Not on display

This object consists of 12 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

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Symphonion disc music box, style 192

Music Box
1900-1910 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Symphonion Musikwerke company (Leipzig, Germany) was founded in 1885 and became the world’s largest commercial producer of disc-playing music boxes. The business employed Gustave Brachhausen and Paul Rissner, talented engineers who made a significant contribution to the development of the 'musical movements' industry. In 1889, they created Polyphon Musikwerke, and three years later, in 1892, another company called the Regina Music Box Company in New Jersey, United States.

These companies: Symphonion, Polyphon and Regina were known as the "Die Grosse Drei" (the great three) in the field of the perforated plates blocks and music boxes. These three firms owned roughly 90% of the world’s market and were well known around the world.

Symphonion Musikwerke was known for its diversity of models and for pioneering the use of electric motors in disc musical boxes in 1900.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 12 parts.

  • Musical Box
  • Key
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
  • Disc
TitleSymphonion disc music box, style 192 (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Upright Symphonion disc musical box with nine discs. Germany, ca. 1900-1910.
Physical description
Upright Symphonion disc musical box with nine 19" discs, style 192. Walnut case

Note on key: works normally (2018)
Dimensions
  • Height: 116.8cm (Note: Measurement converted from department registers)
  • Top width: 44.5cm (Note: Measurement converted from department registers)
  • Top length: 82.5cm (Note: Measurement converted from department registers)
Credit line
Purchase made possible through the gift of an anonymous benefactor.
Summary
Symphonion Musikwerke company (Leipzig, Germany) was founded in 1885 and became the world’s largest commercial producer of disc-playing music boxes. The business employed Gustave Brachhausen and Paul Rissner, talented engineers who made a significant contribution to the development of the 'musical movements' industry. In 1889, they created Polyphon Musikwerke, and three years later, in 1892, another company called the Regina Music Box Company in New Jersey, United States.

These companies: Symphonion, Polyphon and Regina were known as the "Die Grosse Drei" (the great three) in the field of the perforated plates blocks and music boxes. These three firms owned roughly 90% of the world’s market and were well known around the world.

Symphonion Musikwerke was known for its diversity of models and for pioneering the use of electric motors in disc musical boxes in 1900.
Collection
Accession number
W.61:1-1975

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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