Thanks to Robbie and all the MMDers who do such great research and
write such interesting postings.  We enjoy reading MMD issues and the
archives immensely.

My personal interest is more towards Olympia music boxes, but my wife,
Mary, and I are going through and cataloging our piano roll collection,
inherited from her family.  At one time Mary's family owned two upright
player pianos (one a "Pianola"), a "piano picker", a Duo-Art expression
grand, an Aeolian Orchestrelle, a Violano Virtuoso, a Regina
w/automatic changer, Gavioli organs, and a Ragtime orchestrion.

She remembers many hours pumping and repairing rolls, and assisted her
father, Bill Wiseman, with rebuilding one player piano, then rebuilt
one on her own, as well as assisted in the restoration of a large
theater organ.  J. Lawrence Cook was a family favorite, and her father
eagerly sought out his rolls, along with Max Kortlander's, Pete
Wendling's, Victor Arden's, Phil Ohman's, etc.   He also collected many
Themodist and Metrostyle rolls as well.  He collected and restored in
the 1960's and 1970's in Houston, Texas.

We have perused the "Music Roll Brand Names" list and articles in the
MMD Archives, but do not see anything about the Melographic Roll Co.

 [ See http://mmd.foxtail.com/MMMedia/AeoUni/index.html

The large, light-colored, square labels have in bold face type the
numerals "88" in the upper left-hand corner (rather than "Eighty-Eight
Note" spelled out) with "Melographic" in a gothic type-face across the
top.

According to MMD's page on the Aeolian Company, they should not be
Aeolian/Universal products and could be made by the United States Music
Roll Co. of Chicago.  However, when I compare these rolls to US Music
rolls that I have, I do not see any similarities, and this company
identifies itself both on the box and roll label as being in Buffalo,
New York, USA.

The rolls appear to be quality products.  The boxes are a dark, forest
green and very sturdy.  The dark, almost waxy paper used in these
Melographic rolls (all that we have are classical titles) greatly
resembles the "Aeolian", "Full Scale Metrostyle", "Full Scale
Accentuated" and "Metrostyle Themodist" rolls that we have without the
fancy printing on the leaders.  On the roll leaders is inked a 'paper
registered' mark, as well as "Patent applied for May 17, 1910" and
"Foreign patents pending".

They do not have Metrostyle/Themodist markings.  Instead there are
inked markings on the right hand edge of the roll with abbreviated
playing instructions for the pianolist.  The Bakelite flanges are
not identical to Aeolian's.  They have a brass inset round the holes;
otherwise they are a similar shape to Aeolian's.

Is this yet another Aeolian/Universal label?  Or was US Music Co doing
a really good job of copying Aeolian/Universal's 'look'?  Or...?

Thanks for any info about this company or references for further
research.

Michael Pollard
Mary Wiseman
Tucson, Arizona

 [ At http://mmd.foxtail.com/MMMedia/index.html
 [    http://mmd.foxtail.com/MMMedia/brands.html
 [  "Melographic (Melographic Roll Co., Buffalo NY)"
 [ I certainly welcome more information.  :-)
 [ -- Robbie