correspondence: Franklin journals/the steam-powered drum machine

Sent: 15 May 2003 11:33:14
To:
Subject: steam-powered dum machine

Dear Museoumoftechno,

I found your site this morning after reading about it in today's Guardian Newspaper. I was particularly intruiged by the journal entry describing the steam-powered drum machine.

Are any recordings extant of this machine in action? If so, might you make an MP3 available on your site?

(If you publish this letter, please withhold my email adddress as I don't want all sorts of drug-crazed undesirables emailing me).

Yours,


(Name and email address witheld)

From:
Sent: 15 May 2003 14:05
To: (EMAIL ADDRESS WITHELD)
Subject: Re: steam-powered drum machine

Dear Mr (NAME WITHELD)

Thank you very much for your email. We were very pleased to be featured in a national publication (particularly one of the Guardian's callibre) and I am delighted that it stimulated your interest in the Museum.

Tragically, no recordings exist of Hoovernaars's machine. We are, however, in discussion with the University of Amsterdam about a project to build a scale replica of the device, based on Hoovernaars's original plans. As I'm sure you will appreciate, the challenges involved in constructing such a unique piece of 19th century engineering are daunting, but should the team succeed in the task, the Museum  will undoubtedly share the fruits of its labours with the general public.

Kind regards

Dianne Waymire (Mrs)
Administrator, Museum of Techno