A remarkable collection of laboratory equipment manufactured by the Danish company Bruel & Kjaer is set to go to auction at a significantly reduced price.
The items are being auctioned by Vintage Electric Musical Instrument Auctions (VEMIA), with the auctioneer, Peter Forrest, managing the sale himself.
Peter said: “I’d seen Bruel & Kjaer gear being used in the Radiophonic Workshop at the BBC, and in Stockhausen’s studio, so I knew it had the potential to produce interesting sounds.
“I admired the stance I believe B&K had for most of the time when they were producing this stuff from the 1950s to 1980s of not making equipment for offensive military purposes. They also chose a seriously beautiful colour for their casework, which they still use today. And to cap it all, the insides of these instruments are hand-made works of art.
“For the last 30 years I’ve been travelling around the country to auctions, BBC sales, universities – anywhere there was some of this wonderful gear for sale. Sometimes I even trusted eBay sellers to ship safely – not easy.”
The extensive collection of laboratory equipment covers an area of 4m by 2m and weighs approximately one ton. Adjusted for inflation, the original cost of this collection would have exceeded £500,000, with some individual units originally priced as high as a Mini car.
The auction will start with a price of £6,000, with no reserve, and after factoring in buyer’s premium and UK delivery, the total cost to a single bidder could be under £7,500.
Peter is selling the collection as he plans to step back from running the auction, making it necessary to free up storage space.
He added: “It is all sold as seen, with no guarantee of working order. But it would make a sensational static display which could then, piece by piece, be renovated and brought back to full functionality.”
The Vintage Electric Musical Instrument Auctions will be held from 2nd to 9th November on spheremusic.com. The November auction is expected to sell around £500,000 worth of equipment, with individual lots valued between £15,000 and £100,000.
