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MMD > Archives > January 2001 > 2001.01.19 > 07Prev  Next


Mystery Orchestrion Music Roll
By Matthew Caulfield

An eBay item caught my eye because it was originally listed (badly)
as "Wurlitzer piano roll."   See "Orchestrion Music Roll" at
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1404807157

The picture there and the confusing measurements given led me to email
the seller and ask for clarification.  The roll has no markings, and it
turns out that only reason the seller threw in the Wurlitzer name was
because she had once seen such a roll on a Wurlitzer instrument and
thought that Wurlitzer was the only company that made rolls.

She also corrected the paper width measurement to 11-1/4 inches and
gave me the core diameter as 3-3/8 inches.   She claims the hole
spacing (once I got her to understand what hole spacing is) measures
8-to-the-inch.   She also informed me that the roll paper is light
brown.  It was her camera that added the green tint.

Looks like some kinds of orchestrion roll to me.  The paper does appear
in the picture to resemble Wurlitzer's green paper.  I suggested she
wind the roll to the end and look for an end-number, which it would
have if it were a Wurlitzer roll.  But I doubt she will bother.

Can any MMD'er identify this roll from these data?

Matthew Caulfield

P.S.:  Ever notice how many eBay sellers offer "jutebox" items?  Maybe
one blessing to come from the Internet is that schoolkids will relaize
the importance of their spelling lessions.


(Message sent Fri 19 Jan 2001, 04:55:34 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Music, Mystery, Orchestrion, Roll

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