The Green County Historical Museum has a 19th century music box made by the Regina Music Box Company of Rahway, N.J. The company was founded in 1892 by Gustav Brachhausen of Leipzig, Germany.
Brachhausen also was the founder of the Polyphon Company, a German maker of music boxes. When this company started, it used German manufactured combs and motors and only the cabinets were made in America. However, after a couple years, everything was made at its New Jersey plant.
The table model shown here is 13 inches wide, 12 inches deep and 8 inches tall, and is made of mahogany wood. It presumably belonged to the Dodge family of Monroe; inside the lid is needle point work that has the name "Dodge" inscribed above the family crest. A brass plate on the inside reads "Regina".
The music box uses steel disks that measure 11 inches in diameter. The music box has a number of disks which state that they were patented in 1889 and 1893 and all have the Regina trademark.
All of the disks are labeled as to the songs on them. Some of the songs include: "In the Good Old Summer Time Waltz," "Rose of Killarney Love Song" and "Wife's of the Danube Waltz."
Regina was the most prolific producer of music boxes in America. The Wurlitzer Company of juke box fame was the largest distributor in the 1890s and convinced Regina to add coin slides to their larger music boxes.
The Regina music boxes are highly sought after by collectors today because of their high quality of mechanics, cabinetry and superior tonal qualities. Music box sales were very strong between 1895 and 1903; however, with the advent of the talking machine as a competitor for music entertainment, sales dropped dramatically and most music box companies went out of business by 1905.
Regina continued to manufacture a few music boxes until 1919, but eventually turned its business into the production of vacuum cleaners.
A 1901 advertisement for Regina music boxes states: "A Regina Music Box is a Christmas gift that brings pleasure all year round. To the invalid its cheery tunefulness is a constant delight. To the child it is the most welcome and delightful music teacher. To the whole family an ever-ready entertainer, a dispeller of gloom, a bringer of happiness."
Brachhausen also was the founder of the Polyphon Company, a German maker of music boxes. When this company started, it used German manufactured combs and motors and only the cabinets were made in America. However, after a couple years, everything was made at its New Jersey plant.
The table model shown here is 13 inches wide, 12 inches deep and 8 inches tall, and is made of mahogany wood. It presumably belonged to the Dodge family of Monroe; inside the lid is needle point work that has the name "Dodge" inscribed above the family crest. A brass plate on the inside reads "Regina".
The music box uses steel disks that measure 11 inches in diameter. The music box has a number of disks which state that they were patented in 1889 and 1893 and all have the Regina trademark.
All of the disks are labeled as to the songs on them. Some of the songs include: "In the Good Old Summer Time Waltz," "Rose of Killarney Love Song" and "Wife's of the Danube Waltz."
Regina was the most prolific producer of music boxes in America. The Wurlitzer Company of juke box fame was the largest distributor in the 1890s and convinced Regina to add coin slides to their larger music boxes.
The Regina music boxes are highly sought after by collectors today because of their high quality of mechanics, cabinetry and superior tonal qualities. Music box sales were very strong between 1895 and 1903; however, with the advent of the talking machine as a competitor for music entertainment, sales dropped dramatically and most music box companies went out of business by 1905.
Regina continued to manufacture a few music boxes until 1919, but eventually turned its business into the production of vacuum cleaners.
A 1901 advertisement for Regina music boxes states: "A Regina Music Box is a Christmas gift that brings pleasure all year round. To the invalid its cheery tunefulness is a constant delight. To the child it is the most welcome and delightful music teacher. To the whole family an ever-ready entertainer, a dispeller of gloom, a bringer of happiness."