Gebr. Weber (Waldkirch, Germany)

This Weber Unika, one of two in the Milhous Collection, has a piano with 28 violin pipes, swell shutters and vibrato mechanism and plays realistic-sounding piano and violin music. It plays from special Weber Unika rolls, two dozen of which are included with the instrument. This example was formerly owned by a collector in Washington State before being fully restored by Mike Argain. It is considered to be among the most desirable of the smaller German orchestrions made in Waldkirch by Gebr. Weber.

Gebr. Weber, or Weber Brothers, founded in Waldkirch in the Black Forest area of Germany in 1880, made instruments that are especially prized by collectors today. In the early 20th century the Waldkircher Orchestrionfabrik turned out a line of superbly crafted pianos and orchestrions that played with beautiful expression. In the early 1960s, when Q. David Bowers visited Waldkirch to do research, only a Styria orchestrion and Weber Otero remained in the town. At the time, these instruments were not well known to collectors and continue to be remarkably rare.

Further research revealed that in the decade leading up to 1913, the Böcker Organ & Orchestrion Company of New York City imported many Weber instruments of various kinds, where they found a ready market in commercial locations and private homes. The Milhous Collection contains the widest selection of Weber orchestrions ever sold at auction. The presently offered Unika plays beautiful music and will be a great attraction in the collection of the fortunate buyer. 64x80x36 inches.