Arranged upon a wooden platform is a composition "stone" fort with working door, architectural details, and a wide stairway at the side upon which is climbing a French soldier in full regalia, posed as though he has just climbed his way to the peak of the fort and is about to place the bugle call to his fellow soldiers. The soldier has an oil-painted paper mache head whose sculpted face has a stalwart expression, blue glass eyes, brunette wig, carton torso and legs, and cast metal painted hands. He wears his original blue, ivory and red uniform with brass buttons, kidskin leggings over brown shoes, black tricorn hat with French rosette, and carries a silver bugle with red, white and blue tassels. Inside the fort in an original wax phonograph cylinder which, when activated, sounds several different bugle calls. The cams control not only the figure's animations, but also the running of the wax recorded cylinder and its engagement, disengagement, and the reproducer's return to the beginning of the recording. The "fort" is constructed to allow the sound to escape via the open door, side window, and open-top tree stump. There is an attached Vichy key and pull lever. A brass plaque on the base reads "Le soldat au Clairon, Automate du XIX siecle".
Movements: The soldier turns his head from side to side, then brings the trumpet up to his mouth. In matching time, the phonograph plays bugle sounds and songs. When the bugle is lowered, the bugle sound stops.
Historical References: The French inventor Henri Lioret was not only interested in the development of the "new" phonograph, he wished to incorporate it into various objects such as dolls or toys or automata so they could seem to virtually come alive. He formed an alliance with Emile Jumeau to create the Bebe Phonographe. And he formed an alliance with Vichy for the creation of automata with sounds that would complement and enhance the automata action. Thus, the French Soldier bugler is fitted with a Liorret phonograph that actually plays bugle sound and songs. The alliance appears to have been very short-lived for few of these Vichy-Lioret automata are known to exist. Another example of this model is shown in Les Automates by Chapuis/Droz, page 294.