Lee, yes, there were a number of offshoots of the music-box
making Paillard company of St. Croix, Switzerland. Following the
collapse of the music-box market they did get into the manufacture
of typewriters, movie cameras, and even some gramophones. The
company grew into a major firm and was in business in one form or
another from 1814 to 1985.
There is a great deal of information about all of this in the book,
"The Music Box Makers: The History of Music Box in Sainte-Croix",
by Jean-Claude Piguet, starting at page 276. This is, by the way,
a fascinating book for those of us interested in the history of music
boxes and their development. I got my copy from the Musical Box
Society International's web site store at http://www.mbsi.org/
Clay Witt
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