The manufacturer of this barrel organ, the German company Wilhelm Bruder Orgel Fabrik, specialized not only in the construction of small organs (positives) but also in the production of music machines and barrel organs toward the end of the 19th century. These instruments were—and still are—popular attractions, particularly at German folk festivals and Oktoberfests.

Barrel organs are mechanical musical instruments that produce sound through the rotation of cylinders, discs, or other mechanical components. Wilhelm Bruder Orgel Fabrik manufactured various types of barrel organs, including cylinder-based and tape-based models.