Milhous Collection 'Cremona Style K Orchestrion' rare instrument sells at RM

We've already looked at a couple of classic car highlights starring in RM and Sotheby's upcoming joint auctions of the legendary Milhous Collection.

The collection is located near West Palm Beach, Florida, and was amassed by Bob and Paul Milhous (pictured top right).

But the sales won't be restricted to classic cars. Antique firearms, petroliana, decorative arts, furniture, models, musical instruments and more are also going under the hammer.

According to the auctioneers, the Milhous Collection boasts one of the "finest" assemblages of antique musical instruments in the world.

Among them is this Cremona Style K Orchestrion, a rare and classic organ.

 

Cremona Style K Orchestrion
Loud piece of history: the very rare Cremona Style K Orchestrion

The Cremona Style K Orchestrion was originally built in Chicago, US, by the city's Marquette Piano Co. The organs were produced for a relatively short period of time in the mid-to-late 'teens.

The Cremona organ is among the instruments on display at Sotheby's offices in Manhattan prior to the February 24-25 sale.

Also on display is a Mills Automatic Virtuosa.

Among the Mills Automatic Virtuosa's notable features is a very rare factory-added piano. The instrument has since been expertly and fully restored, according to RM.

Interested collectors can view both instruments in Manhattan, alongside a 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Seven-Passenger Roi des Belges (written about in more detail in our previous report).

 

Mills Automatic Virtuosa with Factory-Added Piano
This fully-restored Mills Automatic Virtuosa has a factory-added keyboard

Meanwhile, other classic era cars being offered by RM include this stunning 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Five-Passenger Phaeton.

The car is strictly a one-off with coachwork by LeBaron. The '33 Chrysler Custom Imperial is also believed to be the last of its kind ever built.

Matching the car's incredible coachwork and rarity is also a certain degree of celebrity provenance. This was formerly the personal car of famed automotive designer Ralph Roberts and his wife.

Since its heyday, the eight-cylinder 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial has been expertly restored, "with its unique, bespoke features intact" according to RM.

 

1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Five-Passenger Phaeton
One-off classic: the 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial Five-Passenger Phaeton

These are just some of the collectible Americana artefacts appearing for sale in February. Watch this space for more news on RM and Sotheby's auctions of the Milhous Collection.


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