Great Grandfather's Music Across the Ocean and a Century

Today we visited the Pianola Museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Our great grandfather was Howard Lutter.  In Newark, New Jersey and New York City he created piano rolls at Welte Mignon and other companies in the 1910s through the 1930s.  The staff at the Museum were very knowledgeable and shared their time and skills with us.  The Museum's collection of piano rolls does not contain any by Howard Lutter, so we will have to send them some.  We learned that Welte rolls were created in Europe and the United States, but they cannot be played on the same player pianos.

The Director, Kasper P. J. Janse with Jody Lutter and Kim Lutter.

Mr Janse filling the air with music.

Thank you to Kasper P. J. Janse and Marijke Brekelmans for sharing their insights and time with us.

Amanuensis Monday: Doolittle married Andrews 1893

Transcriptions continue for hand-written notes found in the BISHOP family file at the New York State Library in Albany.

John H Doolittle, born April 6, 1863.

Elizabeth E Andrews, born June 13, 1872.

Married Nov 2, 1893.

Children:

Ralph Andrews, born Jan 19, 1894.

Harry LeRoy, born July 21, 1896.

Arnold Bertram, born Jan 6, 1902.

The author of this note used whatever paper she or he could find to write the family history.

1910 United States Federal Census
Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut
Having the names of the children helps us be sure that this is the correct family.
Note that the years of marriage as well as the individual's ages in the census differ from the hand-written note.

De Oude Kerk, Amsterdam

Today I visited De Oude Kerk (The Old Church) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  The building was constructed around 1300 and is still in use as a church, among other pursuits.  Currently the Church houses an art exhibit from the Gerrit Rietveld Art Academy.

The floor is comprised of gravestones.  Wealthy people paid to be buried inside the Church.  A computer database exists of the burials for your use within the church or online.  Stones and records can be found for burials from the 1500s through the 1800s.

Floor of gravestones, with the buried underneath.

Backer Family side by side for centuries.

You can look up graves by their location within the Church.

You can also browse or search names.  Keep in mind that spellings were not uniform.

Gravestones could be used again by scratching off someone's name.

Close-up of removed inscription of a prior occupant.

The room of the Graeff grave is occupied by this piece of artwork.

Art display:  an unmade bed.

Partial gravestone.

Dangling art.

More art.

Note written on napkin on side of kiddie pool.
I do not know if this is part of the art.

Art display.

Art display of dirt, not a fresh burial.

Me on the stairs inside the Church.  No heat.

Copper plaques from coffins.

Plaque from coffin.
Ida Cornelia Deutz, wife of
Robbert Jan Neel
died 4 March 1807