2/82 note Rzebitschek Seriel no. 2091-24588
Bought at auction in Prague - June 2025
A rare mechanical music box made by the renowned Czech maker Franz Rzebitschek in Prague between 1848 & 1854.
The mechanism plays two tunes, including the famous Radetzký March by Johann Strauss the Elder.
The movement has been cleaned and restored.
The case has been repaired, cleaned and waxed to preserve the patina.
Unfortunately this process has lost the feint transfer image in the centre.
This type of mechanism was mainly used in clocks but, as on this occasion, some were housed in crude wooden boxes.
Instead of the usual side levers the mechanism is started by a pull-cord. It stops at the end of each tune unless the cord is kept taught.
There is a change/repeat selector, but this requires the removal of the mechanism in order to loosen and tighten the screw so it is set for repeat only.
See it in the workshop
A rare mechanical music box made by the renowned Czech maker Franz Rzebitschek in Prague between 1848 & 1854.
The mechanism plays two tunes, including the famous Radetzký March by Johann Strauss the Elder.
The movement has been cleaned and restored.
The case has been repaired, cleaned and waxed to preserve the patina.
Unfortunately this process has lost the feint transfer image in the centre.
This type of mechanism was mainly used in clocks but, as on this occasion, some were housed in crude wooden boxes.
Instead of the usual side levers the mechanism is started by a pull-cord. It stops at the end of each tune unless the cord is kept taught.
There is a change/repeat selector, but this requires the removal of the mechanism in order to loosen and tighten the screw so it is set for repeat only.
See it in the workshop
|
Do you recognise this tune?
|
Radetzký March by Johann Strauss the Elder.
|