Rare Lemaire Cigarette Rolling Machine in Original Case. France, Late 19th Century

Metal Lemaire cigarette rolling machine in its original wooden case. This curious piece was made in France at the turn of the 19th century and is in quite good condition. The machine preserves all its component parts and works fine. It is made of black-enameled metal decorated with stylish golden lines. The mobile metal parts are well preserved; though it is quite an ancient piece, the machine shows only slight traces of rust and is still a very decorative item. At the edge of the tray we can see the inscription LEMAIRE Bte. SGDG engraved in the metal. Lemaire was the brand name of a French series of cigarette rolling machines that became highly popular in the late 19th century. The system they use to roll the cigarettes is similar to the one used by the English Concinnum Hexagon manual machines commercialized by Evan. The advantage provided by Lemaire machines is that they include a paper dispenser that wets the paper and puts it on the tobacco. In the machine that we can see in these images, the rubber that catches the paper and wets it is missing. This is logical as it is normally such a soft and perishable material. Otherwise the machine works fine. As stated before, the piece comes in its original light wooden box, in very good condition and with the original paper labels also well preserved. They bear printed inscriptions with the machines market name, the medals awarded to the brand, the factorys address and an extensive description of the machines advantages. The box is made of solid beech wood and keeps the original shutting hook. Its operation can be seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64bsBz8K0e8 Its ingenious design and antique charm turn this Lemaire machine into a very attractive find for any collector of special pieces. Measurements: Width: 5.1 in /13 cm. Height: 2.5 in / 6.5 cm.