In and earlier message I mentioned that Ginny is working on a catalog of
Telelectric and Telektra rolls.  I'm working on the history side of the
same project.  We need any and all information about the company, people,
mechanisms, rolls, artists, etc.

We have a reasonable start on the roll catalog, but historical
information is pretty sparse.  Any bit of information will be a help.
This might be advertisements, catalogs, brochures, articles, patents, for
instance.  We have some information about the start of the company in
1905, and we know its assets were sold at auction in 1919.  Briefly:

The system was originally developed around 1897 by Powers and Jewell and
refined by them until Kelly bought out their patents in 1905 and started
Telelectric.  The original system had a reasonably good 65-note
expression system, but was by no means at the reproducing piano level.
It was a "high end" system in quality and price, and the customers were
locked in to the company because the rolls were a unique brass format.
The only competition was the European Welte and Hupfeld systems.

Here is where the history gets fuzzy.  By 1913, when Ampico and Duo-Art
hit the market, the company brought out the Telektra.  The Telektra may
have been sold earlier, but there is only anecdotal evidence of that.
The Telektra was a sophisticated 88-note system with a split stack,
4 independent expression levels (8 if you count the soft pedal), 2 levels
of accent, and a few other bells and whistles.  They brought in name
artists and advertised extensively.  More than that we don't know.  Kelly
left Telelectric in 1910, but had patents that foreshadowed the Telektra.
Who developed it?  When did it actually hit the market?

What happened between 1905 and 1913?  What about the heavy paper rolls
that came out very late in the game?  And the organ player that is
referenced in a few places?

Any and all information, or pointers to information will be appreciated.
This unique company deserves its place in the history books.

Thanks in advance

Bob Billings