Orchestrions and Mechanical Antiques
The Generalissimo J. Dalio wrote some time ago to tell me about the Musee Mechanique (warning – noisy page) she visited in San Fransisco – a collection of old and restored mechanical attractions from fairgrounds and seasides – from Laffing Sal, who’s paper mache face and boisterous laugh terrified children for decades, to coin-operated teasingly titilating stereogram viewers, to an orchestrion (such as above), the logical and extreme conclusion of music boxes with violins, flutes, cymbals, etc! The Generalissimo recommends a visit most highly, with a surfiet of automatons and curios from the 1800’s to the late 1990’s! Sounds like quite the fascinating place to see the height of entertainment technology from days gone by.