It appears that Miller's philosophy of collecting was simple, practical, and all-inclusive. The collection contains, for example, several Asian, Native American, and other specimens which, although in effect real instruments, appear to have been made for tourist and souvenir sales. Several others seem to be failed attempts at constructing replica instruments during the initial phases of the early music (or period instrument) movement. However, the quality of much of the collection is high and displays examples of pristine craftsmanship involving precious metals, ivory, jade, tortoise shell, and nearly every wood traditionally associated with woodwind instrument construction. Two of the better quality examples are flutes of Miller's own design involving major elements of construction on his part. The collection also includes numerous examples of advanced technical developments from the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as books about music and flute treatises (cataloged and classified in ML30.4b), music (cataloged and classified in ML30.4c), numerous patents, trade catalogs, and correspondence from wind instrument manufacturers, flutists' portraits, photographs, autographs, and correspondence; news clippings and articles; graphics such as prints, etchings, and lithographs (mostly pictures of flutists and pipers), and over sixty figurines including three bronzes and three finely carved ivory netsukes; plus other music-related ephemera.
