and when she was bad...

she was VERY, VERY bad! I went to the auction tonight. There were some opera scholars and fans there. Mike made jokes about the "opera" fans come behind the podium and look at the boxed stuff and the "Opry" fans stay out front and look at the collectibles. It was pretty cute. I felt like I was a little bit opry and a little bit opera... I did see some furniture I wanted to bid on, but the table I really liked went to double my price limit! From the opera side I bought a box of documents and books for $20. So far, I think I have found at least three handwritten manuscripts of compositions... by http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/22/arts/marko-rothmuller-84-baritone-and-a-writer-of-sephardic-songs.html
I paid $2.00 for this box of opera scores, like one would take along to the opera to follow along if one were a true opera scholar and fan.
Part of the $20 box, a hand-written manuscript.
Another...

Typed and copied...
a mimeographed manuscript of his most famous book, "The Music of the Jews" with his hand-written corrections. It was originally written in German.
a piece of original art, signed "Love to Marko, From Carl" and dated. I need to find out who Carl is. The Rothmullers traveled Europe a lot I think, even after his performing days were over, so Carl could be anywhere in the world. Anybody recognize his work? I also found a postcard to the Rothmullers from Hans Fritz: http://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/29/nyregion/hans-busch-82-stage-director-of-the-indiana-university-opera.html One Book I got is "Encyclopedia of the Opera" Prof. Rothmuller clipped and inserted obituaries of musicians and performers in their pages of the book. I find it touching that after he died someone clipped his obit and inserted it in his page.
And Professor and Mrs. Rothmuller's bikes! Yes, my son is a bad influence on me. They are English made "Hercules" bikes. From Sheldon Brown.com :

Hercules

A division of B.C.C. until merged with Raleigh as part of the TI takeover in 1960, Hercules was a major competitor of Raleigh, with a strong sporting image. They sponsored popular racers, most partiuclarly Ken Joy and Eileen Sheridan. Hercules made their own 3-speed hubs, which were pretty-much identical to the older Sturmey-Archer AW. Hercules hubs continued to use threaded drivers long after Stumrmey-Archer abandoned them.

Raleigh-built "AMF-Hercules" models are fairly common. They were distributed by AMF (American Machine & Foundry.)

... so not big collector's items, but in very good shape and just plain cool with the fenders and nice seats.

I need someone who speaks German, Hebrew and Croatian to help me figure out what is of real value and what is just whatever that anybody can get. Heather's friend Melanie is (almost, test results yet, Mel?) a PhD candidate in ethnomusicology and studied music of Hasidic Jews, I guess. I think Croatian Jews are considered more Sephardic, but I bet she'd like to see them anyway. I want to find out if they are of value to a collection and I should donate them, to collectors and I should sell them or if I've just wasted $22.00.... I don't think I did. We'll find out.