Melba's Gifted Gold Pocket Watch to Opera Director

A gold open face pocket watch, Purportedly gifted to Frank Rigo…
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A gold open face pocket watch, Purportedly gifted to Frank Rigo from Dame Nellie Melba, circa 1911, crown wind movement, circular silvered dial with Roman numerals, 18ct gold case, engraved lid with the initials 'F.R.' and further hand engraving to the inner lid 'From Nellie Melba Xmas 1911', accompanied by correspondence from Dame Nellie Melba's granddaughter, lady Pamela Vestey, regarding Melba's friendship with Frank Rigo. Provenance: Dame Nellie Melba pocket watch, Edward St John Qc, a prominent barrister in Sydney, and Federal Member of Parliament during the Holt and Gorton governments came across the pocket watch by chance in a curiosity shop in the 1960's. As the watch was inscribed Dame Nellie Melba, Edward showed the watch to his close friend Geoffrey Smith, a Protocol Officer for the Victorian Government who well acquainted with lady Pamela Vestey, Dame Nellie Melba's granddaughter. Lady Vestey was able to fill in some of the history regarding the presumed recipient of the watch., the watch case is engraved with the initials F.R. To the outer lid. The inner lid is the engraved inscription 'From Nellie Melba Xmas 1911., lady Vestey's letter explains 'Fr' was one Frank Rigo an Italian-American opera director and impresario who worked closely with Nellie Melba for many years

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  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
  • Victorian Period - The Victorian period of furniture and decorative arts design covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers used and modified many historical styles such as Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others, although use of some styles, such as English Rococo and Gothic tended to dominate the furniture manufacture of the period.

    The Victorian period was preceded by the Regency and William IV periods, and followed by the Edwardian period, named for Edward VII (1841 ? 1910) who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India for the brief period from 1901 until his death in 1910.
  • Crown Wind - A winding method for a watch, using a knurled or fluted knob, located at 3 o'clock on a wristwatch and 12 o'clock on a pocketwatch.
  • Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.

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