Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

December 19, 1993
By Alice Mahalek
Vigo County Historical Society

Reginaphone dates from 18th century

The chance to refresh the spirit with a touch of sweet harmony reflecting a more gracious era should not be overlooked.

Such an opportunity is readily available during this joyous season at the Vigo County Historical Museum where the venerable Reginaphone resolutely plinks outs its delicate airs.

The Reginaphone is a music box of the type dating from the 18th century. It produces melodies by employing a harmonically attuned “comb” which strikes pins projecting from a flat metal disc. The music then generated has a pleasing effect resembling that of the more elaborate harpsichord.

Those readers sufficiently matured may happily recall Raymond Scott’s “In an 18th Century Drawing Room” which, with this instrumentation, reflected the delicacy and grace of a world that exists only in music and the work of artists such as Fragonard and Watteau.

During 1802, the tranquility of the morning in Mozart’s native city was regularly broken by a tree-note chord boomed out on a great pipe organ that was dubbed the Salzburg Bull. With 50 pipes playing each of the chord’s notes, the sound had the effect planned by the Bull’s pious builder, the Archbishop of Salzburg: the awakening and call to devotions of the town’s citizens. The great organ was among the first automatic music mechanisms and is the oldest of its kind in existence. It might more properly have been called the Salzburg Cow since it was destined to become the mother of all music boxes.

The common cylinder music box originated in Switzerland. The period from the mid 1800s to 1890 saw its growth and development, but by 1910, its popularity was at an end as it was surpassed by the disc music box and other forms of home entertainment including the Edison phonograph.

The disc music box was popularly produced from the 1880s to the 1920s. While manufacturers were based in Germany, unlike the situation with their cylinder counterparts, disc boxes were also made in America. The Regina Music Box company, the best known manufacturer, produced about 100,000 boxes with some playing discs up to 36 inches.

The burgeoning popularity of 78 rpm phonograph records and the advent of movies depleted the music box market and, in an effort to boost lagging sales, Regina introduced one that would also play records. This last gasp proved to be futile and Regina switched to putting out vacuum cleaners.

The marvelous machine at the Museum has the hits of 1904--”Banks of the Wabash,” “The Last Chord,”--but can also get in the spirit with such current favorites as “Home for the Holidays.” You can even request “It Looks Like a Big Night Tonight” if you’re in a dancing mood.

The Reginaphone in all its glory will ring out its euphonious strains with particular liveliness from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 19 during the Museum’s open house. This is also the occasion of a reception for David Buchanan, the retiring executive director.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

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