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Estey & Moeller Player Organ Rolls
By John Riester

[ Roger Morrison wrote in 101024 MMDigest:

> Estey contracted out the punching of the rolls to a firm who also
> did the Möller organ rolls.  That company sold their roll punching
> equipment to Möller and Estey's source for making rolls was ended.

Möller acquired the perforator and other roll equipment in the
1920s, which was the same equipment that Estey used.  A couple dozen
years ago Jim Weisenborne acquired the equipment (along with the
master rolls).

Jim wrote a great article about Möller's roll production that was
published in the July/Aug 1992 AMICA Bulletin (v. 28, no. 4).  At
some point the perforator and equipment was given to the Music House
Museum in Acme, Michigan.

In 2009 the University of Oklahoma American Organ Institute (my
employer) acquired the perforator, master rolls and other equipment
from the Music House Museum.  There is an article in our Fall 2009
newsletter about the removal:

  http://aoi.ou.edu/aboutaoi/windlines/2009Fall.pdf 

The American Organ Institute recently acquired the Philadelphia
Convention Center M. P. Möller Opus 5819 pipe organ.  This 50-ton
behemoth plays from a classical console, theatre console and roll
player.  Once the perforator is restored, we will be able to reproduce
original rolls or make all new rolls for Möller (or other builders
with the same tracker bar) in the heartland of America.

John Riester

 [ John Riester manages the pipe organ shop at the American Organ
 [ Institute at Oklahoma University, see http://www.ou.edu/aoi/ and
 [ http://www.ou.edu/aoi/facstaff/Riester.html  The AOI newsletter
 [ article says the Möller master rolls are 26.5 inches wide whereas
 [ the finished player rolls are 11.25" wide.  A list of Estey organ
 [ rolls is presented at http://www.esteyorgan.com/organrolllist.html 
 [ Larry Leonard discusses the 58- and 116-note Estey rolls at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/archives/Digests/200806/2008.06.27.05.html 
 [  -- Editor


(Message sent Mon 1 Nov 2010, 15:04:06 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

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