This rare Swiss interchangeable cylinder music box was crafted by the St. Croix firm of Paillard, Vaucher & Fils. A work of mechanical artistry, the highly collectible box comes with a remarkable 14 cylinders, each of which plays six tunes. In total, a selection of 84 unique songs by composers such as Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss, as well as popular Scottish, Irish and English ballads such as "Auld Robin Gray" and "The Sea is England's Glory," are included on the interchangeable cylinders.
The fully operational movement is set in motion by moving the small lever on the right from "STOP" to "PLAY." The lever above allows one to repeat a song or play the next on the cylinder, while the current song is indicated on a dial numbered one through six in the movement. A tune card on the inside lid lists all 84 musical options, and the cylinders not in use are stored in two drawers that extend from each side, as well as two additional cylinder boxes that accompany the piece. Inside and out, the craftsmanship of this machine is first class.
Marked "P.V.F. Ste Croix (Suisse)
Circa 1890
Music Box: 8 3/4” high x 20 1/4" wide x 11 1/4" deepCylinder Boxes: 4 1/4" high x 12 1/2" wide x 9" deep
Click here to view a video of this item.
