Wurlitzer Style 32-A Concert PianOrchestra
The Restoration Appraisal Begins -- (Milhous collection, 1989-1990)

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

Front view of the PianOrchestra's fire damaged main chassis. The register control unit is at center, with the roll changer located underneath. At top left is the Melodie Violin pipe chest, with the remains of a few partially melted metal pipes still standing in the pipe rack. What survived of the snare drum action is at top right.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

Close-up view of automatic roll changer mechanism, along with ash strewn and grimy debris. The roll changer, although visually intact and in what appears to be "good" restorable condition, was, in actuality, severely damaged with fracture cracks caused when the fire department suddenly doused it with cold water.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

End view of the PianOrchestra's fire damaged main chassis. The trapwork (drums, etc.), pipework, motor, flat belt drive system and pump crank have been removed, and the residual ash and loose debris swept away. The empty bass pipe chest is at center right; above and further back is the also empty Melodie Violin pipe chest.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

Rear view of the main chassis, and looking into an area once filled with bass pipework. Some of the bass pipe chest's valve blocks are visible at the bottom edge, with the pipe rack support boards above, each imprinted with vertical bars outlining the breadth of each attached pipe. Standing in the background are the badly charred front doors to the PianOrchestra, along with remnants of other burnt and blackened case parts, most too damaged for use for anything other than as a pattern for constructing a new case.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

The PianOrchestra's fire damaged bass drum and cymbal action mechanism. The wooden shank for the large central bass drum striker has been broken off near its rectangular swivel point, but the wooden cymbal striker knob mounted on the long threaded wire remains intact. The two relatively small beaters on either side of the central structure are used for the kettle drum effect.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

Badly burned wooden pipework from the PianOrchestra's Melodie Violin section. This heap of fragile charcoal is all that remains of some of the violoncello pipes taken from the Melodie Violin pipe chest. The soft wood is completely burned through in many places, leaving this pipework useless, except as a charred pattern to guide in the construction of brand new pipework. Not all pipework was in such wretched condition, but all was damaged to varying degrees.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

Close-up view of all that remains of two partially melted, Melodie Violin section, soft metal ranks. The front rank was a flute (quintadena), which differs from the original catalogue specification calling for an oboe rank. The second melted rank was a violin (gamba). The rank behind, fitting into the staggered holes, was a reed clarinet.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson)

This pile of bundled pipework shows the general condition of the pipework after the fire. Some is definitely restorable, given enough effort. In many instances, however, the better solution was to start over and construct a new pipe rank, whereupon each pipe in a particular rank would then match the others in timbre and tone.