Restored Antique Cylinder Swiss 1866 Bremond 6 Bell Music Box – Hear It Play for Sale

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Restored Antique Cylinder Swiss 1866 Bremond 6 Bell Music Box – Hear It Play For Sale

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Restored Antique Cylinder Swiss 1866 Bremond 6 Bell Music Box – Hear It Play:
$2450.00

Restored Antique VictorianSwiss 1866 Bremond 6 Bell Music Box – Hear It Play

Up for sale is a beautifully restored Victorian era BremondCylinder Music box that has 6 polished nickel plated brass tuned bells. This music box is dated by its original tunecard to 1866 and the maker Bremond. This is an early music bell box made well beforemost that you see listed for sale.

Please note: I will upload additional photographs of the interior and mechanism this weekend. Stay tuned.

Hear it Play:

Click on the following YouTube links and they shouldcome up in a separate link.

To get the best sound effect, listen to the music onsomething other than your phone if possible.A computer at minimum gives a decent feel for the base that a phonesimply cannot reproduce. The videos of the music are actual and not modified inany way. I have included manyphotographs and several videos to give you as much information as possible inorder to make a well informed decision.

Dimensions and weight: Please study theseclosely as this is not an ordinary “tinkly” music box.

Length: 23.5”

Depth: 10.5”

Height: 7.75”

Cylinder length: 14”

Weight: 29 pounds

Condition and Description: This fantastic music box was previouslyrestored in 1970 by Bornand of NY (Written on the bottom and you can see theexpertise of their work). I ran itthrough my shop and replaced any missing dampers, cleaned and made minoradjustments along with lubrication. Idid complete restoration of the finish of the box and ended it with a nice handrubbed finish to match the exuberance of the musical mechanism.

Case: Veryornate case with fantastic marquetry of a butterfly of brass and mother ofpearl inlay on the lid as well as on the front of the music box. The case lid and front contains, rosewood,walnut veneers and boxwood stringing.There have been minor repairs to veneer over time, but were well doneand look very nice. Remember this isover 130 years. Please see photos of allof these areas.

Tune card:This box still retains its original tune card. The tune card tells the user that it has 10songs “airs” that it is programmed to play.I use the resources of the Music Box Society of Great Britain to datethis box and its maker that show this box to be made in 1867 by Bremond. The original tune card is protected byarchival acrylic.

Lock: Themusic box contains its original semi-functional lock and key with tassel. I absolutely do not recommend trying tolock the box as the lock is very old and may lock permanently. There is a way to unlock it though, butremember, please do not try to lock the box.

Inner Glass Door:This box contains the original wavy glass in its dust protective lid.

Mechanism:

Spring: This movement has the original spring that isvery strong, lubricated and in good condition.

Governor: Inexcellent condition and is self-starting and needs no push to get started.(provided the spring is wound)

Nickel plated Brass Tuned Bells: There are 6 beautifully polished tuned bells.

Comb: Allteeth are in place and tuned. Itcontains 74 musical comb teeth, 6 bell teeth.

Bell disengagement leaver: Functions as it should.

Control Levers onright of music box:

Start / Stop leaver:Functions as it should.

Please note that this music box is an original 150+ year oldantique and is not perfect. Thereare soft bumps and abrasions and slight changes in the wood that commiserateits age. Please look at all photographsand videos. To some, this makes the boxmore desirable and to others who wish perfection will be disappointed.

Please study all photographs and videos as they are animportant part of the description. Myson is holding the box in the first photograph.I am well versed in packing these boxes and pack as well aspossible. The box should survive thetrip baring a total crush. I will insurethe box against damage that will allow the buyer to collect on any potentialdamage should it occur. I allow a twoweek return policy if not satisfied. Ifyou should return the music box, it must be insured and returned in the samepacking and condition as it was when it was sent. Photographs will be sent to the lucky buyeron all stages of packing.

Local Pick-up: I would be more than happy for the buyer topick up the music box in person to save on shipping. If local pick up is the option you prefer, Iwill be glad to hold the box for you up to two months at no charge provided thebox is paid for up front within three days of the sale.

Some interestingfacts about 19th century music boxes

These 19th century cylinder music boxes weretruly a marvel and commanded high prices that only the wealthy couldafford. Music boxes could cost as muchas a 40-acre farm at the time. They werea wonderful form of home entertainment that were astonishing works of art andmusic. Consider this, each cylindercontains several thousand precisely placed pins that pluck the teeth ofthe comb. The tuned comb itself wastuned by ear from a master comb.Additionally, consider all of the metal used in the box was milled byhand and the wood was cut and shaped by hand.No electric light, no electric motor, no electric tools, no digitaltuner was used in the making of this box! Truly a beautiful elegant box thatentertains from a simpler by-gone era.This box was meant to last generations—and it has! Compare this to your modern phone ortelevision. All disposable!

Sadly, the cylinder music box fell victim to the discplaying music boxes of the mid to late 1890’s that could play many different tune discs. Upto several thousand disc tunes were available for most disc playing boxes. The disc playing music boxes finally gave wayto the cylinder and disc playing phonographs.The last major music box companies were out of business by the end ofWWI. Over time most of these boxes wereeither disposed of or were ruined in basements or attics. Particularly during the greatdepression. These cylinder music boxescannot tolerate hot temperatures. Insidethe pinned brass cylinder is a resin that keeps the pins of the cylinder inplace. The resin in these attic storedboxes would liquefy and fall to one side that would ruin the playingability. Please note that the resin ofthis cylinder was inspected and was still perfectly placed.

I am a member of the Musical Box Society International andhave been an enthusiast since the 1970’s.I have been tutored by Ms. Nancy Fratti and restore music boxes in myspare time. I do enjoy these treasuresalthough sometimes they make me want to pull my hair out. It is fun thought!!