A Barrel Organ For The Parlor With Sorrento Marquetry Reeds - Gavioli & Cie - Paris

A 27-key reed barrel organ for a parlor, adorned with Sorrento marquetry. The case is made of walnut or rosewood, with brass purfling and a canvas front panel to allow the sound to pass through. It features a cylinder with several tunes, including the aria from the William Tell Overture by Rossini. The front panel is inscribed at the bottom: GAVIOLI & Cie 2bis Avenue Taillebourg - PARIS in Sorrento marquetry. The lower section displays a beautiful floral decoration, making it a highly luxurious and unusual object for its time. Dimensions: Length: 60.5 cm Width: 33 cm Height: 60 cm. Gavioli & Cie was a Franco-Italian company that manufactured mechanical organs in the 19th and early 20th centuries, initially based in Italy, then in France.[1] A Gavioli fairground organ playing the tune written on a perforated card. The Sadie Mae fairground organ, by the Gavioli company, is on display at the American Treasure Tour. Gavioli was founded in 1806 in Cavezzo, Italy, by Giacomo Gavioli (1786-1875). Giacomo's hobby was developing automatophones such as bird organs and musical clocks. In 1818, he moved to Modena, where he repaired carillons and clocks in clock towers. His son, Ludovico Gavioli (1807-1875), was also an inventor; for example, he built a large orchestrion, the Panharmonico, for the Duke of Modena, who nevertheless refused to buy it. Ludovico then took it to London and Paris to exhibit it. He also designed and built the clock for the tower of the Palazzo Comunale[2], Modena's town hall. In 1845, Ludovico moved the business to what was then the organ-making capital, Paris. In 1858, he founded his own organ factory on the rue d'Aligre. Ludovico had three sons: Anselme, Henry, and Claude.[3] Each contributed to the business, but Anselme Gavioli (1828–1902) is the most famous. In 1878, he invented the brake, a piece of metal that allowed the pipes to produce a sound similar to that of the cello or violin. In 1892, he patented the use of perforated cardboard for mechanical organs. Until then, the melodies of pipe organs were inscribed on large wooden cylinders, using a system similar to that of the modern music box, limiting the length of the music that could be played and restricting its range to the size of the cylinders. This development marked a turning point in the history of the mechanical organ, allowing music to be as long as desired, as the perforated cards folded like a book and were read by mechanical arms.[4] Gavioli then became the most famous and prolific organ builder on the market. Thanks to this renown, the Gavioli family had branches in cities such as London, Manchester, New York, and Waldkirch.[5] After Anselm's death in 1902, the company passed to his son, Ludovico II, but the business subsequently declined. Gavioli ceased organ production in 1912, and the remainder of the company was transferred to Limonaire Frères. Several of their engineers also founded their own organ and automatophone companies, including Carl Frei and Charles Marenghi.