The music is recorded on a cylinder with pins. The interior is divided into three compartments: the first contains the crank and the mechanism that operates the cylinder with pins, the second - the cylinder with pins and vibrating lamellae, and the third - two levers for starting and stopping the melody. The cylinder holds seven melodies by W.A. Mozart, which are played through the vibration of steel teeth arranged in a comb, whose tips are adjacent to the cylinder. The lid of the box features floral marquetry on its outer surface. This cultural asset is classified under the "Tezaur" category.
The Story of Musical Boxes
Musical boxes originated in Switzerland at the end of the 18th century. In 1796, watchmaker Antoine Favre-Salomon invented a pocket watch with an incorporated musical mechanism, using the principle of tuned metal lamellae. The invention quickly spread, soon leading to the creation of musical boxes independent of watches.
Initially invented and built for the salon entertainment of the aristocracy, musical boxes quickly evolved, capturing the market and public interest with these entertainment machines. The musical box industry was predominantly centered in Switzerland. Geneva remains the cradle of the musical box, even though the art of crafting these musical wonders spread to other regions of Switzerland - such as Jura, Auberson, and Sainte Croix - and later to other countries, including France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. Some of the most notable manufacturers of musical boxes include: Mermod Frères, Paillard, Reuge, Thorens, Cuendet, Junod, Nicole Frères, Ducommun-Girod, Brémond, and L'Epee.
The musical box operated on a relatively simple principle: a cylinder with pins (cylindrical pins) would, through rotation, actuate a metal "comb" tuned to specific musical notes, both being concealed from view in one of the box's compartments. By turning the cylinder - with the help of a spring mechanism (similar to that of watches) - the pins would strike the steel "teeth" of the comb, causing them to vibrate and produce different musical notes. A musical box could have a limited number of melodies "programmed" onto the cylinder - from 4 to 12.
Over time, the cylinders were replaced with interchangeable metal discs. Based on this operating principle, large musical boxes emerged in cafés and taverns, which could be activated by inserting a coin, allowing users to select their preferred disc.
Besides the ingenious mechanism, musical boxes also stood out for the artistry of their exterior decorations, featuring materials such as precious woods, mother-of-pearl, ivory, and metal.
The decline of musical boxes began with the invention of the phonograph (1877) and the gramophone (1887). Production continued for a while, but by the early 20th century, most renowned companies had abandoned the business and started manufacturing other mechanical musical instruments.
Valuable books from the library of Paul Gore (Identification and/or inventory of sources)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Paul Gore (1875-1927) - an outstanding figure of the socio-political, scientific and cultural life of Bessarabia at the beginning of 20th century, was also known among his contemporaries as a keen collector of old and rare books. Undoubtedly, the most valuable part of the library of Paul Gore consisted of books on the history of Bessarabia. Documents from the National Archives of the Republic of Moldova in Chișinău confirm that he inherited a large part of books from his father Gheorghe Gore (1839-1909). A study of the Paul Gore Fund at the National Archives of Romania in Bucharest gave us a lot of documentary evidence of the destiny of this Bessarabian noble library, which later became a property of the King Ferdinand Fund. However, the fate of its most valuable part - books on the history of Bessarabia, consisted of 651 units of the total number of 6456 volumes - is still unknown.
Maria Danilov
Ion Ţurcanu, Bessarabiana. Teritoriul dintre Prut și Nistru în câteva ipostaze istorice și istoriografice, Editura: Cartdidact, Chișinău, 2012, 344 p. ISBN 978-9975-4337-0-9
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
Florin Marinescu, Vlad Mischevca, Cărțile românești din biblioteca mănăstirii athonite Sfântul Pavel, Atena, 2010, 285 p., ISBN: 979-960-85542-3-8
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
Censorship, library and books (the 19th century)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
The Bibliophilic value of a manuscript from Ștefan Ciobanu’s library (Ph. Wieghel, Observations on the present state of aff airs in Bessarabia, 1823)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Maria Danilov
Dumitru Th. Pârvu, Problema Basarabiei în lumina principiilor actelor juridice internaționale (Contribuții la cunoașterea raporturilor diplomatice româno-ruse). Studiu introductiv, note și indice de nume de Ion Constantin, București: Editura Bibliote
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
The music is recorded on a cylinder with pins. The interior is divided into three compartments: the first contains the crank and the mechanism that operates the cylinder with pins, the second - the cylinder with pins and vibrating lamellae, and the third - two levers for starting and stopping the melody...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
