Music meets mechanics

 

 

A Nicole Frères musical box made its way to our saleroom and has been catalogued by director Mark Huddleston as an “impressive late 19th-century ‘bells and drum in sight’’ example.

 

Music boxes define an era of growing interest in mechanical technologies and the potential of automation. While clockmakers had earlier incorporated chiming bells into their cases, it was during the Industrial Revolution that the production of music boxes as stand-alone automated instruments soared. The complexity of their clockwork mechanism also increased with time; additions of drums and organs soon allowed the music box to replicate a miniature orchestra.

 

The example brought to Clevedon Salerooms was made by Nicole Frères, a well-known and quality-driven maker who produced music boxes throughout the latter 19th century. Want to be transported back to a time before records and CDs? Click the link to watch a video of some of its magnificent arias being played.

This piece will serenade our bidders in our Summer Specialist Sale, going under the hammer on Thursday 11th June.

 

Bring along your antiques to one of our valuation days, every Monday excluding bank holidays, for a free valuation from one of our experts.