The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection at the Morris Museum includes an impressive array of 750 historic mechanical musical instruments and automata (mechanical figures), as well as more than 5,000 programmed media, including player piano rolls, pinned cylinders, and music box discs. This punched metal disc is played on a Regina music box using a hand-cranked spring to drive the circular motion of the disc. Double steel combs brush over the staggered holes, and the teeth of a gear engage the hole and then pluck the comb tine to create a precise musical pitch.

Morris Museum
Morristown, New Jersey

09.26.21