Vigo County Historical Society

Each visitor who has had the pleasure of listening to the playing of the Reginaphone in the Vigo County Historical Museum has been enthralled by its melodic and resounding tone and intrigued by its construction.

The Reginaphone was manufactured by the Regina Music Box Co., which was founded in 1892.

By the end of the 1890s, most of the boxes were made at the Rahway, N.J., plant.

The large metal disk played on the Reginaphone ranged in size from 8 1/2 to 32 inches in diameter.

Some were made for home use and others were coin-operated for commercial use.

More than 100,000 of the music boxes were made before the company went bankrupt in 1922.

Some of the disks included in the museum collection are: "Columbia, The Gen of the Ocean," "The Blue Bells of Scotland," "Dreaming Serenade" and "Because."

Reginaphone disks are sill available from the Porter Music Box Co., in Randolph, Vt. The Vigo County Historical Society has ordered several in recent years which have been enjoyed, especially during the holidays.

The Reginaphone on display on the museum’s first floor was donated by the A.J. Jewett family.