The Trans-Cultural Journey of the Guinness-Puccini Music Box

The Harmoniphone Cylinder Musical Box with Reed Organ (c.1877) has been a part of the Morris Museum's Murtogh D. Guinness collection since it arrived at the museum in 2003. However, it was not until musicologist W. Anthony Sheppard paid a visit to the museum in 2012 that it revealed itself as likely the exact object the composer Giacomo Puccini encountered, and which contains the tunes that the composer would use in his operas, Turandot and Madama Butterfly.

This particular music box traveled around the globe, collecting evidence of its travels in various markings and documents from locations such as Switzerland, China, and Italy where it is believed that Puccini encountered it.

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