HARRISBURG, Pa. — A unique selection of vintage disc music boxes, phonographs, nickelodeons, and coin-ops created a lively sale at the Cordier Summer Fine & Decorative Arts Auction on Aug. 17. “We knew we had a good sale going in and expected good results,” said Melanie Hartman, Director, Catalog & Specialty Auctions. “The musical collection came from a private estate in eastern Pennsylvania and we had 27 phone bids. We sold as far away as New Zealand. It wasn’t just that these were sought-after models, but there were so many of them in one place.”

“One of our bidders placed his winning bid from a boat while he was fishing in Alaska,” said Hartman. “Once again, we were fortunate to have an array of unique items to offer to our bidders. The auction was very lively, with active bidding in the room and online, with a large volume of phone bidders. We look forward to another exciting auction in November.”

A Wurlitzer LX Orchestrion mechanical music machine with Wonderlight combined a piano with a mandolin attachment, 30 violin pipes, 38 flute pipes, orchestra bells, bass and snare drums, and a triangle. The piano was equipped with a Wurlitzer patented automatic roll-changer and a Wonderlight, which rotated as the instruments played, producing a light show. The catalog noted that the piece was purchased new from the Wurlitzer factory in 1927. It had a mahogany cabinet with stained leaded glass windows, measured 85 inches high by 60 inches wide by 29 inches deep, and achieved a strong $9,000.

A mahogany cased disc music box phonograph was decorated with intricately carved cherubs that were mounted at the corners of a front panel made of lattice fretwork that had storage for records and discs below. The piece was in working condition, measured 50 inches high by 29 inches wide by 23 inches deep, and far surpassed the estimate of $1,000 to $2,000 when it realized $8,400.

The same price of $8,400 was paid for a coin-operated violino virtuoso that was made by Mills Novelty Company and combined piano and violin music in an oak case. The top cabinet had four panes of beveled glass that revealed the works with a nickel slot below and the lower section housed paper rolls. It was one of 3,800 single violin models produced in the Mills’ Chicago factory and measured 65 inches high by 43 inches wide by 31 inches deep.

Art also played a role in the success of the sale. Bidders showed keen interest in an intriguing Snow Hill Cloister allegorical watercolor that was mounted in a plain wood frame. On the back it read, Allegorical Picture / Made by Obed Snowberger / Bought at the sale of Obed Snowberger, January 15th, 1896, near Quincy, Pa. The last member of the Snow Hill Society of the Solitary Brothers / Franklin Keagy. The catalog notation read, “The Snow Hill Cloister, founded in Franklin County in 1798 as an offshoot of the Ephrata Cloister in Lancaster County, flourished until the Civil War. The last celibate brother, Obed Snowberger, died in 1895. This watercolor was purchased at the sale of his estate in 1896. It has been in a private collection for the last 50 years.” The 11 inch by 7 inch watercolor depicted a lamb, a dove, a figure reading from an open scroll, lightning, a sunrise, and rays of light emanating from a rainbow, as well as a small ship under full sail entering the scene from the bottom corner and an encapsulation of a colony at the top. The fascinating work achieved $10,200, selling well past the estimate of $2,000 to $3,000.

A fine group of Audubon hand-colored aquatint engravings was topped by the well-known “Golden Eagle,” from Audubon’s Birds of America series, Havell edition. The titled work was marked No. 37, Plate CLXXXI, and realized $5,640.

A four-tier surgical and dental kit, circa 1870 featured a wood case with brass fittings, a red velvet lining, and two removable trays that held more than 30 medical instruments. It was manufactured by Horatio G. Kern and went well past the mark of $800 to $1,200 when it commanded $4,320.

A Native American Indian pipe tomahawk flew under the radar when it brought an impressive $4,080, against an estimate of $150 to $250. The 20 inch long piece had incised lines and was made with a carved wood handle with studs and leather grip accents, and had a cast iron blade and skull crusher.

For more information visit www.cordierauction.com or call (717) 731-8662