" The Musical Box," by Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume, A Guide for Collectors, Including a Guide to Values. Published in 1995 by Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA. First Edition. Hard cover with dust jacket, 343 pages with with 330 Plates (black-and-white photographs, with descriptions), 57 Color Plates and 78 Line Illustrations (drawings). The book measures 11-1/4 inches (28.4 cm) high by 8-3/4 inches (22.2 cm) wide.

Text from the dust jacket is as follows:

"Musical boxes as we know them have been around at least since the end of the 18th century. They were the creations of the finest artisans in Europe and brought automatic music into the family home in an age when the only other music was that which you played yourself. Musical boxes performed popular music from the world of opera, patriotic and traditional airs, hymns and, later, the songs of the music-hall. The industry started in Europe, flourishing in Switzerland and Germany before crossing the Atlantic to America where it faded away in the early 20th century. From the very early Swiss cylinder musical boxes to the great disc machines produced in Germany and New Jersey, the range of music available was vast.

This book is the definitive history of mechanical music and its instruments together with their related development and technology. It is comprehensively illustrated with diagrams of various types of musical-box mechanism, maker' trademarks and styles of tune sheet. A major section represents the most extensive listing of manufacturers ever published while there are also extensive lists of American and British patentees, plus advice on how to form, display and maintain your collection. There is also a price and valuation guide.

Many of the finest musical boxes ever crafted are illustrated in full colour along with hundreds more in black and white."

                        CONTENTS:

                        Acknowledgments
                        List of Illustrations
                        Preface
                        Introduction
Chapter 1:     Mechanical Musical Instruments
Chapter 2:     The Birth of the Musical Box
Chapter 3:     Miniature Musical Movements
Chapter 4:     How Musical Boxes Were Made
Chapter 5:     The Evolution of the Cylinder Musical Box
Chapter 6:     Cylinder Musical Box Development and Repertoire
Chapter 7:     Styles and Types Classified
Chapter 8:     The Disc-Playing Musical Box
Chapter 9:     Classification of Disc/Musical Box Styles and Types
Chapter 10:   Survey of the Musical-Box Manufacturing Nations
Chapter 11:   Advice for Collectors
Chapter 12:   Conservation, Preservation and Restoration
Chapter 13:   Index of Makers, Inventors, Vendors and Patentees

Appendix 1:   Patents and Patentees of Musical Boxes
Appendix 2:   Musical Box Tune Sheets - a Guide to Identification
Appendix 3:   Musical Box Valuation

                        Bibliography
                        Index

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