On Saturday, November 17, 2007 over twenty-six members of the Lady
Liberty Chapter of AMICA descended on the Morris Museum, Morristown,
N.J., to see the 150 mechanical musical instruments from the Murtogh
Guinness collection that are currently on display.  We were split into
smaller groups and given tours by very capable docents, Marvin Polan
(AMICA Board representative), Steve Ryder, and Jere Ryder, collection
conservator.

At first, being used to seeing these instruments in homes, we were a
bit taken aback at seeing them displayed behind protective Plexiglas.
But then we realized the size of the crowds who visit the museum and
also noted that the docents do play a number of the instruments and
explain how they work.  Those instruments which are too delicate to be
played for hours on end on a daily basis have been recorded, and people
can listen to them by a push-button panel connected to a sound stick.
There are also accompanying videos showing the machines in action.
This provides the protection which the instruments need, and still
makes them as accessible to the guests as possible.

Since the Guinness collection comprises about 700 machines and more
than four thousand items in the music library, such as music rolls,
discs, etc., it is simply not possible to display everything in the
space available.  However, a new section of the Guinness wing of the
museum is still under construction, which, when finished, will make it
possible to display virtually all of the instruments per Mr. Guinness'
wishes.

Besides AMICA members, there were many people from the general public
who joined the tours.  It was a pleasure to add to the docents' com-
ments, to explain that most of us on the tour have some of these types
of instruments in our homes, and to mention that we have an interna-
tional organization with local chapters.

Brochures were made available to everyone.  Hopefully, we will realize
some new members as a result.  The museum is awaiting the delivery of a
special brochure rack, but in the meantime, we had them in hand and on
a table in the lobby.

About the time we were leaving several groups of Girl Scouts began to
enter the collection.  One of the leaders told her group, "We're not
going into the theater."  To this comment, one of the AMICA members
replied, "It isn't a theater, but a fabulous collection of wonderful
mechanical musical instruments."  The leader then decided that it was a
great place to take her girls.

In order to reach the younger generation, the museum has special youth
programs.  Every Thursday is a special school day when the parking lot
fills up with yellow school busses, and the children fill the museum
for special tours.  Many of the children then bring their parents at a
later date, telling them, "You gotta see these things!"

Vincent Morgan