I visited your MMD Archives in the hope of finding some reference
to an old French "Testophone" that I have. The Archives do not list
anything for that word, and I would very much like to acquire some
information about it. A picture of the unit is at
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/brico-broc25/agrandissements/testophone.htm
It is from the early 20th century, and I believe it was used on horse
drawn taxi-carriages in France. A rubber bulb would alternately play
a specific note and when the bulb pressure was released, the slight
vacuum would advance a perforated cylinder to the next note(s) in the
tune sequence.
I am not certain of the position of the horns, as I do not know the
tune they should play, and they are interchangeable with a common style
of mounting. Any help or suggestion would be appreciated.
Thank you kindly
Dennis Nordin
[ At http://mmd.foxtail.com/Auctions/Chartres9905/Chartres9905.html :
[
[ "919: A good brass car horn "le Testophone", with rubber bulb. It
[ plays a 8-note melody on 4 brass horns. With another spare cylinder,
[ and a Xerox of a period advertisement. Very good condition (some
[ small bumps). France, beginning of XXth century. Est. 2.500/4.000
[ FF"
[
[ This is an interesting (and loud!) variation of the interchangeable
[ cylinder or cuff musical box. It might have been made by the same
[ firm that made the well-known pneumatic two-tone warning signal horn
[ for French emergency vehicles. Could it be a "Klaxon"? -- Robbie
|