Miniature Banjo Music Box
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This music box was made by AMICA in Pasadena, California, in 1980. It is a miniature banjo music box presented by the Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association at their 1980 convention in Pasadena. Made by members of the Southern California chapter of AMICA. This music box plays 1 tune, “Oh, Susanna” [with a banjo on my knee].</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This holotype miniature model was made and proposed as a Convention souvenir by Ben Lilien of Los Angeles. It is constructed at about 1/8” scale. The Encore Banjo was invented about 1898 and probably went into manufacture a few years later. Less than 2,000 were made, most of which were placed in bars and restaurants in Greater New York. Today, only a dozen or so remain in existence. The music was played from a perforated music roll which set in motion tiny metal fingers to pluck the strings. The proper notes were sounded by buttons pressing the frets.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, Pasadena
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Mechanical Musical Instruments
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1980.0454.01
label: accession number
content: 1980.0454
label: catalog number
content: 1980.0454.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: music box
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 1/2 in x 3 1/4 in x 2 in; 21.59 cm x 8.255 cm x 5.08 cm