Larry Smith asked, "Why not the Smithsonian Institution?"

Oh, horror of horrors -- that's probably the worst institution to
which one could donate a collection of piano rolls, music box disks,
or such items!

The Smithsonian has so much "stuff" that the vast majority of
its collections are not in the museums along the National Mall in
Washington, DC.  Instead, they languish in storehouses in the suburbs
where almost nobody ever sees them, or knows they exist.  (Think of
the final scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and you're not far off
target!)  And the permanent exhibits themselves are rarely changed
or updated.  One can't blame the Smithsonian I guess -- I'm sure
it's subject to the usual government cuts in supporting the arts.

The Smithsonian's phonograph exhibit in its American History museum
is a prime example: it hasn't been changed since I first saw it as
a Boy Scout when visiting DC some 35 years ago.  I have heard from
fellow phono collectors that very occasionally there have been special
warehouse tours of the rest of the collection, which includes countless
spectacular, unseen machines.

In my opinion, if you're going to donate your collection to a museum,
consider the smaller, more specialized ones.  The wonderful Music House
Museum in Traverse City, Michigan, has, among other things, a larger,
more accurate, better lit and displayed phonograph exhibit than the
Smithsonian, with countless rare machines.  See
http://www.musichouse.org/ 

Jim Canavan
Alexandria, Virginia