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There even was an example of an early valve-powered entertainment center. Or was it really a turntable projector? Because our tour guide skipped this machine, I plead innocence for not getting the relevant details.


As many of the circus-type animated figurines perhaps presaged later robotics, Cima also sports a mechanical angel with flapping wings which circles at alternating heights suspended from the ceiling, designed and built by a 25-year old mechanical genius of the times.


Down from the heavens into rowdy street fairs and elegant salons it was in Cima's Concert Room where foot-actuated player pianos and the most elaborate of punch-card driven mechanical orchestra boxes made amazingly complex loud music.

The above machine feeds from an endless book of cards which even animates an accordeon and various drums to raise all but the deaf and dead. Below is the rear view of another similar machine.

Probably used in more high-brow settings were the player pianos. In fact, our tour guide asserted that leading pianists of the days loved playing them and that even Carnegie Hall in New York City hosted such animatronic concert interludes.