Summary

Music box inscribed 'Etouffoirs en Acier' and 'No.3010', comprising a rotating brass cylinder with small protrusions which vibrate the teeth of a tuned comb to produce sound. The music box was made around 1880 and plays six tunes.

The tuned steel comb for mechanical musical devices was invented by Antoine Favre of Geneva, Switzerland, in 1796. The music box industry reached its peak during the second half of the 19th century in Switzerland. 'Etouffoirs en Acier' translates from the French as 'steel dampers'. Dampers of silk paper covering a portion of the comb added tremolo to the sound.

This example was acquired by Museum Victoria in 1977.

Physical Description

Wooden varnished box with lid and brass hinges and hooks at front. Containing 20.5cm brass cylinder (drum) which rotates horizontally. Small protrusions (needles) cause teeth of comb to vibrate and produce sound. Glass lid allows space for operation of levers. To activate the rotation of the cylinder and produce sound, a lever on the left side of the box is pulled forward to wind a spring. Of the two levers on the right side of the box, the upper one changes the tune and the lower stops and starts the playing. The operation of the levers is now unreliable.

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Information & Communication, Leisure

  • Acquisition Information

    Purchase

  • Date Made

    1880-1889

  • Inscriptions

    Label under lid is inscribed: 6 AIRS. 1 Il Trovatore Scena Ralentate[?] Verdi 2 La Sonnambula Anonguige[?] Bellini 3 Il Guiramento La dorona Mercadante 4 Die Hoten[?] Waltzer no 5 Lanner 5 Il Trovatore Il Balen[?] Verdi 6 Orphee aux Enfers Quand j'etais Roi Offenbach Etouffois en Acier No 3010

  • Classification

    Music & musical instruments, Playback devices - mechanical, Music boxes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Technology

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Overall Dimensions - Closed

    395 mm (Width), 163 mm (Depth), 122 mm (Height)
    Dimension of box without lid: Width: 384mm; Height: 105mm; Depth: 175mm

  • Overall Dimensions - Open

    395 mm (Width), 174 mm (Depth), 264 mm (Height)
    Dimensions with lid open vertically.

  • References

    A podcast of the music box in operation can be seen at [Link 1] Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association web site [Link 2] accessed 8/4/2015 'The art of sound - Early days, golden age and decline of Swiss music boxes', special exhibition by the Museum for Music Automatons, Seewen from May 14, 2009 through December 6, 2009, Museum fur Musikautomaten, March 2009

  • Keywords

    Mechanical Musical Instruments, Music Boxes, Musical Instruments, Personal Effects