Date: March 24th - December 23rd, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: The Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Boulevard Tampa, FL 33606
Tickets: The exhibit is included with a $12 regular Museum entry ticket
Parking: Free parking available on-site
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The Tampa Bay Hotel was a center for the luxurious in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When the magnificent concert orchestrion was imported into its grand halls from Germany, the Hotel became even more symbolic of the height of sophistication.
If you are searching for “historic museums near me,” visit the Henry B. Plant Museum to learn more about the journey of the Tampa Bay Hotel through musical innovations at our latest exhibit: Imperfect Harmony: Man, Machine, and Music at the Tampa Bay Hotel.
The Significance of the Orchestrion
In 1895, Henry B. Plant imported the period’s ultimate symbol of opulence: an ornate concert orchestrion. The orchestrion captivated Tampa visitors and residents alike with its melodic symphonies. Without the need for a full band, it played complex compositions. It was truly a marvel of man’s innovation and had previously primarily belonged to Europe’s wealthiest industrialists and royalty. With such new and advanced technology, it impacted music, musicians, and the community at the Tampa Bay Hotel.
The orchestrion has not yet been featured in Tampa museums, but as you explore our exhibit, you can dive into the history of this magnificent instrument and discover its role in shaping the cultural landscape of the late 19th century.
Magnificent Instruments That You May Have Never Heard Of
As one of the most inviting exhibits among Tampa museums, Imperfect Harmony offers more than just a glimpse into the past – it provides a rare opportunity to experience the enchanting allure of mechanical instruments firsthand. These remarkable inventions offer a glimpse into the ingenuity of the past and the possibilities of human creativity and innovation.
Among the showpieces are an authentic M. Welte and Söhne concert orchestrion and a Mermod Frères cylinder music box from the 1893 Columbian Exhibition that transports visitors to a time when the world marveled at the promise of a coming technological revolution. The Museum also proudly features an array of instruments that may be unfamiliar to modern ears, including an automatic violin player with a circular rotating bow to a motorized "finger" that delicately plucks the strings of a real instrument.
The Musicians and Performing Artists of the Late 19th and 20th Centuries
While they were a spectacle to enjoy, these mechanical instruments neither replicated human artistry nor replaced the vital roles played by members of the Tampa Bay Hotel Orchestra and local musicians from Tampa Bay. This exhibit is a proud tribute to the musicians and performing artists who brought music to life in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
Walk Through the Musical Innovations of Mankind at Imperfect Harmony: Man, Machine, and Music at the Tampa Bay Hotel
The Henry B. Plant Museum is proud to feature this limited-time exhibit until the end of the year.
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If you want to discover how music impacted Tampa’s elite in the late 19th and 20th centuries, visit the Henry B. Plant Museum, your “historic museum near me”. Learn more about the cultural phenomena and shapers that Tampa Bay Hotel guests enjoyed, and visit the Museum for a demonstration of the orchestrion at noon on Wednesdays and 11 am on Saturdays! Get your tickets today.