Discover the History of Mechanical Music, Part III

There is much more to music figurines, woodenonto a brass cylinder by means of pins, it was being
jewelry boxes, children's jewelry boxes, and woodenset on steel discs, which were interchangeable and
keepsake boxes that meet the eye. Indeed, allexpendable. The polyphon had arrived and immediately
mechanical music, including music boxes, has a uniquecaught everyone?s imagination with its unlimited
history. Let's continue to discover what that is.After therepertoire of music. It was mass produced and soon
creation of carillons, chiming watches, and barreltook over the market which had previously been the
organs, musical movements made from carillonssole right of the cylinder box
without bells or hammers began. After Antoine Favre'smanufacturer."Unfortunately, the success of the disc
creation of using a steel toothcomb, which could bemusic boxes weren?t to last. The two main German
plucked to make music (cylinder music box), initially nocompanies for disc music boxes existed for 25 years,
one thought of making a music box just to enjoy.and the American Regina Company lasted a little
However some, such as Phillppe Meyland did begin tolonger, until 1919. The phonograph, a unique musical
make musical snuffboxes, and a group ofproduction, eventually took the place of the cylinder
watchmakers in 1810 and began to work onand Regina music boxes. Author David Tallis has this
manufacturing small movements for watches andto say about the phonograph: " It resulted from an
seals in Geneva. This resulted in the Geneva industryinvention which was made before that of the disc
beginning and was started by the likes of Henri Capt,music box. In 1877, Thomas Edison made his
Les Freres, Long Champs, Morse Aubert, and Pierrephonograph. He put on a record made of tin foil and
Rochot. Sometime later in 1812, L.G. Jaccard, Jeremerecited into the horn the first line of 'Mary Had A Little
ReCordon started a similar product.Once theLamb'."Of course, it took time for the phonograph to
mechanical music industry was started and settled,develop where it could compete with the cylinder and
trade was brisk and further developments with musicaldisc musical boxes. However, by 1900, they were
boxes continued to improve until they reached theirbeginning to become more notable and very
peak in 1870. It is interesting to note that by this time,popular.The history of mechanical music is truly
there was virtually no music, which could not be playedinteresting and like no other. So, the next time you play
by a music box.In 1890, a different musical mechanismyour music box figurine, wooden jewelry box, children's
began to impact the success of the comb and cylinderjewelry box, and wooden keepsake box, you can
musical box. David Tallis in "Music Boxes: A Guide forremember what makes them so special.
Collectors" stated that: "Instead of putting the music