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Ombro-Cinema (Shadow Theater)

r_swaney@msn.com · October 10, 2016 ·

IMG_0258

The Ombro-Cinema is a toy that combines a small music box with an animated story. The story is illustrated on a long strip of paper that is rolled up on two wooden spindles. When the music box is wound and played, it turns one of the spindles causing the paper to scroll behind a window. The animation effect is caused by having two slightly different drawings of each scene cut into thin slices and interlaced. The window has a fence painted on it with bars that are the same width as the drawing slices. Thus, when the paper is scrolled behind the fence the viewer rapidly switches between the two drawing as they are alternately hidden behind the fence.

Ombro-Cinema (Shadow Theater) 1
Ombro-Cinema (Shadow Theater) 2

The toy was manufactured in France around 1910.

This was found at a Seattle toy show around 1998. It came in a well-made cardboard box with the same graphics as the toy. There were four story rolls included, two in black and white and two in color. The story in the photos and video is Puss In Boots.

https://youtu.be/3hHxEru-EII

Wurlitzer 105 Band Organ

quashnock@aol.com · July 20, 2016 ·

Wurlitzer 105 Band Organ
Wurlitzer 105 Band Organ

Model 105 Wurlitzer band organ, serial number 4069. Documents show a manufacture date of 5-24-1928 and it having been shipped to N. Tonawanda. The base and next layers of paint on this instrument were both stenciled “Allan Herschell Co”. Considering the shipping log, this organ most likely started out as carousel organ. It was restored to the original base layer paint. Plays 125 style rolls.

https://mbsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Wurlitzer-105-Roll-3222.mp3

The audio you hear is of an original Wurlitzer Style 125 roll, Roll No. 3222. This is a march roll with only 6 tunes played at a 10-tune roll length, so each is rather lengthy. Tune #1 (Golden Plume March) was missing from the roll. The remaining 5 tunes are, in order, are:

2. With Flags Aloft (Spirit of West Point)
3. Paean Of Triumph
4. The Merrimac
5. The Marines’ Hymn
6. The Changing of the Guard

Gebrüder Bruder Airophon Model 107 Fairground Organ

quashnock@aol.com · July 12, 2016 ·

Gebrüder Bruder Airophon Model 107 Fairground Organ
Gebrüder Bruder Airophon Model 107 Fairground Organ

The Gebr. Bruder Model 107 Fairground organ is a 52 keyless instrument. It features 5 bass notes utilizing flutes and low trumpets; 10 accompaniment and 22 melody notes of flutes, violins, and principals; a countermelody produced by 14 trumpets. These sections are played individually, at either piano or forte level, all controlled automatically by the music roll, giving the instrument great dynamics. Also included are a number of percussive effects including: bass drum, cymbal, snare drum, crash cymbal, castanets, triangle, and xylophone. These, along with the 179 pipes, help produce some the happiest music on earth.
This Airophon was built around 1925, and was the first to use roll music, all previous used book. This is the deluxe version, which plays a drum roll cadence during rewind, using small pinned cylinder, a glockenspiel, and a crash cymbal. The latter two are played by the addition of two more holes in the music, holes #0 and #53. This allows it to play standard 52 hole music.

You can see and hear this instrument playing below:

An audio-only version of this same tune is available below
https://mbsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Bruder107.mp3

Vichy Acrobat Automaton

russell@irondogmedia.com · February 19, 2016 ·

53 inches high, extended Goldman Collection
53 inches high, extended
Goldman Collection

Raffin 20/31 Pipe Organ

russell@irondogmedia.com · February 19, 2016 ·

O'Rourke Collection
O’Rourke Collection

https://mbsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/48.mp3

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