This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Canned Music and the Playerpiano Fan
A nostalgic essay traces the rise of canned music and the player piano, recounting a San Francisco hotel encounter with Harold Bauer and a misread upstairs recital by Maude Adams. It lauds the democratization of music, cites Tufts Professor Leo Lewie’s Fan Factory, and celebrates diverse fans from industrious to famous, urging informed listening and hero worship of composers.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boston Gymphony Orchestra
Harold Bauer
Bor
Uptil
Goitier
Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco
Onte
Paderewski
Tian
Hofmann
Tits Versons
Grainger
Gabritowitsch
Bauer
Harald Bauer
Wing Maude Adame
Chopin
Ted
New York
Mies Adams
Mins Adams
Maude
Schumant
Mayer
Lerge
Noddy
Mosseiwitsch
John Smith
Ludwig van Beethoven
Cannet
Tufts College
Boston
Mmuelo
Ferade
Lewis
Massachusetts
Dadh
Brockton
Tachaikowsky
Dinmuea
Pactory
bLawhrave J
Mate Hirdak
A. BF
France
Playerpland
Chew
Crest Players
Tag
Heroms
Chicago
Philadelphia
Cain
Philharmonic Orchestra
Stransky
Iow
Geethoven
Bee Schubert
Piano Fen
Nusa
Ben
Lewie
Plana
Bain
Pritin
London
Lészt
Welter
Richard Wagner
von Bulow
Joachim
Rou
Ag Cat
Rogas
Wullner
Bael
Brahros
J. Basthoven
Theolors
Valli
Frank
W. Woolworth
Fang