British Pathe

M/S of Samuel Sunley of Park West, London who makes, repairs and collects antique music boxes. He opens the lid of a music box; then a glass lid to the mechanical parts. C/U as he reaches inside the box and starts the music; natural sound as we hear it playing. C/Us inside the box showing small hammers...

M/S of Samuel Sunley of Park West, London who makes, repairs and collects antique music boxes. He opens the lid of a music box; then a glass lid to the mechanical parts. C/U as he reaches inside the box and starts the music; natural sound as we hear it playing. C/Us inside the box showing small hammers decorated with golden butterflies that hit the bells to make the music and tiny hammers that beat on silver and wooden drums mounted inside the box. We can also see a golden musical roll turning slowly to play the music.

C/Us of SS kneeling on the floor and dusting out the inside of a chair and adjusts a few bolts with a screwdriver. C/Us of SS's face as he works; he is wearing an eyeglass lens attached to his glasses with a wire coil; he then lowers the seat. M/S as he winds the chair from underneath the seat, then sits down on it to work on another box at a table while the musical chair starts playing 'The Blue Danube'! M/Ss over his shoulder and in front as he works; C/U of him adjusting the mechanism and flicking a propeller-type piece to make sure it spins freely.

M/S as he closes the lid on the box which has a doll attached to it - without a head! He attaches the head of the Gipsy doll, C/U of her head and shoulders as he adjusts her dress - she is wearing a black eye-mask. M/S as he winds the box; some tinkly music starts and he picks the box up and starts to turn it towards us. The commentator tells us this was made in Switzerland in 1830 by Mermod.

M/S of a ballerina doll on a music box standing between two male busts; SS comes into shot, turns something at the back of the box and the ballet dancer starts to turn and dance to the music coming from the box. She is holding a ribbon in both hands. C/U of her dancing, tilt down to show her feet moving round.

M/S of a guitarist doll made in France (commentator says "The Elvis Presley of the 1860's") sitting on a stool wearing a Cavalier type costume. As the music box plays the tune of 'Tarara-Boom-De-Ay', he strums his guitar (it's more like a ukulele), nods to the music, winks a few times and flicks his tongue in and out - yeuch!

M/Ss and C/Us of an acrobatic doll in an elaborate yellow costume who is holding onto the back of a chair with one hand. To the music, he slowly lifts himself up to a horizontal position, then lowers back down again; C/U as he takes a bow.

Note: nice footage of the dolls, but I personally find them a bit spooky and slightly sinister-looking! Could be used as spooky puppets.