That is the case with this roll. Colleague and friend Terry Smythe of Winnipeg used his broad resources to assure this roll was digitally scanned and made available.   His digital scans (preservation) of piano rolls are legend, numbering in the thousands.

This lively march was issued in conjunction with the St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904 that celebrated the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.  Contained within the March are familiar snippets of other American tunes

Those of us who collect roll playing machines are always challenged to find usable paper rolls that are usually quite old.  The Aeolian organs used paper that was more fragile than what was used  for pianos.

The roll collection that came with Opus 1280 was substantial, but still many hours have been spent to find additional usable rolls.  Sometimes, data files made by other collectors are the only versions available.

Aeolian, of course, had an organ displayed at that exhibition.  No doubt, Aeolian’s presence at the 1904 fair firmly established their dominance  in the fledgling Residence organ market.  Additionally, Aeolian successfully sued the Los Angles Art Organ Company that was planning on using a player device on the organ they were displaying at the St. Louis 1904 fair.  That contributed to their demise and the birth of the huge organ installed at Wanamaker’s Philadelphia store.

A non-automatic version of this roll was issued about the same time as the fair.  Later it was issued as a fully automatic Duo Art roll and that version is heard here.

Can you imagine stately mansions with Aeolian Organs rocking to this tune?

(This is roll 3069, A Deed of the Pen, composed by Neil Moret)