A few weeks ago, I ordered and received the complete set of
"The Billings Rollography", 5 volumes in all, from Bob & Ginny
Billings at "Rock Soup".  The questions I had, misinformation I
harbored, missing history, and facts that I had no awareness of are
dealt with and have been set straight with these books.

My mind was swimming in the taped interviews of Mike Montgomery
interviewing J. L. Cook, that Pauline Alpert was indeed real (as I had
once been led to not believe by someone), the history and photo ads of
the QRS 16 mm movie camera/projector I own, that Herman Babich a.k.a.
"Hi" holds a commercial pilots license and had flown rolls to remote
QRS customers, that Bob Berkman almost became a dentist ... and on and
on, this memorabilia and history of the QRS and it's pianists can not
be found elsewhere in one place.  I highly recommend them for anyone
who has any interest in the piano roll industry.

Some might say "$201.00 ppd. for 5 books -- that's still a lot of
money".  Let me put forth the following questions that I now run
through my mind when I see a historic recording or publication for
sale:

1.  Will it be more plentiful in the following years?
2.  Will it become less expensive to acquire in the future?
3.  Is this stuff I already know _all_ about?
4.  Am I really that hard up to not afford these references?

If the answer to these questions is, inevitably "No", then I get
my checkbook out immediately and buy them before, God only knows,
they become unavailable for some unforeseen reason.  (For example,
"The Encyclopedia of the American Theater Organ", Volumes I and II,
have just gone out of print, but I've got these invaluable historical
references for the rest of my lifetime.)

Email the Billings at <toadhall@sprynet.com> for purchasing details.
You will not be sorry!

Karl Ellison
Salem, Massachusetts