Player-Piano: Linconola
Serial # 160891
Place of Origin: New York, U.S.A.
Year: c.1920-25
Description: An imposing, large upright American player-piano finished in a typical
American-walnut veneer of the period. Styling cues are the twin tapered-post trusses (legs)
and the very individual protruding centre-piece of the end-plates. Internally, the piano has
a full iron-frame, contemporary Under-damper Action and was originally fitted with an
‘Amphion’ player-piano mechanism.
History: The Linconola was a stencil-branded player-piano of the post World War 1 era,
fitted with the excellent Amphion player-piano mechanism and overall, an above average
American player-piano. The Linconola is seen predominantly in Victoria, Australia, almost
always with a ‘M.Brasch & Son’ label to indicate the Agents and is in virtually every respect,
identical to the ‘Victor’ upright player-piano imported and marketed by contemporary lead-
ing N.S.W. music-house Palings. Although unable to be verified by documentation, both
pianos appear identical to the excellent Laffargue piano produced in New York from 1896-
1932, the use of badge-engineering to give ‘exclusive’ agency to one dealer or another com-
monplace in the U.S.A. since the 1870’s. The Linconola was one of a great many player-
pianos imported to Australia during the ‘pianola’ boom of the 1915-29 period, and new
would have retailed for approximately £140.
Background: Sadly the Linconola had been partially disassembled during an owner’s D-I-
Y attempt at refurbishment. Too many parts of the player-piano mechanism and the cabi-
net were missing to justify restoration. The substantial costs and unlikelihood of a future
owner making the necessary investment in the instrument meant that this particular Linco-
nola had reached the end of its working life.