A rollography is a systematic listing (traditionally a book) of all known music rolls intended to form an authoritative guide to the subject, and usually includes history and artist biographies.  A catalog or list usually shows only the data of the label on the music roll.  A discography is like a rollography except it's concerned with music box discs (or phonograph records).  See the discussion "Data Base Rollography or Catalog" by librarian Matthew Caulfield.

Internet sites:

MMD: Music Roll Brands -- brand names and companies and label illustrations

MMD: Identifying Music Rolls -- this chart (and a good measuring rule) will help to determine what instrument the music roll plays. 

MMD: QRS Dealers' Reference Catalog of 1922

MMD: List of QRS Playasax Rolls, courtesy Frank Adams and Ed Schmidt

MMD: Tables of Music Box and Organette Media, compiled by Kevin McElhone

MMD: List of Ariosa 18-Note Musical Box Discs, compiled by Kevin McElhone

MMD: List of Aeolian 46-Note Player Organ Rolls, compiled by Kevin McElhone

MMD: List of 66-key B.A.B. Rolls

MMD: List of Aeolian Duo-Art 176-Note Organ Rolls

MMD: List of Aeolian-Skinner Rolls for the Hammond BA Player Organ

MMD: List of Post-WW2 Reproducing Piano Rolls published in the 1970s & later 

MMD: List of Pseudonyms - Reproducing Piano Roll Artists, compiled by Steve Rattle and Peter Phillips 

MMD: Reproduco Music Rolls & Organ Rolls (Operators Piano Co.)

MMD: Supertone Player Music Rolls -- a portion of Mike Montgomery's Columbia/Capitol rollography, with recent additions and historical information.

MMD: Columbia/Capitol Music Rolls -- catalog compiled by Mike Montgomery

MMD: Fats Waller Rollography -- by John Farrell

MMD: Song Titles of Polyphon 11" Discs -- by Kevin McElhone (010202 MMD)

MMD: List of Duo-Art AudioGraphic Music Rolls - "The World's Music" -- compiled by Randolph Herr (030408 MMDigest) 

Todd Augsburger's Roller Organ Website  has a list of more than 1200 rollers (cobs) for the roller organ, as well as images of the various styles of labels.  Popular brands include Gem Roller Organ, Concert Roller Organ, Chautauqua Roller Organ.

Hathaway & Associates -- Philipps Pianella / Wurlitzer Mandolin and Concert PianOrchestra music roll research and database project.

Matthew Caulfield's Wurlitzer 165 Site -- A catalog of music rolls for the Wurlitzer Style 165 Military Band Organ, compiled by Gary Watkins, revised by Matthew O. Caulfield.  Includes rolls by T.R.T, Play-Rite composites, B.A.B. conversions and new music by contemporary arrangers.

Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation (RPRF) -- Catalogs of classical music performances on piano rolls, selected for their historical importance, including Hupfeld, Philipps, Pleyela and American brands.

Books:

Billings, Ginny and Bob, The Billings Rollography, 6 volumes, hardcover, publ. privately,
1990-2001.  Includes QRS 88 Note, Recordo, Solo Carola, artist information, history 
of the QRS company.  Vol. 6 includes Tel-Electric Co..  Library of Congress card # 2-899-950.  Available from the author, email: Bob Billings <toadhall@sprynet.com>.

Conway, Jack M., Catalog of Wurlitzer Style 150 Music Rolls, publ. privately.  157 pages, 8.5" x 11" in a 3-ring binder, containing a list of approximately 436 rolls and their song titles from all manufacturers, including an alphabetical index of songs.  Price $30 including postage paid in USA.  Available from the author: Jack M. Conway <jconway@lausd.k12.ca.us>, 2828 Angus Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039 USA

DeLand, Robert, Columbia/Capitol "A" Roll Master List, publ. privately.

Montgomery, Michael, Columbia, Capitol, Supertone and Challenge Word Roll Catalog -
Compiled by Mike Montgomery, publ. privately ca. 1980.  [Availability unknown.]

Obenchain, Elain, The Complete Catalog of Ampico Reproducing Piano Rolls, publ. by William H. Edgerton, Darian CT 06820 USA, 1977.   ISBN 0-9601172-1-0 [No longer available]

Riley, Richard L., Hot Recut Piano-Rollography, publ. privately ca. 1989.  [Availability unknown.]

Smith, Charles Davis, Catalog of Duo-Art Piano Rolls, publ. by The Player Shop, Monrovia CA 91016 USA, 1987.  [No ISBN.]  [Available from Keystone Music Roll Co.  See MMD Sources]

Smith, Charles Davis and Howe, Richard James, The Welte-Mignon, its music and musicians, publ. by Vestal Press for AMICA, 1994.  ISBN 1-879511-17-7.  [No longer available.]

Watkins, Gary, "A Catalog of Music Rolls for the Wurlitzer Military Band Organ Style 165, publ. privately June 1969.  [No longer available.]

Webb, Graham and Conn, Coulson, The Disc Musical Box Handbook, publ. by Musical Box
Society International (MBSI).  An index of tune lists appearing in MBSI publications. 
[Availability unknown.]

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Contact our webmaster about technical problems you encounter using this web site.