![]() ![]() Turn the winding key in an anti-clockwise direction. It is important not to over-wind your musical powder box. Here are some tips for keeping your musical powder box in good working order: When we have found a new home for one of them we make sure to ship the piece with its own winding instructions so that the new owner will know how to wind the music box. While they live with us they will be played once a month and oiled if necessary. We become familiar with our adorable little music boxes. Always cease winding if you feel any resistance. Others may only allow two quarter turns before you feel as though the winding key is becoming a little resistant. Some may require three full turns in a clockwise direction to play the whole tune. The lid is a beautiful design of musical notes with facet cut rhinestones set atop Lucite.Īll musical boxes are different. The image above shows an unused Lucite Stratton 'Musica' which has all the original accessories - presentation box, pouch, box sticker, instruction leaflet, puff and sifter. All ‘Musica’ and the later model ‘Musical’ powder boxes are considered uncommon to rare, depending on the lid decoration. The body of the powder box resembles the 'Empress' and the 'Grosvenor'. The series was part of the luxury range of Stratton vanities. He had a special interest in photographing ballet dancers.ġ957 was the first known year of availability for the Stratton 'Musica'. His most notable work was as a society and court photographer in the United Kingdom. He used the name Baron to sign his photographs, as this was his professional name. He was also known as Sterling Henry Nahum. The most coveted of the Stratton musical powder boxes are those adorned with ballet scenes which were often taken from Stirling Henry Nahum's photographs. Seventy years later the Stratton 'Musica' and 'Musical' powder boxes are still playing reliably well and looking splendid. Only the best would do for the Stratton brand. The company also had a larger repertoire of tunes. Reuge musical movements were considered superior and more reliable than their rivals. ![]() This company became regular customers of Reuge and Thorens, purchasing their high quality musical movements for their beautiful enamel ‘‘Musicas’ which became known as ‘Musical’ in 1964. This trend did not go unnoticed by the makers of the Stratton brand who were known as Jarrett, Rainsford & Laughton Ltd., until 1958 when the firm was renamed Laughton & Sons Ltd. The music boxes fitted with Swiss musical movements were so enchanting and reliable that musical boxes from Switzerland were very much in demand. In the 1940s allied troops purchased music boxes in Europe to take home as tokens of love. It plays the theme tunes from Star Wars, Mission Impossible and James Bond. For example, the futuristic The Music Machine 3 – was created in partnership with watch atelier MB&F. Today the firm goes from strength to strength. It requires a craftsman who can create the perfect sound using his experience and musical talent. Then fixing the comb is the final and most difficult operation. The cylinder, spring-housing, speed governor, trigger and tune indicator are assembled together on the base-plate. Each tooth has to be filed to make the correct note. The lead is sawn by hand to create the teeth. This technique makes sure that the notes are clear. Lead is then poured under the comb teeth for the bass notes. All these stages ensure the incomparable sound quality which has made this brand sought-after all over the world. It has to be durable and not brittle - rigid and not too flexible. The comb’s extreme hardness is then refined and managed by tempering. The comb is heated to nearly 800☌ - it is plunged into a bath of warm oil. These techniques were pioneered by Reuge. needle-thin steel wire is inserted into each hole. They are experts in both musical and technological matters.Ī machine drills tiny holes in the cylinder. ![]() T he artisans employed by this firm transform the score into a tune. Obviously, the more ornamental and complex designs take much longer to manufacture and adorn. Today Reuge is the largest employer in Sainte-Croix.Ī simple Reuge music box takes about three months to produce. This ensured that the whole manufacturing process was now 'in house'. Further expansion followed and in 2001 Reuge purchased the company who had been its main supplier of wooden boxes. A group of Swiss investors purchased the firm. In 1988 Guido decided to sell the company, as he had no direct descendants. Not only this but they developed many new tunes to keep one step ahead of their rivals. They took over the manufacture and marketing of mechanical singing birds of the Parisian company Bontems in 1960 and also Eschle in 1977. It may seem a little strange when we think of what makes the 1960s famous, that Reuge decided to concentrate on reviving the singing bird music boxes. ![]()
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