Last Updated: 10/8/2008

   

" Collecting Musical Boxes and How To Repair Them," by Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume. Published in 1967 by George Allen & Unwin, London. First Edition. Hard cover with dust jacket, 140 pages with 44 Illustrations (black-and-white photographs, with descriptions) and 19 Line Illustrations (drawings). The book measures 10 inches (25.2 cm) high by 7½ inches (19 cm) wide.

Text from the dustjacket is as follows:

"Written by a leading authority on mechanical musical instruments, this book traces the history and development of the cylinder and disc musical box and describes some of the many other forms of mechanical instruments produces from the earliest times - such as Samuel Bidermann's self-acting spinet of the sixteenth century - to the present day.

Little has ever been published on this fascinating subject and Mr. Ord-Hume's book sets out to relate the progress of the musical box from its early form, when it was fitted into objets d'art, to the grand orchestral musical box of the latter years of the last century which had bells, drums, a reed organ and castanets.

The section detailing makers of musical boxes is comprehensive and includes main agents, repairers and inventors whose names have been associated with mechanical music work. Makers of organettes and mechanical singing birds are also listed, The identification of musical boxes by their trade marks and points of recognition is also covered.

For the first time, complete instructions are given on repair and overhaul of various musical box mechanisms and their cases. Copiously-illustrated with both photographs and drawings in text, this book is intended not only for the collector and restorer, but also the antique dealer and trader."


CONTENTS:
List of Illustrations
List of Line Illustrations
Introduction
Acknowledgements
  1. A History of the Musical Box
  2. The Cylinder Musical Box
  3. The Disc Musical Box
  4. Other Types of Mechanical Musical Instruments
  5. What to Look for when Buying
  6. Overhauling a Cylinder Musical Box
  7. Overhauling a Disc Musical Box
  8. How to Retore Cases
  9. Identifying the Maker - Trade Marks
  10. Musical Box Makers and Agents
Bibliography
Index


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