Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > August 1997 > 1997.08.07 > 05Prev  Next


Unusual Ducummon Girod Music Box
By Brian Chesters

Hello all,  I paid a visit to a fellow collector here in the UK this week
and he showed me a musical box, the design of which I had not seen
before.

It was a Ducummon Girod cylinder box, with a cylinder about 13 inches
long, playing 6 airs with an organ accompaniment.  The organ keys were on
the extreme bass end, (not in the centre as on mine and most others I
have seen).  The left-hand side of the cylinder had a complete
lever-wound spring and governor assembly to run the musical box, and on
the right-hand side was an identical lever-wound spring and governor to
pump the small bellows.

The benefit, of course, was that we could not bother with winding the
organ spring, and just hear the musical combs.  I guess that it would
date from 1870, but the lid to the case was particularly nicely inlaid.

The collector believes that it is unique, but I would personally doubt
that, as no musical box manufacturer could afford to spend the R&D just
to make one box.  So are there any others similar to this one?

Brian Chesters


(Message sent Thu 7 Aug 1997, 08:22:26 GMT, from time zone GMT+0100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Box, Ducummon, Girod, Music, Unusual

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page