Henri Vidoudez, 1888 – um 1910 “Henri Vidoudez came from Clarmont. On 11th December 1888, he created a company in Sainte-Croix to manufacture all types of music boxes. In particular he made cartels and coin-operated automata, as soon as the first of these appeared on the market. On 7th April 1893, he founded a second company with Jean-Albert Widmer. He had just enough time to file a patent application before it was dissolved two months later [June 1893]. Henri Vidoudez was an établisseur who bought components needed for the production of the said automata. Assembly and final inspection were carried out in his workshops.” (Piguet, S. 308-309) National Exhibition in Geneva 1896 others equipped with a very practical cylinder change system, as well as large automata with dancing dolls, remarkable decorated. He was awarded a bronze medal.” (Piguet, S. 308-309) Cantonal Exhibition in Vevey 1901 “In 1907, Henri Vidoudez ran into serious problems which led him to file a petition for bankruptcy. It cannot however be excluded that he pursued some kind of music box activity until the beginning of the war because the Société industrielle et commerciale listed him as music box manufacturer up to 1914. It is said to have manufactured disc music boxes under the name New Century.” (Piguet, S. 308-309) In the Internet can be found only New Century Music boxes, which are disc mjusic boxes, made by Paillard or other makers, but not by Viduoudez. (September 2021)
Henri Vidoudez TMB 18, 5, 1998, p. 137, S. 41; Bellamy, Music Makers of Switzerland, (2015), p. 6
and see also a Chapter by Bulleid, Technology, which deals with music boxes of Vidoudez Paul Vidoudez The name Paul Vidoudez & Fils remains to this day on the wall of a building in Ste-Croix plus the information that the business was the manufacture of musical boxes. No information is so far available on this maker, but ist interesting theat the initials are the same as those of Paillard, Vaucher, Fils.
|
