Robbie,  Your posting in 000105 MMD of your 1986 note about a
computerized music database (which would be a superhuman effort if
it strived for completeness) prompts me to ask you if you are aware
of the Lester S. Levy sheet music collection that is available at

  http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/

Mark Chester pointed me to it, and it allows you to download the sheet
music for any pre-1924 song in the collection.  Anything post-1923 is
restricted to showing just the basic information (including lyric
incipits), but won't allow downloading of the whole thing because of
copyright considerations.

I find it useful for searching by music publisher, having a special
interest in the Vandersloot company, once in Williamsport, Pa., until
being bought out by Harry J. Lincoln, who moved the business to
Philadelphia(?).

Matthew Caulfield

 [ I like this site!  The search functions are thorough and so is the
 [ documentation; I only wish the data downloaded faster.  I went to the
 [ page for Advanced Search and entered '"Beatrice Fairfax" within Title',
 [ pushed the Search button and presto! -- now I have the sheet music
 [ for "Beatrice Fairfax, Tell Me What To Do".  (Hear the MIDI file at
 [ http://mmd.foxtail.com/Sounds/  file WPunk01.mid).  -- Robbie