[ Bob Oppenheim wrote in 160325 MMDigest:

> Generally, we associate this type of art with churches and very
> elegant homes.  Why mechanical music?

I'm not an expert on this but I would guess that the purpose is to
provide a colorful, lighted display in order to attract attention and
paying customers.  Neon was not common in the 'teens and 'twenties
so stained glass was used for a lot of things (think Tiffany lamps).
Many homes featured a stained glass window on staircases or beside
front entry doors.

Some of the European orchestrion makers used wood inlays to make the
machine look like a fine piece of furniture but most American builders
went for the lighted colored glass.  By the 1940s, jukebox builders
used lots of chrome plating and neon lighting for the same purpose.
Just my opinion.

Cheers,
Bob Conant
Bradenton, Florida