Kenneth Robinson asks in yesterday's MMD for the date of his Nicole
Frres music box.  The late H.A.V. (Anthony) Bulleid (d. May 5, 2009)
published a guide, with three supplements, for identifying the tune
sheets used by various  music box makers.  The guide, titled "Musical
Box Tune Sheets, Including Makers, Agents, and Dating Charts,"
originated as a series published in the journal of the Musical Box
Society of Great Britain (MBSGB).  The series was cumulated and
published in 2000,  with the three supplements appearing in 2001,
2005, and 2008.

Bulleid's work is widely available today in libraries, for sale
online, and to members of mechanical music societies such as the MBSGB
and the MBSI.  If Kenneth Robinson can consult a copy of Bulleid's
book, he should be able to date his Nicole Frres.  An approximate
dating may be possible, if he knows the titles of the tunes on his box,
by researching online the composition dates of those tunes.

Matthew Caulfield
Irondequoit, New York