There will be a large auction of mechanical music instruments in
Chartres (50 miles SW from Paris) next Sunday, Dec. 7th, beginning 
at 2 PM.

About 90 pieces, amidst them 2 large music boxes on matching table (one
is very large indeed : case 4 and 1/2 feet long, 4 winding barrels, 10
eight-tunes cylinders of ca 19 1/2 inches long);  more than 30 other
music boxes (including a good Bremond) and musical pictures (one with a
50 people village feast painted in its landscape !); a 52-key Gasparini
organ, many reed mechanical instruments (including a double Amelotti
Accordeon), and several pianos, amidst them a rare Pistonola Boyd piano
(unrestored) using cylinders instead of the usual pneumatics.  (For a
description, see Ord-Hume's Player Piano published in 1970, page 93).

I acted as advisor to describe the instruments, so I may give members
of the MMD who would be interested by a purchase some particulars about
such or such instrument they look for, but if you only want to get a
catalogue (it was issued only last Friday, sorry), please ask directly
the auctioneer or his staff.

For inquiries about the sale, bidding conditions and catalogues:

  Me Jean-Pierre Lelievre, commissaire-priseur
  28000-Chartres, 1 Bis Pl. Du Gal de Gaulle,
  Tel. +33 (0)2 37 84 04 33
  fax. +33 (0)2 37 36 34 71

Chartres may be reached easily from Paris : one hour's drive on a
highway, or one hour by train.  Instruments may be viewed on Friday
afternoon and evening, and Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Sorry I was not able this time to put on the Web photographs of the
best items in the auction.  Next time I hope !

Best regards,

Philippe Rouille (Paris, France)
http://www.cnam.fr/museum/musica_mecanica/