Lars Magnus Ericsson and his tribute to the world of mechanical music
instruments.

The name LM Ericsson symbolizes for most people a well-known company
which today specializes with different equipment for telecommunications.
But what is less known today is the interest that Mr. Lars Magnus
Ericsson, the founder of the company, had for two unique mechanical
musical instruments:

(1) his «Glockenspiel» controlled by a specially-made pinned cylinder,
something like one will find in a music box, and

(2) the «Melograph» piano which was presented in 1913, the only real
reproducing piano ever presented before the invention of electronic
equipment and whose development was supported by Ericsson. Later on,
in spring 1914, the piano was sent to Popper & Co. in Leipzig which was
interested to buy the patents but which unfortunately never was realized
because a black cloud came over Europe in those days -- the Great War.

Ericsson's Glockenspiel

During my visit to my home town, Stockholm, in summer 1980, I was
invited by my friend, Carl-Anders Zetterlund, to visit the newly-opened
Telemuseum with an important collection all about telecommunications.

Here, in the center of a large hall, I discovered a highly amazing tower
of wood and glass, about 4 meters high with a surface more than 2 meters
in diameter, decorated in late 19th century gothic inspired furniture
style. Here was inside a mechanical masterpiece in beauty and in action,
a «Glockenspiel» based on 63 tuned telephone bells in different sizes,
all played from a big pinned cylinder like in a music box.

This was one of the most impressive showpieces to be seen at the Stockholm 
fair exhibition of 1897 to play daily for visitors. And of course for the 
king, Oscar II and his queen, «The King's Song» became a must!

Several cylinders were made to perform different Nordic national anthems;
Sweden and Norway were one country at the time, and Denmark's national
anthem. In those days Finland was a part of Russia and had not a specific
national anthem.

With the creation of the Swedish «Telemuseum» the idea came up to restore
this huge musical machine, which was more or less forgotten after about
80 years in Ericsson company storage. The restoration has been realized
in collaboration with Mr. Zetterlund, my friend who at this time was
responsible for the collection of musical instruments in the Swedish
radio.

The cylinder was pinned for the music and for the expressions (loudness
of the play) there were three different levels. There was also a
reiterating play to emphasize the melody.

The cylinders were ordered from a special maker in Switzerland;
unfortunately there are no documents left about who the maker was.
But we do know who made the arrangements for the cylinders: Albert
Lindström, the organist in St. Jacobs church in Stockholm.

The restoration became rather time consuming to find some missing bells
and to find out the original cable connections to the bell magnets.
The project was sponsored by the modern LM Ericsson company for the
glory of the past.

L. M. Ericsson

Mr. Lars Magnus Ericsson, who lived from 1846 to 1926, was a remarkable
person coming from a rather poor farming family. At the age of 12 years
he lost his father and had to work as a miner.

Later on when he had some money he went to Stockholm for studies. He
started to work in a shop making parts for telephones and made several
tours to study this new 1870 growing business in Germany by Siemens,
in Switzerland and in Russia.

With friends he started in 1883 the business that became known as LM
Ericsson, a fast-growing company with success for the new «toy», the
telephone. (For people more interested in details, plenty of information
can be found on the 'Net.)

In the glorious days of his business he realized a very richly decorated
office in splendid mahogany, with plaster «putti» [cherubim] figures
under the ceiling making telephone calls. This masterpiece is preserved
in relation with the technical museum in Stockholm as well as the
marvelous Glockenspiel.

Later on I will give information about his «Melograph» piano, a unique
development in the musical business.

The accompanying photos were taken by me during my 1980 visit.

Douglas Heffer
Paris, au printemps 2021

 [   pinned cylinder
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/21/06/21/210621_105716_Ericsson005.jpg 
 [   telephone bells
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/21/06/21/210621_105716_Ericsson007.jpg 
 [   tower bells
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/21/06/21/210621_105716_Ericsson008.jpg 
 [   Carl-Anders Zetterlund, restaurateur
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/21/06/21/210621_105716_Ericsson011.jpg 
 [   cylinder mechanism
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/21/06/21/210621_105822_Ericsson013.jpg 
 [   telephone receiver, transmitter and hand-cranked magneto
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/21/06/21/210621_105822_Ericsson020.jpg 
 [   a putto (sacred cherub) in conversation
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/21/06/21/210621_105822_Ericsson024.jpg