Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

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bedbug1
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Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

Post by bedbug1 »

Hi
I am just after some information on octagonal mutoscopes, the penny grinder model,
How many years where they produced for and how rare are they to find in the uk
I’ve had a look on the new colcon website and it says there are around 10 known examples does anyone know if that figure is about right.
I am asking for a family friend who sold his years ago and has recently been looking for a replacement.
Any help would be appreciated
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JC
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Re: Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

Post by JC »

They were produced over a very short period of around three years - from late 1890s to around 1901, but in pretty large numbers. I would suspect far more than ten have survived in the UK. The real rarities are the stands, of which I've only ever seen two.
sentimental salvage
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Re: Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

Post by sentimental salvage »

I have 5 penny grinders here in Oz but I know of more than 10 in the UK, none for sale unfortunately.
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JC
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Re: Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

Post by JC »

Five? :shock: That's just greedy!
Are the stands just as rare over there as they are here?
bedbug1
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Re: Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

Post by bedbug1 »

Hi
Thanks for the information. Just out of interest, what does an original stand look like? I’ve seen pictures with square and round ones. Are these correct?
sentimental salvage
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Re: Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

Post by sentimental salvage »

JC wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 10:24 pm Five? :shock: That's just greedy!
Are the stands just as rare over there as they are here?
No idea. 😂 Three of them have different bases; a couple are the same, but...
sweetmeats
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Re: Octagonal mutoscope rarity?

Post by sweetmeats »

There is an illustration of the mutoscope stand in Nick Costa's book, page194. I have seen four of these in England (one of these now in the USA). There must be others. Much rarer are the triangular marques. The one illustrated in Costa's book is a line drawing and not correct. The only original one I know of sold in a Christie's auction in Australia many years ago. The late Bob Klepner borrowed it and had two? copies cast, of which I have one. Previously I had an aluminium copy of the book illustration Costa had made. The actual top is cast iron and double hinged at the base to be unscrewed at the top to open like a fan to insert the card and is bolted through the base to the machine. There is a simpler one I have seen used on a wooden mutoscope.
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