These early musical contraptions were an expensive luxury item favored by the aristocracy, primarily playing hymns and operatic songs. Later versions added mechanical automata to their complex musical tunes for increasingly magical effects. By the late 1800s, music boxes were built with removable cylinders whose tunes could be changed by replacing specially designed drawers. Finally, in 1885, Paul Lochmann created a music box called the “Symphonion” using a flat metal disc that rotated on a turntable. These metal discs could be easily swapped out, much like a vinyl record. Pop music was suddenly affordable and immediately accessible; within weeks of a Broadway show’s debut, its most memorable musical themes were available on music-box discs. Gustave Brachhausen, foreman of the Lochmann firm, split with the company and created his own business manufacturing the “Polyphon,” perhaps the most famous disc-operated music box. In 1892, Brachhausen moved to the United States where he opened the Regina Music Box Company in Jersey City, New Jersey. Though Regina produced its own mechanical works, Brachhausen still imported discs from the Polyphon factory in Leipzig. Regina’s immediate success allowed the company to move into a larger factory space and begin producing its own musical discs by hiring additional staff from the best companies of Europe. Besides designing devices for home use, Regina created machines for public spaces which would play songs for a nickel.
Selected Products
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Music Box Train
Music Box Original Crankshaft
Music Box Disney
Music Box Giraffe
Music Box Romantic
Music Box Amazing Grace
Gone With The Wind Music Box
Music Box Replacement
Music Box Beauty And The Beast
Cylinder Music Box
Music Box Girl
Music Box Dancer Cd
Music Box 18 Note
Music Box Beethoven
Music Box Unchained Melody
Music Box Free Shipping
Music Box Grandfather'S Clock
Music Box Love Story
Music Box Strips
Personalised Music Box
Music Box Fur Elise
Music Box Dancer Jewelry Box
Music Box Disk
Baby Einstein Baby Santa S Music Box
Music Box Laras Theme
Ariel Music Box
Music Box Dancer
Classical Music Box Set
Music Box Photo Album
Music Box 30 Note
Music Box Decanter
Music Box Yesterday
Music Box Fur Elise
Music Box Pooh
Music Box Nocturne
Music Box Make Your Own