A vast collection of musical instruments and antique cars will be up for auction at RM Auctions and Sotheby’s sale of the Milhous Collection—a compilation of more than five decades’ worth of memorabilia owned by brothers Bob and Paul Milhous. The Milhous brothers, who made their money in the printing industry, were passionate collectors—Paul amassed a series of musical instruments and Bob purchased antique motorcars. In the mid-1970s, they joined their separate collections and built a private 39,500-square-foot museum in Boca Raton, Fla., where the sale will be held on February 24 and 25.
Among the highlights of the 550 lots up for grabs are a Pebble Beach–winning 1912 Oldsmobile Limited, chassis number 64626, the only known surviving example and featuring one-off coachwork (estimated at $1.4 million to $1.6 million); and the original 26-rank Wurlitzer family residential/theater pipe organ (estimated at $450,000 to $650,000), formerly kept in the Wurlitzers’ Cincinnati home.
Another standout item is a 46-foot fully functioning custom carousel (estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million). Accompanied by its own Wurlitzer 153 band organ, the carousel features depictions of the Eight Wonders of the World around the upper molding and designs in stained glass, along with 42 animals, including two rocking animal chariots, all of which were hand-carved in basswood. (519.352.4575, www.rmauctions.com/milhous)
