I would like to thank the many people who e-mailed me about my recent
MMD post regarding the future of the player piano.  It is great to see
that so many people of all ages are interested in its future.  I would
also like to thank John Tuttle for sharing with us his web sites success
with player pianos.

For further public awareness of player pianos, and mechanical music
in general, I believe it is time for all of us to write the Citizen's
Stamp Advisory Committee and suggest that they feature a series of
mechanical music stamps.  There is precedent for vintage items on
stamps.  For example, there has been antique toys, antique cars, and
carousel horses.  I suggest the following note be sent by all of us
to the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee.

  Dear Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee,

  Mechanical music has played an important role in American history and
  culture.  Over the years, mechanical musical instruments have enriched
  our society from the home, to the confectionery, to the theater, to
  the carousel at the amusement park.  We believe that it is time for
  the United States Postal Service to recognize this and celebrate
  these instruments with a series of stamps featuring historic American
  Mechanical Musical Instruments.  We recommend that the following
  mechanical musical instruments be featured on a series of United States
  Postal Stamps:

  1.  Foot Pumped Player Piano
  2.  Regina 15-1/2" Curved Front Changer Music Box
  3.  Molinari Hand Cranked Organ
  4.  Mills Violano Virtuoso
  5.  Seeburg H Orchestrion
  6.  Wurlitzer CU Photoplayer
  7.  Wurlitzer 165 Band Organ

  Sincerely,

  ____________________________
  your name

Send the note to:

  Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee
  c/o Stamp Development, U.S. Postal Service
  475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Room 4474E
  Washington, D.C. 20260-2437

I am sure that if enough of us send such a note to the Advisory
Committee, they would take notice and consider the idea.

Let's all raise the public awareness of mechanical music!

Tim Trager
Trager@idt.net