Made by Jerome Secor. Probably Marketed by Ives. Bridgeport, Ct. - Late 1870's. Previous to the Civil War, Jerome Secor had been a successful manufacturer of sewing machines. In fact, so successful that he was a millionaire in that period. However, when the U. S. government requisitioned his factory for the production of cannon balls Secor lost much of the fortune he had accumulated. Following the war, the Secor family settled down in Bridgeport, Ct. By chance, Secor's new home was directly adjacent to the home of Edward Ives, the toy manufacturer. Aware of his talents as an engineer and his penchant for patent design, Ives encouraged his new neighbor to tinker with clockwork mechanisms and design a line of mechanical toys to be marketed by Ives, Blakeslee and Company. He devised a group of iconic black toys that include a banjo player, a bones player, a tambourine player and a female church goer known as Sister Lucinda that fans herself. These toys have very complex operations that cause remarkably realistic movements. Of course, Secor's most renowned creation was the astonishing Freedman's Bank, which depicts a banker seated at his desk, aiding you with your coin deposits. The current offering represents a highly superior example of Secor's banjo strumming musician.

Excellent Plus Condition.