I was one of the lucky ones to get some of the rolls from the Tushinsky
music collection sold by Butterfield & Butterfield recently.  A friend
attended the second day of the auction after hearing of the low bids of
the first day and succeeded at getting about 700 of the Duo-Art rolls.

The Ampico rolls were almost given away.  I am now neglecting other
responsibilities to listen to the 171 Duo-Art rolls that I got.  There is
some rare and wonderful stuff.  I wish I had been there to at least see
the other rolls and maybe mortgage my house to buy them.  Some of them
should be showing up on the auction lists soon.

The only problem with the rolls is that they were stored for a long time
with rubber bands applied.  The rubber turned to gum and stuck to the
leaders.  I am posting this as a warning to others to not repeat this
mistake.  It is a good idea to exclude air from the roll paper, but
something other than cheap rubber bands must be used.

Does anyone have an idea as to what would be a long lasting and
non-reactive elastic for this purpose?  Would butyl rubber from bicycle
inner tubes be safe?  What about pure latex from the very expensive
racing bicycle inner tubes?

Spencer Chase

 [ I wrap a cuff of good bond paper around the music roll, to protect
 [ it from the two rubber bands I slip on.  -- Robbie