Brought Home a Regina Music Box

[human]

Have patience; this is a somewhat long and convoluted story. So, my mom called me yesterday and told me she'd just bought a new recliner and it was being delivered Monday, so if I wanted the one she was replacing, I needed to come down and get it this weekend. By the end of the conversation, she also said that I should get my great-grandmother's Regina music box, I should go ahead and get that as well. The recliner certainly wasn't going in the trunk of my Buick, nor would the music box, so I looked into renting a larger and more appropriate vehicle for the task. What I found was a Ram 1500 crew cab pickup from Thrifty that cost a little less than half what a U-haul would have and was much more comfortable. I was also very amazed at its carrying capacity, but we'll get back to that.

The music box is from the late 1800s and is fully functional. It plays punched metal discs called music sheets, which are stored in the cabinet upon which it sits. I was really surprised when Mom offered it to me, because I thought it was going to my sister, but she and her youngest son helped me load it up in the truck, so I guess she's okay with it. Doesn't matter, because it's at my house now.

I figured out a spot to put it, ironically right next to my entertainment center, but I've got to push that about eight inches to the right, which may be a bit of a challenge, but we'll see. I'll post some photos once I get it into place. For now, here's a photo of a similar, albeit slightly fancier, one I found online. And yes, this is the same Regina company that made vacuum cleaners.

 

[hygiene903]

So nice of your Mom to pass the Regina music box to you! And yes, it is indeed the same Regina company in Rahway, NJ that made the vacuum cleaners and Elektrik Brooms! They made the music boxes for many years and also made a line of phonographs in the early 1900's, but I don't think their phonographs were made very long. There was a music box in a historical home/museum here in Galion that I got to hear play once when I went through there. Not sure if it was a Regina or not, but the music was absolutely beautiful!
When I was 10 years old, I was also the lucky recipient of a musical relic that was passed down in my family! It was a New Century phonograph that my Grandpa bought brand new for the family for Christmas one year. The story goes that he had a record playing when my Dad, Aunt, and Uncle got up and came downstairs on Christmas morning. They could all hear the music, but my Uncle (the youngest) went and looked out each of the windows, then put on his coat, went out on the front porch and looked up and down the street--trying to figure out where the band was! When I was about 4 years old Grandpa gave it to that same Uncle along with several boxes of records, and when I was 10, he passed it along to me! When my Aunt was going through stuff in Grandpa's attic a few years later, she found a few more boxes of records that added to my collection. Judging from the era these records were from, I'm assuming that when my Grandparents got their first radio, they put the phonograph away and quit buying records. I would have done the opposite--if I heard a song on the radio I particularly liked, I would have bought the record so I could hear it anytime I wanted, which is also why I have so many 45's from the 60's and 70's!
Back to the Regina, I also have 2 of the straight suction uprights, model 39 and 59. The 39 runs great, the 59 doesn't run. Here's a couple pics.
Jeff

 

[human]

The music box was from my dad's side of the family, and at almost 90, Mom is winnowing things down in her apartment, aiming to keep mainly the essentials and things from her side of the family. I hadn't been aware of the connection between Regina music boxes and Regina vacuum cleaners until I looked it up on line while writing this thread's original post. It was kind of neat to discover that while posting in this forum, of all places. The cabinet on which it sits was completely jammed full of metal music discs, running the gamut from sacred music to turn-of-the-century popular tunes. The music box has a surprisingly rich sound when playing.

There is a hotel in western North Carolina called the Lake Lure Inn, originally opened in 1927, that has a collection of music boxes of this type on display, Regina and other brands. They are supposedly all in working order, and some of them are coin operated, forerunners of jukeboxes. Guests are asked not to touch them, of course, but when time permits, staff are happy to demonstrate them upon request.

Things have been rather busy since I got home with the music box, so I have yet to clear out its permanent spot. That's going to be a major chore, probably more than a day's work. I'm not sure when it will be in place to photograph.

 

[kirbyman65]

Very Cool!
I didn't know Regina made music boxes until very recently. It sure looks nice for being from the late 1800's, has it been restored? Or just very well maintained.
-Jack

 

[human]

Thanks for the compliment, but the music box pictured in my initial post is NOT mine. It's a random photo of a very similar one that I found online. I was too tired to drag my camera out and set things up to photograph at the time. That one is in much nicer shape, and may well have been restored. Mine has not been restored, but it's in pretty nice condition for its age. I wanted to get it into its final location before photographing it, but maybe I'll take some preliminary shots tomorrow. Sorry for any confusion the other photo may have caused.

 

[kirbyklekter]

Human, if yours looks close to the photo you have a nice looking piece of history there. I like the legs on the player sitting atop the storage box, kind if elegant. About a year ago I was gifted a 1914 Victrola . Not the big model that has legs, more of a table top. I wouldn't call it portable since it weighs so much. You open two doors beneath the player and there's your sound. Volume is controlled by how wide open you have those little doors. Apparently you are supposed to change the tonearm needle which each play of a record! I guess that explains why they sell said needles in bags of one hundred. Do you know if that's common for most players from that era? It had one 78rpm on the turntable, Elvis Presley singing Blue Christmas! I didn't know the record producers were still using 78's in the mid to late 50's when Elvis came on the scene. I enjoy showing it to people who have never seen a music box up close. Pound for pound you really got your money's worth with these players and no planned obsolesence !

 

[human]

My music box is very similar to the one in the photo, except the cabinet doesn't have the brass fittings, but instead has some decorative filigree work on the doors. I also have a Victrola from that era that belonged to the same great-grandmother. It's a floor model with cabinet doors for volume control and storage for discs below. And yes, the preferred playing procedure is to replace the steel needle after each play for best results and least damage to the records, but I'm sure many people did not follow that advice. The Victrola is actually the reason I was surprised at being offered the Regina music box and my sister's lack of resistance to letting it go. The understanding I had with my late father was that I got the Victrola, and the music box was to go to her. I assumed she knew that and I also reminded my mother of it a few months ago. I guess the reason my sister was okay with me having it is she knows both items will eventually end up with her kids.

I also have a rare Edison Diamond Disc player, which was the 'BetaMax' to Victor's 'VHS'. Made from 1912-1929, the Edison Diamond Disc system was technologically superior to Victrola, in that it used a permanent diamond needle to produce superior sound quality. Records for the two systems were incompatible with each other. Edison Diamond discs, although the same diameter as a conventional 78rpm record, had grooves pitched much closer together to allow for up to 12 minutes of audio per side, whereas 78s only allow for about two minutes per side. My Edison player is in the roughest condition of the three. Dad bought it at an antique shop or flea market sometime about 35 years ago, so it has no real family connection. Sadly, someone had stripped all the varnish off of it, but never followed through and refinished it. The thing is buried in my barn and has not seen the light of day for several years.

It's convenient that I have these three items, because my sister has three children, and I can eventually pass one to each of them.

I still haven't put the music box in its final place, but I did figure out a better spot for it. I may try to move it there tomorrow, but I decided to go ahead and take a couple of photos of it. They're not the best, but at least you can see the details. Speaking of details, I realized after I snapped the pictures that I have the disc installed wrong. Also, I have the missing piece of moulding that is missing from above the illustration on the inside of the lid. I just need to tack it back into place.

 

[cheesewonton]

That is beautiful !

 

[hygiene903]

That is indeed a beautiful machine you have! And I'm wondering if the lady pictured inside the lid is Regina? You're right about the Edison Diamond Disc phonographs, they were pretty much the Cadillac of phonographs of that day! You could only play the Edison records on their machines, but an optional reproducer was available to play other records on the Edison machines.
And Bill, it doesn't surprise me that you have Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas" on a 78! 45's weren't introduced until about 1955, so many of the early rock-n-roll records were available on 78's. I have a copy of "Hound Dog" with "Don't Be Cruel" by Elvis on a 78 that I picked up years ago at a rummage sale.
Jeff

 

[Alan]

That is beautiful. The music box is remarkable. Do you ever play it?

 

[human]

Thanks. I haven't had a chance to play it since I brought it home a week ago, but I've certainly played it in the past at my grandparents' home and at my parents' house.

 

[kirbyklekter]

If you lift the player box off of the lower cabinet, that would be the size of my music box. Makes me wonder if there was an option to order a more complete unit that stood on it's own legs, and what I have is half the story! My parents had a new late 50's hifi that could play 78's and with the flip of a knob on the tone arm could play 45's and maybe 33's, if the long play albums were a thing yet. Jeff, I'm with you on the 45 rpm's. I started collecting at age 9 and stopped at around 400 singles. The memories! Human that red tone on your player is beautiful and the patina from so many years in your family makes it a true multi- generational heirloom.

 

[hygiene903]

Bill, I started collecting records about the same age, unless you count the "Little Golden Records" or "Peter Pan Records" that my parents bought for me when I was little! Collecting started out with a few here and a few there, but after I started making a little money mowing lawns (and eventually working an actual part-time job) my collection grew considerably! And it was mostly 45's, as my criteria back then was that I never bought an LP unless it had at least 3 or 4 songs on it that I liked. I never really stopped collecting records and still look for them at flea markets and thrift stores, but at this point I'm more selective and usually don't make a purchase unless it's something I'm looking for.
Jeff

 

[kirbyklekter]

It's nice to know that important parts like the main spring can still be purchased for these after over 100 years. In contrast, my friend can't get anyone to fix his 7 yr. old 2500.00 refrigerator because the part is NLA. Jeff, same word for word!

 

[human]

If you lift the player box off of the lower cabinet, that would be the size of my music box. Makes me wonder if there was an option to order a more complete unit that stood on it's own legs, and what I have is half the story! My parents had a new late 50's hifi that could play 78's and with the flip of a knob on the tone arm could play 45's and maybe 33's, if the long play albums were a thing yet. Jeff, I'm with you on the 45 rpm's. I started collecting at age 9 and stopped at around 400 singles. The memories! Human that red tone on your player is beautiful and the patina from so many years in your family makes it a true multi- generational heirloom.

The cabinet is a separate piece, and I'm sure many were sold as table models without the cabinet. I'm sure plenty of those cabinets also got separated from their music boxes and repurposed, kind of like those for vintage Singer sewing machines. There were also variants into which the discs mount vertically instead of horizontally. Those music boxes were made like fine furniture in a variety of finishes, including oak, maple, and mahogany. Mine is the latter. Some also had contrasting inlays and others had filigree appliques. I haven't seen more than a dozen or two in my life, but I don't know that I've seen any two that were identical.

We had a little Panasonic stereo system when I was a kid in the mid-'70s that would play 78s and had a flippy stylus like that. We had a cassette deck hooked up to it, so I recorded some of my dad's 78s onto cassettes. Of course, these days a lot of that content is downloadable for free at archive.org.