A good and rare Davrainville Barrel Organ was sold at auction in Paris
today for about 38,000 French Francs with the premium (ca 6,500 US $),
on a low estimate (about 10,000 FF), and very little previous
advertising.

It has been bought by the Musee des Gets (France, in the Alps), which
has already in its large collections a good Davrainville Serinette of
the same period.

This barrel organ is in a beautiful mahogany case (needs some restor-
ation), about 3 feet high, with the original handle.  26 keys on 3 (or
perhaps 4) stops, metal pipes.  It is not working, as the bellows need
restoration.  3 cylinders with a lot of dances, the type of which is
hand-written on the cylinder.  The general tune-sheet is missing.  On
the key frame may be read : "Davrainville Facteur d'orgues Mecanicien
brevete de SAR Madame la Duchesse de Berry et du Duc d'Orleans, Rue
Saint-Martin No. 151 a Paris".  It bears too : No. 222, annee 1821.

Davrainville organs are rare and very much sought after.  Little is
known about the Davrainville family (father and son).  They were
certainly amidst the best organ makers of the end of the XVIIIth
century and the first decades of the XIXth century.

Several researchers are trying to know more about Davrainville :
myself, Frank Metzger (who prepares an article on the subject),
Arthur Ord-Hume, etc.

If anyone has got some previously unknown information, it would be
interesting to share it.

Best regards,

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