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I picked this up at a huge junk shop in southern France, I bought it purely out of interest to see what was on it, it's very unusual, I don't know if anyone has seen one like it, my best assumption is it was used over a PA in a church that didn't have it's own bells, it's a bit of a mystery really...
[youtubehd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-eR-5lAAec[/youtubehd]

Fascinating Alex and many thanks for posting. I have never come across such a thing before on shellac but it is really quite appealing---if you can stand the dreadful pun...........

I should think your guess is correct.

That looks like an acetate disc.

Someone probably recorded for their own use on a portable cutter like a Presto.

Doubtful it was used in place of real bells for church services.

Others like it exist on shellac.. One was just played on the last Nauck's bidder request show.

I love the church bells... it definitely beats the heck out of the Muslim wailing we had to endure for 15 minutes each hour all day Sunday in Bruges, Belgium several years ago... It was broadcast by loudspeakers installed in the old bell tower in the center of town...

Bells are a universal language!

I know there's an old 1860s church around here where the Roman Catholics still have the bell-ringers pulling ropes to ring them--sounds like a mechanical carillon but more awesome.

I wish I could live somewhere like that.