1897 POLYPHON DISC MUSIC BOX (with 25 discs) Gifted to Actress Mary Pickford by her life-long friend, actress Lillian Gish, on April 8th, 1936. The engraved sterling silver plate reads: To Mary, always in my thoughts, and forever in my heart. Lillian April 8, 1936 This beautiful and delightfully-sounding music box ser. 18411 was given to Ms. Pickford by her friend, Lillian Gish, to help soften the blow dealt to her by her philandering husband, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Who abandoned her and their marriage in favor of his trysts abroad with a British socialite not worthy of mentioning here. As you can see from the photos, the music box is in pristine condition for its age, with a perfect harp i. No broken or repaired tines, excellent wood, and the intact original etching on the underside of the top. It was manufactured in 1897 at the Polyphon Musikwerke in Leipzig, Germany. The music box is an exquisite treasure, even without the drama of the circumstances under which it was bestowed, and comes with an autographed photo of Ms. Pickford and a framed history of the gifting. We can only hope and believe that the beautiful music, gifted to her by her dearest friend, did indeed help soothe her aching heart. Music box is 12″ wide, 11″ deep and 7-1/2 tall. Discs are 9-3/4 diam. These occasional minor adjustments are quite normal. As with all spring-loaded music box winding mechanisms, you never over-wind the mechanism. A half-dozen cranks is sufficient, and if/when the disc speed slows or falters, then simply crank it a few more times. Not a toy for children. This is a precision musical instrument. However, broken springs and winding mechanisms, in fact all parts, can be repaired and/or replaced by the qualified craftsmen still out there, but a little common sense and care will avoid that. The item “1800’s Polyphon Disc Music Box once owned by actress Mary Pickford” is in sale since Sunday, May 21, 2017. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Decorative Collectibles\Music Boxes\Pre-1900″. The seller is “patrickslegends” and is located in Oak View, California. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany