Boston street music in the '50s

Photo and caption material forwarded by David Jacobs of The Boston Guardian

Do you remember this sort of thing in downtown Boston in the ‘50s?

Marino Antonio Persechini (center) is seen on Charles Street with his hurdy-gurdy, a musical device that, owing to its use of a pinned cylinder to operate levers and play notes, was designed to be mobile enough to play in the street. The cylinders used were heavy, and often held only a limited number of tunes, which could not easily be upgraded to play the latest hits. Songs it did play included “My Wild Irish Rose,’’ “Helena Polka,’’ “Down at Coney Island,” “Torna a Surriento’’ and “La Paloma’’.

The photo is on Charles Street in front of the Colonial Cafe, now The Sevens Bar, and on the right are the antique shop and real estate and mortgage office of William M. Jacobs, with a young admirer on the left and a few of the cafe patrons standing in the cafe doorway listening to the music.