Seems like what we're up against here is a fundamental museum problem.
Some (not all) museums have a policy of preserving exhibits in the
condition in which they were "accessioned" (that is, received).  This
can even extend to a refusal to clean the piece.  We've seen this in
my part of the world and I'm sure it's common everywhere.

Certainly we've all heard of articles being damaged by enthusiastic
amateurs but allowing historic items to decay is criminal.  Possibly
born from a preservationist urge, I've seen a curator refuse to allow
a mechanical instrument even to be opened for inspection.  Wryly,
I venture that the preservation intended is not so much that of the
exhibit, but more likely of the curator's job.

Goodness me, they seem to be saying, "I need to protect these things.
Why, if you were allowed to get your hands on this, where would we be?"

Answer: we'd be able to enjoy the music and the beauty of the
instrument, instead of allowing it to rot in a museum storage room.

Michael Woolf
New Zealand