The centerpiece of the collection is a circa-1890-1910 carved carousel lion attributed to the Dentzel Carousel Company of Philadelphia. Standing 70 inches tall on a wooden platform, the piece features intricate high-relief carving and inset glass eyes, with auction estimates placed between $40,000 and $60,000. Joining it is a rare, working Roover Brothers "Madame Zita" fortune teller automaton. Dressed in period Victorian attire, the machine remains one of the few surviving originals capable of performing its mechanical fortune-dispensing sequence.
Rare Carousel Figures and Victorian Automata Lead Morphy's October Auction
More than 1,100 lots of vintage coin-operated machines and classic advertising memorabilia are set to cross the block at Morphy Auctions' Las Vegas gallery this October 16-17. The two-day event highlights the golden age of mechanical entertainment, featuring rare, fully restored pieces with estimates reaching as high as $60,000.
Musical history is represented by a circa-1870 Imhof & Mulke pinned barrel orchestrion, which was later retrofitted with a Welte roll-playing system in the 1890s. Once a fixture in the Philadelphia Opera Hall, the instrument was restored by Hayes McClaren and arrives at auction with a full selection of rolls. Other notable lots include an 84-inch-tall cigar store Indian attributed to the shop of Samuel Robb and a porcelain Campbell’s Soup thermometer sign. The auction will take place at the Morphy satellite gallery at 4520 Arville St., Las Vegas, with remote bidding options available for those unable to attend in person.
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