I am saddened to read what is being said with regard to our fellow
reader and contributor, Dr. Peter Phillips.  MMD reader and subscriber
Mark Kinsler, in his posting, among much else of-interest stated thus:

"If anyone out there in academe knows more about music rolls than, say,
Art Reblitz or Mr. Reinhart, it'd be interesting to find out how they
learned it."

Well, I am not "in academe" nor of it but I have been around mechanical
music instruments just a bit beginning back in 1966, and so maybe I can
be of some minimal help here.

With respect to "music rolls" per se, that more knowledgeable person
than those two distinguished names mentioned, would have to be (or
correctly 'have been' as he is deceased) one Denis Condon of Australia.
He was of academia, having been a teacher of teachers, as I understand
it and, was a very good one, as I experienced it.

He learned what he came to know over some sixty-plus years of
collecting only reproducing record-rolls, their catalogs, ephemera, and
instruments, as well as much more that related to his life-long passion.
In honor of The Ampico, he named his beautiful home "Ampico Towers."

And what did Denis do with all that he collected?  Well, he put it to
good working use by means of publishing, lecturing and generally singing
tunes of sweet praise for the most marvelous recreating instrument that
is the reproducing piano, those to any who might have listened.

Back at the time of the Second AMICA International Convention held at
San Francisco (ca. 1973?), Denis came to our shores to stay for about
a month's time.  He sought me out wanting to go and hear the instrument
I'd recently completed for Joseph Tushinsky in Encino, California.
We spent there half-a-day having lunch and listening to many selections.
We found that we both were headed for the convention, and so threw-in
together on the trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  It was a road
trip by automobile with others from L.A. joining us.

Over this period I learned that, aside from that the purely mechanical,
which by that time I did have a fairly good handle-on, I came to learn
that I really did not know very much yet, as it related to the finer
aspects of repertoire, recorded artists and details of their lives
and etc.  In fact, I was _dwarfed_ by Denis' intellect and staggering
repository of hard facts, all as committed to memory.  (It was like
Rockefeller's giant rotary file but in his head.  This thought or
impression came to my mind, and I never forgot it.)

Even way-back at that time -- half a century ago, now -- Denis knew
the answer to anything and everything about which I asked!  Denis'
whole existence was dedicated to the reproducing piano and every single
minute little thing relating to it, and he produced tangibly by means
of impartation -- education!  (I learned!)

Now, to be perfectly fair, as pertaining to details regarding the
formation, business structure and history of the Welte-Mignon, it and
all patents and matters relating thereto, whether of German or the
American varieties, I think the undoubted Award of Expertise would
rightly go to another, surely, but we are here speaking only of
"music rolls", are we not?

Peter Phillips was Denis Condon's long-time understudy, beginning
in 1976.  All that Denis knew he imparted to him over this while,
and he went on to take university degrees and finally a Ph.D. in
a newly-recognized, particular area of musicology.

Really, I would have expected that we who are mechanical music
collectors, of whatever specialized area, would be _proud_ of such
an achievement on the part of another, and not critical of the
accomplishment.

For purposes of completion of "The Big Picture", I here attach
a link leading to one of Peter Phillips lectures presently featuring
on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HobxC9k-Ezk 

It's alluring title is "About Music Lecture / Reproducing Piano Roll
Recordings in the 21st Century / Peter Phillips / 24 October 2016 /
Recital Hall West."  It's introduction there-printed below is:

"The vast library of art music stored on reproducing piano rolls
contains performances by some of the most legendary pianists of the
19th and 20th centuries, some of whom only recorded on piano roll.
This lecture examines the question of making this music accessible
through modern technology. Early gramophone recordings are now
available as computer sound files and as I will demonstrate during
the lecture, piano rolls can be made equally accessible through MIDI
technology and contemporary instruments. The importance of this library
of music will be highlighted through examples of piano roll recordings
playing on a new hi-end MIDI mechanical concert-size grand piano.

"Peter Phillips is a final-year Ph.D. student at the Sydney
Conservatorium of Music.  His interest in reproducing piano rolls
began in 1976 through Denis Condon (1933-2012), whose roll collection
was purchased in 2014 by Stanford University.  Before the collection
left Australia, Peter archived most of it with purpose-built equipment.
The topic of archiving piano rolls forms a major part of his thesis,
coupled with an analysis of piano roll catalogues of art music and
an examination of how piano rolls were produced.  He has presented
lectures at institutions such as Stanford University, and seeks to
promote the inherent value and importance of piano roll recordings."

It is more than worth the hour required for it's initial absorption.

Also, I have attached a screen shot of the presentation's titling panel.

Let us put this nonsense of spiraling bitty-criticism aside, and get-on
with cooperation and comity, and required mutual respect.

Jim Miller
Las Vegas, Nevada

 [ Title Page of Dr. Peter Phillips' Lecture
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/19/10/18/191018_085859_PhillipsLectureScreen.jpg