(Photograph courtesy of Joe Hifferty.)

Early band organ looking style Air-Calio #588 in the Nielson collection. This superb example with its decorative facade features capped brass whistles and a rank of wooden flute pipes situated behind the brass whistles. The drum shelfs and drums appear to have been added, possibly when this Air-Calio was converted to play Wurlitzer Caliola rolls—a fate that befell many Artizan instruments.

(Photograph courtesy of Joe Hifferty.)

Pipework in the early band organ looking style Air-Calio #588. Looking through the two openings in the decorative facade the capped brass whistles stand tall against a rank of wooden flute pipes forming a musical backdrop.

(Photograph courtesy of Joe Hifferty.)

Looking downward at the pipework in the early Air-Calio #588. Here the colorful wooden caps for each brass whistle, and the structural supports needed to keep the heavy whistles seated and in place, are visible. Instruments such as this needed to be rugged and structurally sound to avoid damage when being moved from one show location to another.

(Photograph courtesy of Joe Hifferty.)

Keyboard and roll mechanism in the early Air-Calio #588. In this photograph the keyboard is extended, but it can be pushed back under the roll frame support shelf when not needed. The original roll mechanism has been replaced, converting the Air-Calio to play Wurlitzer Caliola rolls. That said, the label on the Wurlitzer roll box at left is marked for the Automatic Player Piano, which is the same tracker layout and size at the Caliola roll. Some have said that the Caliola roll is no different than the Automatic Player Piano roll, while others have insisted that at least some Caliola rolls are arranged with pipework in mind, instead of a piano. Note that the tuning slides for the open wooden flute pipes are approximately centered on the speaking length of the pipe, suggesting that there are harmonic flutes.

(Photograph courtesy of Joe Hifferty.)

The cone drive tempo control in the early Air-Calio #588. The wooden cone is rotated by the bevel gear arrangement to its right. The rubber tired wheel is movable along the horizontal shaft that powers the roll frame. The speed of the upper shaft is wholly dependent upon the position of the rubber tired wheel on the cone. The speed increases as the rubberized wheel is moved closer to the large end of the cone.

(Photograph courtesy of Joe Hifferty.)

Valve chest and actuating unit valves in the early Air-Calio #588. The three rows of pressure operated unit valves are screwed to a channel board that interconnects with the pouches that operate the valves in the pipe chest positioned directly underneath. The rubber tubing connects the unit valves to the tracker bar. When a unit valve is activated air pressure flows into the corresponding pouch located in the board lying just below the rows of unit valves. The actual valve chest that sounds the pipework is just underneath the pouch board. When a pouch inflates it pushes down on the valve stem below it, opening the internal pressurized valve while simultaneously sealing off the outside atmospheric air vent, thereby causing a certain pipe or whistle to sound. The reservoir springs for the pressure pump are visible at the bottom left side of the picture.

(Photograph courtesy of Scotty Green.)

Air-Calio #604.in the De Bence (Antique Music World) museum, Franklin, Pennsylvania. With only 40 whistles, the Air-Calio has a smaller musical compass than do the more common 43 and 53 note air calliopes. It is nonetheless a well crafted and attractive looking instrument, albeit a rare item to behold. Inside the colorful red case extension that forms the background behind the brass whistles is the roll mechanism and keyboard for manual playing.

(Photograph courtesy of Scotty Green.)

An oblique view of the beautiful Air-Calio #604 on display at the De Bence (Antique Music World) museum, Franklin, Pennsylvania.

(Photograph courtesy of Scotty Green.)

Keyboard and Artizan roll mechanism in the late Air-Calio #604. The keyboard would be extended, or pulled out from under the roll frame shelf, when the instrument was to be played by manually. The roll frame is original for this Artizan Air-Calio. Many surviving Artizan instruments were converted by Wurlitzer to play Caliola rolls. Once Artizan ceased doing business in 1930 and its assets bought up by Wurlitzer at auction there was little alternative for fresh new music.

(Photograph courtesy of Scotty Green.)

Air pressure feeder pump in the late Air-Calio #604. The movable center board pump consists of two independent sides that are fastened together, and with a pressure reservoir mounted on top of the combined assembly. The pressure reservoir is loaded with leaf springs, and when it inflates to a certain point a spill valve releases excess air, thereby maintaining a nearly constant air pressure for the player system.