Drums are members of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player’s hands, or with a percussion mallet, to produce sound. There is usually a resonance head on the underside of the drum, typically tuned to a slightly lower pitch than the top drumhead. Other techniques have been used to cause drums to make sound, such as the thumb roll. Drums are the world’s oldest and most ubiquitous musical instruments, and the basic design has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. Reference: Wikipedia
Miniature drums can be found in antique music boxes along with other instruments such as bells and cymbals. Below are some examples of music boxes which have drums as part of their movement.
Music box by George Baker & Co. Made c 1885-1895
This music box is significant as a fine example of music box manufacturing and technology in Switzerland during the late nineteenth century. As one of the best examples of a large sized cylinder music box in the Powerhouse Museum’s collection it exemplifies several aspects of the quality and skills that were required to make these mechanical musical instruments.
Manufactured by George Baker and Company, who were one of the leading makers of larger music boxes in Switzerland, this music box shows the quality of materials used for the casework and decoration as well as the precision used to create the mechanism and the pinned cylinder. It is also an example of more complex music boxes with a series of additional effects to enhance the tune being played. This example features chimes or bells, drums and a struck castanet.
The music box is also important as an early example of a form of recorded music which could ‘store’ popular tunes of the period and then be played back an infinite number of times. There are therefore strong parallels to the way we now listen to recorded music and are able to replay it. The information on a pinned music box cylinder is also a way of encoding musical information so again there are parallels to programmed codes used in digital music applications.
As a form of domestic entertainment music boxes were one of the first formats enabling mechanical recorded music to be played in the home. Unlike music recorded on record, CD or a digital format and replayed the music in the music box is played acoustically, activating devices or instruments within the music box to make the sound. However, the intention of having music in the home is still the same, when live musicians are not available. It is convenient and there is a choice of music that can be played, assuming the music box can play multiple tunes. Some larger music boxes were more suited for public entertainment rather than exclusively used for domestic entertainment.
Reference: Museum of Applied Art and Sciences
A hidden bells, drum and castanet cylinder music box, Swiss, circa 1880, the 33cm. cylinder playing six airs on four combs as listed on the tune sheet, accompanied by six bells, drum and castanets, lever wind, the ebonised case with crossbanded panels of rosewood to the front and top, the top inlaid with musical trophies 58cm. 22¾in. wide
Sold for 360 GBP at Sotheby’s in 2003
‘Celestial Voice’ orchestral music box with two 16.5 inch interchangeable cylinders playing on combs, 8 stick drum, 7 bells, 6 striker castagnette and a 21 key organ with double reeds (no. 41 in the Duval collection). Inlaid lines on the birchwood case.
1875-1880 (made)
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
A Swiss Nicole Freres 12-Air Cylinder Music box Circa 1874 Retailed By Imhof and Mukle of 547 Oxford Street London, with drum, six bells and castenets, 19.5-inch cylinder playing Scottish tunes including ‘Ye Banks and Breas’, ‘The Campbells are Coming’ and others as listed on the tune sheet, in a marquetry and crossbanded rosewood case, serial no. 46113, Gamme no.3015, 77cm wide, 33cm deep, 26cm high (30in wide, 12 1/2in deep, 10in high)
Sold for £ 2,000 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2018
A FRENCH OR SWISS BURR-WOOD AND METAL INLAID CYLINDER MUSICAL BOX WITH DRUM AND BELLS IN SIGHT CIRCA 1880 Playing ten airs on a metal comb with a damper, the optional drum with eight strikers and with a row of three Chinoiserie metal automated figures each striking a pair of bells 11½ in. (29 cm.) high; 26 in. (66 cm.) wide across feet
Sold for GBP 3,250 at Christie’s in 2011
Victorian Cylinder Music Box The lid set with musical motifs, with eight songs, the three bells with butterfly strikers and a drum. Length of cylinder 9 inches, length of case 19 inches.
Sold for $2,100 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle New York in 2000
