I have just been looking at the catalog for the Jack Donovan collection
which is to be sold on the 5th July in London. Jack was a dealer in
musical boxes in the Portobello Road, London. (See the film "Notting
Hill", starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.)
He built up a large collection of mainly automata but also music boxes.
He is reputed to have had more than 50 Grand format Overture boxes when
he died; this may or may not be the truth. In the sale are some nice
items, chiefly :-
* a Double disc player by Adler Fortuna playing two 26 inch discs side
by side. Estimate is up to 60,000 USD.
* a Symphonion Eroica three disc clock, estimate up to 37,000 USD.
* A Polyphon hall clock playing 15 inch discs (22,000 USD)
* A Regina 27 inch Changer, and a 15 inch Bowfront changer (both rare
in the UK)
* Two large orchestral Interchangeable boxes, and a four cylinder
revolver box by Paillard.
These should attract a lot of attention from collectors and dealers
alike.
Brian Chesters
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