Music Boxes - From past to present
As I browsed the internet I found music boxes that date back to the early 19th century. Yes, these antique music boxes can still be purchased at a price. Many of these treasures are located in Europe, so you will also have to consider the cost of shipping. They come in finely hand crafted polished wood cases with intricate inlaid designs. The workmanship that went into these music boxes would be hard to find today. The two different styles that were enclosed in these music boxes were the cylinder style that rotates vertically, the disk style which rotated horizontally, just like a record. In that era, there were also life like singing birds that came in beautifully adorned cages and the automata style that depicted characters with moving parts portrayed in different settings. These were highly prized and collectible possessions in an era before the invention of electronics. This was the 19th century’s equivalent of our modern aged stereos, tape players, CDs, and MP3s and maybe even our television, since they were also entertaining to watch.
To own such a musical piece would take you back in time and I’d like to imagine what that would be like. I image music boxes like this came from an age of grace, when ladies wore long dresses and sat in their parlors to listen to them. I imagine it was a time to be quiet and still so you could hear the melodies they played. I also imagine these music boxes took months to build and were painstakingly crafted by men and given to the women they loved.
Yet today, music boxes can be readily found at the stores where you shop, online, or as you page through a gift catalogue. Although they may not have the same craftsmanship of old, they are still collectibles any collector would cherish. They make great gifts for a wedding couple or a child’s birthday. Some music boxes play holiday tunes and come in a variety of Christmas designs that are a great addition to holiday decorations. The ones that I like the most are the snow globes. Yet others can be found in a jewelry box with a ballerina dancing round and round, or on carousels with horses that go up and down. Yes, these nostalgic replicas of the past still do exist, even in an age where technology is ever changing. Check out your local mall for stores.