Hello -- Today I was playing some of my 1980s-era Play-Rite rolls
and I paid attention to the boxes, apparently for the first time,
and realized that all of them say "Quality Since 1890".

I didn't realize that there were any roll-operated instruments being
manufactured as early as 1890 (excepting perhaps roller organs?).
If I am not mistaken in this, then what was Play-Rite producing in
the decade of the 1890s, and even the first decade of the 1900s before
88-note, 9/inch piano rolls came to be the standard?  I've never seen
a 58- or 65-note Play-Rite roll from the period before 88-note piano
rolls became common.  Do these exist?

Maybe this question has an obvious answer, but I've never seen even
one single roll produced by Play-Rite that I would believe to be older
than the 1920s or 1930s; 1890 seems a _big_ stretch.  If anyone has
an 1890-era Play-Rite product, perhaps they could send some pictures?
I'm curious to see what it could be and what it looks like.

Thank you and best regards!

Troy Taylor -
In no-longer foggy, but now much colder, Edmonds, Washington, USA

 [ "Play-Rite" (with the hyphen) is a trade mark owned by Play-Rite
 [ Music Rolls, Inc., of Turlock, California.  "Playrite" (no hyphen)
 [ was a trade mark of Billings Roll Co., Staffnote Player Roll Co.
 [ and Staffnote Corporation, all of Milwaukee.  -- Robbie