John Robert Barnes (* 1920 - † 1998) was able to provide great moments. As custodian of the Russell Collection for Early Keyboard Instruments, he also made numerous restorations for the Royal College of Music and for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Few insights into his workshop and his working environment were sufficient to get an idea of the high esteem of historical originals. During my stay he researched clavichord construction in Germany. To make copies, he invented a string spinning device in which the angle of widely wound strings could be adjusted. With him the organology lost an esteemed mentor.