Marquette Piano Co. (Chicago, Illinois)

The Cremona Style J is the largest orchestrion made by Chicago's Marquette Piano Co. The front features eight panels of predominantly opalescent blue art glass with multi-colored shields and a music lyre surrounded by green leaves, as well as two hanging lamps of the arts and crafts style. Playing 10-tune style M orchestrion rolls, it includes a piano with mandolin attachment and expression, 32 violin pipes and the same number of flute pipes, 19 solo Deagan Una-Fon bells, bass and snare drums, cymbal, castanets and triangle. The case bears the lettering "Peter Bacigalupi" near the top, the name of the San Francisco-based dealer who originally sold it. It has received a mechanical restoration to bring it to playing condition. Only about two dozen examples of this model are believed to remain in existence. Twelve 10-tune style M rolls are included with the piano.

Any enthusiast desiring to assemble the very best collection of orchestrions would consider the top models of the most important makers. The present sale offers the top two Cremona orchestrions, perhaps the only auction ever to do so. 66x80x30 inches.