I was very glad to read the post from Terry Bender about the West
Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento and it immediately brought to mind
the article I authored back in 2013 for MBSI, in conjunction with the
summertime exhibit at the Morris Museum: "Rags, Those Beautiful Rags,
Ragtime Music from the Guinness Collection".  See attached PDF.

During research leading up to this exhibit I recalled an extremely
rare keywind cylinder musical box by LeCoultre (1852) in the fabulous
collection of Olin Tillotson.  Most people would step back and ask what
does 1852 have to do with ragtime, but tune number one of the six
arrangements was "Bamboula, Danse des Negres".

For those musical historians amongst MMD readers, this 1848 composition
by Louis Moreau Gottschalk is widely recognized as a foundational piece
utilizing syncopated rhythms, which would eventually evolve and become
known as "ragtime".  That essentially makes this musical box one of the
earliest historical audio documents of its type.

It's not 'interpretive' either -- we can hear it perform today, exactly
the same as the original owner did, just four years after Gottschalk
composed the piece and it being performed in Europe.

Sometimes, the music _is_ the most important aspect of a musical box!
It's all in the ear of the beholder.

Jere Ryder - Conservator, Guinness Collection
Morris Museum
Morristown, New Jersey

 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/17/11/25/171125_133442_MMBSI%20Sept-Oct%202013%20MM%20pgs%2025-30.pdf