Ideas and suggestions for new Registry categories are welcome, but not
explicitly solicited, and the Mechanical Music Press and/or its authors
reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to accept or reject any ideas
or suggestions submitted. This means that while we are open to suggestions
and recognize the importance of other authors and the work that they have
done or might have accomplished, the Mechanical Music Press and/or its
authors may not have the time nor interest to automatically take on the
additional ongoing burden of preparation and maintenance of database
material derived and/or supported by "external" authors. As such, any
continuing maintenance and/or updating of any database material submitted
would be entirely the sole responsibility of the submitting party. The only
intervention by a representative of the Mechanical Music Press would be to
carry out the actual task of appending into a particular database any
properly configured and uploaded update information.
What Constitutes a New Category?
What is a new category and what effect would it have on the Registry
section? In general terms it would be a new stand-alone registry web page
linked to the Registry's main menu (just like other already existing
category pages for Coinola, Cremona, Seeburg, Wurlitzer, etc.) and it would
be dedicated solely to whatever the new category might be. It would have its
own descriptive introduction and database survey and report printout
options, and resemble existing category pages, but, of course, with text
specific to the new topical interest.
Some images, if clearly pertinent to the database category and list,
could be considered for inclusion in the descriptive portion of the new
category page. However, such inclusion, or not, would be at the sole
discretion of the Mechanical Music Press and/or its authors.
General Submittal and Database Requirements
Any new admissions to the registry must, without exception, meet and
conform to the following specifications and/or requirements:
Any submittal must be in a suitable and easily readable and
technically useable format (see more on this in other bulleted items
below).
Any submittal must contain reasonably accurate data (we
understanding that errors in the originating source material, and that
are not caused by the submitting party, might reasonably go
unrecognized).
Any submittal must appear to be a professionally rendered and
produced work. Sloppy and carelessly incomplete material will not be
published.
Any submittal must conform to certain technical and formatting
requirements to enable successful and error free importation into a
Microsoft Access 2007 (or later) database structure.
Any submittal must be free of any copyright issues and not subject
to fees or other financial, reporting, or legal encumbrances. IF YOU DO
NOT HAVE OWNERSHIP AND/OR UNENCUMBERED LEGAL AUTHORITY AND RIGHT TO
DISTRIBUTE AND/OR CAUSE TO BE DISTRIBUTED AND/OR PUBLISHED ALL OR ANY
PART OF ANY MATERIAL SUBMITTED, THEN PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT ANY SUSPECT
MATERIAL.
Response, maintenance, and fulfillment of any inquiries or dispute
resolution issues in regards to submitted material shall be the sole
responsibility of the submitting party.
Maintenance of existing and/or updated database data will be the
sole responsibility of the submitting party. The Mechanical Music Press
and/or its authors will probably not have the time nor interest to
participate in the maintenance of data submitted by independent, outside
authors. Any updated data to be included and/or appended must be in an
acceptable form and format as determined and set forth by the Mechanical
Music Press web site and/or its authors.
If the submitting party desires to receive inquiries and comments
regarding the database subject matter under their tutelage it is their
sole responsibility to maintain a valid e-mail address for any such
desired communications, and additionally to notify the Mechanical Music
Press Webmaster of any e-mail contact changes. Furthermore, at the sole
discretion of the Mechanical Music Press and/or its authors, a link to
the previously referenced e-mail address may be included somewhere on
the web page specifically relating to and about the topical database
material submitted.
Considering the above, any suggestions for new ideas and registry
categories can be sent to the Mechanical Music Press Webmaster at
for timely consideration.
Verification of Authenticity
Please be aware that the Mechanical Music Press and/or its authors may,
at their sole discretion, require some sort of verification as to the
authenticity and accuracy of any submitted information and/or material. This
verification process may, depending upon circumstances, entail written,
printed, and/or photographic evidence, or whatever other substantiating
evidence might be deemed appropriate and/or reasonable to assure the
accuracy and integrity of any particular database content. This might mean
that certain submitted material will be rejected due to dubious or
insufficient verification relating to some aspect of authenticity.
Reproductions / Reconfigured Instruments
Reproductions and/or reconfigured instruments (such as a keyboard style A
roll piano that has been modified and reconstructed into something
resembling a larger orchestrion) may be accepted for a database listing,
depending upon the discretion and momentary whim of the Mechanical Music
Press and/or its authors. However, reproductions and any remodeling or major
modifications will be so noted as part of the overall description.
Please remember that the intended purpose of the Registry is to document
mechanical musical instruments that were manufactured on a regular
commercial basis by generally recognized manufacturers, such as Arburo,
Chicago Electric, Electrova, Engelhardt, Hupfeld, Imhof & Mukle, Link,
Losche, Marquette, Mills, Nelson-Wiggen, Operators, Peerless, Philipps,
Popper, Seeburg, Welte, Wurlitzer, etc.
With the above said, any and all reproductions and/or reconfigurations
will generally be treated (but not necessarily so and/or subject to decision
on a case by case basis) as per the following simplified guidelines:
Newly-built, high quality, and historically accurate reproductions
of an antique model (such as the Edgerton Seeburg KT Special or Wendel
Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina) might be accepted for inclusion, but, if so,
the specimen would be noted as a reproduction.
Antique coin pianos remodeled or incorporated into a larger model
(such as a Seeburg A coin piano used as the basis for constructing a
reproduction Seeburg G or H orchestrion--for example, the D.C. Ramey
Piano Company's Seeburg Style H orchestrion, which is clearly marketed
as a reproduction) might be included, but, if so, the specimen will be
so noted as a conversion/reproduction.
Antique coin pianos remodeled or incorporated into a larger model
(such as a Seeburg A coin piano made into a style F, G, J, or H
orchestrion) and then represented as an original Seeburg model might be
accepted but only on the proviso that it be noted as a conversion. In
such cases if the conversion to the more elaborate model is historically
accurate in its final form, the unit might be considered a reproduction
and so noted.
New instruments of a new design but built in a traditional style
(such as the Franz-Oehrlein automata, Ramey Banjo-Orchestra, or, more
loosely, the Universal O-roll Orchestrion), may be accepted but so noted
as new designs.
Old player pianos made into imitation coin pianos and/or
orchestrions will generally NOT be included in the Registry. In general
this type of conversion cannot be a historically accurate representation
of originally manufactured commercial coin piano models primarily due to
the limitations imposed by the underlying piano structure and
mechanisms.
To put it succinctly, if it (1) is relatively new and was not originally
manufactured by one of the recognized, established, historic manufacturers;
(2) is a modified, remodeled, or in anyway converted original; (3) is a
reproduction; or (4) is anything other than strictly an originally
manufactured commercial product as recognized by the majority of studied and
informed collectors, the instrument may be accepted for listing but it will
and must be described in such a way so as to eliminate any reasonable chance
of confusion and/or misunderstanding as to its originality status and/or
conditions of manufacture or re-manufacture. If you do not want to subject a
converted or modified device to the light of examination please do not
submit it for inclusion in the Registry.
Why Are The Submission Requirements So Stringent?
The registry submission requirements are not intended to offend or put
off anyone who has valuable historical information to share, provided that
such information has been obtained honestly and accurately. That said, the
registry section is NOT a money making operation. It is not intended to aid
or abet sales or hype certain brands, types, styles, or kinds of
instruments. It is strictly a volunteer-based project intended to provide
certain historical information free of charge to students of mechanical
music, collectors, enthusiasts, and historians in general.
Therefore, considering the above, before accepting submitted material for
eventual distribution and/or publication we must have some assurance that
the Mechanical Music Press and/or its authors will never be saddled with
legal, ownership, or copyright issues, otherwise everyone is better off not
getting involved in the first place. Anything presented within the registry
pages is a gift of the Mechanical Music Press and/or its authors, whether
they be internal or external contributors, and the ability to read and enjoy
what is presented in the Registry is not now or ever to be considered nor
construed as any type or kind of possessive right or entitlement by any
reader or visitor to this web site.
