This sounds to me like a dumb question sure to create unpublished
responses, like "You gotta be kidding ...",  or worse, but here goes:

Is there any way to research the meaning of cultural references found
in old piano rolls?

For example, there are rolls entitled "Dream Daddy".  From context,
it sounds like a reference to a host of an old radio show.  I (born
in 1942) asked my parents and in-laws long ago.  Only one recalled
the term, but had no further info.

Another:  There are roll titles entitled "Mr. Gallagher and Mr.
Sheen", with a somewhat salacious and racist repartee between these
two.  Who were they?

It is not my intent to feed a stream of personal inquiries to MMD.  One
could ask folks of suitable age, but most who were, say, at least 15
years old in 1920, are gone by now or have fading memories.  I suppose
I could find the answer to most any question with sufficient research
time, but my real question is whether there is some obvious source for
this kind of info?

Thanks.
Paul Eggert, Fountain Hills, AZ

 [ Ed Gallagher and Al Sheen were a very successful vaudeville comedy
 [ duo.  -- Robbie