Street organs, fairground organs and busker organs became most popular in the late 1800’s and retained popularity for the next 50 years or so in the United States and England. Street Organs are still in use in many cities in the Netherlands.
These organs were designed to be played in the street or other public venue. The person who played the organ was called an organ grinder. In the 1920’s most street organs became automated and the organ grinder no longer turned the handle to make the organ work, but rather collected money. The organs always worked through “cards” that controlled the notes of the song played.