This particular instrument was donated to The Musical Museum by Mrs Rees of the London branch of the Tomasso family. When it arrived in 1977, it was in very poor condition but has been brought back into playing condition. It was one of the last three. It has been retained in its original condition even though it looks rather 'tatty'. It was probably made about 1880.

To operate it, the tune to be played is selected by turning a small handle on the side. A small pointer shows the tune number selected. This moves the barrel a small distance to align the pins of the tune with the 'keys' of the piano. The operator turns the larger handle on the front of the instrument and has to judge the tempo of the tune by ear. As the barrel revolves the pins lift the spring-loaded piano hammers which when the pin has passed spring back quickly striking the strings.
Unlike a domestic piano the hammers are very hard being made of wood instead of felt.

These were hard worked instruments that took many a knock, scratch and battering; they would be out in all weathers and had to be robust. A careful study of the instrument will show where the timber has been smoothed away by the operators hand constantly stroking the corner, or where the monkeys claws have scratched the surface as it fidgeted waiting to perform its trick for another customer . Great score marks show where the cart wheel ground its way into the timber casing following an accident. The wood effect paint finish has been chipped away to reveal the red coloured undercoat. There are even scorch marks where it has been too close to a fire as time passed.

The barrel has some ten tunes but these are much later than the instrument, no doubt newer tunes were required at a later date. The tunes are:

0 - When Irish Eyes are Smiling 1 - That old fashioned Mother of Mine. 2 - Peggy O'Neil 3 - Get Out and Get Under 4 - Roll Out the Barrel 5 - My Old Man Said Follow the Band 6 - Ship Ahoy 7 - Hallo Dolly 8 - Antonio 9 - Fall In and Follow Me.

The barrel may well be about 1940. The tune 'Roll Out the Barrel' was originally a Czech tune called 'Lost Love' but it became better known as the Beer Barrel Polka or Roll Out The Barrel in 1939. 'All the nice girls love a sailor' ( known as 'Ship ahoy!'), a typical Music Hall song, was at least forty years earlier.
Since arriving at The Museum it has regularly entertained visitors and invokes memories from older patrons who remember them in the streets in their childhood. To hear them in the street today is a very rare occurrence but The Museum still takes it out and about now and then to promote the Museum or as part of a street organ festival.

Potential modern 'organ grinders' need plenty of muscle because to push the cart around even though it has springs, requires considerable energy even on our smooth road surfaces. Ask our volunteers who have taken it out! What it must have been like on cobbled streets is difficult to imagine.