(Artizan advertising material courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Early style Artizan Air-Calio illustrated on an undated advertising sheet. The advertisement also illustrates several Artizan band organs, but seems to primarily introduce the Air-Calio. This illustration suggests that the Air-Calio began life as a modified band organ design, before evolving into something that looked like a true air calliope. The Air-Calio related text reads: "Artizan Instruments Are Best; Air-Calio is the latest, most perfect and durable instrument of its kind made. Furnished with or without keyboard playing 65 note standard music rolls. Designed for circus parades, street advertising, carnival ballyhoo, and all outdoor amusements." This Air-Calio is more like a traditional band organ in appearance than a calliope, a design that was dropped later on for a more calliope like layout.

(Artizan advertising material courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Artizan Air-Calio "platform" style. The backside view shows the keyboard extended for manual playing. When retracted the rear access panels can be fully closed, thereby protecting both the keyboard and the roll mechanism. Here the slotted roller over the tracker bar is clearly visible, which instantly distinguishes an Artizan all pressure instrument from all other brands. This instrument features a geared drive for the crankshaft, and in this instance the instrument is powered by a small gasoline engine.

(Photograph courtesy of Don Rand.)

Abandoned Artizan factory building, circa 1986. The building is located near the junction of Erie Avenue and Division Street in North Tonawanda, New York. This view looking northerly was taken from Erie Avenue, and overlooks a single rusty looking railroad track—a no longer much used reminder of a once more glorious past. As of October, 2015, the decaying structure was still standing, and viewable using Google Maps.

(Photograph courtesy of Don Rand.)

Abandoned Artizan factory building, circa 1986.The view, also from alongside Erie Avenue, shows the end of the Artizan building, with the angle of sunlight accenting the taller part of the elevator shaft. The railroad track runs parrallel to Erie Avenue. The gated driveway extends in a southwesterly direction to Division Street.

(Photograph courtesy of Don Rand.)

Abandoned Artizan factory building, circa 1986. The fellow peeking through the cracks in the elevator shaft's outside loading door is Ed Openshaw, a friend of Don Rand, who snapped this photograph. The picture shows more clearly the dilapidated condition of the brick building, for which construction began on May 1, 1922.