'Music On Hold'

Many companies have a 'music on hold' facility, where you hear music played down the phone while you are waiting for an answer, or when you are being transferred from one department to another.

This little toy, bought around 25 years ago, bring 'music on hold' to the home. While you are talking to someone on the phone, if you need to pop into another room in order to find something, you rest the handset on this little gadget, which is basically a wind up music box. There is a little button on the top, and when you rest the handset on the music box, the button is pressed, and the music starts to play. The minute you lift the handset up again, the music stops.