Q. David Bowers

Video

Oral History Information

Interview Date
Job Title
Historian
Company Name
Automatic Musical Instruments

Q David Bowers contributed greatly to the archiving of the music products industry. As an author, he researched and published several books on the early era of mechanical instruments. His 1972 publication, The Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments, has become the definitive reference source on the topic. Along the way he also saved an enormous and invaluable collection of vintage trade magazines dating back to the 1880s from being lost. Those materials have since been scanned by the NAMM Resource Center, thanks to Mr. Bowers’ devotion to history, and will be made available for access to those seeking to learn more about our industry.