The components of the cylinder music box are housed in a wooden cabinet, mostly elaborately decorated. One can find the same composition of cylinder mechanisms in cabinets of different designs. Often presented at fairs and world expositions the music box, the cylinders as well as the cabinet would be pre-ordered according to the buyer’s taste.
Between 1790 and 1820, the hayday of the cylinder, Geneva and St. Croix in Switzerland were the melting pot of production. Until Paillard founded its first assembly-line factory the industry had consisted mainly of many small family businesses. In the following years manufacturers such as Bermond, Allard, Baker & Troll or Greiner emerged, with Switzerland still responsible for the bulk of production. From the end of the 19th century onwards, the cylinder was gradually overtaken and eventually replaced by the lighter and more flexible disc-type music box.
sources
