We're in need at the museum for about 6 empty "A" roll boxes for
orphan rolls here in the Guinness Collection.  If you can spare them,
please let me know.

Now we'll jump back a mere 300 years.  Just prior to the pandemic
shutting things down, the Metropolitan Museum in New York City had
a wonderful exhibit, "Making Marvels...," which included some of the
earliest, most complicated and extraordinary automata in existence.

In preparation for that exhibit an extensive audio and video recording
session focused on the "Compound Musical Clock with Automata" made by
Veit Langenbucher and Samuel Bidermann, ca. 1625, Augsburg.  It is
likely the earliest existing mechanical musical instrument on the
continent.

My brother and I had the unique privilege (1) to inspect this piece
in detail when privately owned some 30 years ago, (2) to watch as the
city of Chicago chose not to follow through on the purchase of the
entire collection nearly 20 years ago, then (3) to advise and assist
as the Metropolitan Museum acquired it at auction (Sothebys) in 2002,
as well as being engaged to assist in preparation of and during the
most recent recording session.  What an amazing survivor -- enjoy --
and stay well!

https://www.metmuseum.org/metmedia/video/collections/esda/making-marvels-langenbucher-clock 

Jere Ryder