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
-
Music Box Movement Swiss
Music Box Vivaldi Spring
Cot Mobile Music Box
Music Box Iphone
Music Box Animated
Music Box Enesco
Music Box With Ballerina
Little Mermaid Music Box
Music Box For Women
Music Jewelry Box
Music Box Happy
Music Box Amelie
Music Box Nutcracker
Music Box Pooh
Music Box Urn
Music Box Electronic
Music Box Lighter
Music Box Dancer Jewelry Box
Music Box Card
Music Box Custom Song
Music Box 3D
Music Box Nativity
Music Box Eidelweiss
Music Box Amelie
Music Boxes For Girls
Music Box Cd
Music Box Harry Potter Theme Soundtrack
Music Box Kit
Music Box Vintage
Music Box Large
Disney Its A Small World Music Box
Horse Music Box
Frozen Music Box
Music Box Wooden
Ballerina Music Boxes
Horse Music Box