[ Ref. Peter Thorpe in 230211 MMDigest ]

Jean Billon (1823-1895) was a musical box blank maker who
established his business in 1844. In 1853 he was located at Moulin
David, a water-mill situated at the Quai de Seujet on the Rhône,
which was on the border of the Saint Gervais quarter of Genève and
near to the Pont de Coulouvrenière.

A new factory, called Maison J. Billon, was built in the Saint-Jean
ward of Geneva in 1857 for the manufacture of musical box components.
The comb with JB was made by him.

In October 1862, together with a person called Louis-Jules Isaac, a
clockmaker, he established Société Billon et Isaac for the manufacture
of blanks, combs and springs. Their initials were SBI and their trade
mark was a butterfly with the letters JB on the wings.

In 1880 he made complete musical boxes. The firm failed in 1904.

All the tunes are much earlier than the date of the box, which is
difficult to determine but well after 1860, possibly about 1880.

The tune sheet pattern for these small musical boxes was in use about
1880, so this could be a clue to the date it was made.

The tune sheet has not been attributed to a known maker or agent. It
could therefore have been made by Jean Billon. Otherwise, if earlier
than 1880 (or even after) it might have been supplied to an agent.

It is a very nice example of its type. More information from others
would be appreciated

Paul Bellamy