Popper’s “Rex” Orchestrion Made by Popper & Co., Leipzig, Germany c. 1915-1916 The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection Morris Museum

Mammoth “orchestrions” such as this were designed to imitate the sound of a full orchestra. The instrumentation of the Popper’s “Rex” includes a keyboardless piano, ranks of organ pipes that imitate violin, cello and flute, a xylophone, orchestra bells, a bass drum, a snare drum, a cymbal, and a triangle. With its commanding sound and colorful musical arrangements, the “Rex” would have occupied a prominent place in a beer garden, a dance hall, or another major, indoor public venue. The elegant case features an Alpine scene that illuminates with a rushing waterfall and a train that moves across an aqueduct.

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