Early 20th century Mutoscope – £1850 at Canterbury Auction Galleries.
Made by the American Mutoscope Company of New York, the machine depicting a scantily clad young woman had a sign at the top of the case reading Real Motion Pictures – Pride of Paris.
A flurry of bids from France and Belgium ended in victory for a French collector at a mid-estimate £1850.
The machine was one of 24 such penny-in-the-slot and mechanical music machines offered, all of which got away to a hammer total of £12,700 at the February 6-8 sale.
It was the second tranche of a collection amassed by a Folkestone enthusiast – 100 items from which totalled £31,000 three years ago.
This last consignment from the vendor was augmented at the February sale by another enthusiast’s 22 similar machines which brought a further £6640.
