Music Box

A musical ‘captain’s desk’ davenport sold for £9500 at Tennants’ (22% buyer’s premium) Scientific and Musical Instruments sale in Leyburn on May 17.

This Regina disc and double comb-operated upright musical box is expected to be one of the highlights when Woody Auction in Kansas offers the collection of David and Marlene Howard from Ohio on March 19.

The Palais Royale built for Cardinal Richelieu in 1629 had a variety of uses over the years but in the 18th and early 19th century was rebuilt as a place for public recreation and social gathering.

François Nicole (b.1766), the Geneva-based pioneer of the key-wind musical box, is thought to have made around 440 boxes during his working life, but only around 60 are known today.

Two musical boxes catching the eye and ear among the small vertu sections at summer silver sales.

Best-seller and one of the biggest surprises at the white-glove sale of a mechanical music collection was a musical box, the catalogue entry of which could be summarised as ‘famous name, doesn’t work’.

With more than 35 years’ collecting experience each, Mark Singleton and Steve Greatrex have launched Silvertone Music Boxes, a dealership devoted to mechanical music.

ATG's selection of upcoming sale highlights.

MADAM – I was amused to read in the Previews section of ATG No 2285 that the “star” in Locke & England’s March 30 sale would be a large organ clock, estimated at £3000-5000 (lot 100). This is certainly not the case.