John McClure asked about mechanical music in Italy.  I was there on
vacation in April and didn't find too much in that line.  There is a
wonderful music museum in Rome called "Museo Nazionale Degli Strumenti
Musicali" at plaza Sante Croce in Gerusalemme.  It's marked on some
tourist maps.  A fine collection of all sorts of early and weird
musical instruments with one room of mechanical instruments, barrel
organs and pianos, music boxes and organettes.

The Mechanical Music Museum in Ravenna is closed, and has been for over
a year.  There must be other collections available for viewing there;
I was hoping to see many more barrel pianos, since that is sort of an
Italian heritage, but I didn't find any.

Mike Kitner