, and many many o thers, emceed by none other than Major Bowes (of Amateur Hour fame).
There is also a volume that is someone's bound sheet music, most of it dated 1851-1853. It's all printed on very heavy rag paper and is in pretty good condition, considering. There is an early printing (very possibly the first edition) of a Stephen Foster song, Maggie by my Side, in the volume. I wonder what that might be worth.
Any way, I thought that it was a very interesting find! I think I'll have the autographed programs framed and hang them in my office.
Judy
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