Not currently on display at the V&A

Five Musical Fish

Handbill
1839 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Handbill advertising five Musical Fish, to be seen at 121 Pall Mall, London, 1839.

The handbill announces that the proprietor of the Eccaleobion is showing Five Living Musical Fish, 'Which not only appear to have the power of articulating sounds, but of performing pieces of music In the most perfectly correct & harmonious manner!' They are 'a demonstration of a fact in physical sciences incredible until witnessed!'

The Eccaleobion was an incubator, invented by William Bucknall, which used steam heat to hatch eggs. Bucknall took the name of his machine from two Greek words, meaning 'I bring forth' and 'life'. He wrote a treatise on the subject, dated 1839, which refers to the exhibition in Pall Mall. An advertisement for the Eccaleobion and the Musical Fish appeared in the Spectator, 14 September 1839.




Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFive Musical Fish (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Letterpress
Brief description
Handbill advertising five Musical Fish, to be seen at 121 Pall Mall, London, 1839
Physical description
Printed advertisement for an exhibition be seen at 121 Pall Mall. The proprietor of the Eccaleobion has added to his interesting exhibition of Hatching Birds by Steam and is showing 'A discovery in Accoustics presented to the Eye and Ear, by means of FIVE LIVING MUSICAL FISH!' Printed by W.S. Johnson, Nassau Steam Press, Soho.
Dimensions
  • Height: 18.7cm
  • Width: 12.4cm
Measurements are approx. Uneven edges.
Credit line
Gabrielle Enthoven Collection
Summary
Handbill advertising five Musical Fish, to be seen at 121 Pall Mall, London, 1839.

The handbill announces that the proprietor of the Eccaleobion is showing Five Living Musical Fish, 'Which not only appear to have the power of articulating sounds, but of performing pieces of music In the most perfectly correct & harmonious manner!' They are 'a demonstration of a fact in physical sciences incredible until witnessed!'

The Eccaleobion was an incubator, invented by William Bucknall, which used steam heat to hatch eggs. Bucknall took the name of his machine from two Greek words, meaning 'I bring forth' and 'life'. He wrote a treatise on the subject, dated 1839, which refers to the exhibition in Pall Mall. An advertisement for the Eccaleobion and the Musical Fish appeared in the Spectator, 14 September 1839.


Collection
Accession number
S.47-2019

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Record createdFebruary 13, 2019
Record URL
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