| The music box has a long and interesting | | | | types unique is that music results when the |
| history. Long before collectors sought the | | | | teeth of a tuned, steel comb vibrate when |
| dresser top music jewelry boxes, inlaid music | | | | plucked by tiny pins protruding from the |
| boxes, and pop up ballerina music boxes that | | | | cylinder. Many collectors today highly value |
| are the popular today, the cylinder or disc | | | | these music boxes and love to add then to |
| driven music box was the entertainment in | | | | their collections. Favorites include those |
| many homes in the 1800?s. These vintage music | | | | manufactured during the 18th century by |
| boxes, ranging in size, style, and value are | | | | Lecoultre, Nicole Fre'res, and Ducommon- |
| still sought today by many collectors of | | | | Girod.Making cylinder music boxes was quite |
| automatic musical instruments.David Le | | | | the art until 1875. Many craftsmen worked in |
| Coultre first created the cylinder music box | | | | their homes assembling various parts and then |
| in Switzerland. around 1870, while Mermod | | | | took them to factories to complete.Up until |
| Fre'res was the largest manufacturer of the | | | | the Civil War, cylinder music boxes were |
| cylinder musical instruments in St Crox. | | | | rather plain. Then, manufacturers began |
| Years later the highly collectible disc | | | | making more elaborate cases with brass, wood |
| driven music boxes were also made in France, | | | | inlays, tortoise shell, and mother of |
| Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and other | | | | pearl.The years 1890-1914 marked the end of |
| countries.While there were numerous companies | | | | time for large cylinder automatic musical |
| making music boxes, Mermod Fre'res, active | | | | instruments. In his "Encyclopedia of |
| during the 1800's was one of the few who | | | | Automatic Musical Instruments", Q. David |
| manufactured both a cylinder music box and a | | | | Bowers states, "The disc-type box, as made by |
| disc driven automatic musical instrument. Two | | | | Polyphon, Symphonion, Regina, and others, |
| of the most popular ones by the company were | | | | drove cylinder instruments from the |
| the "Stella" and "Mira", made during the late | | | | marketplace. Mermod Freres made fine, large |
| 1890's, were made of oak in furniture styles | | | | cylinder instruments in the 1890's, but by |
| popular in the states during that time.What | | | | 1900, World War I ended what was left of the |
| makes the cylinder music box, inlaid music | | | | cylinder music box industry.So ended the age |
| boxes , and musical snuffboxes, and other | | | | of the cylinder, disc driven music box. |