Pierre Eich (Ghent, Belgium)

Pierre Eich produced a variety of automatic musical instruments in Belgium during the early 20th century. The Solophone was one of the more complex and popular styles, with a sophisticated yet mechanically simple mechanism for playing solos and countermelodies on different ranks of pipes at the same time. Instrumentation includes a piano, pipes representing violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone, viola, cello and percussion. Two pumps, one under the keyboard and the other in a side cabinet, supply air to the pipes.

The elegant cabinet is highlighted by hanging lamps and a delicate center carving of antique instruments surrounded by ornamental vines and ribbons. The carefully-executed side cabinets featuring matching carvings, and housing the bass pipes and percussion, were precisely replicated from the one extant original Solophone known to have them, in the Sanfilippo Collection. Last summer mechanical music expert Q. David Bowers visited that collection and spent considerable time viewing and listening to the Solophone, the first he had ever seen and heard.

This example was formerly in the collection of James Prendergast before being restored and beautifully refinished by Haughawout Music Company in 1997. With the Solophone are 70 original and 2 re-cut rolls. 115x102x32 inches.