2/70 Henri Lecoultre in Tin Box Serial No. 12733 circa 1839
Bought at auction October 2025
Comb Stamped H Lecoultre
Comb Stamped H Lecoultre
The Hôtel de l'Union was the third hotel to open in Chamonix at the beginning of the 19th century. It was built in the center of the village by the Charlet brothers in 1816-1817. According to Isabelle Madesclaire's thesis on the Metamorphoses of Chamonix, the Hôtel de l'Union was built on the site of former possessions of the Priory of Chamonix, namely the Vicar's house and the town hall. It is located on the banks of the Arve River, near the Cour bridge that connects the two banks. The hotel is particularly recognizable by its porticoed balcony on the east façade. The small columned building in the garden, perpendicular to the hotel, may have housed the sulfur baths, installed in 1834. The Swiss artist Du Bois was one of the privileged witnesses...
Run's very slowly.
Geneva parts missing.
No stop mechanism.
Box not in good shape, but can be fixed
No control buttons.
Geneva parts missing.
No stop mechanism.
Box not in good shape, but can be fixed
No control buttons.
Isabel & Bavarian Girl scratched on the bottom of the box, presumably the tunes.
"Isabel", possibly "My Gentle Isabel!" inspired by Shakespeare's Richard the Second, in prison, to his Queen Isabella.
"Bavarian Girl" (aka Buy a Broom) by D. O. Meara circa 1831
"Buy a Broom" (circa 1831)
(The Bavarian Girl's Song)
Words by D. O. Meara
Music from the German "Augustin"
Arranged by Alexander Lee
Pretty Lady, pretty Gentleman,
From mine Vaterland I do bring,
De little broom so new, so bran
and buy a broom I sing,
Buy a Broom, pretty broom, pretty Broom I sing.
Pretty little Broom is of much use,
when your lover go astray,
should de fond one ever you abuse
you den whip him away wid de Broom,
Pretty broom, wid de broom whip him away
away away wid de Broom whip him away.
I once had a sworn true Lover,
But he soon prove false to me,
So I cross'd dat big Sea over
Hoping truer friends to see.
Buy my broom, buy a broom pretty broom I cry,
Pretty Lady, pretty Gentleman
buy a broom pretty broom,
Buy a broom pretty broom
buy a Broom! Buy buy a Broom.
"Isabel", possibly "My Gentle Isabel!" inspired by Shakespeare's Richard the Second, in prison, to his Queen Isabella.
"Bavarian Girl" (aka Buy a Broom) by D. O. Meara circa 1831
"Buy a Broom" (circa 1831)
(The Bavarian Girl's Song)
Words by D. O. Meara
Music from the German "Augustin"
Arranged by Alexander Lee
Pretty Lady, pretty Gentleman,
From mine Vaterland I do bring,
De little broom so new, so bran
and buy a broom I sing,
Buy a Broom, pretty broom, pretty Broom I sing.
Pretty little Broom is of much use,
when your lover go astray,
should de fond one ever you abuse
you den whip him away wid de Broom,
Pretty broom, wid de broom whip him away
away away wid de Broom whip him away.
I once had a sworn true Lover,
But he soon prove false to me,
So I cross'd dat big Sea over
Hoping truer friends to see.
Buy my broom, buy a broom pretty broom I cry,
Pretty Lady, pretty Gentleman
buy a broom pretty broom,
Buy a broom pretty broom
buy a Broom! Buy buy a Broom.