Wonderful Victoria Cigarette Machine. First Model. Spain, Circa 1920

This stunning antique piece is a cigarette-rolling machine made in Spain in the 1920s. It is a Victoria machine, a very popular and iconic design; the one that we can see in the photographs is the first model produced by the factory. The device is in good condition and works fine. It is made of enameled and chromed metal component parts and mounts a leather conveyor belt and a dark red bakelite base. All the parts are original and remain well preserved, boasting the nice patina created by the trace of time. A the top of the machine we can see a metal hopper with outer dark green crackled finish. At the front of the hopper we can see the brand logo with the printed name VICTORIA and the manufacturing companys name, Victorero Hermanos (Victorero Brothers).The Victorero family was composed of twelve brothers; four of them opened a shop in Asturias, Spain to sell tobacco and stationery supplies. Around 1910 they founded the company Agustin Victorero y Hermanos to sell a cigarette-rolling machine designed by Antonio Victorero. The first model (the one that we can see in the images) was patented in 1915. After this model, the firm launched five improved designs. The machines lower part is also made of crackled-finished metal, just like the hopper. The rest of the device is composed of silvery metal parts, with a red bakelite handle for the crank and a brown leather conveyor belt. The operation is simple: the user must deposit the tobacco into the hopper and turn the crank. Then, the machine will drop the exact amount of tobacco into the machine. After putting a rolling paper sheet in the right compartment, the user will pull the front silvery metal bar to draw the paper sheet. It will wet and close, creating a cigarette. The process can be clearly seen in this video of a similar machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Audm2HLnhyM With an undeniable charm and a wonderful attractive, this amazing cigarette-rolling machine will draw anyones attention. Measurements: Width: 16.9 in / 43 cm. Height: 8.6 in / 22 cm.