Steel pans originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the late 1930’s. Initially, steel band players used common household and everyday objects to create an improvised ensemble of instruments with objects such as buckets, dustbins, and oil pans. Eventually, the crafting of more detailed instruments began to develop, and objects were improved by skinning, grooving, tempering and tuning to create more accurate sounds. In 1945, the first fourteen-note steel pan with chromatic tones was developed. The main object used to create the instrument was a 55-gallon oil drum. Its tonalities were created by studying the physical aspects of the metal with trial and error experimentation and a good musical ear. It is important to note that the steel pan is the only new instrument invented in the 20th century and characterizes the music not only of its original Trinidad and Tobago but also of the entire Caribbean. 

The steel pans were donated to the United Nations on the occasion of the organization’s 50th anniversary.