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Mystery Roll
Music Roll Has Center Sprocket Holes
by Philip Jamison (030116 MMDigest)

jamison_mystery1a.jpg (22 kb)I have three "mystery rolls" I'd like to identify.  They are of rather heavy card and are 10-1/4" (26 cm) wide,  and look like they play a mechanical piano or organ with a center drive sprocket.

Pictures attached.  Thanks!

Philip Jamison
West Chester, PA
16 Jan 2003 16:48:58 -0500

Ed. note:  The cardboard roll has a chain of large round holes, about 7 mm (.27") diameter, for a sprocket drive running down the middle, reminiscent of a sprocket drive music box disc.  The note holes, however, are made with a square punch, just like book music.  I measured the channel distances from the photo and estimate that the instrument played 61 to 65 notes.  The note spacing is about 3.7 mm, or 6.85 notes per inch.




jamison_mystery2.jpg (41 kb)


16 January 2003

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